Go-Jek ventures into video streaming, partners with Vice on original content

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Photo credit: hendrikjan1958 / 123RF

Go-Jek is adding yet another string to its many-stringed bow.

Speaking at the Asia-Pacific Video Operators’ Summit in Badung yesterday, Michy Gustavia, the ride-hailing firm’s senior vice president of acquisition and development, revealed that the company will soon launch its own subscription-based platform for video streaming.

Named Go-Play, the service will feature original content crafted by the company’s new production house Go-Studios, The Nikkei Asian Review reported. This will include documentaries, short films, and feature-length works from local filmmakers produced exclusively for Go-Play, and will be “95 percent Indonesian-focused,” Gustavia said.

One of the first in-house projects is a documentary examining the experiences of women drivers who work in the ride-hailing sector, which Gustavia said has been submitted to several film festivals.

Go-Jek has also partnered with US media outlet Vice. The two firms said in a press release that they are co-producing a movie by Indonesian director Joko Anwar that’s set for release next year. They will also collaborate on original content, with a sports documentary series in the works, among other projects.

Gustavia said that Go-Play will be available on a subscription basis, with daily, monthly, and yearly payment options.

Subscription challenge

Photo credit: Go-Jek

Go-Jek has made no secret of its ambition to become the go-to place for Indonesian consumers’ everyday wants and needs.

It has cornered the local ride-hailing market, and its Go-Pay digital payments platform is close to ubiquitous. It connects millions of users with other on-demand services, from massages and phone credit top-ups, to food and medication delivery and events ticketing.

More recently, it has made the move into financial services, teaming up with state-owned Bank Negara Indonesia to provide microloans for small and medium-sized businesses.

With so many different strands to its business, Go-Jek’s move into video streaming and content production isn’t too much of a surprise.

Larger OTT players that are part of a wider group… may be the best poised for own-content production.