HOOQ Philippines recently hosted a screening for The Oath, the first HOOQ Originals Series at their office in Bonifacio Global City.
We were absolutely charmed by the interiors of their office, which has one wall that asks something that we should ponder ourselves during sticky situations: “What would Olivia Pope do?”
Olivia Pope is the fictional lead character in the hit political TV drama Scandal. The character, played by Kerry Washington, is a strategist/crisis PR expert/lobbyist/lawyer.
We also got the chance to talk to HOOQ Philippines’s new Country Manager Sheila Paul, who we’ve interviewed several times in the past.
“In the past three years, we’ve learned so much about our users. We know what they like to watch, what time they watch, and how many hours they spend online. We’re using this to move forward and build our content. HOOQ Originals Series is something you won’t find in any other service but we think it will resonate with our audiences in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore,” Paul said.
The Oath is the first HOOQ Originals, and Paul added that we can expect more in the future. Set in Los Angeles, the series is a hard-hitting cop drama that delves deep into the world of gangs inside the police force. The series, directed by Jeff T. Thomas and Luis Prieto, is produced by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson (Power) and his G-Unit Film & Television Inc.; Todd Hoffman and Dennis Kim of Storied Media Group; Anne Clements (StartUp) and Joe Halpin. It is distributed by Sony Pictures Television.
Paul said they have also started production for On The Job 2, a HOOQ original production with Globe Studios and Reality Entertainment.
“We’re really looking forward to bringing you more originals, to being the home of Asian originals,” Paul said. According to Paul, HOOQ viewers are mostly on their mobiles as choice of programs is really something personal as opposed to, say, everyone watching on a common screen.
A growing trend, she added, is screen-casting or mirroring. This means viewing the media content on your phone, tablet or laptop on a bigger screen like a TV. This is done via devices like an Apple TV, Roku or Chromecast. “It’s interesting that we’re seeing a 5-percent to 10-percent growth in the past year in the use of mirroring devices among our users,” Paul said.
Viewership of Hollywood and Filipino content among HOOQ users in the Philippines is 50-50 right now, thanks to content like indie films, notably Kita Kita. The film, which stars Alessandra de Rossi and Empoy, debuted on HOOQ last month.
“There is a growing consciousness in the consumption of Filipino content and this says something about the quality of Filipino content. We have good quality Filipino films on HOOQ that out viewers are watching,” Paul added.
Kita Kita, in fact, exceeded HOOQ’s expectations in terms of viewership. It caught up with HOOQ’s top titles in a short span of time.
“In terms of viewing minutes, you would think Kita Kita has been there since last year when, in fact, it’s only been there since February 9,” Paul said.
This month lovers of animated films can enjoy Pixar’s Coco and comic-book fans can rejoice as HOOQ brings you the absolute best that the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universe has to offer with Thor: Ragnarok and Justice League. Those looking to make a trip to a galaxy far, far away can eagerly await the arrival of Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and, finally, for the nostalgic lovers of 1990s cinema, the highly successful Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle would be a winning choice.
Customers can simply download the HOOQ app from the Apple App Store or Google Play, sign up or log in, to access HOOQ’s extensive library of Hollywood and Asian hits. Globe subscribers can get to try HOOQ for up to 90 days on selected mobile and broadband plans. Find out more and sign up today for a complimentary trial at www.hooq.tv.