Chinese Internet video group Youku Tudou will provide video software services to smart TVs made by Haier.
This is Youku Tudou's latest strategic cooperation with smart TV makers following its partnership with Shenzhen Coship Electronics formed at the end of 2013. With these moves, Youku Tudou Group intends to seize the opportunities in family TV screens, following its occupation of mobile screens. The company also aims to compete with the government-owned airwaves who also are jostling for content rights and ultimately have the ability to crush Youku Tudou with regulations.
At the end of 2013, Youku Tudou announced plans to enter the smart TV sector. The company said it would cooperate with various license holders and TV hardware providers to offer content services to family TV screens via built-in online video services.
Commenting on the cooperation, Yao Jian, chief technology officer of Youku Tudou Group, said that this strong alliance between smart TV maker and Internet video will further improve the content ecosphere to realize the true combination of multiple screens and the idea of having content everywhere.
Financial terms of this deal with Haier were not disclosed.