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"It is clear that Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba wants to branch out further into digital entertainment -- last year it acquired social music-streaming service\u00A0Xiami\u00A0and\u00A0developed\u00A0a smart TV operating system, while this year it stepped into mobile games.\n\nNow Alibaba has agreed to pay $804 million for a majority stake in ChinaVision Media Group, a Hong Kong firm specializing in TV and film production.\u00A0This could very possibly mean that Alibaba may soon be taking steps to produce content in collaboration with ChinaVision. After all, throughout last year, Chinese tech firms were already taking steps to\u00A0make their mark within the online video space, seeking to\u00A0capitalize on the opportunities as Chinese consumers effectively started taking their TVs to the subway.\n\nAn Alibaba spokesperson tell us: We are pleased to collaborate with the ChinaVision Media Group to explore future business opportunities as part of Alibaba\u2019s digital entertainment strategy.&amp;quot;\n\nThe company's strategy has been pretty clear -- by beefing up its services to include TVs, music and games, it is hoping to provide a diverse range of offerings to capture the attention of users and keep them within its ecosystem, which could ultimately lead to more e-commerce opportunities.\n\nIn April,\u00A0Alibaba's Taobao Marketplace\u00A0rolled out functionality for\u00A0Xiami, apparently to help transform the retail site from merely a shopping platform to a lifestyle and media platform. Subsequently, the company also rolled out smart TVs, which would incorporate e-commerce and\u00A0support games and other forms of entertainment. Early this year, it launched mobile games\u00A0on its Taobao shopping app and Laiwang chat app.\n\nHeadline image via Peter Parker/AFP/Getty Images"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://thenextweb.com/asia/2014/03/12/alibaba-goes-boost-entertainment-offerings-taking-stake-chinavision-media/?_escaped_fragment_=zZTF5>