A version of "Saturday Night Live" is coming to China, thanks to a partnership between SNL creator Lorne Michaels' Broadway Video Entertainment and Sohu.com, which operates an online search engine and video streaming sites, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing an e-mailed statement.
A spokesman for Broadway Video also confirmed the news to Rolling Stone, which reported that a schedule for the new show has not been set but the two partners will start putting together a Chinese cast over the next few months.
The agreement is the latest in a series of deals Sohu has made in order to provide "legitimate content on the online TV market in China, which is the world's largest market with 649 million users," The Hollywood Reporter noted.
"China's online viewership is exploding, with 60 percent of the audience using smartphones and tablets to watch, and finding content to meet burgeoning demand has led to streaming sites getting into production, often by buying formats," according to THR.
"SNL, which combines the best elements of live music and sketch comedy, will be a refreshing new option for Chinese viewers," Sohu said in a statement, according to THR and other media outlets.
Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/chinese-version-of-saturday-night-live-in-the-works-20150304#ixzz3TS15bpK5
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
