OTT (over-the-top) video streaming service Viu announced its performance for the first half of 2021.
According to Viu, its paid subscribers reached over 7 million by June 2021, an increase of 62 percent year-on-year, while its revenue grew by 47 percent compared to the same period last year.
In addition, its monthly active users (MAU) grew to 49.4 million as of June 2021, up by 37 percent compared to the same period last year.
It said Thailand and Indonesia, Viu’s largest and fastest growing markets, became its key driver markets while the Greater Southeast Asia, and Middle East and Africa regions consistently delivered high growth.
A strong proponent of the freemium model, Viu continued to see an accelerated growth in monetization. This growth is attributed to the strong network of over 80 partnerships consisting of telecommunication companies, device manufacturers, retail and e-commerce businesses and content distribution partners.
According to the latest Media Partners Asia (MPA)’s AMPD Research report, Viu continued to be No. 1 in terms of number of MAU for the seventh consecutive quarter in Southeast Asia.
Viu also ranked second in both paid subscribers and streaming minutes among major video streaming platforms in Southeast Asia in the first half of 2021.
“At Viu we continue with our commitment to bringing consumers the best of Asian content and video streaming experience. We saw robust growth in H1 2021, underpinned by a strong content lineup and strengthened partner ecosystem. A combination of our data analytics and in-market local presence ensure we truly understand the pulse of the markets in which we operate,” said Janice Lee, Viu CEO and managing director of PCCW Media Group.
In addition, Viu continued to expand its Korean original series. After launching Korean Viu Original “River Where The Moon Rises” and “Doom At Your Service” in the first half of the year, it announced the launch of its latest Viu Original, “Now, We Are Breaking Up” starring Song Hye-kyo and Jang Ki-yong, which is expected to be available on Viu by November.
Viu also released local originals in the first half of 2021 including “Black S2” (Malaysia) and “uBettina Wethu” (South Africa) and the upcoming “Assalamualaikum Calon Imam Series S2” (Indonesia) launching this September.
It also said it continued to strengthen its Asian content portfolio with key content partners from mainland China and Thailand, and expanding its anime portfolio. Viu also expanded its flagship content creation program of Viu Pitching Forum to Malaysia and Thailand in the first half of 2021 and continues to support the local creative ecosystem.