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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Viu tops number of monthly active users in greater Southeast Asia in 2021

Viu tops number of monthly active users in greater Southeast Asia in 2021

Published Apr 1, 2022 03:46 pm

Video streaming service Viu is the No. 1 premium video on demand platform based on the number of monthly active users (MAU) in greater Southeast Asia in 2021.

This is based on the latest Media Partners Asia (MPA) AMPD Research report for the fourth quarter of 2021 that was released on March 28. The report covered Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines.

(Left) “From Now On, Showtime!” starring Park Hae-jin and “Again My Life” headlined by Lee Joon-gi (Viu)

"Pretty Little Liars" 2 (Viu)

The report revealed that Viua’s MAUs is again ahead of other major streaming platforms in greater Southeast Asia and continued to be the highest for all quarters of 2021.

Viu also ranked second in both paid subscribers and premium video streaming minutes among major video streaming platforms in greater Southeast Asia in the fourth quarter of 2021.

“Viu’s consistent performance in a very competitive region, coupled with our significant growth in monetization in 2021, firmly entrenched Viu as a leading player in this part of the world,” said Helen Sou, Viu Asia’s chief business officer.

She added, “Our content has clearly resonated with our Asian audience, and our freemium business model has consistently proven popular with both consumers and ecosystem partners. As the destination of premium Asian content, we will continue to invest in stories that are relevant, from both our expanding content partnerships as well as with Viu Original productions.”

Viu said in 2021, its Viu Original production strategy proved to be successful in providing different content in markets. Compared to 2020, the top 10 Viu Original titles showed growth of over 94 percent in video views and an exponential increase of over 200 percent in video minutes. This helped increase subscriptions by 58 percent from 5.3 million in 2020 to 8.4 million in 2021.

It added that Viu Original productions allowed for newer monetization avenues in non-Viu territories like the Americas and Europe, stretching over 20 platforms worldwide.

In addition, within Viu markets, these productions also provide a great opportunity for working with brands on product placements and sponsorships.

Positive reception for local original content in markets such as the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia will see production increase dramatically, with 30 titles slated for release across six languages.

Titles that will be released in April and May as part of the plan include the second season of titles “Pretty Little Liars” and “Assalamualaikum Calon Imam,” whose respective first seasons were well received not only in Indonesia and Malaysia but also around the region as well.

Thailand will have two anticipated titles released in the coming months, including rap musical “Wannabe” featuring Thailand National Film Association Award winner “Nonkul” Chanon Santinatornkul and veteran Thai Hip Hop artist “Tan” Jawpraya Tanyuk.

According to Viu, “Close Friend” was extremely well received in Thailand during its first season and returns for a second season at a time where online buzz for the title and the genre is at an all-time high in the country.

Following the success of the Korean Viu Original titles in 2021 such as “Now We Are Breaking Up,” two Korean Viu Originals are set for release in the upcoming months.

Based on a web novel of the same title, “Again My Life” will premiere in April starring Lee Joon-gi.

Also slated for release in the same month is the romantic comedy “From Now On, Showtime!” casting Park Hae-jin and is directed by the man behind one of the classic fantasy romantic comedies, “Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.”

Viu said it continues to invest in working with top creative talents in the industry to produce original titles that continue to appeal across the region, cementing its reputation as the hub of the best Korean and Asian content.

Viu-ers can catch these new titles and Viu’s extensive library of fan favorites, First-on-Viu and exclusive titles on the Viu app, which can be downloaded for free on App Store, Google Play, and selected smart TVs, as well as on the web at www.viu.com.

Related Tags

Pretty Little Liars Viu Original Korean dramas Viu
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