MANILA -- Asian video-on-demand provider HOOQ has recently launched an app that allows for an ad-free freemium service, which will it hopes will enable more customers to experience its service.

In a media interview, HOOQ chief executive Peter Bithos said the company will focus on the mobile phone, noting that a sizable number of Asians with smartphones are heavy date users.

To entice first-time users, he said registered users can watch pilot episodes of all TV series -- such "DC’s Legends of Tomorrow," "Supergirl," "Devious Maids," "The Mentalist," and "Castle" -- for free even after their free trial period has ended.

HOOQ, a start-up venture between Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros., offers online streaming access and an offline viewing option to Hollywood and Filipino movies and television content.

Bithos explained that customers now have an option to see first if they would like to continue to watch the rest of series before paying for the subscription.

"We are very excited to introduce this hybrid model as it gives customers more control over their purchase decision. This new hybrid model is a result of what we have learnt over the past year after studying usage patterns and speaking to numerous customers and understanding what they want in a video-on-demand service,” said Bithos.

“We believe this will be a win-win strategy for both our customers and our business as it allows the customers to try the service and the content before they decide to purchase. At the same time, we have the opportunity to re-engage customers whenever we introduce our latest titles, outside of their free trial. The key driver of any video-on-demand service is their content and we are confident that our offering will keep our customers HOOQ’d month after month,” he added.

HOOQ’s new ad-free freemium service will be available to all customers starting this month.

To make the app more user-friendly, Bithos said HOOQ’s in-house team spent 12 months and millions of dollars to make it more enticing to users. The new app interface boasts a mobile-first use experience that has been built from extensive customer beta testing and usability research to derive a customer-centric experience, given that over 80% of customers are consuming HOOQ on their mobile devices.

He said the habits of the social and digital natives have been factored in the design and development of the new app.

Among the newest features are a brand new real-time content feed and personalized recommendation engine that makes discovering new favorites easier than ever. Additionally, there is an improved search engine, wish-lists (for future viewing) and optimized content delivery for significantly faster app start and streaming start times.

Moreover, it has new a back-end framework focused on a faster and higher quality streaming experience for the customer.

In addition to the current support of iOS, Android, web, Chromecast and Android set-top box, HOOQ will also be available on Airplay and mobile web as part of the launch.

‘We know that our customers are mostly enjoying HOOQ on their mobile devices so it was a natural decision that we enhanced the entire HOOQ platform to give our customers a best in class mobile-first experience. For me, one of the most exciting new features is the real time content feed that highlights our most popular content and knowing what others are watching and which titles are trending!,” said HOOQ Philippines country manager Jane Cruz-Walker in a press statement.

Aware of the dynamics of the Asian economies, Bithos said HOOQ has also crafted schemes to fit the purchasing habits of the Filipinos. It has introduced the tingi (sachet) concept to attract more subscribers. The subscription plan starts at seven days and includes monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual rates. For instance, for seven days, a subscriber has to pay only P59