Battle for Hong Kong viewers heats up as ATV fades from the screen
Internet players and pay TV operators compete to lure audiences, but critics say the days of audiences paying subscription fees are numbered
While Friday’s finale of ATV might be the end of an era for Hong Kong’s free television, pay TV and over the top internet players are waging a new war with new strategies to win over audiences.
Mainland Chinese OTT content provider LeEco is offering free TV sets for English Premier League fans who are willing to take out long-term subscriptions.
Pay-TV station Now TV, which also offers English Premier League under an agreement with LeEco, is forming a strategic partnership with Netflix to draw subscribers.
But critics say that as audiences can choose to watch TV content on various internet platforms free of charge, subscription-based content service providers face much tougher competition.
“Besides sports programmes, fewer people are willing to pay for content consumption,” said TV critic and industry insider Alex Pao Wai-chung.
“There’s little incentive for people to pay a subscription fee, as you can catch the content online on various other platforms for free with your own methods.”
LeEco’s strategy is to offer a free 40-inch television set to English Premier League subscribers who are willing to sign on for a two-year plan costing HK$1,690 per year.