Viu shows 42% growth in consumption as per latest MPA AMPD report backed by popular pan-regional content in Asia including Korean content and Viu Originals
July 21, 2020 4:34 pmViu has volume deals with five major TV broadcasters in Korea, continuing to provide the largest and widest selection of Korean entertainment content in their markets
Viu Originals proves to be immensely popular in the region with Pretty Little Liars taking the lead
PCCW (SEHK:0008) – HONG KONG, July 21, 2020 – Viu, a leading pan-regional OTT video service from PCCW Media Group, today unveils major Korean content agreements that reinforce its content proposition with a continual lead on volume deals with five Korean broadcasters. Viu also highlights the popularity of recent Viu Originals, including Pretty Little Liars, My Bubble Tea and Black.
As per the latest MPA AMPD report for Q2, while streaming minutes in the region grew by 19% in Q2 2020, consumption on Viu has grown by 42% (more than doubling the industry average growth). Viu is ranked number 2 amongst all global and local OTT platforms in SEA* excluding YouTube in total video minutes streamed in the quarter. A selection of relevant charts can be found here.
Extended strategic content partnerships
Viu has extended its content partnerships with SBS and KBS through Wavve, as well as CJ ENM and JTBC with many programs having the exclusive premiere head start on Viu. These new agreements are in addition to Viu’s existing deal with MBC, making Viu the one-stop service for viewers to access the largest volume and widest selection of Korean content titles across the territories in which Viu operates.
Featuring star-studded talent, Viu offers a range of Korean programs including miniseries, variety shows and long running dramas. Upcoming titles span across romance, crime, fantasy and sci-fi which include To All The Guys Who Loved Me (KBS), The Good Detective (JTBC) and Flower of Evil (CJ ENM) in July, while other highly anticipated titles in the coming months are Alice (SBS), When I was the Most Beautiful (MBC) and Tale of the Nine Tailed (CJ ENM).
In addition to access to content from major Korean broadcasters, Viu has also extended its partnership via Wavve by acquiring upcoming drama series such as Lies Of Lies and Channel O Hara Revenge in which Wavve has invested.
Mr. Kim Hong Ki, Business Planning Group Manager of Wavve, said, “We are pleased to be a strategic partner with Viu as they continue to be the strongest and most popular OTT video streaming service in Southeast Asian OTT markets. With Viu’s highly engaged digital base, and persistent commitment to deliver premium quality content, we are confident that this partnership supports us to further grow the popularity of Korean content in pan-regional markets.”
Mr. Seo Jang Ho, SVP, Content Business Division of CJ ENM, said, “We are very happy to continue our collaboration with Viu. They are the first OTT to bring the Korean wave across Asia a few years ago and they really understand the type of storytelling that engages Asian viewers. It is our pleasure to grow together with Viu.”
Ms. Janice Lee, Managing Director of PCCW Media Group and Chief Executive Officer of Viu, said, “Our core focus remains in delivering the best and most relevant content to our viewers. Viu continues to expand and evolve our content proposition to meet the needs of today’s audience through our offering of leading popular pan-regional content including Korean, Japanese, Thai and Chinese content, as well as through the creation of Viu Originals. We are thankful to our partners in Korea – Wavve, SBS, KBS, MBC, CJ ENM and JTBC – for their vote of confidence in expanding our partnerships over the years. We would like to thank our fans for their support and for delivering the high viewership and performance of our Viu Original such as Pretty Little Liars and My Bubble Tea.”
Viu Originals continue to achieve top performance
In addition to the outstanding track record of Korean content, Viu Originals continue to engage Viu’ers and top the ranking charts, demonstrating that Viu’s original content performs as well as that of licensed pan-regional hits.
Pretty Little Liars, the compelling Asian adaptation of the iconic Warner Bros. series, was released in April and has proven to be Viu’s most popular Original yet. It is ranked the second most watched show in Indonesia on Viu amongst all titles and the third in Malaysia for May. Also notable is that due to the popularity of season one, Viu’s adaptation of Endemol Shine Group’s The Bridge is back with season two which began airing last month.
Black, an adaptation of the renowned CJ ENM Korean TV series of the same name, ranks in the top 10 in Malaysia amongst all content on the platform. Also performing well is My Bubble Tea, a romantic comedy based on a popular online fiction, which tells the story of a woman who falls for her handsome boss and concocts a supernatural bubble tea brew to win his love. It ranks in the top three in Thailand and in the top 10 in Malaysia within a month of launch.
To hear about Viu’s Future in The Greater Southeast Asia Premium OTT Video Ecosystem, please tune into APOS 2020 this week on Thursday, July 23, 1:55-2:20 Singapore time to hear Ms. Janice Lee speak on the topic.
Viu is available for free on App Store and Google Play and selected smart TVs, as well as on the web at www.viu.com.
*covers Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
About Viu
Viu is a leading pan-regional over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service operated by PCCW Media Group. It is available in 16 markets including: Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar in Asia; Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the Middle East; as well as South Africa.
Operating with both an ad-supported tier and a premium subscription tier, Viu delivers premium content in different genres from top content providers with local languages and subtitles, as well as original production series under the “Viu Original” initiative.
Viu offers users popular and current content with streaming and download features, and localized user interfaces. With the patented Dynamic Adaptive Transcoding technology, Viu can provide the best viewing experience regardless of device or network conditions.
The service can be accessed via Viu app (available for free on App Store and Google Play) on connected devices, e.g. smartphones and tablets, selected smart TVs, as well as on web by logging into www.viu.com.
About PCCW Media
PCCW Media Group is a leading, fully integrated multimedia and entertainment company headquartered in Hong Kong.
PCCW Media operates the leading pay-TV service in Hong Kong under the Now TV brand offering more than 160 linear channels and an extensive on demand library of local, Asian and international programming. Premium content can also be accessed by subscribers via the Now Player companion 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. Now TV also offers its content via Now E, a subscription OTT (over-the-top) service with international and Asian dramas, movies and world-class sports events, which is designed to meet the needs of millennial viewers. In addition, PCCW Media operates popular digital music streaming service MOOV in Hong Kong.
PCCW Media Group also provides a leading pan-regional OTT video service under the Viu brand with over 35 million users in 16 markets including countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, as well as South Africa. The Viu service is available to consumers through a dual model with an ad-supported free tier and a premium subscription tier. Viu offers fresh premium TV series, movies and lifestyle programming in local and regional languages and subtitles in different genres from top content providers, as well as premium original productions under the brand “Viu Original”. The service can be accessed via app, selected smart TVs and online.
About PCCW Limited
PCCW Limited (SEHK: 0008) is a global company headquartered in Hong Kong which holds interests in telecommunications, media, IT solutions, property development and investment, and other businesses.
The Company holds a majority interest in the HKT Trust and HKT Limited, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider and leading operator in fixed-line, broadband and mobile communication services. HKT meets the needs of the Hong Kong public and local and international businesses with a wide range of services including local telephony, local data and broadband, international telecommunications, mobile, and other telecommunications businesses such as customer premises equipment sale, outsourcing, consulting, and contact centers.
PCCW also owns a fully integrated multimedia and entertainment group in Hong Kong, PCCW Media. PCCW Media operates the largest local pay-TV operation, Now TV, and is engaged in the provision of over-the-top (OTT) video service under the Viu brand in Hong Kong and other places in the region.
Through HK Television Entertainment Company Limited, PCCW also operates a domestic free television service in Hong Kong.
Also, wholly-owned by the Group, PCCW Solutions is a leading information technology outsourcing and business process outsourcing provider in Hong Kong and mainland China.
In addition, PCCW holds a majority interest in Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited, and other overseas investments. To learn more about PCCW, please visit www.pccw.com.
For further information, please contact:
Ivan Ho
PCCW
Tel: +852 2883 8747
Email: ivan.wy.ho@pccw.com
Michelle Ang
Ogilvy Singapore
Email: michelle.ang@ogilvy.com
Mobile: +65 96831278
Issued by PCCW Limited.
Categorised in: Member News
This post was written by PCCW Limited