'Saturday Night Live' is now available to Chinese audiences through the video site Sohu

Chinese audiences will now have access to the American sketch show Saturday Night Live thanks to the online video site Sohu. The show premiered on Dec. 23, but it was officially announced today.

The site's chief executive Charles Zhang believes making shows from the U.S. available to Chinese viewers will help to combat the problem of piracy in the country, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"American TV shows account for one-fifth of total clicks we're getting, and I'm really confident that we will be able to attract the attention of younger viewers," Zhang said.

The trouble with piracy and creating a feasible environment for the online video market in China was a focus during 2013. According to THR:

"Earlier this week, China's largest search engine, Baidu Inc., and Shenzhen-based technology firm QVOD were labeled China's top two violators of copyrighted video content in 2013 by the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC). Both companies were subsequently fined $41,225 (250,000 yuan), the highest penalty a copyright violator can be required to pay under current statutes."

Zhang is confident that introducing SNL, with subtitles to explain anything that may not make sense to Chinese viewers, will make a huge difference in the industry.

"The import of American TV series, followed by the import of comedy shows like Saturday Night Live, will be followed by the import of American movies, and that will be huge," he said. "To the American content industry, this is the best news, and it happened so quickly. It was such a headache for the big five [studios]. There were pirates everywhere. This will enable the American entertainment companies, the creativity, to shine in this part of the world."  

As far as China being more critical of some of the humor featured in the show, Zhang said he doesn't think it will be a problem, unless they make jokes about China.