Chinese TV to have access to US movies

LOS ANGELES / BEIJING - Time Warner Inc will offer Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 and other movies on-demand to television viewers in China, an agreement that may pave the way for similar moves by other Hollywood studios.

Warner Bros Entertainment Inc will work with You On Demand Holdings Inc to distribute films through on-demand and pay-per-view formats this summer. New York-based You On Demand is discussing similar agreements with other US studios, Chief Executive Officer Shane McMahon said in an interview.

The deal initially gives Warner Bros access to 3 million cable households in a nation where piracy has eroded movie ticket and DVD sales for film studios. You On Demand has an exclusive 20-year agreement to provide US content to the pay-TV arm of CCTV6, the national movie channel of the State broadcaster China Central Television.