Youku Tudou, one of China’s leading online media companies announced on Tuesday that they would be partnering with Paramount Pictures to add over 100 movie titles to their subscription streaming service, including Star Trek, Mission: Impossible and Forrest Gump.
It’s the latest in an increasing number of deals sealed between Chinese internet powerhouses and American production companies. Last week Tencent sealed a deal with Walt Disney to become the exclusive online distributor of the six existing Star Wars movies in China.
Tecncent also signed a deal with HBO in November 2014 to stream popular series including Game of Thrones. Sohu, one of Youku Tudou’s largest competitor in the online streaming space, inked a deal with Netflix in 2014 to distribute the highly popular House of Cards series in China.
“The consumer-driven demand for premium online services in China is growing rapidly,” said Youku Tudou Chairman and CEO Victor Koo.
The newest additions from Paramount will bring Youku’s online movie library to over 4,000 domestic and foreign titles, according to the company.
Paramount has had a relatively diverse number of partnerships in China over the past three years. In 2011 they partnered with a leading Chinese game company, Kabam, to distribute a free, browser-based multiplayer game based on The Godfather.
In June this year, internet behemoth Alibaba revealed an undisclosed investment in the latest Mission:Impossible movie, Rogue Nation. The partnership with Paramount included distribution rights as well as Alibaba-exclusive merchandise, ticketing and promotion through their multiple e-commerce and payment platforms.
When did Kabam become a Chinese game company? It’s a US company.