Turner, MBC & PCCW team up to bring the best of MBC across pay-TV, SVOD and OTT
Hallyu fans in Hong Kong can now tune in to the very latest drama and TV entertainment from one of Korea’s major networks and content creators, MBC. Turner and PCCW have announced the availability of a slew of Korean entertainment, premium drama series as well as variety and music programming across a number of platforms.
From January 12, now TV subscribers can watch a selection of top-rated shows on Turner’s 24-hour linear channel Oh!K. In addition, effective immediately, MBC shows are available through now TV’s SVOD service, Oh!K On Demand, as well as via Viu, a newly-launched OTT service from PCCW. Another part of the Turner-PCCW agreement is the delivery of MBC shows on now TV’s upcoming free-to-air channel, launching in April 2016.
Phil Nelson, Managing Director and Senior Vice President for Turner in Southeast Asia, said, “This is an outstanding multi-platform partnership. In its short history, Oh!K has grown significantly with the addition of Hong Kong to our distribution roadmap. Likewise, our content partnership with MBC has allowed new audiences – across all platforms – exposure to a truly impressive and exclusive line-up of Korean content.”
Current MBC shows of note include Glamorous Temptation and Sweet Mob Family, which air on Oh!K within 24 hours of its premiere, and Korea’s number-one variety show Infinite Challenge the same week as its original telecast. In January, Hong Kong viewers will be treated to one of the biggest Korean shows of 2015 – She Was Pretty.
In terms of variety programming, Infinite Challenge has been at the top of its game for more than 10 years with hosts Yoo Jae Suk, Park Myung Soo, Jung Joon Ha, Jung Hyung Don, Hwang Kwang Hee and Haha competing with each other in hilarious ways to win the challenge of the week.
Mr. Hyuk Jae Choi, Director of Global Business at MBC, added: “This announcement is great news for fans of our content in Hong Kong. We know that they crave MBC dramas and variety shows in both Chinese and English, as soon as possible after their original Korean broadcast, and on platforms beyond just the TV screen. Through Turner, PCCW and MBC, this has become a reality.”
Oh!K (Channel 154) will be part of now TV’s Asia Entertainment Package, and available with English and Traditional Chinese subtitles and Korean audio.
Oh!K, which launched in Singapore in 2014 and then Malaysia earlier this year, features an impressive line-up of first-run series. It is powered by content from leading Korean broadcaster, MBC, best-known for its hugely-popular recent productions such as Shine or Go Crazy, Jang Bo-Ri is Here, Kill Me, Heal Me, and Hwajeong.