Netflix competitor iFlix is now available in Indonesia

Catcha Group CEO Patrick Grove talks about iFlix at Tech in Asia Singapore 2016.

It was just a matter of time for iFlix to officially announce its launch in Indonesia – and that happened yesterday.

The on-demand video platform from Malaysia (part of the Catcha Group empire) is similar to Netflix and Hooq, both of which became available in Indonesia earlier this year.

Iflix’s movie collection is available for a subscription fee of US$2.93 a month, making it cheaper than its competitors. Netflix’ basic monthly subscription in Indonesia comes at US$8.19, while Hooq’s is US$3.72.

The three platforms also differ in the type and amount of content they offer.

Iflix has repeatedly pointed out that it intends to cater to Asian viewers’ preferences and is even working on original content for this region. It also allows offline viewing of up to 10 titles, which is another nod toward localization. In Southeast Asia, not everyone has access to a stable internet connection all the time, which makes offline viewing attractive.

Cam Walker, chief executive of iFlix Indonesia, said at the launch event that the archipelago is the fourth market for iFlix. It first became available in Malaysia, followed by Thailand and the Philippines.

Before taking iFlix Indonesia’s reigns, Cam was head of content development at Indonesian media conglomerate Emtek Group. Emtek is one of the investors in iFlix – it participated in the US$45 million investment round in March, along with Rupert Murdoch’s Sky.

Not making Netflix’s mistake

Iflix did not only build close ties with Emtek, it also partnered up with Indonesia’s state telco Telkom before making its debut in the country.

In this arrangement, all subscribers to Telkom’s fixed line internet, IndiHome, get access to iFlix’s content for free.

For failing to set up a similar partnership prior to launch, Netflix got itself banned from all of Telkom’s internet pipes, including its mobile network Telkomsel.

However, iFlix’s partnership with Telkom isn’t meant to be exclusive for the long term. After Ramadan, iFlix will reveal a partnership deal with Indosat Oredoo, Cam told Tech in Asia.

Converted from Indonesian Rupiah. Rate: US$1 = IDR 13,310.

This article first appeared in Indonesian, written by Elfa Putri Setyanti. Information was translated and edited for this version.