China, the world’s fastest growing film and TV market, will allow potentially hundreds of millions of its citizens to watch the Golden Globe awards show next month. The Golden Globes gala on January 11 will be streamed live for the first time on Hunan TV (湖南卫视) in addition to the telecast by network CCTV6 which will more than double the viewership compared to previous years. It will also be available on a delayed basis on major Chinese TV portals. Launched in 1997 Hunan TV is currently China’s second-most-watched channel, second only to CCTV-1. I’s standard high-definition broadcast covers most of China, including Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan. CCTV6 is the official “movie channel” of CCTV run by the State Administration of the People’s Republic of China for Press, Publication, Radio, Film and TV. CCTV6 airs a daily Film Report. One of its hosts is the popular Chinese actress Ju Wenpei. In addition major social media exposure started with the nomination announcement on December 11 and will continue through the live telecast. China Branding Group is utilizing brands and cross promotion as well as producing two daily entertainment shows every day from Los Angeles to the Chinese markets. The broadening emphasis on the Golden Globe awards fits in the picture of a China as a growing consumer of entertainment media, mostly originating in Hollywood. Compared to the overall box office of 2013 the total gross of foreign films in 2014 (year to date) has increased by an astonishing 60 percent. China allowed a quota of 34 foreign titles, almost all of them Hollywood products. Together they grossed 1,81 billion US-Dollars which is about one third of the overall box office gross in China in 2014. Analysts expect a combined gross of slightly more than 5 billion Dollars by year’s end. Judging from the enthusiastic response of the Chinese movie-going audience and the dramatically expanded coverage of foreign media events such as the Golden Globes the market is expected to continue to grow rapidly. An additional sign: In 2012 President Xi Jinping increased the quota for foreign titles from 20 to 34. There are now indications that the entire quota system will be eliminated by 2018. It is not unrealistic to assume that by 2018 the Golden Globes will be telecast in what by then might be the biggest entertainment media market on the planet. —-ELMAR BIEBL