U.S. Studios Fuel Video Arms Race in China

As Netflix executives publicly contemplate the company’s path into China, that country’s tech giants aren’t standing still. Firms like Xiaomi, Alibaba and especially Tencent are jockeying for position in the Chinese streaming market, striking licensing deals with U.S. studios for exclusive content.

And it’s becoming increasingly likely that the streaming ambitions of firms like Tencent and Alibaba extend beyond China’s borders, according to multiple U.S. media executives who’ve been in discussions with the firms. That could put those companies on a collision course with Netflix in China and elsewhere.