FOX+ IN ASIA

FOX+ first launched in the Philippines with seven more countries in the Asia Pacific to follow suit within the year.

“We have a great business here. We have millions of fans who consume our products. Filipinos love our products... it makes sense to start here,” Mr. Gandevia said, adding that the similarity between the viewing habits of Filipinos and Americans played a major part in Fox’s enduring popularity.

FOX channels have been in the country since the 1990s and the company set up a Manila office in 2010.

The entry of FOX+ makes it the fourth streaming service in the country after HOOQ, iflix, and Netflix, but Mr. Gandevia said they don’t consider themselves the fourth player in the market.

“I don’t look at ourselves as the fourth player in the market. We look at ourselves as first player to give the consumers what they want,” he said.

A FOX+ subscription at P390/ month. In comparison, Netflix starts at P370/month for the basic tier while HOOQ is P199 and iflix P129.

Much like HOOQ and iflix which can come bundled with existing mobile accounts ( or as add- ons) for less, FOX+ will be available for subscribers of Cignal and PLDT/ SMART broadband subscribers for a discounted price as the company wants to preserve the loyalty of their fans.

“We expect [ to become] the market leader,” he said before adding, “but for us, we want to be a very consumer-driven company... that’s why we shouldn’t be crazy about how many subscribers we have but in how much they love us.”

Mr. Gandevia expects that soon all of Fox fans in the country will have FOX+ to supplement their viewing habits. —