Paid subscribers in 2021 saw growth at a strong 58% to a total of 8.4 million and overall Monthly Active Users grew to 58.6 million, an increase of 30% year-on-year, driving 37% growth in revenue year-on-year
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HONG KONG and SINGAPORE, Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Viu, PCCW’s leading pan-regional OTT video streaming service, announced today that the platform saw significant growth in monetization in 2021, adding strong financial performance to its position as one of the top OTT streaming platforms in Greater Southeast Asia (GSEA), the Middle East and South Africa.
According to parent company PCCW’s annual financial results announcement, Viu was reported to have an overall increase in revenue of 37% year-on-year (yoy) in 2021 and have consistently delivered high growth revenue at 36% CAGR since 2018. GSEA as a region has been consistently outpacing the overall GSEA OTT market growth rate for the past two years, at 43% yoy growth in revenue* against industry market growth of 35%** for 2021.
With a strong content lineup and strengthened commercial partnerships including distribution, Viu saw a growth of approximately 30% in Monthly Active Users (MAU) as compared to 2020, reaching 58.6 million. Viu also enjoyed a total of 8.4 million paid subscribers as at the end of 2021, an increase of 58% from a year ago when paid subscribers stood at 5.3 million. Large markets such as Thailand and Indonesia saw strong growth, with the Philippines and South Africa having high growth.
Ms. Janice Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Viu & Managing Director, PCCW Media Group, said, "The strong performance in 2021 is a validation of Viu’s freemium model, despite an increasingly competitive landscape. We continue to pave the way in marrying the subscription video on demand (SVOD) model with the advertising video on demand (AVOD) model, allowing us to tap into the rapid growth in both sectors. We identified a content strategy and consumer proposition that is appealing to a wide and growing audience of pan-regional Asian entertainment which includes Korean, Japanese and Chinese content to complement an increased investment into Viu Original productions. 2022 will see over 30 titles produced in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the Middle East, with pan-regional distribution in all our markets."
| * Viu’s 2021 GSEA revenue growth excludes Myanmar, which is not covered by MPA. |
| **Based on MPA Asia Pacific Online Video & Broadband Distribution 2021. Values represent the annual revenue of Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. |
About Viu
Viu, PCCW’s leading pan-regional over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service, is available in 16 markets across Asia, the Middle East and South Africa with 58.6 million monthly active users (MAU) as of December 2021.
The Viu service is available to consumers through a dual model with an ad-supported free tier and a premium subscription tier. Viu offers fresh premium TV series, movies and lifestyle programming in local and regional languages and subtitles in different genres from top content providers, as well as premium original productions under the brand "Viu Original".
Viu also offers users streaming and download features, and localized user interfaces across a myriad of connected devices. Viu can provide the best viewing experience regardless of device or network conditions.
The service can be accessed via Viu app (available for free on App Store and Google Play) on connected devices, e.g. smartphones and tablets, select smart TVs, as well as on the web by logging into www.viu.com.
In addition, Viu International Limited, through its subsidiary Moov (Hong Kong) Limited, also operates MOOV, a popular digital music streaming and live music concerts service in Hong Kong.
About PCCW Limited
PCCW Limited (SEHK: 0008) is a global company headquartered in Hong Kong which holds interests in telecommunications, media, IT solutions, property development and investment, and other businesses.
The Company holds a majority stake in the HKT Trust and HKT Limited, Hong Kong’s premier telecommunications service provider and leading operator of fixed-line, broadband, mobile communication and media entertainment services. HKT delivers end-to-end integrated solutions employing emerging technologies to assist enterprises in transforming their businesses. HKT has also built a digital ecosystem integrating its loyalty program, e-commerce, travel, insurance, FinTech and HealthTech services to deepen its relationship with customers.
PCCW owns a fully integrated multimedia and entertainment group in Hong Kong engaged in the provision of OTT video service locally and in other places in the region.
Through HK Television Entertainment Company Limited, PCCW also operates a domestic free TV service in Hong Kong.
Also wholly-owned by the Group, PCCW Solutions is a leading IT and business process outsourcing provider in Hong Kong, mainland China and Southeast Asia. In addition, PCCW holds a stake in Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited and other overseas investments.
To learn more about PCCW, please visit www.pccw.com.