BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, held its second annual BBC Showcase China in Beijing on Wednesday, offering more than 1,000 hours of programs for the domestic market to 50 potential buyers, including websites as well as traditional TV stations.

BBC Worldwide also announced in a press release on Wednesday that it had agreed the sale of Frozen Planet – a series that takes new technology to the Arctic and Antarctic to capture groundbreaking imagery – to China Central Television (CCTV) Documentary Channel.

"We have been in China for more than 20 years. By holding this event we are looking for more potential customers here, and we hope to keep on cooperating with existing partners such as CCTV and some local TV stations including Hunan Satellite TV," Steve Macallister, managing director for sales & distribution of BBC Worldwide, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Cao Di, an analyst with Internet consultancy iResearch, told the Global Times that certain local censorship guidelines could be a major obstacle for foreign TV networks in entering the domestic market.

"Co-producing shows with Chinese partners could be an easier way for them to promote their brand," Cao noted.

"We need cooperation partners who really understand the local market," said Macallister.

Earlier this year, BBC Worldwide cooperated with regional broadcaster Hunan TV to launch a localized version of Top Gear, a series about motoring launched by the BBC in 1977, and it has done well so far.

As well as traditional TV stations, Macallister said that online video websites are also potential clients.

BBC Worldwide signed a two-year content supply agreement with Sohu, one of China's major Internet portals, during last year's showcase, to provide the Sohu Video Channel with licensed dramas and children's and educational programs.

But Cao Di of iResearch said, "The small profit margin for video websites will still be an obstacle for foreign TV networks in cooperating with them."