Warner Bros. first studio to offer VOD in China

(AP) -- Warner Bros. says it will become the first movie studio to launch a national video-on-demand service in China.

The studio says it expects the service to be available in 3 million cable TV homes in China by the end of summer, and it believes there is the potential to reach 200 million cable TV households eventually.

Warner Bros.' president of international home video and digital distribution, Jim Wuthrich, said in a statement that China is developing methods to offer movies outside cinemas legitimately.

Consumers will be able to catch recently released films including "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," which came out in November.

©2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.