What Tangren Media does

Tangren Media (天津唐人影视股份有限公司, NEEQ: 835885) is a privately held Chinese film and television production company founded in 1998 and headquartered in Beijing, with operating subsidiaries in Shanghai, Tianjin, Hong Kong, and Hengdian (the latter housing self-owned filming studios, costume, and prop warehouses). The company operates four integrated business segments: TV drama series production (唐人剧集), film production (唐人电影), talent management (艺人经纪), and international content distribution (影视发行). Tangren targets the youth segment (15-35 year olds) with so-called 'youth boutique dramas' spanning period costume, urban romance, fantasy, and mystery genres, anchored by an iconic IP library that includes 'Legend of Sword and Fairy' (仙剑奇侠传), 'Scarlet Heart' (步步惊心), and 'The Immortal Dictator' (无心法师).

Revenue is generated primarily through B2B content licensing: platform license fees and co-production splits from national broadcasters (CCTV, Hunan TV) and tier-1 streaming platforms (Youku, Tencent Video, Mango TV), supplemented by artist agency commissions, IP derivative licensing for game tie-ins and microfilms, and overseas licensing to Japan (WOWOW), Korea, Southeast Asia, and Netflix Taiwan. Tangren employs a distinctive 'production + agency' flywheel — the company incubates and launches new talent through its own productions, then monetizes those artists across drama assignments, brand endorsements, and commercial appearances. Key in-house talent includes Hu Ge, Liu Shishi, Han Dongjun, Hu Bingqing, and Lin Yi. Recent productions include the CCTV-8 prime-time historical mystery 'Jin Nang Miao Lu' (锦囊妙录, 2025) and the realistic drama 'Taste of Life' (人间有味, 2025-2026 production). The company was designated a National Cultural Export Key Enterprise (2019-2020) and operates exclusively in Chinese, with content localized into seven languages for international distribution across 15+ markets.

Name

Tangren Media

Legal name

天津唐人影视股份有限公司

Website

https://tangrenmedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Tangren Media (天津唐人影视股份有限公司) is a Beijing-headquartered, NEEQ-listed Chinese film and TV production company producing premium youth dramas (15-35 demographic), operating an integrated production, talent management, and IP licensing model, with distribution across major Chinese platforms (CCTV, Youku, Tencent, Mango TV) and 15+ international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Television and Film Production

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Development & Packaging (IP Sourcing, Script, Attachments) (MPADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Artist Management (MPAIAGAA), Royalty, Reporting & Revenue Share Administration (MPADALAJ), Artist Booking, Talent Buying & Agency Services (MPAGAAAF)

Keywords

• Television drama production
• Film production services
• Talent management agency
• Content distribution licensing
• IP adaptation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Film and Television Production: Core revenue stream from producing and distributing television dramas and films. Tangren produces high-quality series targeting young adult audiences (15-35 years), including period dramas, urban romance, and web series.
2. Artist Management (艺人经纪): Talent agency services managing actors and artists, providing packaging, promotion, and career management. Operates under the 'Film Production + Agency' model that creates synergies by launching new talent in the company's productions.
3. IP Licensing and Derivative Rights: Licensing of owned IP for adaptations, game tie-ins (e.g., 'Legend of Sword and Fairy', 'Xuan Yuan Sword'), microfilms, and other derivative works.
4. Overseas Distribution: International licensing and distribution of drama series to markets across Asia (Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia) and beyond, earning licensing fees from foreign broadcasters and platforms.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tangren Media is a comprehensive film and television production company that produces and distributes TV drama series and feature films targeting young adult audiences aged 15-35, operates an in-house talent management agency that cultivates and represents Chinese actors, and licenses its owned IP for international distribution and derivative works. The company operates a synergistic "production + talent agency" model where new talent is launched through the company's own productions, and maintains self-owned production facilities including filming studios and costume/prop warehouses in Hengdian. Revenue is generated primarily through platform licensing fees, broadcast rights sales, co-production budgets, talent agency commissions, and international distribution royalties.

Product overview

Tangren Media is a comprehensive film and television company established in 1998, operating across four core business segments: TV Series Production (唐人剧集), Film Production (唐人电影), Talent Management (艺人经纪), and Distribution (影视发行). The company targets young audiences aged 15-35 with 'youth boutique dramas' and has produced iconic series including 'Chinese Paladin' (仙剑奇侠传), 'Scarlet Heart' (步步惊心), 'Legend of the Condor Heroes' (射雕英雄传), and 'Wu Xin Fa Shi' (无心法师). The company operates subsidiaries in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hong Kong, and Hengdian, with proprietary studios, costume, and prop warehouses. Recent productions include 'Perfect Partner' (完美伴侣) and 'Wife's Choice' (妻子的选择) marking the company's expansion into contemporary urban themes, alongside historical mystery dramas like 'Jin Nang Miao Lu' (锦囊妙录) and 'Feng Yue Jin Nang' (风月锦囊).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tangren TV Drama Series (唐人剧集)

Quantifiable outcome

• Perfect Partner achieved No.1 ratings across six networks and became the first series in 2022 to exceed single-day average rating of 1 on satellite TV prime time
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• 中央电视台 (CCTV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025CCTV is a key co-production and broadcast partner for Tangren Media. The company co-produces dramas with CCTV, including '锦囊妙录' which premiered on CCTV-8 prime-time slot. CCTV's official participation in co-productions lends significant credibility and regulatory support to Tangren's projects.
• 优酷 (Youku)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Youku is a major online co-production and exclusive streaming partner for Tangren Media, distributing '锦囊妙录' exclusively on Youku and releasing '烈探' as a 'Super Premiere' exclusive. The partnership has produced multiple successful series.
• WOWOW电视台 (日本)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2023Japan's WOWOW broadcaster is an international distribution partner for Tangren's dramas, airing '三国机密之潜龙在渊' and '锦囊妙录' in Japan. This represents Tangren's push for Chinese content internationalization.
• Netflix中国台湾 (Netflix Taiwan)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2022Netflix Taiwan is an international streaming distribution partner for '步步惊心' (Scarlet Heart), expanding the reach of Tangren's classic productions to global audiences.
• 香港贝果电影制作有限公司minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2022Hong Kong Bego Film was the production company for the action film '烈探', with Tangren Media as co-producer and sole distributor. The partnership brought Hong Kong action film expertise (director Chen Dali, action director Guchih Kenji) to the production.
• 芒果TV / 湖南卫视 / 芒果超媒coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2022Mango TV and Hunan TV are co-production partners for '妻子的选择' (a Mango Storm Theater project) and broadcast partners for other Tangren productions. Mango TV's dual platform (TV + streaming) provides broad audience reach.
• 企鹅影视 (Tencent Penguin Pictures)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Tencent Penguin Pictures co-produced '完美伴侣' with Tangren Media, providing platform distribution through Tencent Video. This is a flagship co-production partnership with one of China's largest streaming and content companies.
• 搜狐畅游 (Sohu Changyou)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Sohu Changyou partnered with Tangren for game tie-ins and microfilm adaptations, including '梦回鹿鼎记' and '轩辕剑七' microfilms. These were promotional cross-media collaborations leveraging Tangren's TV IP for game marketing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New Classics Media (新丽传媒): Premium Chinese drama and film producer, now part of the Tencent ecosystem. Direct competitor in producing high-budget period dramas and major IP adaptations targeting the same broadcaster and streaming partners as Tangren.
• Ciwen Media (慈文传媒): Chinese film and TV production company with comparable focus on period/fantasy dramas and IP-driven content strategy. Overlap with Tangren across genre preferences (period costume, fantasy) and distribution to similar streaming platforms.
• Huace Film & TV (华策影视): Largest publicly listed Chinese drama production company. Directly comparable as a Chinese TV drama producer serving the same broadcast and streaming platforms (Youku, Tencent, Mango TV, iQiyi) with a similar focus on period dramas and modern romance, though significantly larger in scale.
• Croton Media (克顿传媒): Chinese drama production company with focus on modern romance and family themes, comparable scale, and relationships with major Chinese streaming platforms. Produces broadcast-ready content for similar broadcast slots and demographics.
• Linmon Pictures (柠萌影视): Chinese drama production company focused on premium contemporary urban dramas (e.g., 'Nothing But Thirty'). Highly comparable target demographic (young adult female-skewing audiences) and co-production model with major streaming platforms including Tencent Video.

Broad incumbents

• Enlight Media (光线传媒): Major Chinese film and animation production and distribution company. Overlaps with Tangren in film production and distribution to cinema and streaming channels, and operates a talent management division similar to Tangren's broker operations.
• Bona Film Group (博纳影业): Vertically integrated Chinese film production and distribution company focused on premium theatrical films. Comparable in the film production space (Tangren distributed 'Lie Tan' through Youku) but operates at larger scale with broader theatrical distribution.
• Huayi Brothers (华谊兄弟): One of China's largest established film and entertainment conglomerates, with broader portfolio including film production,艺人经纪, theme parks, and gaming. Comparable artist management operations and film production, but at significantly larger scale and broader scope than Tangren's specialized focus.
• Wanda Pictures (万达影视): Chinese film and TV production arm of the Wanda conglomerate. Operates adjacent production business producing both theatrical films and TV series for Chinese and international platforms, comparable distribution relationships but backed by substantially larger parent-co financing.

Others

• iQiyi / Tencent Video / Youku: Major Chinese streaming platforms that simultaneously serve as both key distribution partners and increasingly as in-house content producers. While not direct peers in the traditional sense, they are the most consequential counterparties in Tangren's ecosystem and increasingly produce competing content that competes with Tangren-produced series on their own platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tangren Media