Iflix, a Malaysia -headquartered on-demand video streaming site that’s available across Southeast Asia and some other Asian markets, is collaborating with an Indonesian media conglomerate, PT Media Nusantara Citra (MNC), according to CNBC Indonesia.
The partnership will enrich Iflix’s program variation and allow it to target Indonesian users as it will get the right to broadcast 10,000 hours of content from MNC. MNC is investing an undisclosed amount.
MNC owns four Indonesian national TV channels which account for 46% of ad-based television shares in Indonesia. The company also has 20 subscription-based channels, various radio networks, and printed publications.
Along with this deal, MNC’s CEO David Fernando Audy was appointed to be the member of Iflix’s advisory board. Audy said this move is part of MNC’s strategy to bring its content into the digital era and monetize it through on-demand channels.
This tie-up further strengthens Iflix’s commitment to focus on its core markets in Asia. In December 2018, the company sold its Africa business. The same year, Iflix struck a deal with fan fiction site Wattpad to develop original content for its core markets. Its facing stiff competition from Hooq and Netflix who are also vying for Asian audiences. Unlike Netflix which require users to pay for a subscription, Hooq and Iflix both offer a mix of free and paid-for content.