iflix
 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Area served | |
| CEO | Mark Britt |
| Key people |
Patrick Grove (iflix Co-Founder and Chairman) Mark Britt (Co-Founder and Group CEO) Azran Osman-Rani (Group COO and CEO of iflix Malaysia) James Bridges (Chief Content Officer) Ash Crick (Chief Technology Officer) Sherwin dela Cruz (iflix Philippines Country Manager) Kimmy Suraphongchai (iflix Thailand Country Manager) |
| Products | Video streaming |
| Website |
|
| Alexa rank |
 16,327 (January 2016) |
iflix, Southeast Asia’s leading Internet TV service,[1] is a subscription Video-on-Demand platform based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The company boasts the largest library of the world’s top TV shows and movies in the region, with over tens of thousands of hours of popular comedies, drama, K-drama and cartoons plus movies from Hollywood, The UK, Asia and more. iflix has announced partnerships with over 60 of the world’s leading studios and content distributors[2] including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Disney, Warner Bros, Paramount, NBC Universal, Fox, CBS, BBC and Media Prima to name a few. With exclusive rights to such global breakout hit shows as Mr. Robot, Fargo, Aquarius, Minority Report, Muppets, Black Sails and more,[2] the shows are now available for the first time in Asia, exclusively on iflix.
iflix is currently available in Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, and has announced plans to expand into other South and Southeast Asian markets such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Sri Lanka.[3][4]
History
iflix was founded by Patrick Grove, CEO of Malaysia-based Catcha Group, and Evolution Media Capital (EMC), a merchant bank focused on the media, sports, and entertainment industries.[3]
In April 2015, iflix announced the completion of a $30 million round of funding, led by leading international investment firm, Catcha Group and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), the largest integrated telecommunications company in the Philippines.[5]
The company launched its service in Malaysia and the Philippines in May 2015.[6] During the month, iflix additionally announced the formation of its Advisory Board, composed of elite Hollywood business and creative leaders.[7]
In June 2015, iflix formed an exclusive strategic partnership with PLDT Group for commercial distribution[8] and further announced the landmark content partnerships a number of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and prestigious studios, including The Walt Disney Company,[9] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),[10] Paramount Pictures,[11] Warner Bros,[12] Fox,[12] and Starz.[13] iflix also announced together with Vimond Media Solutions, plans to establish a jointly operated development centre in Kuala Lumpur.[14]
In July 2015, iflix recorded over 100,000 subscribers as Southeast Asia’s fastest growing Internet TV service.[15]
In August 2015, iflix announced that MGM, had become an investor in the business. The investment represents a significant deepening of the relationship between iflix and MGM, which includes the appointment of MGM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gary Barber, to iflix’s Advisory Board and the companies’ extensive multi-year content licensing partnership.[16]
In September 2015, iflix entered into a strategic agreement with leading Malaysian telecommunications giant, Digi Telecommunication Sdn Bhd (Digi) to provide iflix’s world-class service to Digi customers in Malaysia.[17]
In November 2015, iflix announced its official launch in Thailand, after drawing 200,000 subscribers during its 12-week trial phase.[18]
In December 2015, iflix announced landmark partnerships in Malaysia and the Philippines with the countries’ leading telecommunications providers, Smart Communications (Smart) and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) in the Philippines and Telekom Malaysia (TM) in Malaysia. In conjunction with Smart and PLDT, iflix will provide its world-class service to over 70 million Smart and PLDT HOME customers in the Philippines. The collaboration will allow PLDT HOME, Smart, Sun and TNT customers to enjoy tens of thousands of hours of TV shows and movies available on iflix, whenever, wherever, at no additional cost, courtesy of Smart and PLDT.[19] In conjunction with Telekom Malaysia (TM), all TM Unifi and select Streamyx customers 12-month iflix subscriptions at no charge, sponsored by TM.[20]
In March 2016, it was announced that iflix had attracted a $45-million investment from European pay-TV giant Sky PLC.[21]
Celebrity investors
In November 2015, iflix welcomed top Philippine celebrities Iza Calzado, Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Ruffa Gutierrez, Raymond Gutierrez, Richard Gutierrez, JM Rodriguez and Karylle Tatlonghari-Yuzon as shareholders of the Company and partners in the business.[22] Top Thai celebrities – including actresses and best friends Jeab – Sopidnapa Chumpanee and Aom – Phiyada Akkraseranee, and up-and-coming stars Jeab – Lalana Kongtoranin, Note Panayanggool, Paule – Ponphan Sittinawawit – also joined the iflix family both as investors in the business and advisors in the curation of new content for online viewers.[18]
Features
For new subscribers, iflix offers a complimentary 30-day trial with full access to iflix’s world-class service, features and content, with no credit card or payment details required.
Download and Watch Offline
iflix is one of the first and only SVOD services in the world to offer offline viewing to its members. The company’s “Download and Watch Offline” feature allows subscribers to enjoy iflix’s vast selection of top TV shows and movies wherever they are, without an Internet connection. Available for both the Company’s Android and iOS offerings for smartphones and tablets, Download and Watch Offline allows iflix subscribers to download and enjoy the content of their choosing without a wi-fi connection and without incurring prohibitive mobile data costs as part of their subscription, for no additional charge. Each television episode or movie can be downloaded as a low, medium or high quality file to best accommodate the storage capacity of users’ devices.[23]
Instant access
The company’s collaborations with Smart and TM, enabled the launch of significant product breakthrough with instant access for Smart, Sun and TNT customers in the Philippines,[19] and TM Unifi and Streamyx customers in Malaysia[20] through newly developed, proprietary technology. Eligible Smart, TM Unifi and Streamyx customers simply go to iflix.com or the iflix app, with no need to sign up or sign in to access their subcriptions. In a world first, the iflix system will instantly recognise the user is on a Smart, TM Unifi or Streamyx connection, and will tag that device, enabling the user access to iflix on that device wherever, whenever.
Subscribers
iflix hit 100,000 subscribers streaming over 30 million minutes of content in July 2015, less than two months since launching in Malaysia and the Philippines.[15]
In October 2015, iflix surpassed half a million subscribers less than five months since launching in Southeast Asia, with over 300,000 subscribers in the Philippines alone.[1]
In December 2015, iflix surpassed the one million member mark within six months of launching its service.[19]
References
- 1 2 "iflix user base hits 300,000, eyes further expansion". Inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 21, 2015.
- 1 2 "iFLix Claims 1 Mil. Members". mediabusinessasia.com. Media Business Asia. December 11, 2015.
- 1 2 "With iFlix, Patrick Grove wants to bring the best of Hollywood to Southeast Asia". Tech in Asia. techinasia.com. March 10, 2015.
- ↑ http://www.mediabusinessasia.com/article.php?id=1889
- ↑ "IFLIX RAISES $30M, PRIMED FOR GROWTH" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. April 23, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX NOW AVAILABLE" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. May 27, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX ANNOUNCES ADVISORY BOARD" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. May 22, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX FORMS EXCLUSIVE STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH PLDT GROUP" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. June 19, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX SIGNS LANDMARK CONTENT AGREEMENT WITH DISNEY" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. June 23, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX ANNOUNCES MULTI-YEAR CONTENT AGREEMENT WITH METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. June 30, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX SECURES TOPLINE LICENSING DEAL WITH PARAMOUNT PICTURES" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. June 30, 2015.
- 1 2 "IFLIX SECURES TOPLINE CONTENT DEALS WITH FOX, BBC AND WARNER BROS." (PDF). Media Room. iflix. May 12, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX PREMIERE HOME TO TELEVISION PHENOMENON FROM STARZ, BLACK SAILS" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. June 30, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX AND VIMOND ESTABLISH JOINT DEVELOPMENT CENTRE IN KUALA LUMPUR" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. June 2, 2015.
- 1 2 "iFLIX RECORDS OVER 100,000 SUBSCRIBERS AS SOUTHEAST ASIA’S FASTEST GROWING INTERNET TV SERVICE" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. July 23, 2015.
- ↑ "MGM JOINS iFLIX FAMILY AS STRATEGIC INVESTOR" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. August 20, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX LAUNCHES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH DIGI" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. September 2, 2015.
- 1 2 "iFLIX OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES IN THAILAND & WELCOMES TOP CELEBS TO THE iFLIX FAMILY" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. November 30, 2015. horizontal tab character in
|title=at position 29 (help) - 1 2 3 "iflix, PLDT and SMART Share the Gift of Entertainment" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. December 14, 2015.
- 1 2 "iflix Launches Landmark Partnership with Telekom Malaysia" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. December 4, 2015.
- ↑ 'Sky Invests $45 Million in Southeast Asian Streaming Service Iflix', Wall Street Journal 9th March 2016 http://www.wsj.com/articles/sky-invests-45-million-in-southeast-asian-streaming-service-iflix-1457541253
- ↑ "Top Philippine Celebrities Join Team iflix" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. November 16, 2015.
- ↑ "iFLIX LAUNCHES DOWNLOAD AND WATCH OFFLINE FEATURE" (PDF). Media Room. iflix. November 24, 2015.