The company at the launch said that the service won’t be limited to credit card holders. Singtel said it will use its “billing capabilities” in countries where credit card ownership remains low.
This will be the first video streaming service in Asia. Its biggest competitor, obviously, is Netflix, but its expansion into Asia has been slow. Netflix ventured into Australia and New Zealand last year, but there’s no word on when it’ll hit the other markets.
Piracy and lack of awareness are often cited as major barriers for licensed streaming services in Asia. With peer-to-peer file sharing as well as VPN services at any user’s fingertips, people can easily access the latest shows as they are released. Even as local versions of Netflix become available, it sometimes fails to draw in audiences due to the limited range of programs caused by licensing issues.