Viu (pronounced as view) is a Hong Kong–based over-the-top (OTT) video streaming provider from PCCW Media Group's Viu International Ltd.[1] Operated in a dual-revenue model comprising subscriptions and advertising, Viu delivers content in different genres from Asia's top content providers with local language subtitles, as well as original production series under the Viu Original initiative (similar to original programming from other services like Disney , Amazon Prime Video and Netflix).[2]
 | |
| Type of business | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
Type of site | OTT Video Streaming |
| Available in | Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, English, Filipino, Indonesian, Malay, Thai |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong |
| Area served | Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Morocco, Myanmar, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen |
| Owner |
|
| Products | Video streaming |
| URL | www |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Launched | August 2015 |
| Current status | Active |
Viu is now available in 25 markets across Asia, Africa and the Middle East including Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Myanmar, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Thailand, and United Arab Emirates.[3] As of December 2022 annual results, Viu had an estimated 66.5 million monthly active users.
History
editViu International Ltd launched the Viu OTT video service in Hong Kong on 26 October 2015.[4]
In January 2016, Viu announced its official launch in Singapore.[5]
In March 2016, Viu announced its official launch in India and Malaysia.[6]
In May 2016, Viu launches in Indonesia.[7]
In November 2016, Viu announced its official launch in the Philippines and has achieved four million users and over 218 million video views.[8]
In February 2017, Viu was available in major Middle East countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.[9]
In May 2017, Viu announced its official launch in Thailand and has expanded to 15 markets across Asia and the Middle East countries.[10]
In September 2018, Viu announced its official launch in Myanmar.[11]
In March 2019, Viu announced its official launch in South Africa.[12]
In December 2019, Viu announced its suspension of operations in India without providing a date.[13] On 5 November 2021, Viu stopped its services in India.
In June 2023, PCCW and the Canal Group announced a strategic partnership between the two companies, under which Canal will invest $300 million, including an initial investment of $200 million, in Viu and gain a 26.1% minority stake in the streaming service, with the option to invest further and gain a 51% controlling stake. The partnership serves as a catalyst for international expansions for both PCCW and Canal as well as collaborations between Viu and Canal on original productions.[14][15]
In February 2024, the Canal Group announced it had increased its stake in Viu to 30%. This move underscored Canal 's confidence in Viu, and highlighted the group's strategic focus on Asia as a pivotal growth area. By deepening its investment in Viu, which operates as a leading streaming service in Asia, the Middle East, and South Africa, Canal aims to accelerate its expansion in these regions. The total investment by Canal in Viu reached approximately $300 million, with the group maintaining the option to further increase its stake to 50%. This progression is indicative of the evolving relationship between Canal and PCCW, and underscores the importance of Viu in Canal 's global strategy.[16]
Content
editViu offers a wide-range catalogue of movies and TV shows from across Asia, including popular and new titles. First-run TV episodes are available on the platform with advertisements in between, at least 72 hours after broadcast; Paid users can access episodes without advertisements, at least eight hours after broadcast. Several titles are also available separately in localized language audio dub.
Movie titles available on the platform, mostly from its sister network (now Baogu Movies) or partnered (tvN Movies), require active Premium subscription.
Original programming
editViu has begun producing their original titles, in which most of their originals was based in Southeast Asia that has already received multiple award recognitions such as Asian Academy Creative Awards and Asian Television Awards. They also produce originals for the Middle East and Africa as well, as well as previously produced their originals for the Indian markets.
Drama
edit| Title | Genre | Premiere | Seasons | Runtime | Language | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Publicist | Workplace romantic drama | 22 November 2017 | 13 episodes | 27–47 min | Indonesian | Miniseries | ||
| Sunshine | Coming-of-age romantic drama | 31 May 2018 | 40–44 min | |||||
| Jibril | Suspense legal drama | 22 October 2018[a] | 10 episodes | 44–58 min | Malay | |||
| Knock Out Girl | Romantic sports drama | 12 December 2018 | 13 episodes | 42–48 min | Indonesian | |||
| Devoted | Neo-noir romantic thriller | 28 March 2019 | 10 episodes | 46–53 min | Malay | |||
| Rewrite | Romantic fantasy drama | 15 May 2019 | 13 episodes | 48–51 min | Indonesian | |||
| Black | Fantasy crime thriller | 17 December 2019 | 2 seasons, 18 episodes | 42–57 min | Malay | Ended | ||
| Pretty Little Liars | Cozy mystery teen drama | 22 April 2020 | 2 seasons, 22 episodes | 41–57 min |
| |||
| Ganjil (Wonderers) | Romantic fantasy drama | 25 September 2021 | 10 episodes | 46–59 min | Malay | Miniseries | ||
| Still | Musical ensemble drama | 26 November 2021 | 1 season, 8 episodes | 41–54 min | Tagalog | |||
| Remember 15 | Teen mystery horror thriller | 22 February 2022 | 12 episodes | 47–57 min | Thai | |||
| Wannabe | Coming-of-age hip-hop musical drama | 10 May 2022 | 16 episodes | 49–54 min | ||||
| Finding the Rainbow | Romantic melodrama | 9 November 2022 | 14 episodes | 47–78 min | ||||
| Hilang (Buried Sins) | Supernatural crime thriller | 17 November 2022 | 10 episodes | 51–58 min | Malay | |||
| Nenek Bongkok Tiga (The House on Autumn Hill) | Supernatural mystery thriller | 9 February 2023 | 39–60 min | |||||
| Bidadari Bermata Bening (A Beautiful Angel) | Romantic drama | 31 March 2023 | 49–58 min | Indonesian | ||||
| Alter-Naratif (Electric Dust Agency) | Science fiction psychological thriller | 25 May 2023 | 8 episodes | 45–51 min | Malay | |||
| Marriage with Benefits | Romantic drama | 4 June 2023 | 10 episodes | 38–60 min | Indonesian | |||
| Get Rich | Teen drama | 5 July 2023 | 16 episodes | 46–53 min | Thai | |||
| W: Two Worlds | Romantic fantasy thriller | 30 November 2023 | 12 episodes | 42–53 min | Malay | |||
| Nafsu (Hell of a Night) | Supernatural mystery thriller | 27 June 2024 | 8 episodes | 47–57 min | ||||
| The Secret | Mystery crime thriller | 22 August 2024 | ||||||
| Awaiting release | ||||||||
| How to Spot a Red Flag | Romantic drama | 27 November 2024 | TBA | TBA | Filipino English |
Pending | ||
Comedy
edit| Title | Genre | Premiere | Seasons | Runtime | Language | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switch | Romantic fantasy comedy | 14 August 2017 | 13 episodes | 20–30 min | Indonesian | Miniseries |
| Halustik | Coming-of-age romantic comedy | 12 September 2018 | 45–54 min | |||
| Salon | Dark comedy thriller | 17 September 2018[a] | 10 episodes | 41–46 min | Malay | |
| KZL | Docu-comedy drama | 7 November 2018 | 15 episodes | 19–23 min | Indonesian | |
| Assalamualaikum, My Future Husband | Romance comedy | 6 November 2019 | 2 season, 23 episodes | 47–50 min | Ended | |
| Keluarga Baha Don | Crime comedy | 11 July 2019 | 3 seasons, 30 episodes | 21–35 min | Malay | |
| Kopitiam: Double Shot | Sitcom | 28 November 2019 | 10 episodes | 28–34 min |
|
Miniseries |
| Star Stealer | Coming-of-age romantic comedy | 30 September 2020 | 28–36 min | Indonesian | ||
| Write Me a Love Song | Romantic musical comedy | 25 November 2021 | 45–63 min | |||
| My Coach | Romantic sports comedy | 7 June 2022 | 16 episodes | 44–63 min | Thai | |
| She Was Pretty | Romantic workplace comedy | 23 June 2022 | 48–59 min | Malay | ||
| AI.5YA | Science fiction sitcom | 18 August 2022 | 10 episodes | 24–28 min | ||
| #lovesignal | Short-form romantic comedy | 7 October 2022 | 10–14 min | Cantonese | ||
| Ijab Kabut (I Have A Plan) | Romantic comedy | 10 October 2022 | 1 season, 10 episodes | 26–29 min | Malay | |
| Real Fake | Romantic action comedy | 12 episodes | 30–39 min | Thai | ||
| Bad Boys vs Crazy Girls | Teen romantic comedy | 14 October 2022 | 2 season, 20 episodes 1 specials | 27–50 min | Indonesian | Pending |
| K-Love | Romantic comedy drama | 18 episodes | 23–33 min | Filipino | Miniseries | |
| Mantan tapi Menikah (Married Ex-Boyfriend) | 31 January 2023 | 10 episodes | 44–66 min | Indonesian | ||
| Return Man | Romantic action comedy | 8 February 2023 | 12 episodes | 42–49 min | Thai | |
| Love Me Again | Romantic workplace comedy | 23 March 2023 | 6 episodes | 45–47 min | ||
| From Saga With Love | Romantic comedy drama | 21 September 2023 | 1 season, 10 episodes | 25–30 min | Malay | Season 2 ongoing |
| I Do(n't) Love Him | 18 October 2023 | 10 episodes | 44–48 min | Indonesian | Miniseries | |
| Tales at the Corner | Short-form romantic comedy | 24 November 2023 | 10 episodes | 10–11 min | Cantonese | |
| Private Bodyguard | Teen romantic comedy | 8 March 2024 | 15 episodes | 30–35 min | Indonesian | |
| What's Wrong with Secretary Kim | Romantic workplace comedy | 18 March 2024 | 40 episodes | 20–36 min |
| |
| Secret Ingredient | Romantic comedy drama | 30 April 2024 | 6 episodes | 33–34 min |
| |
| Alpha Girls | 5 July 2024 | 10 episodes | 45–48 min | Indonesian |
Co-production
edit| Title | Genre | Partner/Country | Premiere | Seasons | Runtime | Exclusive region(s) | Language | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bridge | Crime drama | HBO Asia | 26 November 2018[b] | 2 seasons, 20 episodes | 42–58 min | All markets |
|
Pending |
| 4Freaks 4Fam | Comedy drama | Workpoint TV/Thailand | 12 February 2019 | 1 season, 15 episodes[c] | ~47 min[c] | Thai | ||
| My Bubble Tea | Romantic fantasy comedy | AIS Play & One 31/Thailand | 22 May 2020 | 13 episodes | 44–57 min | Miniseries | ||
| Isteri Misteri | Mystery comedy | TV3/Malaysia | 25 November 2020 | 1 season, 10 episodes | 38–43 min | Southeast Asia, Hong Kong | Malay | Pending |
| Voice in the Rain | Romantic drama | AIS Play & Workpoint TV/Thailand | 19 December 2020 | 16 episodes | 45–47 min | All markets | Thai | Miniseries |
| Flower of Evil | Romantic crime thriller | ABS-CBN/Philippines | 23 June 2022[d] | 32 episodes | 39–49 min | Filipino | Ended |
Exclusive international distribution
editIn addition to producing and distributing local titles, several Viu shows have been acquired and co-produced, partly or wholly, by Viu for exclusive first-run release or distribution (under the Viu Original label) in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and South Africa in deals with partners in other regions such as Rakuten Viki,[e] Far EasTone Friday Video, KC Global Media (ONE) among others.
Unlike major streaming platforms, which prevent third-party linear channels from securing broadcast rights of most co-produced shows, most Viu Original-labeled titles may be screened by local television channels in their respective countries, provided that the networks' local rights for such titles are for linear television broadcast only in their respective country jurisdiction.
| Title | Genre | Original network | Premiere | Seasons | Runtime | Language | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Where the Moon Rises | Period drama | KBS2 | 15 February 2021 | 20 episodes[f] | ~60 min[f] | Korean | Miniseries |
| Doom at Your Service | Romantic fantasy | tvN | 10 May 2021 | 16 episodes | 59–72 min | ||
| Lovers of the Red Sky | Romantic period fantasy | SBS | 30 August 2021 | 59–70 min | |||
| Now, We Are Breaking Up | Slice of life romantic drama | 12 November 2021 | 60–68 min | ||||
| Again My Life | Fantasy action drama | 8 April 2022 | 60–75 min | ||||
| From Now On, Showtime! | Romantic comedy/Mystery drama | MBC | 23 April 2022 | 66–78 min | |||
| Woori the Virgin | Romantic comedy | 9 May 2022 | 14 episodes | 59–63 min | |||
| Why Her | Romantic mystery drama | SBS | 3 June 2022 | 16 episodes | 59–75 min | ||
| Today's Webtoon | Workplace comedy | 29 July 2022 | 62–76 min | ||||
| If You Wish Upon Me | Slice of life light drama | 10 August 2022 | 60–64 min | ||||
| The Law Cafe | Romantic comedy/Legal drama | KBS2 | 5 September 2022 | 16 episodes 1 specials | 60–67 min | ||
| The Empire | Family legal drama | JTBC | 24 September 2022 | 16 episodes | 57–72 min | ||
| Reborn Rich | Fantasy suspense drama | 18 November 2022 | 61–88 min | ||||
| Taxi Driver (season 2) | Revenge dark comedy | SBS | 17 February 2023 | 1 season, 16 episodes 2 specials | 63–127 min | Renewed[17] | |
| Delivery Man | Romantic fantasy comedy | Genie TV (ENA) | 1 March 2023 | 12 episodes | 59–61 min | Miniseries | |
| The Secret Romantic Guesthouse | Romantic period drama | SBS | 20 March 2023 | 18 episodes | 60–65 min | ||
| My Perfect Stranger | Romantic fantasy/Mystery drama | KBS2 | 1 May 2023 | 16 episodes | 60–67 min | ||
| My Lovely Liar | Romantic comedy/Mystery drama | tvN | 31 July 2023 | 61–71 min | |||
| The Escape of the Seven | Revenge drama | SBS | 15 September 2023 | 2 season, 32 episodes | 64–89 min | Pending | |
| Twinkling Watermelon | Coming-of-age fantasy musical | tvN | 25 September 2023 | 16 episodes | 59–64 min | Miniseries | |
| A Good Day to Be a Dog | Romantic fantasy comedy | 11 October 2023 | 14 episodes | 58–62 min | |||
| The Matchmakers | Romantic period comedy | KBS2 | 30 October 2023 | 16 episodes | 64–70 min | ||
| Moon in the Day | Romantic fantasy drama | Genie TV (ENA) | 1 November 2023 | 14 episodes | 59–61 min | ||
| The Story of Park's Marriage Contract | Romantic comedy/Period fantasy | MBC | 24 November 2023 | 12 episodes | 64–73 min | ||
| Queen of Divorce | Revenge legal drama | JTBC | 31 January 2024 | 63–67 min | |||
| The Midnight Romance in Hagwon | Romantic drama | tvN | 11 May 2024 | 16 episodes | 62–80 min | ||
| Good Partner | Legal drama | SBS | 12 July 2024 | 61–68 min | |||
| Perfect Family | Mystery family drama | KBS2 | 14 August 2024 | 12 episodes | 58–60 min | ||
| Cinderella at 2 AM | Romantic workplace comedy | 24 August 2024 | 1 season, 10 episodes | 59–71 min | Pending | ||
| Family by Choice | Coming-of-age family drama | JTBC | 9 October 2024 | 16 episodes | TBA | Miniseries ongoing | |
| Brewing Love | Romantic drama | Genie TV (ENA) | 4 November 2024 | 12 episodes | TBA |
Availability
editViu is accessible via its website, and through its dedicated application on Android, iOS and Huawei OS services, as well as through select smart TV devices. Users can also save and download select episodes of shows, depending on their desired plan, which determine the maximum number of downloads allowed per user at a given time.[18]
As mentioned above, Viu offers a dual-revenue system, allowing users to access its content library without restrictions. While both free and premium users can watch its content without additional charges, subscribers can watch shows and movie titles in both 720p and 1080p high-definition, as well as without advertisements.[19]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ a b Also aired on ntv7 (Rated P13 version)
- ^ Also aired on HBO & HBO GO. Previously aired on ntv7 for Season 1 (Rated P13 version)
- ^ a b Released in 60 4-part individual episodes, last around 8–16 min.
- ^ Premiered within 48 hours before linear television broadcast (via Kapamilya Channel, Jeepney TV & A2Z)
- ^ Some of the below-listed series are either labelled as Viki Original or co-distribute with Kocowa, which handled the series distribution from three major broadcasters
- ^ a b Released in 60 half-hour individual episodes, last around 29–35 min.
References
edit- ^ Rachelle, Marie. "Best Korean Movies on Viu Vu To Watch in 2023". Streaming Freak. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ "PCCW Media's Viu OTT play nets over 1.2 million downloads in Hong Kong". Ooyala. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ "Viu no service page list of countries". Viu. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "PCCW launches streaming video service in HK". ComputerWorld Hong Kong. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ "PCCW Media signs the first landmark pan-regional agreement with top four Korean broadcasters and announces regional expansion of Viu OTT service in Asia with Singapore launch". PCCW.
- ^ "PCCW Media's Viu OTT video service expands to India and Malaysia further to its launch in Hong Kong and Singapore". PCCW.
- ^ "Vuclip launches OTT Service- Viu in Indonesia". Exchange4media. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ "Viu achieves 4 million users across Asia in first year of launch. Service further expands to the Philippines". PCCW.
- ^ "Viu launches in Middle East". Rapid TV News. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ "Viu launches in Thailand". PCCW.
- ^ "Viu launches in Myanmar". Rapid TV News. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ Laghate, Gaurav (1 March 2019). "Viu launches OTT service in South Africa". The Economic Times. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ Roy Choudhury, Anirban (16 December 2019). "Viu to shut India operations". afaqs!. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ Shackleton, Liz (21 June 2023). "Canal Takes 26% Stake In Leading Asian Streamer Viu; Talks Growth & Content Collaboration". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (20 June 2023). "France's Canal Buying Strategic Minority Stake in Viu, Successful Asian Streamer". Variety. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (26 February 2024). "Canal Plus Increases Stake in Asian Streamer Viu to 30% – Global Bulletin". Variety. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ Ziwei, Puah (17 April 2023). "K-drama 'Taxi Driver' to return for Season 3". NME. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
- ^ "Viu". www.viu.com. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
- ^ "Viu launches premium subscription in Singapore with Singtel". PCCW.com.
