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Catchplay (stylized as CATCHPLAY) is a Taiwanese multimedia company founded in 2007. The business includes OTT VOD streaming service operation, linear television channel operation (CatchPlay Movie Channel), and theatrical film distribution. It operates as the Taiwanese branch of CatchPlay, Inc. (Chinese: 威望國際娛樂股份有限公司), a company registered in the Cayman Islands.[citation needed]
 | |
| Industry | Entertainment |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Taipei, Taiwan |
Key people | Cher Wang, Timothy Chen, Daphne Yang |
| Products | Motion pictures Film production Television syndication Film distribution Mobile entertainment Video on demand Digital distribution |
| Parent | CatchPlay Media Holding Company |
| Website | www.catchplay.com |
In 2014 the brand began to extend into more diverse aspects of the movie entertainment industry. Its first production investment was co-financing the Taiwanese film Paradise in Service. Since then, Catchplay has expanded its investments to include three New Regency films; most notably The Revenant and Assassin’s Creed in 2016–17. In 2015, Catchplay began partnering with local telecom providers across Southeast Asia to launch Catchplay On Demand, a premium movie on-demand service.[1]
Origins
editOriginally established in 2005 in Fremont, CA by Timothy Chen, VIA OnDemand announced its digital download offering during Computex in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2006.[2] They later rebranded as Catchplay. In 2008, Catchplay announced intentions to expand into the theatrical distribution business and relocated its headquarters to Taiwan.
VIA OnDemand started as part of the parent VIA Group before rebranding as Catchplay under founder Timothy Chen (World Economic Forum Young Global Leader), and prominent shareholder Cher Wang, co-founder of HTC and integrated chipset maker VIA Technologies. Harvey Chang, previously chief executive officer of Taiwan Mobile, joined Catchplay in 2012 as Chairman of Catchplay Media Holding Company. In the same year, Daphne Yang joined Catchplay as executive director and Group CEO following an early career in advertising and nearly 8 years as Vice President of Marketing at Taiwan Mobile.
Theatrical and DVD Distribution
editIn 2008, Catchplay's theatrical distribution business was relocated to Taiwan. After starting a distribution run of 12 titles in 2008 – including Rambo and Righteous Kill – business has grown steadily and currently averages more than 30 titles distributed theatrically each year. Over the same period, Catchplay became the largest independent distributor of DVD rights, claiming nearly 2,200 licensed titles to date.
Feature Film Production
editCatchplay made its first feature film production investment by co-financing the Taiwanese film Paradise in Service; which premiered as the opening film at the 2014 Busan International Film Festival. That same year, Catchplay co-produced 20 Once Again with CJ Entertainment and the film went on to gross $380M RMB at the box office in China.[3]
In early 2015, Catchplay established a partnership to invest in three New Regency titles – The Revenant, Assassin’s Creed and Splinter Cell – marking the first investment by a Taiwanese company in major Hollywood productions.[4] Catchplay and its partners will exclusively distribute the films in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Additionally, Catchplay supported shooting for and invested in the production of Martin Scorsese’s passion project, Silence, which was shot entirely in Taiwan.
In July 2020, Catchplay announced the partnerships with Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) to form the joint venture SCREENWORKS ASIA. This was done to support the developments of Taiwanese films and TV series.[5] They were credited on the second season of coming-of-age family dramedy The Making of An Ordinary Woman and their first unscripted talk show Dee's Talk. Catchplay was also responsible to co-produce and co-distribute The World Between Us alongside HBO Asia.
Movie Channels and Content Aggregation
editCapitalizing on the digitalization of Taiwan's pay to view TV systems, Catchplay Movie Channel was launched in early 2013. Today the service has approximately one million subscribers and is rated as one of the most popular digital movie channels in Taiwan. The channel has officially replaced Star Chinese Movies on January 1, 2024, in which follow the earlier channel closure due to Disney+ rollouts.[6]
In addition to its own movie channel, Catchplay supplies content for various Video on demand services in Taiwan, including Chunghwa Telecom's Hami Video, Taiwan Mobile’s MyVideo, and Far EasTone’s Friday Video in addition to the VOD services provided by pay TV operators in Taiwan.
Partnerships
editIn Taiwan, Catchplay partners with Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone to offer OTT services for mobile paid streaming. Chunghwa Telecom (IPTV) and CNS (Cable TV) are Catchplay's major content aggregation partners. Sony Taiwan is the first smart TV preload partner for Catchplay.[citation needed]
In Singapore, Catchplay operates both a TVOD service, Catchplay On Demand, and an SVOD service, Catchplay Unlimited, on StarHub TV and StarHub Go. Catchplay Unlimited is a subscription-based movie channel, while Catchplay On Demand premieres current blockbuster Hollywood Studio and independent movies just a few months after their theatrical debuts.
In Indonesia, Catchplay On Demand premiered exclusively for IndiHome (Telkomsel) subscribers in June 2016 on IndiHome's hybrid (IPTV & OTT) set top boxes in addition to web and mobile app service, marking the first seamless triple-play VOD service in the Indonesian market. While the service has also opened up for other partners and directly to all consumers in Indonesia, the brands continue to work closely together.[citation needed]
Movies On Demand (MOD)
editCatchplay On Demand, a premium VOD service began rolling out to markets in Southeast Asia in 2016. After an initial launch in Taiwan in March, service soon expanded to Singapore and Indonesia. Catchplay works closely with telecom providers in each market to provide fully integrated OTT services.
In addition to its long-established strength in acquiring independent films and local content for each market, Catchplay has multi-territory studio agreements that allow the service to feature the latest cinematic releases as soon as they become available. Studio digital partnerships include NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., Disney and Paramount.
Most recently, Catchplay On Demand has been rebranded as Catchplay+. This service includes not only movies but also TV series' and Anime as well. It became official OTT broadcasters for 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards in Taiwan & Indonesia, the event was aired simultaneously with US broadcasts and was available to be streamed on demand immediately after.
| Market | Movie Fans Price | Movie Lovers Price | Video Quality | Languages Supported | Apple TV + Chromecast Compatible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | FREE | Rp. 45,000 | HD Available | Bahasa, English (Most titles) | Yes |
| Singapore | FREE | SGD $9.90 | English, Mandarin (Some titles) | Yes | |
| Taiwan | FREE | TWD $199 | Mandarin, English | Yes |
References
edit- ^ "Catchplay Launches Asian Streaming Service". Variety. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
- ^ "Catchplay Launches Asian Streaming Service". Variety. Retrieved 2016-03-22. [verification needed]
- ^ "China Box Office: 'Running Man' Overtakes 'The Hobbit' as 'Hunger Games' Opens Big". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-12-19.
- ^ "Taiwan's Catchplay Launches OTT Movie Service in Singapore". Variety. Retrieved 2016-08-15.
- ^ "Taiwan's Screenworks Asia Positions Itself as Development Hub for Regional Content". Variety. 2020-09-19. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
- ^ "迪士尼撤台！CATCHPLAY接手「邵雨薇床戰鳳小岳」超狂片單全公佈". SET News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.