Ku6 Media
A Chinese online-video company and early video-sharing platform that was once listed on NASDAQ.
Last updated October 9, 2026
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Overview
Ku6 Media was an early Chinese online-video company founded in 2006 by Li Shanyou. Its service combined professionally supplied programming with user-uploaded short videos, covering news, films, television dramas, music videos, entertainment, sports and other user-generated material. The platform also developed community and discovery features, including topical channels, video comments, search-history functions and chat tools placed alongside video playback. It later extended distribution to mobile devices. The company entered a rapidly developing Chinese internet-video market at a time when broadband access, user-generated content and advertising-supported online media were expanding quickly. In 2007, Ku6 reached a business cooperation agreement with Baidu and obtained a reported first financing round from Draper Fisher Jurvetson and DT Capital Partners. In 2008, it received an online-video-related license from China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. The company also established relationships with internet platforms, broadcasters, content producers and international media companies, including NetEase, Kaixin, CCTV Channel V, YouTube, Huayi and Hairun. In 2010, its Ku6 Media Theater service went online, an initiative associated with a more Hulu-like model based on licensed programming and organized professional content. Ku6's corporate structure changed substantially during its development. The business was originally established as Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd. and adopted the Ku6 Media Co., Ltd. name in August 2010. It became associated with Shanda Group in 2009, and its public-market history involved a merger and listing structure connected with Hurray. Ku6 later pursued expansion through the acquisition of Hangzhou Soushi Networking Co., Ltd., the company behind Pipi, in an all-stock transaction announced in 2011. Under that transaction, Pipi's equity was exchanged for Ku6 ordinary shares. The platform's business depended on a difficult combination of audience growth, advertising, licensed content, copyright compliance and user-generated video supply. By December 31, 2012, the company reported an average of more than 50,000 new user-generated clips per day, indicating substantial upload activity even as the Chinese video market became increasingly competitive. Ku6 also announced a 2013 UGC initiative centered on the theme of love, but the available reference material says that the campaign did not achieve the expected result. Ku6 is best understood as an early-generation Chinese video-sharing brand rather than a current global media service. Its history illustrates the transition from predominantly user-uploaded video toward licensed online programming, mobile distribution and larger platform ecosystems. The supplied reference material does not establish a current operating entity, active website, present ownership structure or precise delisting date, so those details remain unconfirmed here.
History
Ku6 Media was established in 2006 during the formative period of China's online-video industry. The service began as a video-sharing website and built its audience through a mixture of user uploads and professionally supplied programming. Its catalog included news, films, television dramas, music videos, entertainment and sports, alongside user-generated clips. This mixed-content approach allowed the platform to serve both community upload activity and demand for recognizable media programming. In 2007, Ku6 reached a cooperation agreement with Baidu, one of China's major internet companies, and obtained a reported first round of financing from Draper Fisher Jurvetson and DT Capital Partners. The relationship with Baidu reflected the importance of search, traffic acquisition and content discovery to early video websites. Ku6's development also took place within a regulatory environment in which online-video licensing became increasingly important. In 2008, the company received a license from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television. The company underwent important corporate changes in the following years. It was originally established as Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd. and later changed its name to Ku6 Media Co., Ltd. in August 2010. Reference material states that Ku6 joined Shanda Group in 2009 and merged with Hurray in connection with a public listing structure. Ku6 was listed on NASDAQ through this broader corporate and merger history, making it one of the Chinese online-video companies visible in the US public markets during the sector's early expansion. Ku6 continued to develop both platform functionality and content relationships. Its website supported user uploads, channel navigation, video commenting, search-history features and chat alongside playback. The company also distributed video through mobile platforms. It reported partnerships or content relationships involving NetEase, Kaixin, CCTV Channel V, YouTube and Chinese film and television producers including Huayi and Hairun. In September 2010, it announced content cooperation agreements with Sony Pictures Television and another major Hollywood studio for licensed material. In the same year, Ku6 Media Theater went online, representing a move toward a more curated, professionally programmed service comparable in concept to the emerging Hulu model. In April 2011, Ku6 announced an all-stock merger with Hangzhou Soushi Networking Co., Ltd., known as Pipi. The transaction provided for Pipi's equity interests to be exchanged for an aggregate of 2,212,114,257 Ku6 ordinary shares. This expansion reflected the broader industry effort to build audience, technology and content scale through platform combinations rather than organic growth alone. User-generated content remained central to the service. The company stated that, on December 31, 2012, it delivered an average of more than 50,000 new UGC clips per day. The volume illustrates both the reach of the upload model and the operational challenge of moderating, organizing and monetizing a large video library. In 2013, Ku6 announced a love-themed UGC campaign intended to encourage higher-quality and more creative submissions. The reference material indicates that the campaign did not succeed as expected. Ku6 ultimately became associated with decline under competitive and management pressures, and the supplied dossier characterizes the company as later acquired by Shanda and delisted. The available reference material does not provide a verified delisting date, final corporate status details, current website or complete executive history. Ku6's documented significance lies in its role as an early Chinese video-sharing platform that moved from user uploads toward licensed programming, mobile distribution and a more structured online-media business model.
- 2013
Love-themed UGC campaign
[1]Ku6 announced a user-generated-video campaign focused on the theme of love; the available reference says it did not succeed.
- 2012
Reported high volume of UGC uploads
[1]Ku6 reported delivering an average of more than 50,000 new user-generated video clips per day as of December 31.
- 2011
Pipi merger announced
[1]Ku6 announced an all-stock transaction to acquire Hangzhou Soushi Networking Co., Ltd., operator of Pipi.
- 2010
Corporate rename and Ku6 Media Theater launch
[1]Hurray! Holding adopted the Ku6 Media name in August, and Ku6 Media Theater launched later that year.
- 2009
Shanda affiliation and merger-related listing structure
[1]Ku6 joined Shanda Group and merged with Hurray in connection with its public-market development.
- 2008
Receives SARFT license
[1]The company received an online-video license issued by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
- 2007
Baidu cooperation and first reported financing
[1]Ku6 reached a business cooperation agreement with Baidu and obtained reported first-round financing from Draper Fisher Jurvetson and DT Capital Partners.
- 2006
Company established
[1]Ku6 Media was established and began operating in China's online-video market.
Products and positioning
A Chinese online-video and user-generated-content platform combining short-form uploads, licensed programming and community-oriented viewing tools.
Online video platform · 2006
Ku6 video-sharing platform
The core Ku6 website hosted short-form videos uploaded by users and professionally supplied programming. Its subject areas included news, films, television dramas, music videos, entertainment and sports. Platform features included channel organization, video commenting, search-history support and chat functions displayed alongside videos. Ku6 also made video available through mobile platforms.
Licensed video service · 2010
Ku6 Media Theater
Launched in 2010, Ku6 Media Theater was a more curated and professionally oriented part of the company's offering. It was associated with a Hulu-like online-video model and complemented Ku6's user-uploaded material with licensed film and television content. The service reflected the industry's movement toward combining community video with rights-cleared programming.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2013Love-themed UGC campaign
China
Ku6 invited users to create and submit videos centered on the theme of love, seeking a larger supply of distinctive and higher-quality user-generated content.
Outcome. The available reference material states that the campaign did not achieve the expected result.
Brand decisions
2013
Thematic expansion of user-generated contentStrategyBackground
Ku6 continued to rely on user-generated video and sought ways to encourage more distinctive submissions.
Action taken
The company organized a love-themed UGC campaign intended to generate creative video submissions.
Aftermath
The reference material describes the campaign as unsuccessful.
2011
All-stock acquisition of PipiM&ABackground
Ku6 sought to expand its online-video capabilities and audience through corporate combination.
Action taken
Ku6 announced an all-stock merger with Hangzhou Soushi Networking Co., Ltd., under which Pipi's equity was exchanged for 2,212,114,257 Ku6 ordinary shares.
Aftermath
The transaction added Pipi to Ku6's corporate structure, although the supplied material does not establish its long-term operating impact.
2010
Launch of Ku6 Media TheaterProduct launchBackground
Ku6 operated in a market moving beyond basic user uploads toward professionally programmed and licensed online video.
Action taken
The company launched Ku6 Media Theater as a curated service with licensed content and a Hulu-like positioning.
Aftermath
The launch represented Ku6's effort to broaden its content model beyond short user-submitted videos.
Recent events
- 2013
Ku6 launches love-themed user-generated-video campaign[1]
Campaign
The company announced a campaign seeking creative user-generated videos organized around the theme of love; the available reference describes the initiative as unsuccessful.
- 2011
Ku6 announces all-stock merger with Pipi[1]
M&A
Ku6 announced the acquisition of Hangzhou Soushi Networking Co., Ltd., known as Pipi, through an all-stock transaction.
- 2010
Ku6 Media changes its corporate name from Hurray! Holding[1]
Other
The company adopted the Ku6 Media Co., Ltd. name in August 2010.
- 2010
Ku6 Media Theater launches[1]
Product launch
Ku6 launched Ku6 Media Theater, an organized licensed-content service described in the reference material as an early Hulu-like model in China.
- 2009
Ku6 becomes associated with Shanda Group and completes merger-related restructuring[1]
M&A
Ku6 joined Shanda Group and merged with Hurray in connection with its public-market structure.
- 2008
Ku6 receives online-video license[1]
Regulation
The company received a license issued by China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
- 2007
Ku6 Media reaches cooperation agreement with Baidu and secures first financing round[1]
Other
Ku6 entered a business cooperation agreement with Baidu and received reported first-round financing from Draper Fisher Jurvetson and DT Capital Partners.
Sources1 sources
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