What Viu does

Viu is a pan-regional over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service operating across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, owned by PCCW Media Group under Hong Kong-listed conglomerate PCCW Limited. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Hong Kong, Viu serves consumers in markets including Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, and South Africa, offering TV series, movies, lifestyle programming, and original productions under the Viu Original brand in local and regional languages with subtitles. The platform operates a dual revenue model combining an ad-supported free tier (Viu Free Service) with two paid subscription tiers (Viu Premium Lite and Viu Premium+), and supports up to five simultaneous streams without password-sharing restrictions.

The product portfolio has expanded beyond long-form SVOD to include Viu Shorts (a January 2026-launched vertical microdrama video section featuring one-to-three-minute episodes in Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Indonesian), Viu Scream Dates (multi-market fan-meet events), and MOOV (digital music streaming and live concerts in Hong Kong). Content is distributed directly via mobile apps (iOS/Android), Smart TV apps, and the viu.com website, and indirectly through telecom bundling partnerships (sooka in Malaysia, e& Egypt), e-commerce integration (Shopee), and content licensing agreements with 50-plus apps and platforms across 30-plus countries via partners such as RisingJoy.

Viu's go-to-market relies on a freemium model: free ad-supported access drives top-of-funnel acquisition while premium tiers convert engaged users, supported by telecom and platform bundles that reduce churn and broaden reach in markets where direct acquisition costs are high. CANAL+ became a strategic investor in June 2023, and PCCW Limited serves as the ultimate parent, providing distribution, capital, and corporate infrastructure. With 13.8 million premium subscribers reported in 1H 2025 and 501-1,000 employees, Viu is positioned as a regional challenger to global streamers such as Netflix, differentiated primarily by its pan-Asian content library and localized language coverage rather than by disclosed technology or AI capabilities.

Name

Viu

Legal name

PCCW OTT (Hong Kong) Limited

Website

https://viu.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Viu is a pan-regional OTT video streaming service under PCCW Media, serving 13.8 million premium subscribers across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa with Asian and Arabic content via a dual AVOD/SVOD freemium model, Viu Originals, and the Viu Shorts microdrama platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Streaming Services

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

General Entertainment SVOD Platforms (MPACAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hybrid Streaming Services (Mixed FAST/AVOD/SVOD) (MPABAHAF)

Keywords

• Video streaming service
• OTT subscription platform
• Asian content streaming
• Microdrama short video
• Digital media entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Premium Subscription (SVOD): Viu Premium Lite and Viu Premium+ paid subscription tiers offering ad-free viewing, exclusive original content, and enhanced features. Subscriptions are territory-restricted to where the user has subscribed.
2. Advertising (AVOD): Ad-supported free tier (Viu Free Service) generating revenue from advertising. Third-party advertising companies including Google Ad, Oracle Data Cloud, Integral Ad Science, Lotame, and Nielsen track and measure advertising effectiveness.
3. Bundled Packages: Viu Premium tiers may be offered through bundled packages with third-party products and partners, including telecom operators and platform partners.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Viu operates a pan-regional over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, delivering TV series, movies, and lifestyle programmes from top content providers in local and regional languages with subtitles. It runs a dual revenue model combining an ad-supported free tier (Viu Free Service) with premium subscription tiers (Viu Premium Lite and Viu Premium+), and complements this with original productions under the "Viu Original" brand. The platform also offers Viu Shorts, a vertical microdrama video experience integrated into its mobile app.

Product overview

Viu is a unified streaming platform operated by PCCW Media under PCCW Limited. The service combines a core video streaming product (Viu) with multiple tiers (Viu Free Service, Viu Premium Lite, Viu Premium+), a short-form vertical video extension (Viu Shorts), an original content brand (Viu Original), and a music streaming companion (MOOV). The platform's dual revenue model incorporates ad-supported free access alongside subscription premium tiers, targeting viewers across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa with localized content in multiple languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Viu Original: Premium original productions produced or commissioned by Viu.
• Viu Scream Dates
• Viu Shorts

Products and services

• Viu Pan-regional OTT video streaming service across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, operating a dual model with an ad-supported free tier (Viu Free Service) and premium subscription tiers (Viu Premium Lite and Viu Premium+), offering TV series, movies, and lifestyle programmes in local and regional languages with subtitles, plus Viu Original premium productions. Aimed at general consumers seeking Asian and regional content.
• Viu Shorts Vertical video platform for microdramas featuring content in Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Indonesian languages with episodes of one to three minutes. Operates as a freemium service integrated into the Viu mobile app, aimed at consumers seeking short-form vertical video content.
• MOOV

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• RisingJoyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorViu Shorts partnered with Singapore-based microdrama distributor RisingJoy, which has struck content licensing deals with more than 50 apps and platforms across 30-plus countries. RisingJoy provides microdrama content for Viu's vertical video platform.
• KT StudiogenieminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorViu Shorts partnered with KT Studiogenie for Korean microdrama content supply for the vertical video platform.
• China HuaceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorViu Shorts partnered with China Huace for Chinese microdrama content for the vertical video platform.
• 1001 FramesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorViu Shorts partnered with 1001 Frames as a production company providing microdrama content for the vertical video platform.
• Youhug MediaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorViu Shorts partnered with Youhug Media as a production company providing microdrama content for the vertical video platform.
• KOCCA (Korea Creative Content Agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KOCCA announced a 6.8 billion won support project to assist domestic production companies' overseas expansion through global OTT platforms including Viu. The initiative focuses on short-form and long-form content with platforms involved in production and co-investment.
• sookaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMalaysian streaming platform sooka announced strategic partnership with VIU to expand accessibility and offer exclusive perks to users. The collaboration provides complimentary sooka Premium access to VIU customers through bundled subscriptions, loyalty rewards, and promotional offers.
• e& EgyptminorGTM or Marketing Partnere& Egypt renewed its strategic partnership with Viu to offer Arabic and Asian content to its customers during GITEX Global 2025 in Dubai. The partnership provides Viu access to e& Egypt's telecom customer base.
• ShopeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopee announced a new partnership with Viu for micro drama streaming as part of its content-led commerce strategy expansion. Viu content is featured in Shopee's promotional campaigns including Shopee Bazar Hebat Ramadan.
• ShopeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShopee's 4.4 Super VIP Sale featured VIU as a partner offering exclusive entertainment perks, including VIP vouchers and bundled deals for Shopee VIP members.
• Canal+ DistributionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanal+ Distribution is bringing Viu Originals' Thai Boys' Love catalog to the U.S., including titles such as 'The Rebound,' '4 Minutes,' 'Shadow,' and 'Close Friend.' American streaming platforms have already expressed interest in the content.
• MOOVminorOthersViu also operates MOOV, a popular digital music streaming and live concerts service in Hong Kong, extending the entertainment ecosystem beyond video streaming.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• iQIYI: iQIYI is a major Asian SVOD/AVOD streaming platform with a strong Chinese and pan-Asian content library. It directly competes with Viu in aggregating premium Asian dramas with subtitles for regional and overseas Asian audiences.
• WeTV (Tencent Video International): WeTV is Tencent's international streaming platform offering Chinese, Korean, and Thai content across Southeast Asia, MENA, and other emerging markets. It is the closest direct competitor to Viu in Asian-content SVOD across overlapping geographies.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Prime Video: Amazon Prime Video is a global SVOD competitor with growing investment in Korean and Japanese originals. It competes directly with Viu for premium streaming subscribers in Asia and MENA, including via telecom bundles.
• Netflix: Netflix is the dominant global SVOD player and Viu's primary competitive benchmark across Asia, MENA, and Africa. Viu explicitly positions as a challenger brand against Netflix in markets like South Africa, and competes for the same premium content wallet.
• Disney+ Hotstar: Disney+ Hotstar operates across multiple Asian markets with global franchise content and local originals. It is a meaningful incumbent competitor in Southeast Asia and is increasingly expanding into MENA, overlapping with Viu's footprint.

Regional players

• Vidio: Vidio is Indonesia's leading local OTT platform offering a hybrid SVOD/AVOD model and local originals. It competes with Viu for Indonesian viewers and represents a strong regional incumbent in Viu's largest Southeast Asian market.
• Showmax (MultiChoice): Showmax is the leading African streaming service, now rebuilt as a joint venture with Comcast/NBCUniversal. It is the primary competitor Viu explicitly targets in South Africa with its hybrid subscription model and five simultaneous streams.
• Shahid (MBC Group): Shahid is the dominant Arabic-language streaming platform in MENA. It directly competes with Viu's Arabic content offering and MENA expansion, particularly around Ramadan programming.

Emerging players

• Crunchyroll: Crunchyroll (Sony) leads anime streaming globally, including across Southeast Asia. While focused on anime rather than K-drama/Thai BL, it competes for the same Asian-content subscriber wallet and SVOD subscription dollars.
• Lionsgate Play: Lionsgate Play is an emerging SVOD service distributed via telco partnerships across Southeast Asia and India. It targets the same under-$5 price tier and telecom bundle distribution model Viu uses in markets like Malaysia and Indonesia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ViuSG

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Viu