Newest OTT player in the country, POPTV, teams up with Pangasinan Solid North Transit Inc. to bring bus passengers the first in-transit video-on-demand service that will allow them to watch content absolutely for free.
“One of the major concerns of Filipinos when it comes to streaming content is data or wi-fi connectivity,” said Jackeline Chua, COO of POPTV. “Filipinos love to consume content but they don’t enjoy it fully because of the limited access. That’s why when we decided to do our OTT business here in the Philippines, we know that it is not just content that we should focus on, but also access.”
As a solution, POPTV is pioneering a router-like device that will grant free access to its array of local movies and Filipino-dubbed foreign shows while aboard a Solid North bus bound for Baguio City and back. Passengers will simply connect to the POPTV1 or POPTV2 hotspots, enter the password “poptvpinas,” log on to their POPV app, and enjoy all of its content including a separate service called POPTV Kids, which offers Filipino-dubbed content exclusively for kids ages 3-10.
Pay your POPTV subscription at any RD Pawnshop branch nationwide
POPTV subscriptions now available at all M Lhuillier branches
The POPTV device installed inside the bus is pre-loaded with the titles available for streaming and is not dependent on data or WiFi signal strength.
“With this partnership, we continue to upscale our customer’s experience to another level with the value-addition of POPTV on our long-haul route PITX-Baguio,” said Quino Angelo Sarmiento, Marketing Head of Pangasinan Solid North Transit. “This platform empowers the passenger to watch movies and tv shows while on-board the bus, free of charge using their smartphones.”
Expansion
When asked about the expansion of this first-of-its-kind service, Chua confirmed that they will roll out the service to more buses and even ferries this year.
“The goal is to really reach more Filipinos. Targeting passengers is just the beginning. Later on, we will be installing this device also in high-traffic public areas like shopping malls or barangay halls,” Chua said.
POPTV offers local titles from ABS-CBN Films, Regal Films, PGN, and TBA Studio, and Filipino-dubbed acquired titles from Korea’s SBS, CJE&M, and CJ Entertainment, Thailand’s LINETV and GMMTV, and Hong Kong’s Medialink.
POPTV is available for download on Google Play, Huawei App Gallery, Apple App Store, and Samsung Galaxy Store. First-time users will get a 3-day free trial and may opt to subscribe afterward for 2 days for only P20, 10 days for only P49, 30 days for only P99, and for half a year for only P300.
POPTV subscriptions can be purchased via load deduction through SMART or Google Pay; or may be transacted via credit/debit card or GCash app. It is also available on Shopee, Lazada, all branches of M Lhuillier, USSC, and RD Pawnshops nationwide, and in sari sari stores in key cities in Luzon.