Members of Super Junior-M, one of Asia's most popular bands, promote Youku Tudou and SBS's joint production Guest House in Seoul. Photos Provided to China Daily

Writing their own tickets

Big plans for tiny times

Original content being produced by online video websites is taking away a large chunk of TV's traditional audiences, but as Han Bingbin discovers, much of the creative content is being brought in from overseas.

Chinese video websites' rapid transformation from purely broadcasting platforms to content makers means foreign expertise has been key to fueling their growth. In Sohu's latest hot reality show Secretly Greatly, Chinese stars are placed in weird situations and have their hilarious reactions recorded by hidden cameras. Produced by a South Korean team led by Kang Sung-shin, an influential producer in his country, the show took the industry by surprise.

Since its premiere in April, the 14-episode first season has been viewed more than 100 million times. It's the first Internet-based program to have topped micro blog Sina Weibo's list of most talked-about entertainment shows, eight times.

It is the first success since Sohu adopted a "dream works" strategy in late 2013. The video site is reportedly set to invest twice as much in producing original content this year, and aims to raise the view counts of its self-made content fourfold.

In recent years, China's major video websites have drawn Chinese audiences, especially the well-educated youth, away from television to mobile devices by licensing groundbreaking overseas content and offering full coverage of domestic entertainment.

As the number of China's online video viewers crosses 450 million, the sites have also been making their own content: full-length plays, mini-series and most importantly, entertainment shows.