Vuclip, a PCCW Media company, and the leading premium video-on-demand service provider for emerging markets, today announced the launch of Viu, a direct to consumer video-on-demand (VOD) service, in the Middle East. Viu has already achieved market success and tremendous consumer adoption in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong and Singapore, and is now available for users in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Jordan.
Users across the region now have access to tens of thousands of hours of local, regional and international premium entertainment, built on Vuclip’s patented Dynamic Adaptive Transcoding technology™ to offer viewers a “buffer free” viewing experience.
Viu highlights include:
- Rich content library designed and especially curated to meet unique user preferences. Viewers can personalize their experience with diverse entertainment options based on their choice of language and genre, ranging from cooking and cars to reality shows and documentaries
- Unlimited downloads and streaming of all content on the mobile app
- Diverse pool of the premium Arabic TV shows from across the Arab world including Egyptian, Syrian, Khaleeji and Tunisian dramas. Arabic viewers can also enjoy a range of movies including classics, all-time fan favorites and recent blockbusters, including premium curated music videos with 6000+ songs of the best of Arabic music hits featuring artists such as Nicole Saba, Amr Diab, Hassan El Shafei, Nancy Ajram, Ramy Sabry, Maya Diab and many more
- Latest content from Bollywood, including movies, popular TV shows and music videos featuring megastars such as Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone
- The most popular sitcoms from the Philippines, as well as music videos from regional stars Garry Valenciano and Christian Bautista
- Hollywood content including movies, as well as TV series.
“We are excited to introduce Viu to the Middle East and extend to our viewers a unique platform to enjoy premium on demand content on their choice of device and network. We’ve been in the mobile video business for nine years and that has given us a lens into viewer insights that is unparalleled. The Middle East is home to a diverse population and our mission is to curate the most compelling and popular content from across the world. We look forward to an exciting journey as we bring new ideas to life and offer viewers a whole new experience in entertainment,” said Sherif Dahan, Regional Director for Middle East, Vuclip.
Viu launches as a freemium service, with consumers across the region having access to thousands of hours of content for free. Consumers can also subscribe to a premium portion of the service which includes an ad-free experience, as well as access to additional premium content for a monthly fee. Viu is accessible via mobile phones and tablets, as well as desktops by downloading the Viu app on Google Play or the Apple Store, or by typing in www.viu.com on a desktop or mobile browser.
