Official highlights size of online video market

BEIJING - China has 325 million online video viewers as of the end of 2011, 63.35 percent of its total net users, revealed an official with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) on Tuesday.

About 70 percent of the network traffic is currently from audio-visual programs, Luo Jianhui, director of the SARFT's online audio-visual programs management department, said at a promotional event for the China (Shanghai) Network Audio-Visual Industry Base here on Tuesday.

Luo said that, at present, the SARFT has approved 617 units to provide online audio-visual programs, and 21 units to offer mobile phone TV programs.

According to the SARFT, the advertising income of China's online video market reached 2.1 billion yuan ($331.1 million) in the first quarter of this year, up 218 percent year on year.

In the last three years, the scale of China's online video market has more than doubled each year, growth reflecting the vigor of the online video industry in China, Luo said.

The China (Shanghai) Network Audio-Visual Industry Base was officially launched in December, 2011, under an agreement signed by the SARFT and Shanghai municipal government.

According to the SARFT, the base will establish an online audio-visual industry chain, covering areas including content production, broadcast, research and development.