Chinese online game developer and operator The9 has announced that it has reached an agreement with Walt Disney Company (Shanghai) to distribute game contents that include Disney cartoon characters on the Chinese mainland.

According to the agreement, The9 will allegedly distribute Disney's gaming product called "Disney Game Carnival" via IPTV, digital TV, and Internet TV platforms. Disney Game Carnival is reportedly a virtual community game which integrates Disney's cartoon characters with various Disney-themed flash games.

Shen Guoding, vice president of The9, said that they are glad to sign the agreement with Disney. They believe the cooperation will bring advantages to both parties and promote their development in the interactive TV games sector.

Public statistics show that the number of IPTV users increased by three million to a total of eight million in China by the end of 2010. The user scale is expected to reach 13.1 million by 2013.

The9 started its distribution in the Chinese IPTV sector in 2008 and it has signed cooperation agreements with several IPTV operators. To date, The9's IPTV game channel has covered about 75% IPTV users in China.