Video in ride-hailing apps may sound unique, but Go-Jek, Grab’s arch-rival headquartered in Indonesia, last year waded into video content, both through partnerships and its own productions. With Go-Jek making the leap, Grab is on a push to go beyond transport and become an everyday “super app” by integrating a video-on-demand service HOOQ into its core ride-hailing app.
Regardless of the utility, the focus of the app now shifts to entertainment is designed to keep users engaged with the app even when they don’t need a ride. The partnership between Grab and HOOQ will be available by the end of March, with Singapore and Indonesia as the initial focus.
“Singapore and Indonesia will be the first launch markets for this partnership, with a ‘Video’ tile in the Grab app going live by the end of the first quarter. Philippines and Thailand will follow. Grab users will be offered a three-month access [pass] to HOOQ’s wide range of Hollywood and Asian titles, which can be played directly from the Grab app,” Grab said in a statement.
Leaning on Grab’s presence is certainly the appeal for HOOQ, which was started in 2015 by Singapore telco Singtel, Sony Pictures and Warner Brothers. Therefore, the benefit of the partnership is the potential access to Grab’s 130 million registered users, represents one of the largest digital platforms in Southeast Asia, where Grab is present in eight countries.
In an interview, HOOQ CEO Peter Bithos said, “Our strategy is around finding digital partners where we are complementary — We’re inverting the customer experience and putting HOOQ into other people’s products”. He also stated that the partnership intended for customers to easily access the freemium service without having to download an app or sign up to a different service. Initially, a play to out-localize Netflix in Southeast Asia, HOOQ has recast its position somewhat in recent times.