NBCU Enters Content Pact with Youku

BEIJING: The Chinese Internet-TV outfit Youku has landed an agreement with NBCUniversal International Television Distribution that brings to the service feature films such as Schindler’s List for VOD in China.

The multi-year deal includes current, library and upcoming movies. Among those available for on-demand viewing through Youku Premium are movies from The Mummy franchise and the Jurassic Park films as well as Apollo 13, Trainspotting, The Big Lebowski and more. The new movies will join the Youku paid on-demand platform after their theatrical release in China.

Youku already has content deals in place with studios such as Disney, Paramount, Dreamworks, Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox.

"Youku has been steadily broadening and deepening our partnerships with Chinese and international studios," said Huilong Zhu, Youku’s VP 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."