TV choice improves for Vietnam
January 27, 2015
By Chris Forrester
A BBC Monitoring report says that many of Vietnam’s pay-TV distributors are adding extra channels as competition in the sector gets tougher. K+ Satellite Digital Television, Saigontourist Cable Television (SCTV) and An Vien Television (AVG) have all announced new channels in their packages for 2015. K+ added Screen RED and AFC on January 8th, after introducing two other channels in December last year.
SCTV has also launched new channels as well as new programmes. The provider plans to focus on investing in film channels such as SCTV14, a Vietnamese film channel; SCTV9, an Asian film channel; and SCTV16, a new action film channel, which was launched on January 1st.
AVG has announced new domestic and international channels, bringing the number of channels on its digital terrestrial television service in the South to 100.
Beside the new domestic channel An Ninh The Gioi (ANTG), AVG’s customers will be able to enjoy new international channels such as Screen Red, Warner TV, Cinema World, GEM TV, Bloomberg and BBC-Knowledge.
The fact that pay TV service providers have stopped trying to undercut each other is a positive sign for the sector, as Vietnam’s ARPU for pay TV is the lowest in ASEAN region.
In 2013, the country’s ARPU was about $4-5, while the figure stood at $32 in Singapore, $30 in Malaysia, $11 in Indonesia and Thailand, $10 in Cambodia and Myanmar, and $9 in the Philippines.