PCCW’s
VIU OTT launches Premium Subscription in Singapore with Singtel
Viu
launches premium subscription in Singapore with Singtel
Telco alliance support aggressive regional expansion
Viu app downloads hit 1.6 million in Hong Kong and 500,000 and Singapore
PCCW (SEHK: 0008) – Hong Kong, July 8, 2016 – PCCW Media’s OTT video service,
Viu, has launched premium subscription service in Singapore with telco partner,
Singtel, the largest telecommunications company in Singapore, offering viewers
unlimited downloads of their favourite content.
Hailed as Southeast Asia’s first unlimited downloads* OTT video service, Viu
leverages on the quality network of Singtel to provide Viu premium subscribers
with priority viewing of a vast library of content, such as the current Korean
hit drama, Uncontrollably Fond, which premiered on July 6 and is aired with
English subtitle right after Korean telecast for Viu premium subscribers. The
fast turnaround with subtitles, first-ever in the region, is also available on
Viu at the same time frame in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Viu premium subscribers also get to watch the latest Korean dramas and variety
shows from the Big 4 Korean broadcasters and Japanese dramas as fast as 8 hours
after telecast in Korea, enjoy 1080p HD quality and exclusive content window of
the latest content with very limited ads. Meanwhile, Viu freemium users will
continue to have access to Viu’s huge catalogue of Asian content for free. All
users can also enjoy Viu’s user-friendly functions such as multi-screen access,
download-to-stream capability and multi-device synchronization when streaming,
providing users with a truly seamless viewing experience on-the-go.
Initially launched as a freemium OTT service last October, Viu has seen
tremendous growth in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Indonesia. In
Hong Kong, Viu app downloads already surpassed 1.6 million while in Singapore,
it has recorded over 500,000 downloads in the short span of four months
following its January launch**. Meanwhile, Viu is well-supported by a host of
advertisers in the region including leading brands such as P&G, Nestle,
Kao, Wyneth, Samsung, LG, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, KFC, FedEx, IKEA, Expedia, Emirates
and more. More importantly, users are actively engaged, averaging 1.82 hours^
of viewing time daily on the mobile app.
Riding on its success in appealing to a vast segment of Singapore’s netizens,
Viu is now available for users to upgrade to Viu premium at the attractive
monthly fee of SGD 6.98. By partnering with Singtel, Viu premium launch is
primed for success with Singtel’s vast subscriber base who get preferential
bundled package deal at only SGD 4.98 along with other exclusive promotional offers,
such as additional 1GB data at SGD 3.
“This strategic tie-up between Viu and Singtel is a win-win for consumers as
they can enjoy the best Asian entertainment content at the most competitive
offering across the best network in Singapore. With the rise of digital
content, we are seeing a rapid shift in the way media content is being
consumed, especially by millennials. By sharing the same vision to bring the
most compelling content to viewers anytime, anywhere on any mobile device, Viu
and Singtel are strategically aligned to focus on adapting to meet the needs of
today’s viewers,” said Ms. Janice Lee, Managing Director of PCCW Media.
“86% of Singapore netizens regularly stream or download video content, of which
60% are watching dramas+. These numbers show the immense potential in the OTT
video streaming market where we are spearheading change in the way consumers
engage with and consume digital content,” added Ms. Lee.
Regional partnerships with telcos and top broadcasters
To assure viewers of a stable viewing experience, Viu has forged strategic
telco partnerships with networks such as CSL in Hong Kong, Singtel in
Singapore, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, Maxis, Digi and U Mobile in Malaysia as
well as Telkom Indonesia in Indonesia.
Ms. Lee said, “The strategic partnerships we have built with top broadcasters
and leading telcos all over Asia to deliver the best Asian content at the
fastest speeds on quality networks has enabled Viu’s growing success. The
recent airing of Descendants of the Sun has shown us that what consumers want
today is fast, convenient access to digital content, and Viu was able to cater
to that mass demand by being the first platform with such a large library of
authorized Korean content where fans could catch it in Singapore.”
Industry recognition
Viu has built a relevant and personalised experience with exclusive unique
innovative content based on the a freemium model and its achievement is duly
recognized in the industry, garnering the Gold Award for Best Mobile App at the
HKICT Awards 2016, Telecom Asia’s 19th Annual Award for Best OTT Video Service
this year, and most recently named Asia Pacific Telco Digital Service Provider
of the Year by industry research group Frost & Sullivan at its Asia Pacific
ICT Awards 2016.
“We will continue to leverage our research to gain insights to our viewers’
preference so that our content and features are uniquely tailored to their
needs thus enabling continued relevance to our viewers,” added Ms. Lee.
– # –
*Based on the research in Nov 2015 among the legal OTT video platforms with
services in the countries included in ASEAN Economic Community, namely
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia,
Myanmar, Laos and Brunei Darussalam. Downloading contents via 3rd party
software from the OTT video platform is not included.
** Figures from Google Play Developer Console and iTunes Connect
^ Acorn study commissioned by PCCW Media Group
+ Based on Singapore user tracking data on Viu in May 2016
About PCCW Media
The media group of PCCW is a leading, fully integrated multimedia and
entertainment group in Hong Kong.
The media group operates the leading pay-TV service in Hong Kong under the Now
TV brand delivering both self-produced and licensed content to its customers
using advanced IPTV technology. Now TV offers more than 180 linear channels of
local, Asian and international programming. Its premium content can also be
accessed on-demand and on the go via now Player app. It is also a leading
producer of Chinese language news, financial news and sports programming in
addition to Asian infotainment content which complements its wide portfolio of
licensed movie and international television content.
The media group is also engaged in the provision of over-the-top (OTT) video
service under the Viu brand in Hong Kong and other places in the region. In
addition, MOOV is a hugely popular lossless music digital streaming service in
Hong Kong.
Moreover, the media group operates one of Asia’s leading directories businesses
under the Yellow Pages brand.
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