BEIJING, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Youku Inc.
(NYSE: YOKU), China's leading
Internet television company (the "Company"), announced today that
it had signed an agreement to extend its successful partnership
with m1905.com, a leading online movie site wholly owned by China
Central Television's CCTV-6. Under the one-year agreement,
effective March 1, 2012, Youku will
offer on-demand viewing for movie titles to which m1905.com holds
exclusive online distribution rights during 2012, including new
films such as Wind Seeker.
Developed and wholly owned by CCTV-6, China's only nationwide dedicated movie
channel, m1905.com is one of the country's leading purchasers of
online movie distribution rights. Youku first partnered with
m1905.com in early 2011 for on-demand viewings of Let the Bullets
Fly, a Chinese box office record breaker directed by Jiang Wen. Youku accounted for two-thirds of
total on-demand video orders for the film.
The new agreement will give Youku access to all new movie titles
for which m1905.com has purchased exclusive online distribution
rights. Films will typically become available for on-demand viewing
within 45 days of the end of their theatrical run, which typically
lasts 30 days.
"We are pleased to continue the successes of our previous
partnership with Youku," said Xiaojie
Liu, m1905.com's General Manager of Business Value-Added
Department. "With this expanded partnership, we have great hopes
for establishing the online on-demand paid viewing window as a key
of the industry distribution chain."
"Our internal data shows that a fast growing number of Youku
users are willing to pay for convenience and quality in online film
viewing," said Huilong Zhu, Vice
president of Movie Operations and Corporate Development from Youku.
"Whether for top domestic films or major international pictures, we
believe that our partnership with m1905.com will potentially
benefit millions of movie lovers and China's fast-developing film industry."
Youku Premium, Youku's on-demand platform, offers high-quality
licensed content from major production houses and distribution
agencies, including Warner Bros, Paramount, and 20th Century Fox.
Since launching in beta a year ago, Youku Premium has processed
more than 1 million paid orders, which includes both pay-per-view
and subscription orders.
About Youku
Youku 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:
|
Jean Shao
(English)
|
Director, International
Communications
|
Youku Inc.
|
Tel: +86-10-5885-1881
x7128
|
SOURCE Youku.com Inc.