Orange Is the New Black Available on Youku in China

HONG KONG: Celestial Tiger Entertainment has entered into a partnership with China’s Youku Tudou for the exclusive premiere of Orange Is the New Black, which has already become one of the platform’s most-watched Western dramas.

The Lionsgate series has generated nearly 9 million views in its first six weeks in China. Youku has the exclusive premiere rights to stream the series just 24 hours after its U.S. debut on Netflix, which is one of the earliest launches ever for a U.S. show on an international digital platform.

"We are very excited to expand our partnership with Youku on films and television series, and Orange Is the New Black has gotten our latest content licensing deal off to a strong start," said Wendy Reeds, CTE’s executive VP of content sales and distribution. "There is tremendous buzz on the show worldwide and it is a testament to how the media business is changing globally, with the successful premiere of the show in China on a leading Internet television company only 24 hours after it premiered online in the U.S. on Netflix."

"Presenting a show such as Orange Is the New Black is one step closer to our ultimate goal of building up one of the largest online video libraries in China with the best selection," added Xiangyang Zhu, the chief content officer of Youku Tudou. "We were thrilled to be able to show the latest hit U.S. television series almost the same day as when American audiences got to enjoy it, and we’re delighted with the results so far. We’re always on the lookout for great content to wow our 400 million viewers."