Rebecca Hawkes
| 12 July 2016

Singtel is now offering the premium service of PCCW Media’s over-the-top (OTT) platform Viu in Singapore, which delivers unlimited and stable video downloads for the service’s subscribers.

Viu logoThe Asian OTT service, which has been offered on a ‘freemium’ basis in Singapore since January, has already attracted 500,000 app downloads in four months.

The premium subscription also provides priority viewing of content such as Korean hit drama, Uncontrollably Fond, which premiered on 6 July. The show is aired to Viu Premium subscribers with English subtitles straight after the show’s Korean telecast. The quick turnaround in providing subtitles for a just released Asian show is a ‘first-ever’ in the region, claims PCCW.

“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,” said Janice Lee, managing director, PCCW Media.

“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.”

Viu was launched last October in Hong Kong, and has since been introduced in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Indonesia. In Hong Kong, Viu app downloads have already exceeded 1.6 million. The current Korean drama Uncontrollably Fond is also available on Viu at the same time slot in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Indonesia.

“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 Lee.

A range of Korean dramas and variety shows from the four major Korean broadcasters are also available on-demand to Viu premium subscribers from eight hours after they were first aired in Korea. Premium users can also enjoy 1080p HD quality and an exclusive viewing window for the latest content with very limited ads. Meanwhile, Viu freemium users will continue to have access to Viu’s catalogue of Asian content without charge.

All users can also enjoy multiscreen access, download-to-stream capability and multi-device synchronisation when streaming.

PCCW claims that users of its OTT video service have been actively engaged, averaging 1.82 hours of viewing time daily on the mobile app. As well as Singtel, Viu has forged strategic partnerships with telecommunications providers such as CSL in Hong Kong, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, Maxis, Digi and U Mobile in Malaysia, and Telkom Indonesia in Indonesia.

Lee added: “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.”