Advanced Television

Original content boost from Youku Tudou

June 17, 2014

As part of an ongoing effort to offer its hundreds of millions of users unique entertainment, Youku Tudou, China’s leading Internet television company, has announced the release of more than 20 programmes and drama series produced by its in-house production unit.

The unique content will be released throughout the second half of 2014 and will include reality shows, talk shows and drama series. Youku Tudou has made it of strategic importance to increase investment to in-house production. With 500 million users on both PC and mobile, Youku Tudou attracts more than 70 per cent of Chinese online video viewers, according to recently released data from China Internet Network Information Center, or CNNIC.

The roll out of the new programming began earlier in June with the release of the Internet reality show Searching Divas, which garnered more than 10 million views, and 10,000 comments within the first two days of its début on June 6. The show, modelled after the popular Korean reality show Running Man, features contestants who compete against each other to complete challenging tasks and missions. Winners are able to meet their favourite Chinese celebrities.

According to Youku Tudou, the in-house production of unique, original content enables it better to serve and understand the entertainment needs of viewers. Such content will be integrated with other features, including social media platforms and e-commerce optimisation created for Youku Tudou’s online and mobile video platforms.

“Our customised content in the emerging online entertainment industry is vitally important to Youku Tudou’s continued leadership in the Internet television space,” commented Zhu Xiangyang, Youku Tudou chief content officer. “To create a multi-screen, entertainment ecosystem is one of our most important strategic initiatives.”

“Youku is integrating unique content with animation, games, live interactive features and other services to create a holistic offline to online entertainment experience for our viewers,” noted Youku.com president Wei Ming. “Via traditional television programming combined with the Internet, we are continuing to promote an entirely new industry chain that will redefine China’s online entertainment space.”

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