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Google eyes deal to beat TikTok; Indonesia's Gojek launches streaming service

In this biweekly Asia video spotlight feature, S&P Global Market Intelligence provides a roundup of news related to over-the-top, video-on-demand and other online video initiatives in different Asian markets.

Top news

* Alphabet Inc.'s Google LLC held talks to buy video-sharing startup Firework, which lets users share 30-second videos via a free smartphone app, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. Firework, which was valued at more than US$100 million in a fundraising round earlier this year, could help Google challenge Beijing ByteDance Technology Co. Ltd.'s video-sharing app TikTok.

* As expected, Indonesian ride-hailing app Gojek launched a video streaming service called GoPlay that features original movies and TV shows. According to Reuters, subscriptions to GoPlay's mobile-only streaming platform starts at 89,000 rupiah per month. While focused on Indonesian content, GoPlay also inked deals with international production companies for partial access to their libraries, including with South Korean entertainment giant CJ E&M for TV shows.

* Tencent Holdings Ltd., which owns the digital streaming rights for the National Basketball Association's games in China, temporarily suspended preseason broadcast arrangements with the NBA after a Houston Rockets executive expressed support for the Hong Kong protests in a tweet.

Content and carriage deals

* Netflix Inc. ordered a ten-episode anime series from Japanese director Masaaki Yuasa titled "Japan Sinks 2020," Vulture reported. The show will premiere in 2020.

* Pakistani telecom operator Jazz will stream the Pakistan-Sri Lanka cricket series on its Jazz TV app. Launched early this year, Jazz TV offers more than 60 live channels streaming in Pakistan.

* Hooq Digital Pte. Ltd. unveiled 19 new projects from across Southeast Asia as part of the company's plan to deliver 100 originals by the second quarter of 2020, World Screen reported. The new projects include 12 series and seven movies, with the majority of the projects focused on Indonesia.

* Thailand-based telco TrueMove H is teaming up with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. to offer free Premier League football content to all users of Samsung Galaxy handsets via the True ID video-on-demand platform, Manager reported.

* Netflix is making the first episode of its latest Indian original series, "Bard of Blood," available to non-subscribers in India in a bid to attract potential subscribers amid growing competition in the country, The Economic Times (India) reported. The episode, available for a limited time, can be accessed via Netflix's homepage and can be viewed across all web browsers on desktop and Android devices.

* SK Telecom Co. Ltd. is collaborating with TikTok to provide its 5G users with higher resolution video content on the platform, ZDNet Korea reported. Under the tie-up, TikTok will make 720p high definition resolution video, instead of the standard 480p resolution, available for the telco's 5G users.

* Facebook Inc. inked a four-year deal with the International Cricket Council to secure exclusive digital content rights until 2023 for global ICC events in the Indian subcontinent. Under the deal, the social media giant will show post-match recaps and in-play key moments and other feature content of the matches in the region.

Service launches

* Rakuten Inc. launched a new video streaming service called NBA Rakuten to stream basketball games from the start of the NBA season on Oct. 23. The service will incorporate Rakuten TV's Rakuten NBA Special content program with the subscription-based NBA League Pass service.

* Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd.'s video streaming platform ZEE5 launched Infonomix, an advertising solution designed to help brands benefit from precise targeting and segmentation capabilities, Television Post reported.

* KT Corp. is collaborating with NAVER Corp.'s livestreaming platform V LIVE to introduce V LIVE VR, a virtual reality-powered service to watch celebrity content, Chosun Biz reported.

* HOOQ launched HOOQ Media Exchange, a digital alliance with telecom and in-app gaming operators in Southeast Asia and India that offers targeted, premium advertising solutions. According to Mumbrella, the alliance includes Singtel, Bharti Airtel Ltd. and gaming company POKKT.

* Indonesian streaming platform Vidio is partnering with mobile technology company Fortumo OU to launch a direct carrier billing service. Under the new offering, customers of PT Indosat Tbk, XL Axiata and PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk can charge their payments for Vidio Premier to their mobile operator invoice.

* Youku Tudou Inc. launched a new platform for interactive content distribution and supporting developers with guidelines on production. The company also set up a 1 billion yuan fund to attract content creators.

Other news

* U.S. Senator Marco Rubio wants the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to conduct a full review of ByteDance's acquisition of Musical.ly Inc., a California-based video sharing platform it later rebranded as TikTok, over potential national security risks due to TikTok's alleged censorship of content deemed sensitive by the Chinese government.

* Qutoutiao Inc. is working on two short video products in a bid to challenge ByteDance's TikTok and Kuaishou, 36Kr reported.

* Indian video-on-demand service SonyLIV is adding PayPal Holdings Inc. as a payment option on its platform, Television Post reported.

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