Successful Premiere of Youku "Legendary Me" Launches New Star

BEIJING, May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The debut episode of "Legendary Me," an online music talent show presented by Youku Inc. (NYSE: YOKU), China's leading Internet television company ("Youku"), in partnership with China's top satellite TV stations and music studios, has produced the show's first success story in Zhou Ziyan, a 17 year-old singer-songwriter who is, as of May 28, the most-searched person in China according to Baidu's search ranking indice. The first episode of "Legendary Me" has been viewed a total of nearly 12 million times since its May 26 premiere.

Ms. Zhou, known to online viewers as "Classroom Girl," debuted with "Zenyang" ("How"), an original song written by her, before a panel of judges from leading satellite TV stations and record studios. Her performance bowled over the judges, netting her 20 different offers -- one from each of the companies the judges represent -- for television performance specials and recording deals. Viewers responded no less warmly: clips of Ms. Zhou's performance on the show have been viewed more than 5 million times.

"One of the privileges of Youku's position as China's leading Internet television company is that it grants us the opportunity to bring talented performers like Zhou Ziyan to a wider audience," said Youku chief editor Zhu Xiangyang. "'Legendary Me' is a great example of how new media can act as an advocate for 'grassroots talents.' Youku is delighted to see that Ms. Zhou gets the recognition that she deserves, and we are proud to have played a part in her success."

"Legendary Me" (http://c.youku.com/niuren) is an online music talent show produced by Youku with the goal of highlighting and promoting "grassroots talents" from among the site's viewer base. The show features a panel of judges from ten leading Chinese satellite TV stations (Hunan Satellite, Dragon, Zhejiang Satellite, Shandong Satellite, Anhui Satellite, Tianjin Satellite, Liaoning Satellite, Jiangxi Satellite, Guangxi Satellite and Shenzhen Satellite) and ten top record labels (Warner Music Group, Rock Records and Tapes, Sony Music, Enlight Media, Typhoon Group, Seed, Ocean Butterflies, H. Brothers Music, Yuehua Music, and Grand Entertainment), who are present during the show to offer television performance deals or recording contracts to promising singers on the spot.

Youku began searching for grassroots talents to appear on "Legendary Me" in March, when it spotlighted a video from a 17 year-old high school student, Liu Meilin, who recorded herself singing in a hallway. New episodes of the show, hosted by star comedian Guo Degang, will appear on Youku each week before the show concludes with a gala event in July.

About Youku

Youku Inc. is China's leading Internet television company. Our Internet television platform enables users to search, view and share high-quality video content quickly and easily across multiple devices. Youku, which stands for "what's best and what's cool" in Chinese, is the most recognized online video brand in China. Youku's American depositary shares, each representing 18 of our Class A ordinary shares, are traded on NYSE under the symbol "YOKU."

SOURCE Youku Inc.