HOOQ video-on-demand service, a start-up venture established in Singapore between Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros., is now available in Singapore at S$8.98 per month. You can view the content via computers, smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, smart TVs via Google Chromecast and all Apple devices. More information in the Press Release.
It seems that Singapore is slowly catching up with all these VOD services. I have not tried HOOQ yet. So, I am unsure if it is worth the hype. Read on for more details.
Press Release
Singaporeans can now HOOQ up with Asia’s largest video-on-demand service
HOOQ debuts in Singapore with over 20,000 Hollywood, Asian and Kids titles.
Singapore, 25 November 2016
HOOQ, Asia’s first and largest video-on-demand service, announced today that it is now available in Singapore for just $8.98 per month.
HOOQ is a start-up venture established in Singapore back in January 2015 between Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros., aimed at driving the entertainment revolution and changing the way Asians consume entertainment. It is the first time in Asia that three media power houses have joined forces to empower customers with unlimited online streaming access to top Hollywood, Asian and Kids movies and TV series anytime, anywhere and on any device. These include computers, smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, smart TVs via Google Chromecast and all Apple devices.
“We are very excited to bring to Singaporeans the ultimate ad-free freemium video-on-demand service with the largest catalogue of Hollywood, Asian and Kids content of any service available today for the price of a movie ticket. With over 20,000 titles to choose from, there’s something for everyone. We are so proud to launch here in Singapore, HOOQ’s home, and we look forward to getting Singaporeans HOOQ’d month after month,” said Chief Executive Officer of HOOQ, Mr Peter Bithos.
PARTNERSHIP WITH SINGTEL
At the same time, HOOQ announced today a holistic partnership with Singtel that enables Singtel’s prepaid, postpaid and broadband customers to access HOOQ as part of bundled service packages. In a phased launch, HOOQ will be available to Singtel prepaid customers first and the other bundles will be available to postpaid and broadband customer progressively over the next few months.
“We are delighted to welcome HOOQ to Singapore. Singtel is always keen to expand our content offerings to enhance our customers’ entertainment experience. They will be pleased with HOOQ’s vast selection of Hollywood hits, as well as, ethnic movies and TV dramas. As an OTT video service, HOOQ is a good complement to our pay TV product, as it allows us to offer an even wider breadth of content over multiple
screens – mobile devices, computers and televisions,” said Mr Goh Seow Eng, Managing Director of Home, Consumer Singapore, Singtel.
Today, prepaid customers who purchase an eligible prepaid data plan will enjoy access to over 15,000 Indian, Indonesian and Filipino movies and TV series. Prepaid data plans start from as low S$7 for 1GB over seven days. Customers can visit www.singtel.com/prepaid for more information.
Singtel postpaid, broadband and TV customers can look forward to exclusive HOOQ deals on Singtel’s video
portal, Cast, in the first quarter of 2017.
SOUTHEAST ASIA’S FIRST HYBRID AD-FREE FREEMIUM SERVICE
HOOQ’s innovative business model combines the best of subscription services, which are ad-free, and freemium models, which do not charge for their services but serve up advertising to customers. The introduction of such a hybrid model now allows customers to sample a premium service at no cost. Pilot episodes of all TV series will now be free for all registered users even after their free trial period has ended. Customers can now catch pilot episodes from Once Upon a Time, Devious Maids, The Mentalist, Castle etc. whenever they hit the service. This extended sampling gives the customers the power to decide if they would like to continue to watch the rest of series before they pay for the subscription.
HOOQ launched its inaugural service in the Philippines, before its expansion to Thailand, India, Indonesia and now Singapore, with a population footprint of over 1.6 billion people. HOOQ was named Best Mobile App in the Media, Film, TV or Video category at the GSMA’s Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards 2016 in Barcelona.
ASIA’S LARGEST CATALOGUE OF HOLLYWOOD, ASIAN AND KIDS CONTENT
The award-winning service provides Singaporeans with a selection of over 20,000 of movies and TV series for their entertainment. Customers can look forward to the latest US TV series including Supergirl, Lucifer, The Player, Ash vs Evil Dead and Mad Dogs exclusively on HOOQ, together with hot favourites such as Scandal, Mad Men, Friends and Community, in addition to top-grossing box office movies such as The Amazing SpiderMan, Crazy Stupid Love, Pulp Fiction and thousands more from top Hollywood studios including Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., Disney, Dreamworks, Lionsgate, Miramax and Starz.
To complement these top Hollywood hits, HOOQ offers customers an extensive range of Indonesian, Filipino and Indian movies and TV favourites by partnering with over a 100 studios from around the region.
In addition, HOOQ now boasts the largest selection of kids titles through partnerships with the biggest names in family entertainment, including Viacom, Hi-5, Hasbro, Turner and Endemol Shine to bring some of the most popular kids titles that Singaporean families would love. With HOOQ, there is something for everyone even the younger kids can watch animated series such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go!, PAW Patrol, Littlest Pet Shop, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, Mr. Bean and more on their parents’ mobile devices or tablets. Fans of HI-5 and iCarly will also be able to revisit their favourite episodes on the series.
Customers can look forward to even more of their favourite content in the next few months, as more titles will hit the service.
MOBILE-FIRST USER EXPERIENCE
HOOQ’s newly released app interface boasts a mobile-first user experience that has been designed and built from extensive customer beta testing and usability research to derive a customer-centric experience, given that over 80% of customers are using HOOQ on their mobile devices.
Designed with the habits of the social and digital natives in mind, this new mobile-first release boasts a brand new real-time content feed and personalised recommendation engine that makes discovering new favourites easier than ever. Additionally, there is an improved search engine, wishlists (for future viewing) and optimized content delivery system for significantly faster app start and streaming start times.
The new app has been in development by HOOQ’s in-house team for nearly nine months and it is using a new back-end framework that is focused on a faster and higher quality streaming experience for the customer. In addition to the current support of iOS, Android, Web, Chromecast and Android Set-top Box, HOOQ will also be available on Airplay and mobile web.
HOW TO GET HOOQ
It’s easy to get HOOQ’d. Customers can simply download the HOOQ app from Apple Store or Google Play, sign up or log in, to access HOOQ’s library of Hollywood and Asian hits.
Sign up today for a 7-day free trial at www.hooq.tv and pay for the subscription through credit card.
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About HOOQ
HOOQ is Asia’s first premium video-on-demand service to launch across the region. HOOQ is a start-up joint venture established in January 2015 by Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. HOOQ delivers over 35,000 hours of Hollywood blockbusters and popular local programs to customers anytime, anywhere by enabling them to stream and download their favorite shows on their Internet device or platform of choice. HOOQ currently operates in the Philippines, Thailand, India and Indonesia with a population footprint of over 1.6 billion people. For more information, visit www.hooq.tv.
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