Youku.com Stages 'World Cup Phenomenals Show'

BEIJING, May 27 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Youku.com, China's leading Internet video site, has officially launched a nationwide campaign to discover China's top amateur football commentators and most skilled amateur footballers ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which begins next month in South Africa.

The "World Cup Phenomenals Show," conducted in partnership with China Network TV and Anhui Satellite TV, will be Youku's largest online/offline campaign to date.

Victor Koo, founder and CEO of Youku, said, "This year really marks the online video debut of World Cup football."

Four years ago, Koo noted, Internet video was only getting started in China; now, it's sufficiently mature and ubiquitous that it can really leverage the wild popularity of the World Cup. Youku is one of a handful of websites that have been granted online broadcast rights from FIFA and China Central Television (CCTV), and will offer a full range of World Cup broadcasts in China.

Youku's signature for this year's World Cup will be self-produced content, and the World Cup Phenomenals Show will be the most important campaign. Youku will organize online -- as well as offline events in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Xi'an, and Hefei.

In recent years, Youku.com has emerged as China's premiere platform for the discovery of hidden talent. In 2009, Youku produced a national "Phenomenals Tour" as well as two "Youku Top Phenomenals" awards ceremonies, attracting tens of millions of video views. Winners included "Xidan Girl," the Beijing street busker who won the hearts of millions of Chinese with her soulful voice, and Xiao Bao, the four-year-old dance sensation, even gained international attention. Xiao Bao, who dances like the late Michael Jackson, appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in the U.S. to wild applause, and was later featured in length by CNN.

In contrast to previous Phenomenals shows, the World Cup edition will focus on two major categories: skill at football commentating, and abilities on the football pitch. Contestants can either upload videos directly to Youku through the contest page, or participate in offline events in any of the eight host cities. After qualifying rounds, finalists will gather in Beijing on the night of July 11 for the Phenomenals award ceremony - already a tradition and a strong part of the Youku brand.

In addition to the nationwide Phenomenals event, Youku has recently announced other World Cup-related, self-produced content, including the talk show "Big Talk on the World Cup," which brings together football experts, major entertainers, and other celebrities to talk about the games in South Africa. In the first week following the show's premier on Youku, "Big Talk" received over 6 million views.

Youku is also producing the show "No Interference," which will be co-hosted by celebrity football commentator Dong Lu and recent tabloid darling Ma Nuo. Dong Lu recently joked about this pairing, "She is responsible for eyeballs; I'm responsible for footballs. I believe this match-up can't go wrong."

To facilitate production needs, Youku has built a state-of-the-art studio at its Beijing headquarters.

With daily video views averaging over 200 million and 30 million unique visitors coming to the site every day, Youku has established itself as the leading brand in China's online video market, occupying over half the market by total time spent online.

    For more information, please contact:

     Youku.com, Inc.
     Jean Shao
     Manager of International Public Relations
     Tel: +86-10-5885-1881 x7128

SOURCE Youku.com, Inc.