NEWS
Mediacorp adds Tencent Video to “Emerald Hill” China bow; largest mainland licensing deal for Singapore platform
24 July 2025
The story of a deaf-mute girl born into a wealthy Malaccan Peranakan family and her descendants is the epic gift that keeps on giving for Singapore’s Mediacorp, which today added Tencent Video to its streaming wins for the 2025 spin-off of the 2008 TV drama blockbuster.
The licensing deal for “Emerald Hill” – the spin-off of “The Little Nyonya” (小娘惹之翡翠山) – is Mediacorp’s first with the Chinese streaming giant since anyone can remember. It’s also the biggest that the company has signed with Tencent Video, which has about 113 million subscribers across China.
“Emerald Hill” will stream on Tencent Video at the end of this year. An earlier deal, announced last month, puts the series on SMG's Dragon TV, giving the show both free-TV and streaming visibility.
At its most simple, the Tencent agreement, made public today, signals a natural affinity (given the right conditions and with many variables) between Chinese-language drama platforms in the region.
More likely though is that the mainland China licensing deals are a validation of Mediacorp’s bet on more ambitious stories and larger budgets, with the risk mitigated in this case by proven value in the runaway success of the 2008 series.
Tencent, which also acquired rights to the original 2008 hit as part of the latest deal, describes “Emerald Hill” as polished and gripping… with a blend of Nanyang charm and modern storytelling.
Mediacorp hasn’t disclosed the “Emerald Hill” budget. Our back-of-an-envelope guesses, based on 2019 guestimates of US$120,000+ per episode for premium drama in Singapore, would put the total at a conservative US$3.6 million.
The original series, “The Little Nyonya”, follows outcast deaf-mute Huang Juxiang (played by Jeanette Aw) through wartime trauma from Malacca to Singapore, where she rebuilds her life with her husband and daughter.
The spin-off, “Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story”, is about three “Little Nyonyas”, whose stories of...
The story of a deaf-mute girl born into a wealthy Malaccan Peranakan family and her descendants is the epic gift that keeps on giving for Singapore’s Mediacorp, which today added Tencent Video to its streaming wins for the 2025 spin-off of the 2008 TV drama blockbuster.
The licensing deal for “Emerald Hill” – the spin-off of “The Little Nyonya” (小娘惹之翡翠山) – is Mediacorp’s first with the Chinese streaming giant since anyone can remember. It’s also the biggest that the company has signed with Tencent Video, which has about 113 million subscribers across China.
“Emerald Hill” will stream on Tencent Video at the end of this year. An earlier deal, announced last month, puts the series on SMG's Dragon TV, giving the show both free-TV and streaming visibility.
At its most simple, the Tencent agreement, made public today, signals a natural affinity (given the right conditions and with many variables) between Chinese-language drama platforms in the region.
More likely though is that the mainland China licensing deals are a validation of Mediacorp’s bet on more ambitious stories and larger budgets, with the risk mitigated in this case by proven value in the runaway success of the 2008 series.
Tencent, which also acquired rights to the original 2008 hit as part of the latest deal, describes “Emerald Hill” as polished and gripping… with a blend of Nanyang charm and modern storytelling.
Mediacorp hasn’t disclosed the “Emerald Hill” budget. Our back-of-an-envelope guesses, based on 2019 guestimates of US$120,000+ per episode for premium drama in Singapore, would put the total at a conservative US$3.6 million.
The original series, “The Little Nyonya”, follows outcast deaf-mute Huang Juxiang (played by Jeanette Aw) through wartime trauma from Malacca to Singapore, where she rebuilds her life with her husband and daughter.
The spin-off, “Emerald Hill – The Little Nyonya Story”, is about three “Little Nyonyas”, whose stories of legacy, betrayal and love span generations.
Virginia Lim, who rejoined Mediacorp exactly four years ago this month as chief content officer, called the China deals a “proud milestone” on the path to taking Singapore voices to a world stage.
“Emerald Hill” is also available on Netflix in Southeast Asia, Astro in Malaysia and Taiwan through friDAY and TVBS.
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