Cashing in

He says the online market for paid content has become mature as Chinese netizens are now willing to pay for quality content and are comfortable paying online.

And, television series are the top choice for internet viewers, followed by movies and variety shows.

The fans' enthusiasm for popular series has made producers greenlight their sequels, generating successful franchises and raising subscription levels.

"For example, Rural Love Story now has 10 seasons. The length is rare for domestic television series," says Sun.

Created by comedian Zhao Benshan, the series centers on a group of farmers and their love stories in a fictional village located in northeastern China. The drama was first aired on China Central Television in 2010 and quickly became one of the highest-rated television series. Its lat-est two seasons, starting from the ninth season, have been produced by Penguin Pictures and Zhao's production firm, Benshan Media Group.

The popular online series Candle in the Tomb, adapted from author Zhang Muye's best-selling novel of the same title, is another example. The story about three explorers' adventure in a desert in northwestern China, the series' first and second seasons, respectively, gained 3.1 billion "clicks" in 2016 and 2.7 billion views in 2017. The third and fourth seasons are being produced.