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HOOQ introduces new service in Indonesia
Singaporean startup HOOQ has launched a new transactional video on demand (TVOD) service in a further push to establish a strong presence in the Indonesian market
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S
ingaporean startup HOOQ has launched a new transactional video on demand (TVOD) service in a further push to establish a strong presence in the Indonesian market.
With the new service, subscribers can watch certain new Hollywood and Asian films within three months of their theater release.
HOOQ chief executive officer Peter Bithos said in order to provide the service, the startup teamed up with prominent studios, such as BBC Worldwide, Endamol Shine and Paramount Pictures, to access content directly from the source.
“Securing new partners is a testament to the fact that HOOQ has the right formula to deliver quality entertainment to Asian home, bringing movies to your home quicker than ever before,” Bithos said recently.
Customers of HOOQ’s subscription VOD (SVOD) plan are also entitled to one TVOD-exclusive film a month as part of their overall subscription.
The startup has been operating in Indonesia, its largest prospective market with over 132 million internet users, for one year.
It claims to have received a boost from its partnership with Indonesia’s biggest mobile network operator PT Telkomsel, sealed six months ago, garnering an additional 2 million subscribers.
Prior to the collaboration, HOOQ had only managed to gain 1 million customers within its first six months of operation.
The partnership also allowed the startup to found a VOD service with Telkomsel’s parent company, PT Telkom Indonesia’s IndiHome home entertainment service, in March.
It considers its cooperation with IndiHome to be another step in the right direction as the company seeks to benefit from rising internet penetration in the Indonesian market.
On another note, Telkom Indonesia plans to lift the block on United States streaming service Netflix from its network in May.
In response to these plans, HOOQ’s Indonesia country manager Guntur S. Siboro said the move would not pose a major threat for HOOQ as its service has already amassed an adequate amount of subscribers to compete in the video streaming industry.
“The removal of the Netflix block by Telkom is not a concern for us. We are competitors and we have our own strategies to survive. For one thing, our most significant asset, our vast local movie selection, will serve us well,” he said.
Netflix made a surprise entry into the Indonesian market back in January 2016, catching the Indonesian government off-guard concerning content regulations and censorship issues.
Telkom was the only internet provider to block the service, with Netflix available for use via other internet providers, albeit with a reduced catalogue compared to its overseas outlets.
Aside from Indonesia, HOOQ currently operates in other Asian markets, including the Philippines, Thailand, India and its home market in Singapore.
