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| HOOQ SEA Country Managers and Exco (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV) |
Southeast
Asia's leading video-on-demand service HOOQ is now embracing diversity across
the region by kicking off new commercial partnerships and a groundbreaking diversification
of content and pricing models which were officially announced in a mega event
held in Jakarta, Indonesia. With these in mind, HOOQ is vastly exploring
content that is geared towards the evolving tastes of Filipino audiences featuring
stories of love and romance, victories and other untold authentic stories created
by Asians for Asians.
Supporting Filipino Creativity
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| HOOQ Philippines country manager Shiela Paul with Nadine Lustre and Donnalyn Bartolome (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV) |
In the
past six months, HOOQ Philippines has embarked on adventurous co-productions with
major and independent production outfits to bring some of the most provocative
and timely stories ever told in local entertainment. Kicking it all off was the
smashing Filipino blockbuster hit Ulan, a co-production with Viva Entertainment
starring Nadine Lustre and Carlo Aquino. In July, HOOQ teamed up with Ninja Dog
to co-produce and launch Sex Talks with Dr. Holmes, a ten-episode series
dramatizing the "taboo" of sex in a provocatively engaging and light-hearted
way. In just about a month, Sex Talks was listed among the service's top five most
watched list and reinforced the reputation of Dr. Margarita Holmes as the
country's foremost expert on sex.
HOOQ
eventually braved the world of independent filmmaking in the pursuit of creativity
and celebration of Filipino film artisans with two original movies that made
waves in the 2019 Cinemalaya Film Festival last August - ISKA and Mina Anud. Co-produced
with FireStarters Productions and under the direction of Theodore Boborol, ISKA
was touted a masterpiece by film critics and bagged three awards including Best
Sound Design, Best Screenplay and Best Actress for veteran actress Ruby Ruiz.
On the other hand, the critically acclaimed finale feature film Mina Anud is a
true-to-life story on how drugs ravage lives and corrupt the human spirit. Co-produced
with Regal Entertainment and Epic Media and helmed by Kelvin Go in his
directorial debut, the movie stars some of the country's hottest talents in their
most offbeat roles to date including Dennis Trillo, Jerald Napoles, Matteo
Guidicelli and Lou Veloso. Both ISKA and Mina Anud are slated to become
available on the streaming platform after they are shown in various international
film festivals this year.
The Best TV Shows And More
HOOQ
has some of the best local and international TV shows for Filipinos to binge-watch
on their PCs and smartphones - from Hollywood's The Flash, Supergirl and
Desperate Housewives to classic Filipino dramas like Pangako Sa 'Yo, On The Wings
Of Love, Sino Ang Maysala? and Halik. And with a bevy of sports and variety shows
airing on television, Filipinos can fancy a break by following their favorite
shows and flicks on HOOQ whether on throwback or catch-up mode.
Recently
added to the growing list of series available on the service have racked up TV
viewership ratings in the United States such as The Good Doctor Seasons 1 and 2
and The Killing Eve Seasons 1 and 2. In fact, the first season of The Killing
Eve can now be streamed on HOOQ for free without the need to sign up for an account.
Meanwhile, HOOQ is set to add more flavor to its library of entertaining
content starting October with the inclusion of celebrity YouTube channels on a wide
range of subjects such as home-style cooking ideas from Nadia Montenegro and Pokwang
Lee, lifestyle inspirations from Joyce Pring and Jing Monis and Mikael Daez's
road trips for the adventurous at heart. Besides, it is all part of HOOQ's
mission to serve all types of audiences through different forms of video entertainment.
More Ways To Enjoy HOOQ
HOOQ
has also added Google Play and Gcash to the list of payment avenues for subscribers
who are unbanked and prefer the flexibility and convenience of paying in cash
following its region-wide partnership with the Grab allowing both users of the
two services to enjoy fully integrated and connected experiences within the super
app in which it is set to become functional by early next year.
On
the other hand, HOOQ Philippines partnered with 7-Eleven Philippines, Gate
Distribution Enterprise Inc., Shop4Fun and Load Central to allow Filipinos to purchase
their preferred HOOQ subscriptions in places where they buy personal products, pay
for their utilities and purchase prepaid load including malls, internet cafes,
convenient stores and payment centers via the HOOQ VIPiso Deals where users can
purchase a subscription of their choice either daily, weekly, monthly,
quarterly or annually. These deals are now available in more than 30,000 Load
Central outlets across the country and will reach more than 2,800 7-Eleven
stores nationwide starting October 23, 2019.
