Chinese Entertainment Intelligence King

Chapter 96: Excellent Financial Supporter, Two Female Leads from Beijing Film Academy

By June, the SARS situation was under some control and began to improve.

Because of SARS, the television market was booming and TV stations were engaged in fierce competition.

Due to the market environment, there are no losers in the absolute sense, and the relevant data of various TV stations have increased significantly.

But at the same time, there are still a few winners who reap the biggest dividends.

For example, "Conquest".

The premiere of Tianjin TV's "Conquer" ended with an average viewership rating of over 5.5 and a peak viewership rating of over 10, ranking second in the same period.

This data is the highest-rated TV series on Tianjin Satellite TV this year, and it is also the highest including last year.

This also means that "Conquer" has a good chance of winning the 2003 annual ratings championship on Tianjin Satellite TV.

Having tasted the sweetness, Tianjin Satellite TV arranged for "Conquer" to be rebroadcasted in the afternoon slot almost seamlessly, just one day later.

Although the ratings of the rebroadcast of "Conquest" were not as good as the first broadcast in prime time, its performance was obviously better during the same period.

Not only has it been ranked in the top three for the same period since its launch, it also took first place for three days in the same period.

The person in charge of Tianjin Satellite TV was beaming with joy. They beat CCTV and several other first-tier satellite TV stations to take first place. Even though it was in the afternoon slot, they felt very comfortable.

In a television interview with the media, Tianjin Satellite TV stated openly that it plans to broadcast "Conquer" again in the midnight slot after the midnight dramas are finished.

This made Hebei Provincial Satellite TV very anxious, and they scolded Tianjin for not following the rules of martial ethics.

Therefore, Hebei Provincial Satellite TV, which had originally planned to broadcast "Conquer" in mid-June, temporarily advanced the schedule and made it possible for "Conquer" to be aired in the prime time a few days before the end of May.

Coincidentally, the main competitor of "Conquer" this time was "Jade Guanyin", which was popular on terrestrial channels, but when SARS broke out, it was directly broadcast on satellite TV by Beijing Satellite TV to compete for ratings.

Perhaps because it was a rebroadcast, the performance of "Conquer" was not as strong as when it was first broadcast on Tianjin Satellite TV, and was firmly suppressed by "Jade Guanyin".

However, the excellent performance of being consistently among the top five in the same period and breaking into the top three many times has made Hebei Provincial Satellite TV, which has always been ranked in the middle and lower levels, quite satisfied.

Then, before the prime-time show "Conquer" was finished, Hebei Provincial Satellite TV arranged a rebroadcast, and directly in the second prime-time slot.

This led to the Hebei Provincial Satellite TV broadcasting four episodes of "Conquer" in a row throughout the evening time slot.

As soon as the audience finished watching the finale, they would immediately continue watching the beginning of the second episode.

The way they eat is even worse than Tianjin TV!
Hebei Provincial Satellite TV doesn't care about all that. "Conquer" is a hit, the financial statements look good, the leaders have achievements, and the TV station is making money.

It is a poor satellite TV station that usually can only drink soup and gnaw bones. Now that it has finally had some meat, it no longer cares about the way it eats, but only wants to fill its stomach.

However, although the continuous rebroadcasting of the show by the two satellite TV stations has overdrawn the potential of "Conquer" to a certain extent, it has also made the show a big hit.

Some media have counted the popular dramas during the SARS period.

"Conquer" ranked third, only behind "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" and "The Story of a Noble Family", and "The Jade Goddess of Mercy" was even behind them.

After that came "The Mansion Gate 2", "Sex and the City", and "The Miracle Doctor Xilaile", which premiered at the beginning of the year and was rebroadcast many times.

It is worth mentioning that "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", which was once copied by Yan Li, delayed its release time due to various considerations and missed this wave of explosion.

I don’t know whether Zhang Da Huzi is regretting or feeling relieved.

"Conquer" achieved such outstanding performance that even though the two TV stations in Tianjin and Hebei were very aggressive, some satellite TV stations still came to negotiate for copyright.

Among them, the one that made the most sincere bid was Beijing Satellite TV.

Perhaps they saw the popularity of Tianjin and Hebei and wanted to get a piece of the pie, or perhaps they wanted to combine "Jade Guanyin", combining two real-life crime blockbusters, to build a brand and compete for the market.

Anyway, the price offered by Beijing Satellite TV is quite high. The total price of 620 million is almost catching up with the total of the two satellite TV stations in Tianjin and Hebei Province.

However, this price is conditional!
Beijing Satellite TV asked Yan Li to sell only one more satellite TV station within three months. To put it bluntly, it was to use money to reduce the number of competitors.

In fact, at the beginning, Beijing Satellite TV wanted to directly package the first-round broadcast rights of "Conquer" and prevent Yan Li from selling it to other TV stations.

But he was scared off by the price offered by Yan Li, so he adopted this clause.

Yan Li agreed.

As mentioned before, the market is limited. At most 3 to 4 satellite TV stations will broadcast the same drama at the same time.

Otherwise, it will easily lead to consequences such as scattered ratings and waste of resources.

After the three satellite TV stations in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei acquired the copyright of "Conquest", the profits from the drama were divided equally.

Unless Yan Li sells it off at a low price, there won't be many TV stations interested.

But if he sells it at a low price, it will be equivalent to offending the three TV stations in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. Unless Yan Li quits this business, he will never do such a stupid thing.

Therefore, although the clause of Jingchengtai has restrictions, it is not a big problem. If you want to sell more Yanli, you may not be able to find a buyer.

Yan Li even used this clause of Beijing Satellite TV as a tool to raise prices.

When negotiating with the last TV station, it was clearly stated that it was the last one for the first-round broadcasting rights of "Conquest". Any subsequent negotiations would be for the second-round broadcasting rights three months later, and by then we would have no choice but to wait.

Hunger marketing, the highest bidder wins!

In addition to systematic price investigation, Yan Li successfully sold "Conquer" to Chongqing Satellite TV for 530 million yuan.

Three of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government have cooperated, but unfortunately Shanghai Satellite TV is too large and its audience does not match the style of "Conquer", otherwise Yan Li might be able to take over all the municipalities directly under the Central Government.

620 million + 530 million, plus the previous 720 million from the two satellite TV stations + DVD copyright, totaling 1870 million.

Even if there are some public relations and tax expenses, Yan Li is now a genuine multi-millionaire.

Not to mention, "Conquest" can be sold on second-round, third-round and terrestrial channels later. Although the price has dropped sharply, it can still make several million.

The movie "Conquer" brought Yan Li at least 2000 million in revenue.

"I still have to make a fortune."

After Yan Li did the math, he felt very emotional. If he relied on filming, stock trading, and running other small businesses, how long would he be able to accumulate this wealth?

Immediately afterwards, Yan Li began to distribute the 2000 million that he had received and the million that he had not yet received.

200 million, to buy a house, a car, and daily life.

500 million, used for stock trading and opening an Internet cafe, and the specific operations will be based on the situation and stock market returns.

Yan Li plans to invest the remaining 1300 million in Yi'an Film and Television, 100 million for company operations, and the remaining 1200 million for investment in film and television projects.

Of course, a mere 1200 million can only support one or two crews at most. The funds are tight and the risks are high.

But Yan Li didn't plan to eat alone.

These days, there are few film and television companies that rely on selling their own belongings to invest in film and television. For the same reason as Yan Li, there is not enough money and the risk is too great, so they all try to find ways to raise money from outside.

The advantage of the film and television industry is that it has a great reputation and there are plenty of rich people... ahem, sponsors who want to come and try their luck.

When the time comes, they will fool the investors, give them some benefits, and use the money from the sponsors to shoot TV series. When they make money, the film and television company will take the lion's share, and the sponsors will get a smaller share.

Even for this, the sponsor still thanks you.

Because some are unscrupulous bastards who use the cover of making a drama to simply defraud their sponsors of their money. They just throw together a crew, find a couple of stars, turn on the cameras, and make a lot of noise, and the money is poured in, but the stuff they produce is nothing.

Don't ask the sponsor, because if you ask, it means you don't understand things about art. Check the accounts and they are all written clearly, there is no problem at all.

In the end, the TV series couldn't be sold and was left gathering dust in the warehouse. The sponsor was helpless and could only blame himself for his bad luck.

Yan Li still has some moral integrity. He has no intention of cheating others, or rather, he will not cheat others so cruelly. He tries to cooperate for a win-win situation as much as possible.

He eats meat, and everyone else follows suit, except that he eats the most.

Yan Li already has a better goal, and this is provided by the system——

Coal boss!

According to monthly intelligence, in the next few years, coal bosses with a lot of spare money will wave their money and squeeze into the entertainment industry.

These coal bosses don't take money seriously and are extremely generous. Apart from flirting with actresses or pushing their mistresses to film, they usually don't participate in the operation of the crew. Even if they lose money, they won't worry too much about it. If they get along well, they will even continue to invest.

Be nice!

Such an outstanding rich man... Bah, sponsor, Yan Li was so moved that his saliva was flowing.

He had wanted to contact these coal bosses before, but he didn't have enough chips. Now that he has the "Conquer" brand and a small fortune of his own, he can interact more often.

As long as you can get to know a few financial backers and raise money, you won’t have to worry about the project. If you can’t find suitable investment, it’s not impossible to organize it yourself.

The industry is lacking in everything except scripts and directors and actors who want to get ahead...

----

By mid-June, the SARS situation in Beijing had further eased, and it was just one step away from complete relaxation.

Anyway, the Nongguangli community where Yan Li and Qin Lan live has finally been released from control. Although they are still not allowed to run around, they can go out for a short time after applying.

Yan Li, who had been holding it in for almost two months, went out on his own.

The Beijing Film Academy was still closed, so they couldn't meet in person, but they could send gifts. Yan Li bought four bags of food, gave three bags to Dong Xuan, and also gave one bag to Huang Shengyi.

Since Yan Li stuffed two packs of good cigarettes into the security guard's hands, he casually checked them and then delivered the supplies to the two men in batches.

Dong Xuan was talking to Yan Li on the phone. Guan Yue took the big bag handed to her by the security guard and couldn't help cheering happily.

"Supplies have arrived. Long live Old Dong, long live Yan Li."

"Masks, disinfectant, chocolate, bread... shampoo, shower gel, even sanitary napkins and underwear, wait, what is this."

Guan Yue pulled out an inconspicuous box, thinking it was a pair of socks. Just as she was about to open it, she saw Dong Xuan snatching it away anxiously.

"Give me this."

"Oh, little secret."

Guan Yue had a wicked smile on her face, and her two roommates started to make a fuss and wanted to fight over it to see what was going on.

During the fight, the box was accidentally opened, revealing 2 yuan wrapped in a plastic bag.

Guan Yue quickly put the money away and stuffed it into Dong Xuan's pocket: "What's going on?"

Dong Xuan put the money away and said with a hint of sweetness on her fair face, "He was afraid that the things he bought wouldn't be enough, so he stuffed some money in my pocket and told me to go buy anything I needed from other classmates."

"Tsk tsk, that's quite thoughtful."

Guan Yue and her two roommates praised him, but their tone and facial expressions were a little sour.

The school has been closed for so long that supplies are distributed per person. There is definitely no shortage of basic food and daily necessities, but there are inevitably some inconveniences. Barter is not very reliable, so money naturally becomes the hard currency.

To be honest, Yan Li was not the first one to send gifts to the school, but he was the first to send so many and be so generous.

At least Guan Yue and the others had never heard of anyone whose family or boyfriend gave more gifts than Yan Li.

Tong Dawei was not in the capital, and Guan Yue had no information at all. Comparing him with Yan Li, he had already started to make a note of him in his mind.

"Hey, Mr. Dong, there's a computer in the next dormitory. Why don't we..."

Dong Xuan cautiously stuffed the money into her arms and said, "Don't get your ideas. It's not easy for Yan Li to make money. He was locked up in the hotel before, and who knows how much he suffered. He gave me something as soon as he got out. I have to keep this money and return it to him."

Guan Yue: “…”

She would go back and tell Yan Li the news, otherwise, relying on this silly girl, she would have to keep the money until she gave birth.

He is so stupid all the time that he won't spend the money Yan Li gives him. Is he keeping it to attract those vixens to rob him?

...

At this time, Huang Shengyi, who also received a package in another dormitory, also found the envelope that Yan Li had secretly hidden in it. He opened it and clicked it, and was very surprised.

5000 yuan!
Senior brother helped a lot!

Bian Xiaoxiao, who shared the same dormitory with her, flipped through the things Yan Li sent and felt a little envious.

"Shengyi, your boyfriend treats you well."

"Hey, I just mentioned it casually in a text message, and he sent it to me and even insisted on giving me money."

Huang Shengyi calmly shook the banknotes in his hand, successfully attracting the attention and sourness of his roommates, and then put it away with a little pride.

One of the roommates couldn't stand Huang Shengyi's pretense and deliberately said, "Shengyi, when are you going to take us to meet your new boyfriend? Every time we ask you, you make excuses."

Huang Shengyi immediately wilted: "He's too busy, let's wait for another chance."

The roommate snorted: "Is he busy, or is he too embarrassed to be seen?"

Since Huang Shengyi broke up with Jia Nailiang, she said that she has a new boyfriend and is becoming more and more financially well-off.

But they didn't seem to be in a relationship. They only went out on a date once in a while, and they didn't talk on the phone much. When she mentioned her new boyfriend, she was hesitant and couldn't explain clearly. They all guessed that she was kept by a rich man.

"you……"

Huang Shengyi couldn't help getting angry and was persuaded away by Bian Xiaoxiao.

She was the only one in the dormitory who knew who Huang Shengyi was with, and she sincerely felt that Huang Shengyi's choice was not that bad.

Senior Brother Yan is young, handsome, and generous. Although he is a bit fickle and irresponsible, it doesn't affect anything.

Just treat it as a relationship that you don't want to make public. If there is no chance of getting promoted, you can break up. Anyway, with Senior Brother Yan's conditions, Huang Shengyi is not at a disadvantage. It's better than some old and ugly men in school who are with them. It's disgusting how much money they spend.

"Xiao Xiao, you still understand me."

Huang Shengyi was still very moved by Bian Xiaoxiao's support and squeezed the money in his hand.

"I'll take you shopping later. Ignore that bitch."

Bian Xiaoxiao smiled and nodded. When Huang Shengyi was with Senior Brother Yan, the former had money but no one to accompany him, so she could eat, drink and have fun with Huang Shengyi. But when Huang Shengyi was with Jia Nailiang, she could only get some fruits and snacks at most.

She absolutely and sincerely supports Huang Shengyi and Senior Brother Yan being together!
----

ps: I want to boost my average subscription, so I will update twice a day from now on, but the word count is still 8000+ words. By the way, I am begging for monthly tickets.
(End of this chapter)