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Netflix broadens mobile-only subscription plans in Southeast Asia

United States-based video streaming giant Netflix is broadening its mobile-only subscription plans in Southeast Asia and expanding local content just as rival Disney arrives in the fast-growing market.
Netflix broadens mobile-only subscription plans in Southeast Asia ảnh 1United States-based video streaming giant Netflix is broadening its mobile-only subscription plans in Southeast Asia. (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – United States-based video streaming giant Netflix is broadening itsmobile-only subscription plans in Southeast Asia and expanding local content justas rival Disney arrives in the fast-growing market.

According to theworld's biggest video streaming platform by paid customers, more than onemillion of its nearly 200 million subscribers worldwide are in Southeast Asia,home to approximately 655 million people. But the market is ripe for rapidgrowth with the Disney+ Hotstar launch in Indonesia next month set to become akey battleground.

The region isestimated to have generated 600 million USD in overall subscription music andvideo revenue in 2019, according to a study by Google, Temasek Holdings andBain & Co. But that's set to explode to an annual 3 billion USD by 2025,the study said.

According to NetflixDirector for Product Innovation Ajay Arora, Southeast Asia is a very mobile-centric market. That'sled the company to push cheaper mobile plans and adapt its product to fitlower-end smartphones.

Starting withIndia in August 2019, Netflix has now launched mobile-only plans in Malaysia,Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia – all priced at below 5 USD a month.

Repeatedcoronavirus lockdowns across Southeast Asia have also increased the appetitefor content streaming at home across the region. Consultancy Media PartnersAsia estimates that Southeast Asia video streaming service subscribers willreach 14.7 million in all by the end of 2020.

Netflix isalso working to expand its payment options in countries with low credit anddebit card penetration.

However, thecompany faces competition in the region, and not just from Disney, the globalnumber two in the industry. Other regional rivals include Hong Kong videoservice Viu, popular for its Korean dramas, as well as Chinese tech giantTencent's WeTV, which in June bought the assets of Malaysian streaming platformIflix./.
VNA
#Netflix #mobile-only subscription plans #Southeast Asia #local content #Disney #fast-growing market #video streaming #Disney+ Hotstar #Indonesia #coronavirus lockdowns #Vietnam News Agency #Vietnamplus
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