Iflix scores fresh investment, partners with Yoshimoto and Mediacorp

Video-streaming service iFlix has secured funding from Japanese media and entertainment group Yoshimoto Kogyo as part of a broader strategic partnership between the two companies.

The amount of funding was undisclosed, though iFlix said it is “significant.”

Photo credit: iFlix

Yoshimoto says that its strategic investment in the Kuala Lumpur-based company is its first in Southeast Asia. The pair will form a joint venture to showcase Yoshimoto’s content – which includes anime, movies, and comedy – across iFlix’s markets in Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.

The joint venture will also produce localized versions of “proven content formats” from Japan, as well as distributing iFlix’s existing content in the country.

Iflix and Mediacorp have also announced a strategic partnership, which will see the streaming platform carry over 500 hours of Chinese- and English-language content produced by the Singaporean broadcaster.

The content will be available on both iFlixVIP – the platform’s subscription service – and iFlixFree, its ad-supported tier.

Mediacorp said it hopes the collaboration – which will take a selection of its TV shows and films to 13 of iFlix’s Asian markets – can further expand its footprint, particularly in Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines.

The Singaporean media firm has signed similar content deals with Netflix, Youku, and Tencent.

“Our deepening relationship with a progressive partner like Mediacorp […] is a massive boost to iFlix’s advertising video-on-demand business,” said Craig Galvin, iFlix’s global head of content.