Kwese’ iFlix and Netflix changing the world of entertainment
As the world cup is underway in Russia many football fans want to see every action as it happens. However due to commitments like work, school sometimes it becomes impossible to witness every moment of Russia2018 world extravaganza.
However, with vast developments in technology around the world, gone are the days when we had to be glued to TV screens in the comfort of our homes or in local pubs to watch the action. With the coming on board of Netflix and iFlix, the world of entertainment has been completely changed.
Many people nowadays use their mobile phones to stream live the action as it happens. Both iFlix and Netflix have changed the world of entertainment with streaming media and then again with sensational original shows.
TED curator Chris Anderson, Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings discusses the company’s bold internal culture, the powerful algorithm that fuels their recommendations, the $8 billion worth of original content they’re planning to produce this coming year and his philanthropic pursuits supporting innovative education, among much more.
Recently Kwese TV introduced the iFlix app to their service products in which subscribers can live stream the action in Russia. With this in mind, how do these to operate or differ.
This might be the question for many people. For its part, iFlix, which has raised $300 million and counts companies like UK’s Sky Television as investors, explains that the very reason for its existence is to switch consumers over from pirated DVDs to licensed content.
Comparisons to Netflix are inevitable, but the Kuala Lumpur-headquartered startup has tried to downplay this impression. Thus CEO Mark Britt played down that the two streaming companies don’t share the same target audience.
iFlix, with its price point of about US$3/month caters to the mass market, while Netflix, which is significantly more expensive at about US$10/month is trying to capture the “global elite”, he affirmed.
The Malay company, which now operates in 25 countries across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, relies on local teams to lock in licensing deals and enhanced payment options via partnerships with telcos & banks.
That’s radically different than Netflix, which allows anyone around the world to sign up (excluding China, North Korea, & Syria) provided they have a functional credit card.
This factor alone precludes the overwhelming majority of consumers in Southeast Asia and Africa. So iFlix has a more hyper-localized strategy, is focused on mass-market consumers, and offers a number of flexible payment options.
On the other hand, Netflix is relatively expensive, needs a fast and stable internet connection, but offers better content, HD quality video, and popular original programming.
