PCCW Media brings Viu OTT video service to Thailand

viu thailand

PCCW Media’s pan-regional OTT video service Viu has officially launched in Thailand, its 15th market since the service launched.

Premium Asian content with Thai subtitles, comprising the latest dramas and variety shows from Korea and Japan, will be delivered quickly after local telecast and can be accessed via the Viu mobile app and website.

“The Hallyu which is sweeping across Asia is notable in Thailand and we are pleased to see that Viu has already recorded over 820,000 fans on Viu Thailand Facebook page even months before our launch,” said Janice Lee, Managing Director of PCCW Media Group. “Leading K-communities and die-hard Korean fans in Thailand all eagerly await Viu’s service launch to access our vast library of premium Korean and other Asian content.”

Lee said that Viu’s market research indicates that 93% of Thailand’s online population have watched videos on the web, and Viu will leverage that trend by offering both a free AVOD service and a paid SVOD service, with the latter option offering features like unlimited downloads, 1080p HD video quality and (of course) ad-free video viewing.

“As Thailand is one of the most highly Internet penetrated markets with millennials who are very receptive to online video viewing and digital advertisements, we expect Viu Thailand to mirror the success we have in other Asian markets with healthy growth in subscription and advertising revenue in due course,” Lee said.

Lee added that advertisers will be able to leverage Viu’s video platform to reach out to their target consumers, citing research indicating that 80% of Southeast Asian digital consumers have been motivated to search for an item seen within online video advertising, and 62% have made a purchase as a result of seeing an online video advertisement.

Piyanuch Meemook, Chief Digital Officer of media agency Mindshare Thailand, said advertisers would be more interested in supporting platforms providing free authorized content for their consumers, especially millennials, who are constantly online. “They can be effectively engaged while they are watching their favourite shows on Viu anytime, anywhere.”

Viu’s premium service in Thailand will be launched in partnership with local mobile powerhouse AIS.

“One of AIS goals is to continue working with leading OTT platforms in global market to serve the need of every viewer segment, including those who are fond of Asian contents from South Korea and waiting for the original,” said Pratthana Leelapanang, acting chief marketing officer of AIS.

With the Thailand launch, Viu is now running in 15 markets in Asia and the Middle East, the others being Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE.

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