By Gianna G. Maniego
BACK in the day, people would rush home to catch the latest episode of their favorite TV show. Whether it was Marimar or Pangako Sa ’Yo (the original version) or some other prime-time drama, people would drop what they were doing and hurry home to their TV sets to watch.
Not anymore. With the Internet becoming increasingly embedded in everyday life, the entertainment habits of Filipino audiences have changed. Nowadays, they don’t have to rush home to their TV sets to enjoy the latest episode of their favorite shows. They can just stream it on their mobile device anytime they want, wherever they may be—this, through the magic of iflix.
Thanks to a partnership between telecommuni-cations giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) Home and Smart, and Malaysia-based Catcha Group, iflix is now available to Filipino consumers to complete their entertainment experience.
CONTENT IS THE NEXT FRONTIER
iflix is an Internet video-on-demand (VOD) content provider that gives subscribers access to thousands of hours of film and TV shows from around the world.
Similar to the US-based NetFlix (a subscription-based company that offers Internet streaming of films and TV shows), iflix boasts a library of over 11,000 hours of Hollywood, European and Asian movie and TV titles. With just a couple of clicks, subscribers can enjoy films like Batman Begins, How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days and While You Were Sleeping, as well as TV shows like Sherlock, Doctor Who, Arrow and The Big Bang Theory on their mobile devices, laptops and TV screens for as low as P99 a month.
“You already have the device that has the capability to showcase your guilty viewing pleasures—whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer and even TV screen. All you need is that one movie, that particular episode or even an entire season that you’ve had on your must-watch list. This is literally entertainment everywhere,” PLDT EVP and Consumer Business Group Head Ariel P. Fermin explains.
Continuing, he says that content is “organic” to what consumers want in entertainment.
“We felt consumers wanted to be in control and this is part of enabling them…. It’s a commitment from PLDT to its consumers [to provide] access to great content, whether you are at home or outside your home,” he says.
PERFECT PARTNERS
“We are extremely proud to have come together with the largest telecommunications company in the Philippines and, indeed, one of the region’s leading companies, to offer iflix to PLDT’s enormous customer base,” says iflix Chairman Patrick Grove, noting the network’s 75 million-strong subscribers.
“In PLDT we have found a like-minded partner who is committed to changing the way entertainment content is consumed in the region.”
For his part, iflix CEO Mark Britt says that the partnership with PLDT has given them the perfect opportunity to offer their services because the media giant has the biggest audience in the Philippines, as well as the best infrastructure. More important, it has the vision to undertake such a project.
“We are a group of people who are very, very passionate about one thing and that is making the world’s best content available to everyone on their terms.” Last week’s Philippine launch of iflix comes at the heels of new content deals with giant Hollywood studios The Walt Disney Company, Twentieth Century Fox Television Distribution (Fox), BBC Worldwide (BBC) and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (Warner Bros.).
TAILORED TO FILIPINO AUDIENCES
What gives iflix the edge in the country is the addition of Asian dramas to its lineup. The service has some of the favorite South Korean novelas like Winter Sonata and Full House, as well as some classic telenovelas from Shanghai, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan, guaranteed to keep Filipino audiences glued to their smart phones and mobile devices.
“We have a huge investment on [South] Korean dramas…and Chinese movies, etc.” Britt says. The company even has plans to beef up its lineup with more shows from Asia, including the Philippines.
HOW IT WORKS
What does it take to access “entertainment everywhere”?
Just sign up and create an account at www.iflix.com. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.
Once you sign up, you can immediately avail yourself of the 14-day trial of the service. When this expires, PLDT Home and Smart users will be able to subscribe to the P99 per month package through the iflix web site.
For PLDT HOME subscribers, iflix is available via TVolution Trio Plan 1599 inclusive of a TVolution kit, unlimited DSL and unlimited access to iflix. Existing users of PLDT Home DSL and PLDT Home Ultera can get iflixas an add-on option on top of their monthly fees for only P99 per month, while it comes free with PLDT Home Fibr and PLDT Home Telpad plans.
Smart subscribers also have the option of charging the P99 a month against their their prepaid loads or on top of their postpaid accounts. No credit card required!
iflix will soon be available in other countries including the United States, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Thailand and Tokyo.
The iflix app is also downloadable via Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
To know more on how to subscribe to iflix with your PLDT Home or Smart account, visit www.pldthome.com or www.smart.com.ph.