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The Entertainment Industry in Hong Kong – Television Dramas
Hong Kong has a dynamic entertainment industry and produces a large amount of television content annually. The bustling city has become a top choice for co-productions in Asia and has also attracted overseas crews to shoot commercial films and TV programmes.
Television in Hong Kong
Television channels in Hong Kong are mainly delivered through cable, Internet Protocol television (IPTV), and Internet streaming services. Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) is the dominant broadcaster in Hong Kong and is known for many notable television dramas such as War of the Genders, Virtues of Harmony, and more. Other Hong-Kong based subscription networks include Cable TV Hong Kong and Now TV.
The Hong Kong government has also set a working target for switching off analogue TV broadcasting by the end of 2020, although there may be delays.
Additionally, production and airing of television content is not subject to China’s stricter content regulations and enjoys a greater degree of freedom under the purview of Hong Kong’s Communications Authority.
Hong Kong Television Dramas
Hong Kong television dramas were incredibly popular in greater China and also in overseas markets such as Singapore and Malaysia during their golden age in the 1980s. The television drama industry today faces challenges in the form of competition due to the rise of South Korean dramas and also brain drain as local Hong Kong drama-makers and stars move northward towards mainland China.
However, the overall Chinese market still remains huge up till today and although TV markets around the world are shrinking, the Chinese market continues to tune in to television dramas. Mainland China continues to be an important market for Hong Kong television programmes and demand remains high.
In 2016, mobile viewing platform ‘myTVsuper’ was launched and grew to amass more than 5 million subscribers in Hong Kong. By 2018, it had become the largest over-the-top (OTT) provider in Hong Kong and distributes most of the latest TVB programmes.
Film Industry in Hong Kong
It was estimated that Hong Kong’s exports of content production-related services amounted to HK$620 million in 2017. The industry continues to grow as demand for audio-visual content from greater China and the Asian region also increases.
Hong Kong films and local celebrities have also gained increased recognition in the international market as they have won many awards in the Asian Film Festival (AFA) and Asian Pacific Film Festival (APFF).
Hong Kong is a popular platform for co-production of films, especially with mainland China, and has also become an attractive filming location. The city of Hong Kong has was used as a filming location for two of Hollywood’s Ghost in the Shell movies and also Asia’s Got Talent.
