Youku Premium Enters into Licensing Agreement with NBCUniversal International Television Distribution in China
NBCUniversal Films Available for On-Demand Viewing on Youku Premium
BEIJING, CHINA(09 Jul 2012)
Youku Inc. (NYSE: YOKU), China's leading Internet television company ("Youku"), has entered into a multiple-year agreement with NBCUniversal International Television Distribution for the video-on-demand rights in China to a broad collection of current, library and upcoming NBCUniversal feature films. The films -- including Schindler's List, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III and Apollo 13 -- will be available for on-demand viewing through Youku Premium.
In addition to a yearly rotating selection of more than 100 classic titles from NBCUniversal's rich catalogue, including such Oscar winners and critical favorites as Trainspotting, Being John Malkovich, and The Big Lebowski, the new agreement also covers upcoming NBCUniversal releases. These will include Contraband, Safe House, The Lorax, and summer tentpole releases Battleship and Snow White & The Huntsman. The new films will appear on Youku's platform for paid on-demand viewing after their China theatrical releases.
"Youku has been steadily broadening and deepening our partnerships with Chinese and international studios," said Huilong Zhu, Youku's vice president of movie operations and corporate development. "Our new agreement with NBCUniversal is one more step forward towards our goal of offering the highest quality content to Youku's more than 300 million viewers. The new agreement best demonstrates the confidence that we and our partners share in the growth of Youku Premium."
Youku has signed deals to license content from a number of major international studios including Disney, Paramount, Dreamworks, Warner Bros and 20th Century Fox.
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".
About NBCUniversal International Television Distribution
NBCUniversal International Television Distribution, a division of NBCUniversal, is responsible for the distribution of NBCUniversal product to all forms of television and new media outside of the U.S. and Canada. This includes a rich library of more than 4,000 feature films and 75,000 television episodes, including current and classic titles, non-scripted programming, sports, news, long-form and short-form programming, and locally produced content from around the world.