2020's full list of OTT services in Singapore and their fees

Writer: Florey DM

Here are some of the OTT services available in Singapore.

As technology progresses in this modern era and more consumers turn to online content for their binge-watching needs, more over-the-top (OTT) service providers emerge to fulfil the growing demand for on-the-go media consumption.

The upside of this is the competition keeps the rates in check, providing customers with affordable options. The downside? The market is getting oversaturated and it can be confusing to pick one out of the many choices.

BBC Player is currently available for free in Singapore only for StarHub TV subscribers with StarHub TV Go Value-Added Service subscription.

It can be accessed online at player.bbc.com or on its mobile app. It features content from six BBC global brands – BBC Earth, BBC First, BBC Lifestyle, CBeebies, BBC World News and BBC Brit, a new global brand available only on BBC Player in Asia.

What makes iWonder stand out is it a streaming service that offers a curated selection of critically-acclaimed and award-winning documentaries.

Aiming to keep its viewers up to date with global current affairs, these documentaries comprised of various genres such as current affairs, culture, social issues, politics, music, art, tech, sports, climate change, and history.

All these can be accessed on its mobile app or at https://iwonder.com/ for USD4.99 monthly or USD49.90 yearly.

Netflix needs no introduction as it is arguably the most well-known OTT service across the globe, having been launched in America since the late 1990s.

Currently, these are its monthly paid subscriptions that are available in Singapore:
1. SGS11.98 Basic: Watch on 1 screen at a time in Standard Definition (SD). Download videos on 1 phone or tablet.
2. SGS15.98 Standard: Watch on 2 screens at a time. Full HD (1080p) available. Download videos on 2 phones or tablets.
3. SGS19.98 Premium: Watch on 4 screens at a time. Full HD (1080p) and Ultra HD (4k) available. Download videos on 4 phones or tablets.

Subscribers can enjoy Netflix content, which include numerous local as well as international titles, either at https://www.netflix.com/sg/ or on its mobile app.

Accessible via https://www.hbogoasia.sg/, Singapore users can subscribe to HBO GO from StarHub's online streaming service StarHub Go, Singtel CAST or meWATCH (previously known as Toggle).

The HBO GO plans under StarHub Go are as below:
1. Subscribe to HBO GO from StarHub Go at SGD19.90/month.
2. As per the info on finder.com, those who are already subscribed to the HBO PAK, Box Office Pack, Supreme Box Office Pack and Movies d'Lite Pack, they can access HBO GO with a Value-Added Service subscription at SGD5.35/month for 12 months.

Meanwhile, the HBO GO plans under meWATCH are as below:
1. 7-day trial: SGD13.98/month applies after the free trial
2. Annual: Under SGD10/month. Includes prepayment of SGD119.98.

As for Singtel CAST, HBO GO subscription is priced at SGD13.98/month. With an SGD139.80 upfront for 12 months, 2 months free will be included in the subscription.

HBO GO subscribers will get on-demand access to a massive library that includes HBO and HBO Asia original shows, as well as access to six live TV channels (HBO, HBO Hits, HBO Family HBO Signature, Cinemax, Red by HBO).

Also known as Amazon Prime Video, subscription to this American OTT service is free for Singaporeans who sign up for an Amazon Prime membership, currently priced at SGD2.99/month.

Note that this is a promotional price and it will eventually be set at SGD8.99/month. So far. Amazon hasn't announced when the higher price will apply. Prime Video can be accessed via https://www.amazon.sg/prime or the Prime Video app.

Viu videos can be watched for free without any registration. However, to access premium content and to watch all videos ad-free, viewers are required to pay a subscription fee of SGD7.98/month.

For lower Viu Premium rates, viewers can opt to subscribe for the following plans under Singtel CAST:
1. 3-month trial (no contract): SGD6.90/month after the free trial ends.
2. 12-month contract: SGD4.90/month applies only after the first 3 months.

The content provided by Viu comprises Asian films, TV shows and dramas. There are also original productions series produced under Viu Originals. All these can be watched either at https://www.viu.com/ or by downloading the mobile app.

Launched in Singapore last November is Apple's OTT service, Apple TV+, with a subscription fee of SGD6.98/month.

It can be accessed at https://www.apple.com/sg/tv/ or on the mobile app. New Apple Originals, everything from award-winning series to ground-breaking documentaries, are released every month on the streaming service.

Among the shows currently available are Jason Sudeikis' "Ted Lasso", Bill Murray's "On the Rocks", Ewan McGregor's "Long Way Up" and more.

Whether you use YouTube to enjoy watching videos or listening to music, having your binge-watching or playlist interrupted by ads is never fun. Enter YouTube Premium at SGD11.98/month.

Subscribers will get to enjoy not only ad-free streaming, but also background play feature, which lets the app continue running while you have other apps open or when you lock your device.

Even better, YouTube Premium subscription includes free access to YouTube Music Premium, which on its own comes with a subscription fee of SGD9.98/month.

At the moment, Samsung is also offering a 4-month or 2-month free trial for YouTube Premium depending on the smartphone purchased. The offer is valid since February this year until 5 March 2021.

Head to https://tubitv.com/ or its app if you're looking for free movies and shows to watch. As described on the website, it is a completely free (and 100% legal) on demand video streaming service.

The downside to having no subscription fees whatsoever is, of course, having to watch ads. Though the ads are only roughly 20-second long at the start of the movie or show and about 40-second long halfway through. These ads monetise the content provided by Tubi's partners such as MGM, Lionsgate, and Paramount.

No account registration is required, unless the content you want to watch is aimed at mature audiences.

With the tagline 'Reality On-Demand', it's not hard to surmise that Hayu is a streaming service that focuses only on reality TV shows.

This is definitely an OTT service geared specifically at reality show lovers, who will find that by using this service, they will no longer have to wait around for the latest episodes of their favourite reality shows. That's because Hayu also offers same-day access to new episodes of popular shows that are aired in the US.

Hayu can be accessed at https://www.hayu.com/ or on its mobile app. The subscription fee is SGD4.99 per month, plus 30-day free trial for new users.

Aside from HBO GO, StarHub Go also offers various other paid subscriptions that are available via https://www.starhubtvplus.com/home or on its mobile app.

StarHub Go offers two plans with its own channels and content, plus 4 partner content (including HBO GO):
1. Go Select (SGD9.90/month): Asian dramas from Hong Kong, China and Korea
2. Go Max (SGD29.80/month): Offers more than 80 channels
3. Go Disney (partner)(SGD4.90/month): Offers Disney original titles, including Marvel and "Star Wars" animated series
4. TVB Anywhere+ Premium (partner)(SGD4.98/month): Latest dramas and reality shows from TVB
5. FOX+ (partner)(SGD19.90/month): Live sports, latest movies and series

The best part, for StarHub postpaid customers, they can stream StarHub Go without any data charges.

Cathay CineHome is a digital extension of the Cathay Cineplexes, done in partnership with mm2 Entertainment Pte Ltd. Freshly launched, it currently offers free viewing of selected titles from now until 24 September 2020.

There are no membership fees or monthly subscriptions required to access Cathay CineHome. Users can instead rent the movies available digitally, for unlimited viewings within 14 days at the price of SGD7.98 for new titles and SGD5.98 for library titles.

Access Cathay CineHome on the mobile app or at https://cathaycinehome.com/en/welcomehome.

It's worth a mention that mm2 Entertainment Pte Ltd is also planning to launch a free-to-use, multi-region video streaming platform called mPlay Asia.

It will feature Chinese-language short-form content from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as subsequently China. The content, made up of roughly 5-minute videos, will cover topics such as human interest stories, travel and leisure, food and lifestyle, trends and fads, and entertainment news, as well as live-streamed events with user interactivity functions.

mPlay Asia is targeted to launch sometime this year, though there is no date set yet.