PLDT partners with Roku for streaming TV service

MANILA, Philippines - PLDT Inc. has partnered with US-based video streaming platform Roku Inc. to provide subscribers access to a new television (TV) streaming service.

“We are seeing a growing demand for internet-delivered TV services in the country and there is no better partner for us to give Filipinos the world of entertainment than Roku which after all is the pioneer in streaming TV,” Oscar Reyes Jr., PLDT first vice president and head of Home Operations said in a statement yesterday.

Roku has over 10 million active accounts in 10 countries including the US, United Kingdom and Australia.

Roku products such as streaming sticks and players connect directly to TV sets to enable users to stream entertainment.

Andrew Ferrone, vice president of Pay TV at Roku said the partnership would be beneficial to PLDT in terms of marketing the new service.

“By leveraging Roku’s streaming platform to launch a brand new TV service, PLDT will dramatically cut down it’s time to market, so Filipino consumers can enjoy the best entertainment on their TV at home,” he said.

Reyes said Roku’s platform would complement PLDT Home’s current array of content from various providers that include iflix and Fox International Channels.

At present, PLDT Home broadband subscribers are able to enjoy subscription video on demand through their iflix accounts which include Western as well as Asian and local TV shows and films.

PLDT’s partnership with Fox meanwhile, allows subscribers to access live streaming and catch-up TV of various shows on Fox channels.

Amid growing demand for video streaming services, PLDT Home has also been increasing the speed of its Fiber plans.

PLDT Home’s most recent upgrade has reached as high as one Gbps to the rising demand for bandwidth-heavy apps like video streaming.

Given the changing needs of customers, PLDT is going beyond its traditional businesses of voice and text messaging and putting greater focus in offering digital services.