Viu and Wattpad ink content collaboration
Details
Joseph O'Halloran
| 21 August 2019

Global multi-platform original content company Wattpad and pan-regional OTT video service Viu have announced a collaboration to develop Viu Original series and film projects based on Wattpad stories.

Through the collaboration, Viu will commit to creating content assets through its Viu Original slate and will work with Wattpad to develop youth-oriented shows across its markets. The companies will use Wattpad’s Story DNA machine learning technology to identify what the companies regard as ‘exceptional’ stories and guide the development process.

Viu operates across 17 markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, India, and South Africa with viewers spending an average 1.2 to 1.8 hours daily on the platform. Wattpad has a global community of 80 million users, including more than 22 million users across the Asia Pacific region, who spend billions of minutes on the platform every month. 90% of Wattpad’s users are Gen Z or Millennials.

“All over the world, millions of young people spend billions of minutes reading and writing every genre imaginable on Wattpad. We will continue to invest in original content to develop a sustainable ecosystem with local creators and providing them with a platform for their content,” said Helen Sou, senior vice president, digital media of Viu parent company PCCW Media Group, commenting on the deal. “Wattpad has its finger on the pulse of youth culture, and with this collaboration we are able to enable the youth to connect global audiences on Viu’s engaged base.”

Added Ari Kader-Cu, country manager, Viu Philippines: “Gen Z and Millennials are zealous consumers of online content. We know that young Viu-ers are not only listening to pop music and watching teen drama, they are also making their own stories and reading other young writers’ stories on Wattpad. So we collaborate with Wattpad to transform these stories that they love into another format not only to reach audiences who primarily consume video content but also to celebrate the stories that the youth create.”

Allen Lau, Wattpad chief executive officer and co-founder said: “Viu is a leader in bringing diverse, high-quality entertainment to audiences, while also creating new models for people to experience great storytelling. Viu knows what people love to watch, and its forward-looking approach is what makes it an ideal partner for Wattpad. We are thrilled to work with Viu to bring more Wattpad stories to screens around the world.”