KUALA LUMPUR: Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd and China-based online entertainment services provider, iQiyi Inc, have launched a new online video application (app), which marks the latter’s first app outside China.

This follows a content partnership inked between Astro and iQiyi in June this year.

Astro has the exclusive right to deliver iQiyi content on television, On Demand and over-the-top in Malaysia, including the world’s first iQiyi branded channel comprising iQiyi’s extensive slate of original content from drama, variety shows and movies.

At the launch of the app yesterday, Astro chief executive officer Henry Tan said the partnership is timely, given that streaming services have continued to be in demand.

“We’re excited because iQiyi is at the forefront of video streaming, offering both compelling contents and a good user experience, which are our two main criteria when we look for streaming partners. We’re also looking forward to benefit from their know-how in data analytics and artificial intelligence,” he said.

While iQiyi will mainly feature Chinese-based content, Tan said, three original Astro shows will also be made available on the platform, with more to be added in the coming months.

“The partnership is a good synergy as it gives Malaysians an opportunity to be exposed to international content and vice versa, where local content can also be discovered,” he added.

Astro, he said, is continuously looking for new streaming providers to partner with and is currently in discussions with some from a few countries.

Meanwhile, the group is targeting an initial 100,000 new free subscribers on the platform in the first year.

iQiyi president of membership and overseas business group Yang Xianghau said what makes the platform attractive is the ease of user interface and high quality content offering.

The platform currently has over 100 million paid subscribers. Content-wise, there are over 11,000 video episodes across 2,500 titles.

“With strong market capabilities, outstanding content creation and distribution strength, Astro has been a close partner of iQiyi. We share the same belief of providing users with high quality entertainment experiences through technological innovation and content creativity. We are confident that this close partnership will continue to fully synergise through the creativity and capabilities of both parties to provide users in Malaysia with better services,” he said.

Astro shares closed unchanged on Bursa Malaysia at RM1.39 yesterday, valuing it at RM725 billion.