Youku.com announces that FIFA and CCTV have jointly authorized Youku.com with online broadcast rights to all FIFA 2010 matches. CCTV has also granted rights to Youku.com for on-demand broadcast of CCTV's self-produced FIFA programs. With these agreements in hand, Youku now is positioned to offer the most complete range of World Cup broadcasts of any online video site in China.

Youku.com's new World Cup Channel will be dedicated to broadcasts of matches as well as interactive activities for football fans. Programming will include match play, an extensive collection of highlights, background information on teams, and much more. In addition, the Youku World Cup Channel will also broadcast all FIFA-related programming airing on CCTV.

Working with many of its over 2000 media partners, Youku will leverage both online and offline entertainment activities around the World Cup to encourage deeper participation from football fans. During the FIFA season, Youku will also invite experts, entertainment stars and well-known figures from the world of sports as well as celebrities from the entertainment world to interact with Youku users.

According to the data provided by the China Internet Network Information Center, over 60 percent of Chinese netizens followed the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany online. With more than three years of development, online video sites are better equipped than ever to offer marketing value, an excellent user experience, and deep level of user engagement for the this long anticipated event.

With daily video views averaging over 200 million and 30 million daily unique visitors, Youku has established itself as the leading brand in China's online video market, occupying more than half of the market by total time spent online. The World Cup Channel takes its place beside Youku's other leading content channels -- Youku Information, Box Office Hits, TV Serials, and Youku Entertainment.

Youku also announced plans to host a conference in the near future, inviting brand advertisers and partners to discuss ways to best use Youku World Cup Channel to for building brand value and for developing optimal content.

With the FIFA license and Youku's natural marketing advantage, Youku invites brand advertisers and partners to explore this valuable opportunity.