Asia is awash in online video. 108 organised platforms (that we could find) and counting. A million hours, probably more, of professionally produced local and international short- and long-form video on offer – largely legitimately – on the OTT platforms and online services we counted. And then there’s the rising slew of local multi-channel networks (MCNs), offering everything from custom-versioned clips of well-known television titles to content custom-made for online audiences. Plus there’s the mother of all streaming destinations, YouTube, which is moving forward with features such as offline viewing options in, for example, Thailand. Against this backdrop and supported by the smartphone boom, innovation and experimentation is in over-drive. As is education; Disney’s Maker Studios in Asia, for instance, has moved into high-gear on shaping the next generation of content creators. Well-known and much-loved producers in Asia continue to bring “digital” people on board and are driving a new layer of high-quality digital-first content. Online creators are being tapped for series by production houses that made their names and fortunes in the traditional television world. Innovation in Asia includes everything from Dee Kosh leading Asia’s Got Talent digital performance to micro-movies such as writer/director Faraz Ali’s Ludo, released on WhatsApp at the end of May. Ludo, Ali says, “is our attempt to discuss safety of women and other stereotypes. With Ludo, our aim is to keep the dialogue going”. The talk, clearly, doesn’t stop there...

Hooq

What is Hooq? Hooq is a regional video-on-demand subscription service jointly established by Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros Entertainment in January 2015. Hooq launched in the Philippines in early April, followed by Thailand, also in April. India launched at the end of May. The plan is to roll out progressively to countries in the Singtel Group’s Asian footprint, including Indonesia. Smaller markets, such as Singapore, may follow.

Target audience “Targeting the lifestyle of users across any age and demographic… people who love movies and quality stories just like us.”

Subscribers Not disclosed. Singtel has about 500 million mobile customers in Asia.

Who’s who... Peter G. Bithos, chief executive officer

Rates Hooq in the Philippines costs 1) Ps199/US$4.50 for all content 2) Ps299/US$6.65 for all content and 1GB data; 3) Ps499/US$11 for all content and 2GB data. In Thailand, Hooq costs THB119/US$3.50 a month. Pricing for platforms in other markets has not been set but could be about US$3. There are plans to offer premium pay-per-view content as well.

The offering More than 10,000 movies and TV series, including titles from JV partners Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros Entertainment, and local studios to stream or download to view offline. While the Hooq branding will be consistent across all markets, the content will be different depending on rights and audience preferences.

Local treats In the Philippines, local content providers include national broadcasters – ABS-CBN and GMA – as well as Viva Communications and Regal Entertainment. Local titles for Globe in the Philippines include My Husband’s Lover, A Secret Affair, Shake Rattle and Roll and Ang Tanging Ina. Hollywood movies include Harry Potter, Spider-Man and Inception. TV series include Gossip Girl, Friends and Smallville. In Thailand, Hooq’s local movie offering includes the latest the films Pee Mak, King Naresuan and Boonchu as well as classic films Kwan & Riam and Ban Sai Tong. Thai content partners include GTH, Sahamongkolfilm, Five Star and TIGA.

Original content “We recognise the need for high quality stories to be built by Asia for Asia… content that resonates well across Asia with quality scripting and production. We look forward to filling that need ... This will be part of our journey in the years ahead.”

Key show “Metro Manila, which is currently one of the best local independent movies in the Philippines. In addition, we will be featuring specific titles consistent with the theme of the week and other content highlights in Asia. The aim is to keep up and be relevant.”

Hours of new content acquired annually “There is no specific figure. The plan is to keep track on users’ viewing patterns and constantly update and tweak our content catalogue.”

Social media Hooq uses Facebook (for global users with a separate account for the Philippines), Instagram and Twitter to update users on new programmes/services, to gather feedback/comments and for event announcements, among others.

Challenges “The greatest challenge is making sure Hooq provides a great and impressive customer experience at launch with the offering of quality and in-depth content. The second challenge is putting together a strong, collaborative and focused team while launching the product.”

Inspiration “Nobody is better at recommendation than Netflix. We also like the nature of YouTube. We like brands that stand out, are fun and outgoing. That is us and we are inspired by brands that represent that.”

Priority “Getting the service up and running in the targeted markets by the end of 2015.”

The biggest impact on the OTT industry in Asia in 2015… “Particularly in Asia, the challenge is working with and convincing international content owners on issues such as pricing… We need a lot more innovation to stimulate the market and combat piracy to generate incremental revenues for everyone in the industry.”

Hotstar

What is hotstar? Over-the-top (OTT) hotstar platform is owned by Novi Digital Entertainment (formerly Indya Interactive Services), a wholly owned subsidiary of Star India. hotstar has been designed for lower bandwidth environments offering TV programmes, movies and sports via online and across all mobile devices (Android, iOS, Nokia ASHA).

Launched on 1 February 2015

Who’s driving the initiative... Uday Shankar, chief executive officer, Star India; Sanjay Gupta, chief operating officer, Star India

What the bosses say... “We produce 14,000 hours a year of Indian programming and we own pretty much all the rights and we thought we should just make this available to customers in a new way”. [James Murdoch, co-chief operating officer, 21st Century Fox]

The objective... “Our objective behind hotstar was quite simple actually: a lot of audiences were consuming our content on other screens, but we were unhappy with the inability to control their viewing experience,” says Uday Shankar, Star India’s chief executive.

The business model... Advertising supported, with a migration to subscription at some point. Speculation is that this will be in two years, but Star India has not confirmed any timetable. Right now, James Murdoch told delegates at this year’s Asia Pacific Video Operators’ Summit (APOS), “we’re building an audience before we get to the revenue part.”

The thinking behind the AVOD model... Removing any $$-related barriers to access. India’s infrastructure bottlenecks are already a barrier and unbearably high data charges ramp up consumer pain. The decision to offer hotstar for free to consumers was aimed at removing any possible additional “friction” in the mobile experience, Murdoch says.

The offering More than 20,000 hours of content, including 120+ hours of full-length TV shows, 500+ hours movies and live screening of sporting events (cricket, football, tennis and Kabbadi) across seven languages (Hindi, Malayalam, English, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali). hotstar is not currently offering real-time TV shows. The hotstar library is a combination of archive and current shows on all Star India channels, including Star Plus, Life’s OK, Star Pravash, Star Vijay, Asianet, Suvarna and Star Jalsha. Local content includes Nach Baliye 7, Shob Choritro Kalponik and Dosti, Yaariyan, Manmarzian. International content includes comedy series Modern Family, New Girl and Wilfred. All videos on hotstar carry advertising either in the beginning or in the middle (or a combination of both).

Top shows hotstar reports consumption across all four content categories: drama, movies, sports and international. The top shows are Yeh Hai Mohabbatein and Diya aur Baati Hum, with the recent addition of Nach Baliye season 7. The cult romantic/comedy Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon, which is no longer on air, is also among the platform’s popular shows.

Number of users Since launch, hotstar has reached an audience of about 50 million unique users, and app downloads have hit 16 million. The platform claims to be the world’s fastest adopted digital service, with one million app downloads in its first six days, and 10 million in its first month.

hotstar vs others Facebook took 10 months (February-December 2004) to reach the one-million user mark and Spotify took about 29 months (October 2008-March 2011) to reach the same milestone. hotstar had one million in six days, and 10 million in a month. Also claims breaking global records on sports during the World Cup with approximately 50 million video views for the India versus Australia match.

Average viewing time On average, viewers spend close to 30 minutes a day on hotstar.

iflix

What is iflix? Iflix is a geo-blocked, subscription-based, over-the-top (OTT) regional service offering access to more than 10,000 hours of TV series and movies, bundled into one monthly subscription package and accessible via internet-connected devices. Headquartered in Malaysia, iflix was established by investment firms Catcha Group and Evolution Media Capital.

Launch Expected to launch in Malaysia and the Philippines by mid-2015. Roll-out plans focus on larger markets in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Who’s driving the initiative... Patrick Grove, co-founder/chairman, iflix Group; Mark Britt, co-founder/chief executive officer, iflix Group; Azran Osman-Rani, chief operating officer, iflix Group/chief executive officer of iflix Malaysia

...with input from A four-person advisory board that pulls Hollywood heavyweights into the OTT platform’s orb. Board members include Gary Barber, co-chairman/chief executive of Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and Spyglass Entertainment; Brian Grazer, Imagine Entertainment chairman; Electus chairman Ben Silverman; and Fox Networks’ former chairman/president/chief executive, Anthony J. Vinciquerra. The Advisory Board will be chaired by iflix director and managing partner of Evolution Media Capital, Rick Hess.

What’s behind the name? “We wanted a brand that was simple and strong, that could clearly communicate the simplicity of the product proposition. The ‘i’ is an extension of Catcha’s other entities.”

Subscription rates Pricing has not been disclosed. The promise is “a low price point that will be impossible to say no to”.

Target audience “Everyone and anyone who is passionate about content and has access to a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or other internet-connected device. In short, 600 million internet users throughout Southeast Asia.”

2015 take up expectations ”We have a different perspective on time frames. We are confident that within the coming five years, internet TV will be the dominant platform for entertainment in Southeast Asia, and we will be at the forefront of that revolution.”

The offering More than 10,000 movies and TV series, including titles from Hollywood, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Thailand and Tokyo.

Major content partners More than 30 Hollywood, Asian and local distributors, including 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros and BBC for titles such as Homeland, American Horror Story, Dr Who, Sherlock, Modern Family, 10 seasons of Friends and seven seasons of The Big Bang Theory.

What kind of windows are you working with?“All windows – from first run to library – on an exclusive and non-exclusive basis depending on the title and distributor.”

How many hours of content do you plan to acquire next year? Not disclosed. “We will have over 10,000 hours of content available in 2015, from Hollywood blockbusters, and TV shows to popular Chinese and Korean dramas in high demand amongst Southeast Asian viewers.”

Will you carry local content in all the countries you are rolling out in Asia? “Yes, we believe local content is a critical part of creating a compelling product.”

Will iflix create original content? “We are working directly with local and regional production companies to collaborate on original projects.”

Social media Iflix is on Facebook (Malaysia and Philippines), Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. “Social is at the heart of everything we do. It is a core part of our service – not a way to expand our presence.”

On censorship and piracy “Iflix is sensitive to both the legal requirements and the cultural standards of the countries in which it operates in. In addition, iflix has a dedicated kids-safe section and pin-code based parental controls.”

iflix’s 2015 priority “We are just getting started, so the priority is easy... creating passionate, vocal, advocates for the iflix services in our available market.”

The biggest impact on the OTT industry in Asia in 2015 will be… “The continued commitment of governments to the open internet, technological advancements coupled with the open internet promote innovation and expression, resulting in higher quality of services, applications and content for consumers.”

The best thing that has happened to iflix so far this year is... “Opening our eyes, emerging from the Catcha womb for the first time.”

Line TV

What is Line TV? Line TV is an online TV service and an extension of the mobile messenger app, Line (launched in June 2011). Line TV bundles TV series, movies, music videos and Line TV exclusive content for free via smartphones, tablets and PCs.

Launch Line TV became available for download in Thailand at the end of 2014 and officially launched on 6 February 2015 in Bangkok. The development process took about six months. The service is geo-blocked for
Thailand.

Why Thailand? ”Thailand is a fast-growing market and Thai people are open to trying new things. Currently there are more than 33 million Line users in Thailand. We believe Thai people enjoy entertainment, so we have selected series, music videos and variety shows, both from Korea and Thailand, to meet the desires of the Thai audience,” says Line TV’s senior marketing manager, Nuttawut Lertsrimongkol, who is responsible for the platform.

Where else? There are plans to roll out similar services in other Asian markets.

Subscription rates Line TV is a free service currently offering advertising-supported (pre-roll/post-roll) streaming video. Other business models will be considered moving forward.

The offering Key content will be original and exclusive to Line TV. Premiering series is Thai drama Stay, a romantic-comedy co-produced with Thai studio GTH and shot in Saga, Japan. Directed by Yong Songyos Sugmakanan, Stay premiered on Saturday, 14 February 2015. The series stars Sunny Suwanmethanont, Supassra Thanachat, Teeradon Supapunpinyo and Thiti Mahayotaruk. Line TV exclusive content also includes Korean entertainment title, SurpLINES. Korean artists include boy-bands EXO and Super Junior as well as girl group Girls’ Generation. The slate also features content from local partners, including GMM, Workpoint Entertainment, Vithita Animation, Thairath TV, TrueVisions, TrueMusic, TNN, Tigercrys, Pearypie, Fedfe and Dex Channel.

What else are you looking to buy? More variety shows, series and exclusive content

Subscribers With more than 33 million Line users in Thailand, “we do not want to limit our potential growth by setting the expected download number for Line TV. We would like to do our best to approach anyone who wants to have fun watching a variety of content on Line TV.”

Social media “We mainly use our channels, such as the official Line Thailand account and Facebook fanpage, to promote our content and feature our promotional campaigns. Our partners and content providers also help to promote us on their social networking channels.”

Challenges “Line TV is trying to differentiate itself from others by providing higher quality full episodes of content (mainly dramas and movies) appealing to local tastes for free. Line TV offers content based on the analysis of local users’ tastes from various angles. Also, we’re trying to provide high-quality Thai subtitles... besides Thai content, we service and plan to source more full episodes of Korean dramas or reality shows as fast as we can, minimising the gap between real-time window. The goal is to also provide special functions connected with the messaging app Line as a social platform. We also have a good rapport with content providers, including TV stations, broadcasting channels and various production companies, who can supply good quality content for us.”

Line TV’s 2015 priority “Our priority is to continue to provide good, quality content for free, which appeals to Thai users and building good partnerships with content providers.”

PrimeTime

What is PrimeTime? PrimeTime is an OTT TV service, offering on-demand streaming of international and Thai TV series and movies, geo-blocked for users in Thailand. Available on internet-connected devices, including smart TV, iOS/Android and PC/Mac

Launched on 19 February 2015 by PrimeTime Entertainment

Who’s who... Kasidit Kolasastraseni, chief executive officer; Nicha Suebwonglee, chief content officer; Phatthaworn Phongphaew, chief product officer; Isara Amatayakul, chief technology officer

The offering 300 movies and more than 20 TV series in three packages: 1) Premier Movies/TV series: Hollywood Movies (three/four months after Thai/global theatrical releases), including Big Hero 6, Theory of Everything and Boyhood, and Thai TV series/movies not shown in local theatres or cable TV, such as TV series Black Sails and Power, and movie Annie; 2) Movie Buffet: unlimited access to movies older than four years, including franchises such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, indie movies such as Magnolia and classics such as The Godfather; 3) TV Series Buffet: whole seasons of Hollywood series such as American Horror Story, Modern Family, Criminal Minds, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and Once Upon a Time

Packages/rates Four packages: 1) Movie Buffet: THB199/US$6 for 30 days unlimited access; 2) Premier Movie+Movie Buffet: THB299/US$9 for 30 days unlimited access to movies in the Movie Buffet list and two premier movie rental tickets (must watch within 48 hours); 3) TV Series Buffet: THB299/US$9 for 30 days unlimited access to TV series; and 4) Combo package: THB549/US$17 for 30 days (or THB399/US$12 for 30 days if purchased for 360 days) for all three options.

New titles added monthly At least 50 movies in the Movie Buffet package and 20 movies in the Premier Movie plan, and at least 200 hours of TV series in the TV Series Buffet package

Acquisitions Expects to acquire more than 5,000 hours of movies and TV series in 2015, with a strong focus on 4K content

Target users “Anyone who owns a smart phone, tablet or PC/Mac in Thailand and everybody who loves some form of visual home entertainment.”

Take-up expectations 100,000 users by the end of 2015

Social media “Unlike many digital services in Thailand, we want to utilise our social media accounts to create an interactive community between all movies and TV series lovers. We do not want to use social media to endlessly push promotions; we’d rather spawn lively discussions about all the great content we have on PrimeTime... and highlight all the improvements they want to see in our service.”

Challenges “Localisation, bandwidth management, differentiation are the most important factors to win in this market. Thailand is a country where more than 70% of the audience only wants Thai-dubbed content and most viewers do not watch English-language programming without subtitles, so high-quality localisation is the key. In addition, bandwidth, especially 3G is much slower in comparison to developed countries, hence being able to provide high-quality streaming at a limited bandwidth has been our key focus. Lastly, we need to differentiate from other services in the region because ultimately every service will have similar content. This year, we are partnering with DTS to become the first company in the world to launch HeadphoneX, a technology that stimulates 5.1 sound experience on a headphone/earphone.”