USA TODAY Studios, part of Content Ventures, a division of Gannett Co., Inc. today announced the launch of Sister Cities, an immersive four-part TV series produced in partnership with China Intercontinental Communication Center (CICC). The show, an independent editorial production, provides audiences with an insider look at the food, culture and history of iconic cities and local communities in the U.S. and China and will debut on USA TODAY’s streaming TV channel on July 4, 2022.
Each episode of Sister Cities recognizes Chinese and American ingenuity, creativity and interconnectedness. Although separated geographically and distinct in their histories, China and the U.S. share global leadership roles and diverse, rich cultures. The Sister Cities TV series explores both countries’ cultures by comparing and contrasting cities, such as San Francisco with Shanghai and St. Louis with Nanjing, bringing together people who live thousands of miles apart yet choose to be neighbors. These pairings unveil a cultural, artistic and economic bond, revealing astounding similarities and surprising differences. Binding these two superpowers together are human connections celebrated every day in over 200 Chinese and American “Sister Cities.”
“We’re very excited to bring our premium storytelling to an international audience and share these stories of partnership, mutual respect and community with the world,” said Caroline Harris, Vice President of Digital Distribution at Gannett. “We’re taking what USA TODAY Studios does best, connecting audiences across genres and topics with strong, visual content and leveraging it to create a premium, internationally-appealing show.”
Sister Cities is the first project to be released since Gannett entered into an international co-production and content acquisition agreement. Produced by USA TODAY Studios and Blue Chalk Productions, the series is available on the USA TODAY channel on The Roku Channel, Amazon News, Samsung TV Plus and most major streaming platforms.
