Discovery partners with CMC to meet demand for family entertainment in China

China media and entertainment company CMC has partnered with Discovery, the parent of the American pay television network Discovery Channel, to develop content for preschool children and create theme parks, to meet the demand for quality family entertainment in China.

The two companies said in a joint press release that they plan to work together to produce digital content on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) “edutainment”.

The subscription-based service will target children aged between three and five and their parents, featuring videos, educational articles, science shows, online games, toys and an artificial intelligence-enabled robot.

The companies will also develop Camp Discovery-themed entertainment parks in China that will include entertainment, sports facilities, dining, shopping and hotels.

The collaboration includes a location-based entertainment business that claims to "create unparalleled and differentiated experiences that complement Discovery’s growing real-life entertainment content offering in China”.

“Our location-based entertainment centres, which will echo the Discovery brand promise of satisfying curiosity and powering people’s passion, further add to a fun learning experience for the whole family,” said Tony Qiu, Discovery’s Vice-President and General Manager for Greater China and South Korea.

“Together with CMC, we aim to bring top-quality products to our audiences and consumers in China.”

Thomas Hui, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of CMC Inc, added "we feel very excited about the huge potential China bodes for the location-based leisure and entertainment market. Products that provide premium themed experiences will have great opportunities to succeed in this market.

“CMC has extensive experience in the creation, development, operation and management of location-based themed attractions and our portfolio already includes some internationally renowned names.”

The release did not identify the location of the proposed themed parks, nor the size of the investment.

The rising affluence of China’s middle class has been ushering in strong demand for high-quality entertainment services over the past decade.