BBC Worldwide has inked a Memorandum of Understanding with Shanghai Media Group to include more co-production and distribution opportunities for its kids and family content in China.

In particular, the companies have agreed to work with China’s largest new media company BesTV (an SMG subsidiary) to extend the CBeebies brand beyond TV into consumer products, e-commerce and marketing.

CBeebies made its Chinese debut in summer 2013 when BesTV launched a branded block on its digital VOD service reaching more than 20 million households via IPTV, Connect TV, OTT, tablets and smartphones. It currently features programming such as Sarah & Duck, Teletubbies, Baby Jake and Andy’s Wild Adventures.

The new MOU will also see BBC Worldwide explore potential co-production projects with Wings Media, the exclusive agent for children’s programming and animation produced by SMG’s kids and family division, Toonmax Media.

Toonmax currently operates two TV networks in China, a satellite channel for teens and a local cable channel for kids and families.