Viu, a leading pan-regional OTT video service by PCCW Media Group, has recently teamed up with Globe Studios, the entertainment division of Globe Telecom, a leading telecommunications company in the Philippines, to co-produce Hello K-Idol – the first Viu Original reality show of its kind in the Philippines. Viu is proud to announce that viewers will now be able to watch Hello K-Idol on Viu platform and through a collaboration with ABS CBN on MYX Channel, the number one music channel in the Philippines. The first episode will be premiered on November 3.
After a series of online and on-ground auditions held by Viu and Globe, 10 male finalists aged between 18 and 27 have been selected to be featured in the show’s seven episodes. The final winner will be awarded the coveted prize of a four-month all-expense paid scholarship to learn K-Pop vocal and dance at a prestigious entertainment talent school in Korea.
The webisodes will follow the K-Idol finalists as they undertake the 7-week challenge, where they will hone their talents in singing, dancing, performing, styling, and teamwork. A star-studded cast will critique their performances, while providing them with much-needed guidance on their quest for stardom. K-idols Yook Sung-Jae from the award-winning K-drama, Goblin, and Jung Joon-Young from the variety show, 2 Days & 1 Night, will serve as inspirations for the K-Idol finalists. Mentors on the panel include singers Jinho Bae and Morissette Amon, and Korean professional dance artiste Dasuri Choi. Kring Elenzano-Kim, prominent online host and personality, former reality TV star, and founder of two of the biggest K-Pop fans organizations in the Philippines, will be hosting the show.
Ms. Helen Sou, Senior Vice President, Digital Media of PCCW Media Group, said, “With regional presence in 16 markets, we continue to enhance Viu’s core value proposition of delivering the best and most popular Asian content to “Viu-ers”, including original productions in local languages. In this process we also nurture and innovate with the local creative talent pool by giving them a platform to showcase their work. We believe Hello K-Idol is the ideal place to grow future talent and to create resonance with our audience in the Philippines.”
Mr. Nikko Acosta, Senior Vice President for Content Business Group of Globe, said, “Globe has always tried to find ways to help Filipinos share their love and talent for performance. With Hello K-Idol, co-produced with our partner, Viu, we are offering customers the power to enjoy the show anytime and anywhere with just a touch of their mobile phones and tablets.”
Ms. Arianne Kader-Cu, Country Manager of Viu Philippines added, “At Viu, we strive to
provide popular and relevant content to local markets by collaborating with creative local
talent. Our first original reality show Hello K-Idol, co-produced in the Philippines with Globe
Studios and supported by ABS CBN, MYX Channel and Ayala Malls, is indeed a
significant milestone in our pan-regional expansion. By collaborating with our local
partners with common vision in the Philippines, we will continue to engage our “Viu-ers” to
unlock local creativity in regional media scene.”
Mr. Andre Alvarez, MYX Channel Head, said, “With the growing trend of K-Pop music
around the world, thanks to the concerted efforts of Viu and Globe Studios for bringing
Hello K-Idol to our channel, this opens an exciting opportunity for us to tap into this new
market, thus reinforcing our position as the Philippines’ number one music channel.”
Viu Original initiatives across the region this year will see 70 titles and over 900 episodes
of locally produced content by the end of 2018. Viu has created “Originals” in
many local languages including Chinese, English, Hindi, Arabic, Tamil, Bahasa Indonesia,
Bahasa Malay and Telegu. Viu Original spans the full spectrum of TV content genres and
has extended its production scope to movies.
Source: PCCW Press Release