Endemol Shine partners with China’s Youku for originals

Endemol Shine Group has reached a co-development partnership between its China office and China’s VOD service Youku to create and produce two new original series for the market in 2018.

In the deal, the two parties will co-create big budget, non-scripted shows.

International creative talent from Endemol Shine Group and Endemol Shine China will bring their expertise in content creation to the projects, across development, pilot and production consultancy, distribution and technology support.

Youku will utilize its audience research system, providing audience feedback data analysis throughout the development process.

Nicola Bamford (pictured), CEO of International Operations at Endemol Shine Group said: “This is a great opportunity to partner with Youku to create original, authentic stories that will resonate in China, and have the potential to reach global audiences through Endemol Shine Group’s international network and distribution.”

Weidong Yang, president of Youku, owned by Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment Group, said: “Gone are the days where digital entertainment shows rely on imitating traditional linear channel shows. Digital entertainment shows will be the new engines of industry creativity.”

He also made a statement last year during Youku Showcase to emphasize that the key trend in digital entertainment shows is to raise production values and story-telling techniques, together with the new innovative and creative directions that digital platforms are taking within the government’s standard censorship system.

Endemol Shine China was founded in 2015 and works closely with local Chinese partners to create native content.