Youku eyes profit in 2015 with new tools

Youku Tudou's three new hardware products and cooperation with game firms to expand product line are aimed at helping China's biggest online video website turn profitable next year.

The new hardware items, which were launched yesterday, comprise a tablet computer with 15-inch display, a smart router used by families, and a set-top box. They will be available from the end of this year.

Youku Tudou also aimed to cooperate with game firms to help them distribute game products through the Internet and new gadgets.

The company aims to offer "integrated entertainment services‚" said Yao Jian, Youku Tudou's chief technology officer.

"Consumers want all kinds of services including games and online video in a unified platform like Youku Tudou," said Yao, who's also the head of the newly formed cloud entertainment business unit.

In the third quarter, New York-listed Youku Tudou reported a net loss of 15.4 million yuan (US$2.5 million), down 65 percent from the second quarter.

Last month, Youku Tudou said it would offer video service to China's leading smartphone vendor Xiaomi.