Taiwan’s Catchplay launches VOD platform

Taiwanese distributor Catchplay is launching a multi-platform streaming service, Catchplay On Demand, in Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia.

Catchplay, which was one of the investors in Oscar-winning movie The Revenant [pictured], launched the service in Taiwan today (March 22) and has also partnered with Singapore’s StarHub and Telkom Indonesia.

StarHub operates cable TV, IPTV and OTT platforms, while Telkom Indonesia is Indonesia’s leading telecoms operator with more than 150 million subscribers. Both operators said they would roll out Catchplay On Demand in the second quarter of 2016.

Catchplay said the new service would feature movies from NBC Universal, Warner Bros, Disney and US independent studios, along with Chinese and other Asian-language films.

“In recent years, Catchplay has quietly and purposefully expanded its business from theatrical distribution to film financing and production, aggregating digital content for many leading digital platforms and the operation of our own movie channel,” said Catchplay chairman Harvey Chang.

“Today we launch our new digital platform that extends the services we provide to movie lovers. With this new platform, we can better contribute to the health and vitality of the region’s content industry.”

The service has a range of TVOD and SVOD options, including a monthly subscription priced at $7.72 (NT$250), which includes two free movie rentals, in addition to full access to the service’s catalogue.

In addition to The Revenant, Catchplay has co-financed films such Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell and Martin Scorsese’s Silence, which was filmed in Taiwan. The company’s local productions include Taiwanese period drama Paradise In Service and 20 Once Again, the Chinese remake of Korean hit Miss Granny.

According to the Ericsson ConsumerLab TV & Media Report 2015, more than half of Taiwanese consumers stream content daily, averaging 7.8 hours each week, which is 13% higher than the current global average.