iFlix and Netflix battle it out to conquer the Southeast Asian market. The two streaming service giants fight to gain dominance in the area.
Inc. reported that Malaysian-based video streaming company iFlix had already started to build its empire in the Southeast Asian market. The business began making its services available in Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.
However, earlier this year, Netflix expanded to over 130 countries globally. The news was confirmed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last January.
Group CEO and co-founder Mark Britt denied that Netflix's entry in the continent has changed the company's business strategy. He added that "demand for iFlix has been phenomenal."
"In response to both rapid growth and customer adoption in our existing markets and strong demand from new markets, we have accelerated our expansion plans," Britt revealed. The company is said to have garnered over 2 million subscribers.
According to Telecom Paper, iFlix has recently partnered with state-owned operator Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom). The streaming service will be available in the country by June.
Initially, the service will be available exclusively to subscribers of Telkom's home broadband internet and pay-TV service IndiHome. The subscription is priced at IDR 39,000 (about $3.1) per month.
Inc. added that Netflix's presence in the region would be a good thing for customers. It is believed that competition will make the two companies improve their services and give competitive prices.
"This is very similar to the presence of Uber in the competitive ride-sharing market, which has forced players such as Grab to improve and evolve its services and rethink their pricing strategy," Yves Gonzalez, mobile solutions director and social command head at MRM//McCann-the digital marketing arm of the McCann World Group, said. iFlix is the less expensive option but it does not have the HD and Ultra HD viewing option.
It was previously reported that Netflix is planning to increase the monthly subscription cost for its grandfathered users. The new price is $2 higher than its previous price point. Since October, new customers have been charged with $9.99 for the service's most popular plan.
