SHANGHAI, June 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Youku.com Inc.
(NYSE: YOKU), China's leading
Internet television company, laid out its plan to grow Youku
Original into a full-fledged platform for producing, distributing,
and monetizing compelling original content in a press conference
for two upcoming productions at the Shanghai International Film Festival today.
Youku was named one of the most valuable new media platforms at the
Shanghai International Film
Festival two days before the press conference.
Youku was one of the first Chinese Internet companies to begin
producing video content in-house. The Internet serial drama,
"Hip-Hop Office Quartet," was created in 2008. The series continued
for three years and received approximately 100 million views in its
third season in 2010. Its popularity led to several new Internet
serial dramas in 2010, including "All Crazy About Love" and
"Natural Born Jock." Almost every episode of these Internet serial
dramas received over one million views.
The success of these initial forays into self-produced content
spawned the official launch of the Youku Original strategy last
April. The "11 Degrees New Media Film Project," a joint production
of Youku Original and the China Film Group, lifted a generation of
new media film directors to prominence for the films' more than 76
million viewers to date. The runaway success of "11 Degrees"
pointed the way for Youku Original to become a launchpad for
ambitious projects in video production and distribution.
Alumni of the "11 Degrees" project returned this year with new,
more mature productions. Director Xiao
Yang, whose "Old Boys" was the big hit of "11 Degrees,"
broke the record for single-day views of a video with "The Ultimate
Winner," which premiered exclusively on Youku. Beijing-based animator Pi San, whose
"Miss Puff's Goldfish Bowl" was the
most retweeted video from "11 Degrees," brought his character back
to Youku for a long-running animated series, "Miss Puff." Zhang Yadong, director of "L.I.,"
will return to Youku later this year with the series "One Step
Away."
"We see Youku Original as a way of building a full-fledged
creative ecosystem," said Frank Ming
Wei, Youku's senior vice president of operations. "Our
success over the past year tells us that Youku Original can serve
as a platform for young creatives and established talents alike.
Moving forward, Youku Original will continue to be more closely
integrated with the entire value chain, encompassing the
production, distribution, and monetization of original
content."
Among the new programs from Youku Original will be "Travel With
Me," an online reality travel show that will take three teams to
Taiwan when it begins filming next
month. Nearly 1,500 users have applied to be considered for the
program since Youku announced open applications for the show on
June 8, 2011; the top submission has
been viewed more than a million times so far.
Youku Original will also present "One Step Away," a series of
six short films produced by opinion leaders from across the Chinese
Internet, including famous bloggers and educators, discussing what
"happiness" means in today's China. Youku Original will also continue to
partner with major entertainment companies on its ongoing variety
series "Live Your Dreams."
The En Awards, which named Youku one of the most valuable new
media platforms of 2010 - 2011, are overseen by EntGroup,
China's leading entertainment
research and consulting provider. The "Most Valuable New Media
Platform" award is based on a combination of factors, including
rights holdings, outlay on rights acquisitions, and viewer
satisfaction, as well as iResearch survey findings on user behavior
and industry influence.
Youku Original is a key part of Youku's content strategy, which
pursues a combination of licensed professionally produced content,
in-house productions from Youku Original, and user-generated
content.
About Youku:
Youku.com Inc. is China's
leading Internet television company. Our Internet television
platform enables users to search, view and share high-quality video
content quickly and easily across multiple devices. Youku, which
stands for "what's best and what's cool" in Chinese, is the most
recognized online video brand in China. Youku's American depositary shares,
each representing 18 of our Class A ordinary shares, are traded on
NYSE under the symbol "YOKU."
For more information, please
contact:
|
|
Media Relations:
|
|
Jean Shao
|
|
Director, International Public
Relations
|
|
Youku.com Inc.
|
|
Tel: +86-10-5885-1881
x7128
|
|
Email: shaodan@youku.com
|
|
|
|
Investor Relations:
|
|
Ryan Cheung
|
|
Corporate Finance
Director
|
|
Youku.com Inc.
|
|
Tel: +86-10-5885-1881
x6090
|
|
Email: ryan.cheung@youku.com
|
|
|
SOURCE Youku.com Inc.