Mumbai: Viu, the premium video-on-demand platform by Vuclip and PCCW, today celebrates two years in India. Viu’s global strategy is to not only deliver local content, but also to bring international formats and tailor them to be locally relevant, and this is no different in India. Viuers can expect fresh regional original content such as an exciting thriller Kaushiki, a comedy film High Jack, new seasons of already popular shows like What the Duck and adaptations of popular international entertainment formats such as Tollywood Squares. The focus for Viu has always been great storytelling and high production value, both of which are required to target millennials. On the business side, Viu will continue to seek new opportunities for monetization, distribution and partnerships.
Content strategy momentum
In addition to the shows mentioned above, other popular series include: Love, Lust, and Confusion and Spotlight 2, along with Pelli Gola and PillA which were among the top 5 regional shows on YouTube. It’s this kind of premium content which has compelled users globally to download the app nearly 30 million times, consume more than 17 videos each per week on average and 1.2-1.8 hours per day. Viu has already launched 7 new originals in Q1 2018 and has lined up 20 originals from now until the end of the year in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil. Viu plans to launch its Tamil market by this year with the 6 new originals.
Partnership expansion
Through its cross-platform partnerships to expand reach, Viu has successfully made its content available to digital and non-digital audiences through content partnership with TV channels like Gemini, StarMaa and digital platforms such as Dailyhunt. The highly rated No.1 Yaari’ is just one successful example of Viu’s cross-platform content association. Additionally, Viu has had success with advertising partners. One such example is with Hong Kong tourism for It Happened in Hong Kong, a romantic comedy that redefined wanderlust. Other strategic partners include: Samsung, Amazon Pay TV, Daily Hunt and Xiaomi.
Speaking on today’s celebration and the future of Viu, Vishal Maheshwari, Country Head of Viu, India said, “Since day one, Viu has emphasized global expertise coupled with local execution, as you can clearly see from our track record. We’re doubling down on that for 2018, ramping up our offering of quality Originals at an exciting pace and engaging viewers in new ways, including bringing fresh content to the Tamil market. I couldn’t be prouder of what our team has accomplished in India and I’m certain that our best years are ahead.”
