Entertainment firm CJ ENM partners iQIYI to expand footprint of SVOD service in SEA

South Korean entertainment and merchandising company CJ ENM HK has tied up with iQIYI International to bring subscription video on demand service (SVOD) tvN Movies to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam from 8 August. TvN Movies is owned by CJ ENM and the partnership aims to better satisfy the growing demands for both South Korean movies and quality streaming service in Southeast Asia, CJ said.

As part of partnership, tvN Movies will provide a roster of first run movies every month based on viewership intel from iQIYI International, complete with marketing activities to engage the users. According to CJ, this is the first time Vietnamese consumers will have access to movies from tvN Movies. Vietnam marks the seventh market for tvN Movies and CJ ENM said is a natural fit given the widespread popularity and demand for South Korean content among Vietnamese youths. This new market also helps ramp up distribution and content in the region.

In a statement to Marketing, CJ ENM's spokesperson said it chose to partner with iQIYI as it is fast expanding in this region and has a strong focus on Asian content, particularly Chinese and Korean. Hence, this partnership is fitting and mutually beneficial.

While the spokesperson declined to reveal the monetary value behind the non-exclusive partnership, he said that tvN Movies has always raised the profiles of Korean movies by promoting them in local markets right from first theatrical window.

For this partnership, iQIYI will roll out special treats starting this weekend. Users Can check iQIYI SNS for more details. More marketing initiatives will be announced later," he added.

Separately in February this year, CJ ENM restructured its distribution and marketing functions in Hong Kong by combining them under its brand partnerships team based in Singapore. As part of this restructure, Mickey Ong was elevated to the role of general manager. Based in Singapore, Ong oversees the brand partnerships team as well as the company’s scripted series production business for Southeast Asia including Hong Kong and Taiwan. He reports to Michael Jung, managing director of CJ ENM HK.

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