Indonesian SVOD Subs Hit 7 Million

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The number of SVOD customers in Indonesia has topped the 7 million mark, per new Media Partners Asia (MPA) data, with Disney+ Hotstar leading the market at 2.5 million paid active subs as of this month.

The Indonesian market remains ripe for growth, with SVOD penetration at less than 3 percent of the population and 10 percent of households. The country added 3.6 million net new subscribers from September 5, 2020, to January 6, 2021.

According to MPA’s consumer insights division, AMPD Research (AMPD), four platforms accounted for 83 percent of the total SVOD base: Disney+ Hotstar at 2.5 million, Viu with 1.5 million, Vidio with 1.1 million and Netflix with 850,000. Indonesian customers are paying for an average of 2.8 services, as compared with 2.1 in the first quarter of 2020, with average spend at $2.10 per month, down from $2.80 in the year-ago period.

Anthony Dobson, MPA’s VP and managing director of AMPD, commented, “The growth of SVOD in Indonesia, the most populous market in Asia after China and India, is encouraging but has a long way to go. Cumulative subscribers represent less than 3 percent of the population and 10 percent of households. Much of the recent growth is driven by aggressive mobile distribution and pricing with Disney+ Hotstar leading the way through its partnership with Telkomsel. At the same time, Viu and Vidio continue to grow through mobile, and Netflix has capitalized on its mobile pricing plans. SVOD consumption through the big screen has also started to grow, benefiting players such as Vidio in particular along with the broader market. Disney’s consumption continues to grow on the back of its core franchises, including family movies and series, local movies, general entertainment episodic series and animation. Vidio and Viu, both freemium services, continue to experience heavy consumption with Vidio benefiting from original local dramas and Viu capitalizing on acquired Korean day-and-date content. We also expect subscribers to WeTV and iQIYI to grow in the future as both players are starting to experience significant consumption for local, Chinese and Korean dramas and Japanese anime on their free tier.”

Disney+ Hotstar rolled out in September of last year with the core Disney+ lineup accompanied by some 250 local films. The platform has an exclusive partnership with leading telco Telkomsel. The service is priced at between US$0.80 to US$1.40 for Telkomsel users or $1.10 to $2.60 for direct subscribers. More than 20 percent of minutes consumed on the platform in December were for locally sourced content, with originals such as The Mandalorian also faring well.

Viu, meanwhile, has been bolstered by premium, first-window Korean content as well as local acquisitions and originals. The monthly subscription is US$2, although discounted and sachet rates are widely available. It has mobile deals with Telkomsel, Tri and XL Axiata.

Vidio delivers premium sports, Asian dramas and variety shows, pay-TV channels, kids’ fare and originals, with prices ranging from $1.30 to $2. Carrier billing and discounted rates are available through Indosat and Tri.

Netflix has a mobile plan priced at $3.60 per month, with its other tiers ranging from $8.10 to $12.50.

Another key local player is Mola TV, which delivers premium sports, Hollywood movies and series—bundling HBO GO—kids’ and lifestyle content, for $4.40 a month.