GMA shows now available for streaming, offline viewing on HOOQ

(L-R) HOOQ Content and Programming Director Jeffrey Remigio, GMA New Media President Judd I. Gallares, GMA Network President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, HOOQ CEO Peter Bithos, GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon, GMA Network Director Joel G. Jimenez, HOOQ Head of Marketing Sheila Paul, GMA Network Executive Vice President and CFO Felipe S. Yalong, and GMA New Media Senior Vice President Dennis Caharian. PHOTO: Vic Etayid

 

GMA Network, Inc. has partnered with online video service provider HOOQ for both video streaming and offline viewing.

 

Since its launch in the Philippines last January, HOOQ has made 20 GMA titles available to its subscribers in the country and other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Indonesia. 

 

Among the local content available for streaming are 17 older programs and three new titles currently airing on TV including “The Half Sisters,” “My Faithful Husband,” and “Beautiful Strangers.”

 

According to HOOQ CEO Peter Bithos said, “Just like your television ratings, GMA is among the top content that we offer. When we set out to offer the best of Hollywood and the best of local content, whether it's great studios of America like Disney, Sony, and Warner Brothers, locally, we obviously had to have GMA in the mix.”

 

With a “catch up feature,” subscribers may view the latest episodes of their favorite Kapuso shows within 24 hours of television airing.

 

Bithos said more titles from GMA can be expected in the weeks to come.

 

Aside from that, it may also be possible that GMA and HOOQ partner to produce original content, according to Mr. Joel Jimenez, director of RGMA Network, Inc., GMA New Media, Inc., Scenarios, Inc., and GMA Worldwide, Inc. 

 

“That is part of the plan and that is something everyone is looking forward to. We're really excited, and that's to say the least. We've seen their plan and they're really exciting. It's really something that people would really want to watch and subscribe to,” he said.

 

Bandwidth challenges

 

One of the many concerns of Filipinos regarding online video services is the average quality of Internet service provided in the country.

 

To solve that problem, HOOQ introduced an offline viewing feature that lets the subscriber download its content and watch it even without internet connection.

 

“We understand the bandwidth challenges for the local Filipinos, so we have great features like an offline mode. With Hooq, you can watch the content that you like even when you don't have an Internet connection by downloading it onto your phone,” Bithos explained.

 

For P199 per month, subscribers may get unlimited access to over 30,000 hours of local and international content from Hollywood and parts of Asia.

 

Filipinos from rural areas are also part of the market, as well as Filipinos abroad.

 

Jimenez said, “One of the primary targets are the OFWs in Southeast Asia, so we could share our programs. With their set up, it's easier for the OFWs to watch GMA shows using their phones instead of cable TV. We're hoping this really helps our fellow Filipinos abroad.” —JST/KG, GMA News