China to produce first local Big Brother

Hope this is as much fun as If You Are the One…

Endemol China and Chinese online video giant Youku Tudou will collaborate on the first-ever Chinese version of Big Brother.

Big Brother China will run for 10 weeks in early 2015, with production is expected to begin soon.

“Both parties will contribute their strengths to the co-operation, including Youku’s strong digital platforms, its advertising and interactive capabilities and Endemol its production expertise and international distribution network,” the partners said.

Endemol’s CEO of Asian Operations Arjen van Mierlo: “We’re thrilled to announce this landmark deal with Youku Tudou Inc., bringing a format that has changed the face of television to China for the first time. In a market that annually generates hundreds of billions of video views, partnering with the number one digital video platform will allow us to bring Big Brother to a young audience and deliver the most immersive, interactive and unique experience to fans across the nation.”

Victor Koo, chairman and CEO of Youku Tudou, said: “We are delighted to be joining forces with Endemol to finally bring this groundbreaking format to China. Fifteen years after its launch, Big Brother continues to be a worldwide hit that engages passionate young fans across multiple platforms. Youku Tudou has been advancing its multi-screen media and entertainment ecosystem to provide its users with higher quality original content. By partnering with Endemol, Youku Tudou can build on its achievements with this great fit into our business model.”

According to Hollywood Reporter Youku Tudou currently has more than 500,000,000 active users, reaching over 200 billion views a year.

This year alone 25 seasons of Big Brother will have aired in more than 70 countries.