Viu Unveils Filipino Reality Series

PCCW’s OTT service Viu has aligned with Globe Studios in the Philippines for a talent competition series, Hello K-Idol.

Hello K-Idol will be available on the Viu platform and, through a collaboration with ABS-CBN Corporation, on the music service MYX Channel. Launching November 3, the seven-episode series features ten males aged between 18 to 27 (selected following a series of online and on-the-ground auditions by Viu and Globe) vying for a four-month scholarship to learn K-Pop vocals and dance at a talent school in Korea. They will be judged and coached by variety of Korean and international talents.

“With a regional presence in 16 markets, we continue to enhance Viu’s core value proposition of delivering the best and most popular Asian content to ‘Viu-ers,’ including original productions in local languages,” said Helen Sou, senior VP for digital media at PCCW Media Group. “In this process, we also nurture and innovate with the local creative talent pool by giving them a platform to showcase their work. We believe Hello K-Idol is the ideal place to grow future talent and to create resonance with our audience in the Philippines.”

Nikko Acosta, senior VP for content business group at Globe, added, “Globe has always tried to find ways to help Filipinos share their love and talent for performance. With Hello K-Idol, co-produced with our partner, Viu, we are offering customers the power to enjoy the show anytime and anywhere with just a touch of their mobile phones and tablets.”

Arianne Kader-Cu, country manager of Viu Philippines, added, “At Viu, we strive to provide popular and relevant content to local markets by collaborating with creative local talent. Our first original reality show Hello K-Idol, co-produced in the Philippines with Globe Studios and supported by ABS-CBN, MYX Channel and Ayala Malls, is indeed a significant milestone in our pan-regional expansion. By collaborating with our local partners with common vision in the Philippines, we will continue to engage our ‘Viu-ers’ to unlock local creativity in regional media scene.”

Andre Alvarez, head of MYX Channel, noted, “With the growing trend of K-Pop music around the world, thanks to the concerted efforts of Viu and Globe Studios for bringing Hello K-Idol to our channel, this opens an exciting opportunity for us to tap into this new market, thus reinforcing our position as the Philippines’ number one music channel.”