Hong Kong-based i-Cable Communications Limited has announced that i-CABLE will launch a streaming service (i-CABLE FAST channel) in Macau as early as July, providing diversified content that will bring together programmes from i-CABLE’s three HOY channels, as well as programme providers from mainland China and overseas. It will also enhance the viewing experience of online viewers through new technologies, thereby increasing the quality and quantity of premium content that Hong Kong viewers can watch for free.
i-CABLE FAST will be broadcast in Macau through cooperation with China Mobile International, CTM and HKAI, using new technology to allow nearly 700,000 local citizens to smoothly watch HOY programmes on the online platform and enjoy a better streaming experience. The company says it plans to also expand i-CABLE FAST to other regions.
Partnering with Broadpeak and The Trade Desk
i-Cable says its HOY official app has also been integrated with cloud advertising technology platform Broadpeak and advertising platform The Trade Desk to enhance the accuracy of advertising push on the group’s streaming platform, improve advertising delivery efficiency and help customers implement more effective advertising strategies.
The company says, “By simultaneously enhancing efficiency from content to advertising, we can serve viewers and advertisers more directly, attract more users and increase advertising revenue.”
i-Cable Enters Micro-Series Market
The Group has also entered into partnerships with emerging short drama platforms including Saros TV. Saros TV is an overseas-oriented short drama platform with a library of tens of thousands of short dramas, hoping to promote high-quality short dramas as cultural products to the international market. In addition to establishing a short drama library, building a short drama platform, and developing overseas markets, the Group is also preparing for co-production and self-production of short dramas, and tailor-made short drama placement and promotion plans for customers.
Preparations are being made to start filming a number of high-quality short short dramas, collaborating with a number of well-known actors, covering a variety of themes such as police and gangsters, comedy and romance. i-Cable is also studying co-production of short short dramas with partners at home and abroad including Saros TV, using self-produced short short dramas to explore Asian and other markets, becoming the first Hong Kong media to fully participate in the short short drama market.
According to the company, micro short dramas have developed rapidly in mainland China in recent years. They are mainly watched on mobile phones. Each episode is about 1 to 3 minutes long and is a fast-paced drama that is popular among young people and women. According to market research, nearly 37,000 micro short dramas were launched in the mainland last year. The company says the market size has surpassed that of movies, reaching RMB 50.4 billion (US$7 billion), a year-on-year increase of 35%. It is expected to exceed RMB 60 billion (US$8.35 billion in 2025 and expand rapidly in overseas markets.
i-Cable Communications Limited CEO and Executive Director Du Zhike said that this series of measures around online and HOY application short dramas, FAST platform and online advertising technology platform further realised the Group’s omni-media development strategy.
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