Viu is doubling down on a hybrid content strategy that spans microdramas, big-budget regional productions and AI-driven innovation, as it looks to scale its presence across Asia and beyond.
At APOS 2026 in Bali, CEO and PCCW Media Group managing director Janice Lee outlined how the platform is building both ends of the content spectrum simultaneously — from snackable short-form series to globally positioned tentpoles.
Central to that push is microdrama, a format that has gained traction faster than expected since launching just months ago. According to Lee, nearly one in five of Viu’s long-form viewers is already engaging with short-form storytelling.
“We’ve only just gotten started a few months ago,” Lee said. “It’s not mutually exclusive in the sense that, you know, when people have time, they will watch a long form series. But it’s a snacking behavior.”
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Lee emphasized that microdramas are not a replacement for premium titles, but an extension of Viu’s ecosystem. The company is also opening the format to advertisers, positioning short-form series as a more agile branded content vehicle. One example is Abracadabra, a Samsung-backed travel adventure set in Indonesia starring Ji Chang-wook alongside local talent.
Alongside short-form growth, Viu continues to invest in originals through regional partnerships. Its renewed collaboration with Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) has already produced unscripted titles including Rak Rak and Bite Me Sweet, with scripted series One of a Kind Romance scheduled for release in November.
At the higher end of the slate, Viu is pursuing scale through two distinct models. The Season was developed as a global-facing project — an English-language series with a predominantly Asian cast designed to break into the U.S. market, and distributed across Viu, Now TV and Hulu. In contrast, Kidnap Game, arriving in October, leans into pan-Asian collaboration, with production spanning seven cities and partners including Fuji Television Network, MakerVille and SimStory. The series stars Kentaro Sakaguchi and Lee Joon-gi.
Read more: Are China’s Viral AI Microdramas Helping or Hurting Film?
Technology is another pillar of the company’s roadmap. Lee grouped Viu’s artificial intelligence efforts into three areas: improving operational efficiency, unlocking new revenue streams such as microdrama production, and longer-term experimental initiatives. She noted that a development in the latter category is expected to be unveiled soon.
The session closed with a regional expansion move, as Viu and iQIYI International announced a bundled offering across five Southeast Asian markets — positioning their combined libraries as complementary rather than competitive.
“Together we’re the best of Asian content,” Lee said.
