SINGAPORE/INDONESIA – Asia’s largest video-on-demand service HOOQ has announced the roll-out of over 20 pay TV channels to their premium offering, in partnership with some of the biggest content brands in the industry. The “skinny bundle”, including leading channels such as Discovery Channel, TLC, Hits, tvN, AFC, DreamWorks, History Channel and over 15 more top rated channels will be introduced in this first phase, with more channels to be announced shortly.

 

In an unprecedented industry-first move, these “skinny bundle” channels will be part of HOOQ’s leading, premium on-demand offering. HOOQ’s rollout will allow these channels to be accessible to millions of additional customers in Southeast Asia starting from October with Indonesia.

 

The addition of these pay TV channels to HOOQ’s existing premium VOD catalogue dramatically expands HOOQ’s content offering. HOOQ customers can expect express Korean entertainment from tvN and latest Korean blockbusters from tvN Movies, factual entertainment for the family from Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and History Channel, fresh Hollywood series released day-and-date from E!, DIVA and Lifetime, and all time Hollywood top favourite series from Hits. Fans of lifestyle content can also look forward to popular food and home decor content on TLC, AFC and HGTV.

 

For a truly immersive experience, Indonesian customers can also choose to catch these programmes in their local language with subtitles in Bahasa Indonesia, allowing subscribers to enjoy an all-in-one entertainment experience with HOOQ anytime, anywhere.

 

Jennifer Batty, Chief Content Officer commented: “We understand the ever-changing needs of our customers and constantly work to ensure that we provide our customers with entertainment that they love. The introduction of these new pay TV channels not only provide our customers with more genre options – Korean, lifestyle and factual entertainment, but more importantly, this marks a shift in how pay TV content can now reach a wider audience and expand their footprint in viewership.”

 

HOOQ’s accelerating leadership in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia

 

HOOQ’s CEO, Peter Bithos, commented: “HOOQ has always been uniquely committed to and focused on the Asia region. And, as we establish leadership in Indonesia, extending our leadership in Southeast Asia’s most critical market has become our #1 priority. This is just another in a sequence of moves designed to extend our leadership in Asia through investment in content, localisation and much more. Stay tuned.”

 

This bold move by HOOQ comes after a series of announcements and investments in HOOQ’s Indonesia business. Earlier this year, HOOQ signalled its intent to win Indonesia by pioneering the launch of the first of its kind freemium layer, underpinned by live streaming of free-to-air TV onto every screen in Southeast Asia’s largest market.

 

As part of that move, HOOQ struck strategic partnerships with Indonesia’s top free-to-air broadcasters to offer nine of Indonesia’s most popular channels for free, including JakTV, MNC TV, RCTI and six other channels. HOOQ’s freemium layer has been so successful that it had generated over 1.5 million MAUs (monthly active users) within the first sixty days of its launch.

 

Indonesia is also selected as HOOQ’s launch-pad to be the first in the region to experience the entire premium layer in one-day “sachets” for as little 25 cents (USD). The “skinny bundle” announced today will be introduced and offered as part of HOOQ’s unique daily, weekly and subscription offers to all Indonesians customers.

 

Move will make HOOQ first in the region to introduce innovative business model

 

The OTT industry has seen many innovative plays in recent years, however the reintroduction of the already established pay TV channels to the millennial cord-cutting audience is a disruptive move that can potentially reinvigorate the entire content industry.

 

In Indonesia, the pay TV penetration is less than 10% and there is no way for customers to access these channels without a pay TV subscription. HOOQ saw this as an opportunity to introduce these great channels to over 90% of Indonesians by providing them access to pay TV channels where they can choose to watch pay TV content at an affordable price. Moreover, it positions HOOQ as the only complete end-to-end platform for premium video in the region.

 

The addition of pay TV channels to HOOQ’s existing premium offering dramatically changes what Indonesians can now enjoy on HOOQ or any other platform. With access to the leading VOD catalogue and, now offering over 20 linear pay TV channels with, importantly, their respective VOD catch-up offerings, customers can watch their favourite pay TV shows where they want and how they want at the price they can afford.

 

This move further positions HOOQ as the only end-to-end, complete platform for premium content, offering the best of local and Hollywood through HOOQ’s leading SVOD catalogue, the hottest Hollywood blockbusters fresh out of the theatres with its TVOD (transactional-on-demand), and now live streaming and catch-up for the best pay TV brands in the industry.