10 September 2017
NEWS & VIEWS
Fox rolls out plus-sized service over the top
Making its debut in Asia in March this year , Fox + is a subscription-based over-the-top ( OTT ) platform developed by pay-TV operator Fox Networks Group Asia ( FNG ). Besides offering Hollywood blockbusters and TV series , Fox + also streams several sports tournaments around the globe to viewers live , allowing subscribers to watch wherever the action kicks off . APB prompts Prakash Ramchandani , senior vice-president , SVoD digital , Fox Networks Group Asia , for more details .
Since May this year , viewers in Singapore have been able to browse more than 11,000 hours of programming across multiple genres — including TV series , Hollywood blockbusters , Chinese series and movies , live sports , and documentaries — on Fox +, the subscription video-on-demand ( SVoD ) streaming service from Fox Networks Group Asia ( FNG ).
The Singapore launch follows on the heels of Fox +’ s Asian debut in March , when it was made available in the Philippines . With competition already intense due to the presence of the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video , FNG has designed its SVoD service to provide viewers with “ specially curated content for an extensive and upgraded viewing experience , anytime and anywhere ”.
Prakash Ramchandani , senior vice-president , SVoD digital , Fox Networks Group Asia , tells APB : “ The media industry has been seeing a rapid adoption of over-thetop ( OTT ) consumption . Contentwise , there is more emphasis on producing specific curated shows , as well as trying new formats to suit various segments .
“ Although OTT is still in its early stages , the content experience is more lean-forward via
mobile , which is more relevant to Asian markets , whereas the leanback experience , whereby viewers consume content via TV sets , has a higher penetration in the US . However , with more services being launched , and existing players complementing their products by bundling revenue opportunities , there are more options for the end-user .”
Fox + features blockbuster movies such as Deadpool , X-Men : Apocalypse , Kung Fu Panda 3 , and The Revenant , as well as American dramas , such as The Walking Dead , Homeland , The Young Pope and 24 Legacy , for subscribers to bingewatch at their convenience .
For subscribers in Asia , Fox + is also presenting its extensive content library comprising Chinese and Asian movies , variety and drama series including Heartfall Arises , S Storm , Ip Man 3 , Train to Busan , and Stylish Man the Chef .
Ramchandani adds : “ As consumers become increasingly Internet-savvy , and as they watch their shows on-the-go on their mobile devices , we believe that the next step forward for Fox would be to integrate our strong content offerings and database across our various channels , and look at how else we can offer this to enhance the consumer experience through Internet streaming .
“ This is how Fox + came about — to offer consumers an upgrade to a personalised entertainment experience so that they can use it to their convenience . Storytelling lies at the heart of Fox , and we have enhanced our skills to continuously adopt new technologies while serving the best content to our viewers .”
FNG has also added its sports programming division — Fox Sports — into the SVoD service , providing sports fans front row seats to some of the biggest games and sporting action live . For instance , Fox + live streamed the Formula One Spanish Grand Prix racing tournament in May , and The 2017 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament in July .
Declaring that users of Fox + see “ great value ” in live sports , Ramchandani reveals that at the Grand Slam tennis tournament , “ the concurrent streams jumped four times during the men ’ s single final , compared to a typical week ”. He continues : “ The platform provided a complete combination of SVoD and live content , and all live content can also be consumed via
Besides Hollywood blockbusters and
TV series , the Fox + content library also consists of Asian and Chinese content catering to Asia-Pacific viewers , live sports from its sport programming division Fox Sports , and documentaries from National Geographic .
PHOTO CREDIT : FOX NETWORKS GROUP ASIA
❝ Storytelling lies at the heart of Fox , and we have enhanced our skills to continuously adopt new technologies while serving the best content to our viewers .❞
playback VoD , including multicamera , extra court feeds and in dual-language audio , where applicable .”
As a pay-TV operator managing its linear business for many years , FNG collaborated with its affiliate partners for the launch of Fox + in both the Philippines and Singapore . For instance , FNG partnered Singapore telco Singtel for the launch of the SVoD service in the republic . Available via Singtel ’ s Cast OTT video app platform , Fox + serves as a complementary service , which existing pay-TV subscribers can bundle into their existing packages , says Ramchandani .
He elaborates : “ Fox + lends itself to a multi-device offering in each market , complementing pay-TV services to serve all individuals within the households , thus growing the existing ecosystem . Furthermore , Fox + also allows new opportunities with telcos and broadband providers to serve data and mobile bundled options .”
Besides Fox +, FNG has also expanded its digital offering with the introduction of the National Geographic mobile app . The app debuted in Australia in July , and is launched in collaboration
— Prakash Ramchandani , Senior Vice-President , SVoD digital ,
Fox Networks Group Asia
with FNG ’ s telco partner , Optus , a subsidiary of Singtel .
The National Geographic app brings together a treasure trove of videos , images and print articles , including the work of its explorers , photographers , filmmakers , scientists and conservationists . Alongside the two live TV channels — National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild — available on the app , viewers can also access more than 7,000 short- and long-form videos , including 1,500 TV show episodes , and over 28,000 photos and galleries by some of National Geographic ’ s photographers .