PCCW Media Group-owned OTT video service Viu has revealed that it has made entry into Thailand in a content deal with GMM Channel, one of the largest entertainment companies in the country.
GMM25 markets itself as offering a realistic approach along with 'taboo-themed' dramas, which it says are popular among the millennials who form the majority of its online video audience.
What is being described as a 'milestone' deal adds up to 200 hours of selected content from GMM25 for the Viu audience in Thailand, beefing up its Asian premium content roster. Viu also claims that its move bears testament to the success of its freemium OTT video model which offers all viewers free access to its content with ad-support, while premium subscribers can enjoy features on the over-the-top platform.
Viu will be the only OTT platform for Thai viewers to watch, on-demand, certain selected premium GMM25 programmes for up to the first 30 days after the initial local telecast and online simulcast by GMM, such as the Love Song Love Series, as well as The Crime investigation series. All Viu users in Thailand can enjoy the selected latest GMM25 content right after local telecast and GMM online simulcast while premium users can access additional features such as unlimited episode download and 1080p HDTV video quality.
"We can expect substantial synergy in this collaboration that will benefit us both," said PCCW Media Group managing director Janice Lee. "Since Viu coined the pioneering free and premium tiers of services tailored for different viewing habits of Asian netizens, the number of monthly active users has grown to over 16 million by the end of 2017. Our extensive audience base can ensure local broadcasters like GMM Channel may further expand their reach, whereas the premium program line-up from GMM25 will enable us to offer more relevant, highly localised content to attract more viewers. We look forward to working closer with more content providers like GMM Channel to deliver more engaging local content to our users."
Added GMM Grammy Public Company group chief executive officer Boosaba DaoRueng: "GMM25 offers a variety of content such as huge hit based-on-true stories drama and unique variety shows which speaks well to audiences of the new generation. The ever so growing millennial audiences make our collaboration with Viu an essential move. We aim to cross function our existing audiences and capitalize on these millions of active users. To capture the increasing number of OTT users, both GMM25 and Viu are focused on constantly pioneering and innovating both the content and the platform. With these major factors, we are confident the collaboration will see both of our business goals meet."
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