BeIN Asia Pacific, a multi-platform media company in affiliation with Qatar-based beIN Media Group, is getting serious about the Indonesian market.
Through one of its services, beIN Sports, which broadcasts world-class sports events, beIN is tapping into the country's growing mobile platform business by launching the Indonesian version of "beIN Sports Connect," a streaming service.
The service offers the country's soccer fans access to the world of soccer, including the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, LaLiga, Ligue 1, MLS, Superliga Argentina, Turkish Super Lig and Hyundai A-League.
The service - offering both live streaming and recorded matches - is worth Rp 75,000 (US$ 5.52) per month in a promotional package.
At the service's launch event on Tuesday, The Jakarta Post's Dicky Christanto talked to beIN Sport's Asia-Pacific operational managing director Mike Kerr about the business. Below are the excerpts from the interview.
Question: Indonesia is a promising market with 125 million smartphone users. But other than that, why has beIN decided to launch the Indonesian version of Sports Connect?
Answer: Indonesia is a very robust and fast-growing media market. Currently, we have six pay-TV partners in this market, and we will totally support them because of our TV affiliates. So we are offering beIN Sports Connect as a value-added service to their customers.
We also have a growing digital aggregation business. The media landscape is changing, everything is becoming internet delivered. So that ia exactly what we are doing. We are taking the opportunity to enhance the product and the connection we have with Indonesian customers.
Q: Why do you think the timing is right to launch the service today?
A: We could have launched it earlier, but this has been an ongoing development. Indonesia is our fourth market in Asia, after Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. We have a partnership with SuperSoccer here, and that will continue. It was really a matter of us developing the right technology to be able to integrate with many partners in the market. We plan to launch in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Phillippinea before the year-end.
Q: Is beIN Sports the only player here?
A: No, SuperSoccer has done a fantastic job here, with the Serie A, they also have other rights to international competitions. Fox Sports is also here focusing on AFC (Asian Football Confederation) content, premium tennis and golf. We are the new player since 2014; we will focus on bringing premium soccee content.
In the long term, we are looking to expand our channela, not just sports channels. In 2016, we acquired Miramax Studio, which has a library of more than 700 movies. To integrate that within the group is probably the opportunity in the future.
Q: Do you think there will be more city-based soccer fans that subscribe?
A: The penetration of mobile internet means we should reach everyone, sports fans aren't defined by where their live. It is part of our DNA, sports is very much of the human psyche, it's one team against another team and it really generates the fan base and support. Through new technology and a digital platform, we will certainly reach every sports fan in Indonesia. That's our goal.
Q: Will the service feature Indonesian leagues in the future?
A: We don't have such a plan in the future. However, we wouldn't rule out any sports content. I think what we want to do is to engage with Indonesian fans, but we certainly have interest in local leagues. It's very encouraging to see the local leagues in Asia and Indonesia growing and becoming a lot more stable. If it makes sense for us, from a business perspective, we can certainly create a business partnership to exploit the local leagues to provide value to the fans, then we would certainly conaider it.
Q: How do you see beIN Sports in five years from now?
A: The media landscape is changing and therefore promotes the biggest opportunity? This has been the most ideal in the media industry. Things will change and develop; some traditional businessman would change their business model. As technology advances, we will find new options to deliver a better experience for the customers. We are young and nimble, and very flexible, and need to stay that way to keep our existence in the world market.
We like to view the future as a fantastic opportunity, more partners and being established in Indonesia and elsewhere. I am very confident and optimistic about our future.
Jp/Bangkit Jaya Putra
Through one of its services, beIN Sports, which broadcasts world-class sports events, beIN is tapping into the country's growing mobile platform business by launching the Indonesian version of "beIN Sports Connect," a streaming service.
The service offers the country's soccer fans access to the world of soccer, including the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, LaLiga, Ligue 1, MLS, Superliga Argentina, Turkish Super Lig and Hyundai A-League.
The service - offering both live streaming and recorded matches - is worth Rp 75,000 (US$ 5.52) per month in a promotional package.
At the service's launch event on Tuesday, The Jakarta Post's Dicky Christanto talked to beIN Sport's Asia-Pacific operational managing director Mike Kerr about the business. Below are the excerpts from the interview.
Question: Indonesia is a promising market with 125 million smartphone users. But other than that, why has beIN decided to launch the Indonesian version of Sports Connect?
Answer: Indonesia is a very robust and fast-growing media market. Currently, we have six pay-TV partners in this market, and we will totally support them because of our TV affiliates. So we are offering beIN Sports Connect as a value-added service to their customers.
We also have a growing digital aggregation business. The media landscape is changing, everything is becoming internet delivered. So that ia exactly what we are doing. We are taking the opportunity to enhance the product and the connection we have with Indonesian customers.
Q: Why do you think the timing is right to launch the service today?
A: We could have launched it earlier, but this has been an ongoing development. Indonesia is our fourth market in Asia, after Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. We have a partnership with SuperSoccer here, and that will continue. It was really a matter of us developing the right technology to be able to integrate with many partners in the market. We plan to launch in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and the Phillippinea before the year-end.
Q: Is beIN Sports the only player here?
A: No, SuperSoccer has done a fantastic job here, with the Serie A, they also have other rights to international competitions. Fox Sports is also here focusing on AFC (Asian Football Confederation) content, premium tennis and golf. We are the new player since 2014; we will focus on bringing premium soccee content.
In the long term, we are looking to expand our channela, not just sports channels. In 2016, we acquired Miramax Studio, which has a library of more than 700 movies. To integrate that within the group is probably the opportunity in the future.
Q: Do you think there will be more city-based soccer fans that subscribe?
A: The penetration of mobile internet means we should reach everyone, sports fans aren't defined by where their live. It is part of our DNA, sports is very much of the human psyche, it's one team against another team and it really generates the fan base and support. Through new technology and a digital platform, we will certainly reach every sports fan in Indonesia. That's our goal.
Q: Will the service feature Indonesian leagues in the future?
A: We don't have such a plan in the future. However, we wouldn't rule out any sports content. I think what we want to do is to engage with Indonesian fans, but we certainly have interest in local leagues. It's very encouraging to see the local leagues in Asia and Indonesia growing and becoming a lot more stable. If it makes sense for us, from a business perspective, we can certainly create a business partnership to exploit the local leagues to provide value to the fans, then we would certainly conaider it.
Q: How do you see beIN Sports in five years from now?
A: The media landscape is changing and therefore promotes the biggest opportunity? This has been the most ideal in the media industry. Things will change and develop; some traditional businessman would change their business model. As technology advances, we will find new options to deliver a better experience for the customers. We are young and nimble, and very flexible, and need to stay that way to keep our existence in the world market.
We like to view the future as a fantastic opportunity, more partners and being established in Indonesia and elsewhere. I am very confident and optimistic about our future.
Jp/Bangkit Jaya Putra
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