US-based streaming giant Netflix has tooled up its mobile-only subscription service in Southeast Asia, expanding its local content as the launch of Disney+ in Indonesia approaches.
According to Reuters, more than a million of the streaming giant’s approximately 200 million global subscribers are in Southeast Asia. However, the market experiences rapid growth, with the Disney+ Hotstar rollout in Indonesia planned for September 2020 – in partnership with state-owned telco Telkomsel, with a catalogue that will include more than 300 local movies.
The COVID-19 lockdowns across Southeast Asia have increased the appetite for content streaming across the region, and Consultancy Media Partners Asia estimates that Southeast Asia video streaming service subscribers will reach 14.7 million in all by the end of 2020.
Netflix faces competition in the region not just from Disney+. Other regional rivals include Hong Kong-based video service Viu and Tencent’s WeTV.
Starting with India in August 2019, Netflix has now launched mobile-only plans in Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia – all priced at below USD 5 per month.
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