Tencent is providing over-the-top (OTT) media services in Taiwan by launching a new video streaming app called WeTV, according to Taiwanese news outlet ET Today. The roll-out comes after local authorities sought to block the platform’s release by citing national security and propaganda concerns.
The Chinese tech giant, through its subsidiary in Hong Kong, launched the subscription-based WeTV in Taiwan’s App Store and Google Play. WeTV’s contents, which are in traditional Chinese, can be accessed for NTD 190 (USD 6) per month or NTD 560 per quarter.
Earlier this year, Taiwan’s authorities cracked down on video streaming ahead of its 2020 election. Chiu Chui-Cheng, a senior official at Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, told Nikkei that they were likely to ban Baidu’s popular streaming platform iQiyi and block Tencent’s entry to the Taiwanese market.