TVB beefs up content distribution overseas with its own online mall
International TVB Anywhere service now available in Canada, Britain and Australia
Television Broadcasts (TVB) is ratcheting up efforts to reach more Chinese-speaking communities around the world with the introduction of its TVB Anywhere electronic “shopping mall” for viewers in Canada, Britain and Australia.
The new initiative is expected to help further curtail the use of illegal over-the-top (OTT) video set-top boxes and pirated video-streaming services in overseas markets, according to TVB.
“The shopping mall carries the popular TVB Jade, News and other thematic channels, including Asian Action, Entertainment News, TVB Live Shows and TVB Radio, as well as voluminous video-on-demand programmes which can be viewed on our prescribed set-top box or mobile app,” Desmond Chan Shu-hung, TVB’s deputy general manager for legal and international operations, said in a statement.
“Users around the world can buy a title from the shopping mall as a gift and send it to relatives and friends ... for viewing.”
Viewers in the United States, New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong do not have full access to the shopping mall. They can view programmes through TVB’s local partners.
The overseas distribution businesses of TVB in North America, Europe and Australia operate under a pay-TV business model, using satellite delivery and OTT technology.