UPDATE (645PM): More details regarding the free subscription have been added. Read more below.
As promised, TM and PCCW Media will be announcing their collaboration shortly in conjunction with the arrival of Viu streaming service in Malaysia. If you are UniFi and Streamyx customers that love Korean shows, we have a good news for you then.
As a result from the collaboration, customers of both broadband services will be able to enjoy contents on Viu alongside their HyppTV subscription. As the launch event has yet to start, we are not clear how customers will be able to obtain the free Viu subscription and the level of contents that UniFi as well as Streamyx customers will able to access on Viu.
All we know for now, the roll out will take place in mid-March 2016. Stay tuned for more as we receive further updates from TM and PCCW Media shortly.
UPDATE: 645PM
So, the formalities at the launch event have now settled down which means time to answer some essential questions regarding Viu on UniFi and Streamyx. As it turned out, the free Viu Premium subscription for UniFi and Streamyx customers will last for the first three months. UniFi customers will be the first to receive the free subscription in mid-March while it will be made available for Streamyx customers slightly later due to technology differences.
We were told that once Viu detect UniFi and Streamyx users, the backend system will authenticate them and if they are eligible for the free subscription, a notification windows will pop up. The system might ask users to register but since the free subscription is not yet rolled out to users, we not able to confirm this ourselves.
In a way, the authentication process is similar to how iflix distribute free subscription to UniFi customers. At the moment, both companies are still discussing the possibilities of having Viu subscription as part of UniFi, Streamyx or HyppTV add-on offerings. In general, this will allow Viu monthly subscription to be part of TM customers’ monthly bill.
First launched in Hong Kong and Singapore, Viu brings together more than 10,000 hours of contents from around the region including Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, and India. Part of these contents include more than 3,700 hours of Korean dramas, and variety series from Korean broadcasters such as KBS, MBC, CJ, and SBS.
In fact, some of these Korean shows will be released on Viu within 8 hours of appearing in South Korea with English subtitles and within 24 hours for Bahasa Malaysia subtitles. The service is accessible through Android and iOS devices as well as web browser.
Outside of this deal for TM’s UniFi and Streamyx subscribers, Viu operates through freemium business model which offers a selection of free contents alongside ad-free premium contents that cost RM 10 per month. Users can choose to try the service for one month without any charges.
