Malaysia registered close to 1m new streaming subscribers last year to 14m users, representing about 78% of the ages 15+ viewing population
By S BIRRUNTHA
AS THE world progresses towards digitalisation, it is inevitable for consumers to significantly turn towards the online medium for everything from daily essentials to their binge-watching needs.
The traditional television (TV) landscape has been fast evolving, thanks to the many new streaming services which have emerged over the recent years.
According to data by Nielsen, Malaysia registered close to one million new over-the-top (OTT) or streaming subscribers last year to 14.1 million users, representing about 78% of the ages 15+ viewing population.
The consumer intelligence firm said the increasing broadband access and smartphone penetration in the country have led to the rise of online TV streaming services, also known as OTT platforms or “Internet TV”.
With that, more users are abandoning the old-fashioned free-to-air TV and Pay-TV to watch their favourite movies and series.
Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Faculty of Communications and Media Studies professor of broadcasting Darussalam Abu Bakar said the traditional TV industry will change in about five to 10 years.
“This is not just concerning the content but their overall operation as well. The environment they are facing is different, with more customers calling for ‘unbundling’.
“Today, people want to choose and pay for only the channels that they want, with premium subscriptions, targeted banner ads, and more interactivity with the help of virtual reality technologies,” he told The Malaysian Reserve recently.
He added that the TV industry is struggling to sustain viewership due to the intense competition for audiences, including between the different traditional media and the demand for more audience research data from the advertisers.
Additionally, he said the more relaxed regulations on OTT platforms have allowed them to “steal” audiences from traditional TV.
“The rising costs of content, especially on the newly released ones, in addition to the multiplatform environment of the traditional TV industry, have made things even harder for them to remain in the frontline,” he noted. Darussalam also said local media organisations need to adapt to the trend of online streaming to stay relevant and avoid being left out.
“Fortunately, they are now slowly evolving, with more platforms attached to the traditional or conventional broadcast, following the footsteps of the broadcast media corporation of the world,” he added.
Having said that, the rise of multiple streaming sites in Malaysia has left many users spoilt for choices on where and how they can watch their favourite shows and movies.
Below is a list of streaming services in Malaysia, which offer the best and most affordable package for individuals and families.
Tubi
Users may stream the platform at www.tubitv.com or download the mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store
Tubi is an American ad-supported streaming service owned by Fox Corp, a 100% legal unlimited streaming, with no credit cards and no subscription required.
The only downside to streaming platforms with no subscription fees is that users will have to watch the ads, which are about 20 seconds long at the start of the show and about 40 seconds long halfway through.
The platform does not require any account registration or sign-up, unless for certain contents that are targeted to mature audiences.
Users may stream the platform at www.tubitv.com or download the mobile app from the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
Tubi is one of the largest streaming services which house award-winning movies and TV series, from comedy to drama, kids to classics, and niche favourites such as Korean dramas, anime, and British series. New contents are added every Friday.
Viu
Viu is a Hong Kong-based OTT streaming provider where videos and contents can be watched for free without any registration.
However, for premium content and to watch all videos ad-free, users are required to pay a subscription fee of RM10 per month.
Viu offers a wide range of Asian contents such as Malaysian soap operas, Korean series and cartoons.
Registered users can download videos to watch offline on their devices. Viewers will also be able to check on their viewing progress, bookmark videos and receive notifications on new episodes.
Currently, Viu’s service is available in both premium (no ad interruption) and ad-supported freemium subscription.
iFlix
Another affordable option is iFlix, which offers free and subscription video-on-demand services with a huge selection of TV shows, series and movies from all over the globe.
iflixFREE allows users to watch contents for free but with ads, while iflixVIP, requires a paid subscription of RM10 per month to do away with ads.
Besides mobile devices, iFlix can be streamed on selected smart-TVs. The dramas and films available on iFlix are mostly made up of Malaysian titles, in addition to content from other Asian territories, such as Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea and Japan.
Additionally, it offers a vast library of highly acclaimed top Western TV series, popular regional shows, and exceptionally popular, premium local series, movies and live events.
According to its official website, the platform was created for the rapidly growing, emerging middle-class population and their increasing demand for great content.
Netflix
Netflix needs no introduction as it is arguably the most well-known OTT platform globally, having been launched in the US since the late 1990s.
Currently, Netflix’s streaming plans start at RM17 per month for the Mobile plan, RM35 for the Basic plan (with the option to download videos), RM45 for the Standard plan which can be watched simultaneously on two screens and RM55 for the Premium plan which can be watched on four screens at a time.
While Mobile and Basic plans play in Standard Definition, Standard plan users can watch videos on Full HD (1080p) and Premium plan users may watch in both Full HD and Ultra HD (4k).
The platform offers a wide range of local and international award-winning TV shows, movies, anime, news, documentaries and more on various Internet-connected devices.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, or simply Prime Video, is an American-based OTT streaming platform which is priced at RM19.90 per month.
However, in Malaysia, special prices apply for Digi users. The users can select either the RM14 package (for the first six months) or the RM27 package (from the seventh month onwards).
Allowing users to stream across three devices, content on Prime Video is made up of exclusive Amazon Originals, along with popular TV shows and movies.
With an eligible Amazon Prime membership, users can access thousands of Prime Video titles at no additional cost.
They will also have the option to rent or buy movies and TV episodes not included in Prime Video, as well as subscribe to over 100 premium channels with Prime Video channels.
Read our earlier report
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