China's Push Towards Media Convergence In The Online Video Sharing Industry-The Case Study Of Tudou.com

This research study examines the application of Media Convergence in China's online context through analysis of China's leading online video website, Tudou.com. Their recent business undertakings are examined under the online business frameworks of Mohadevan (2000) and Brousseau & Pinard (2007) for the digital industry. This research provides a reflexive analysis of Tudou's business media convergence direction in China's online video market. The existing research on Media Convergence is mostly based in the West, however industries from around the world are experiencing convergence and its application is most obvious in the media industry. This study raised three questions in order to provide a 360-degree understanding on media convergence in China. The study revealed that media convergence is taking place in China's online video environment through collective intelligence. This is creating a new media power in China's online environment as digital technology creates a convergence with its participatory audience and new joint relationships are formed among content producers. Secondly media convergence is pushing Tudou in search for emerging business models from three business streams in China's online environment: Producers, Assemblers and Consumers who are all actively participating in the restructuring of the online video environment in China. It is through the synergy of these three relationships that play a crucial role in the value stream, logistical stream and revenue stream in the online business model in the digital economy. In addition, the study investigated University students' perception of Tudou.com's current development. Media convergence is both a top down and bottom-up driven process and it is crucial to examine audience feedback. The results of the survey have reconfirmed Jenkins (2006) thoughts of media convergence leading to a migratory behavior of audiences. The results revealed that university students will continue to download illegal content due to personal habits and they are convinced that their habits will not change because of China's restrictions placed on entertainment. The challenge of Tudou is to change and alter the perception of free offerings as they try to roll out a pricing model targeted to their users. The relationship between traditional media firms and emerging online media firms such as Tudou is a model example of media convergence in China and around the world.