(Centre in black) Smith with the winners of the sooka Gilerrr Streaming Challenge.
BINGE-WATCHING has never been so thrilling.
The sooka Gilerrr Streaming Challenge held at Pavilion Bukit Jalil on Nov 29, challenged its participants to continuously stream sooka while enduring a series of physical challenges.
The competition started at 10 a.m. with a total of 273 participants.
The top ten finalists were pushed to their limits with the final test, challenging them to hold a can of drink above their head without interrupting their stream.
It was a tight race to the finish line with site engineer Vinoth Kumar coming out on top in the end.
“It's unbelievable. I never thought that I'd go all the way to win the first prize. So, I feel incredibly lucky,” he said.
The winner of this competition came away with a brand-new car, the Proton e.MAS 5.
He added that, as a long-time sooka user, he thought he would try his luck at this challenge, not thinking that he could sweep the whole thing.
He had his wife and daughter by his side at the prize-giving ceremony.
“My wife came here to support me. She came in the afternoon and she waited all day while taking care of our daughter until I won this. I believe it's really worth it and it means so much to us,” he said.
The other competitors did not go home empty-handed as the finalists brought home prizes such as a Samsung TV, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, a MacBook Air, a Samsung gaming monitor, a PlayStation 5 Pro, a DJI Pocket 3 Creator Combo, a Dyson hair dryer, a pair of Sony headphones and a JD Sports gift card.
Astro group chief executive officer Euan Smith said that the streaming challenge brings together the essence of sooka and Malaysia's love for content.
“sooka is very innovative, and it’s full of local content that Malaysians really like. So, we wanted to do something that shows the passion that Malaysians have for sooka,” he said.
(Right) Smith receiving the Malaysia Book of Records recognition
He said that the basis of the streaming challenge was to do something unique and fun to showcase what sooka has to offer.
This competition achieved a Malaysia Book of Records recognition for the Most Participants in a Streaming Multitasking Challenge.
Smith added that the initial plan was to only accept 250 participants, but they quickly exceeded that expectation.
He said that the massive turnout was a positive indication for sooka’s growth.
“We launched four years ago and we're finally starting to see it really ramp up.
“We're starting to break into the over-the-top (OTT) content market and get the message out that this is an amazingly good product,” he said.
The finals of the competition were made even more lively with dazzling performances by singer Wani Kayrie and boy band ALPHA.
On top of that, actors Qasrina Karim and Mierul Aiman made an appearance and interacted with the fans.
sooka Shorts: the new frontier
sooka also launched its new microdrama feature, called sooka Shorts, at the event.
Short-form dramas have risen in popularity on TikTok and Instagram worldwide.
sooka director Chu Young Lee said that sooka customers were the inspiration behind the new addition to the streaming app.
“We focused on the customers and followed what they wanted.
“We want to produce content that suits their lifestyle. They can watch the shorts during their breaks or when they are travelling.
“Each episode is only a few minutes long. We just want to make sure that they are thoroughly entertained,” he said.
Chu says sooka wants to produce content that suits its customers’ lifestyle.
With this new launch, sooka positions itself as the homegrown leader in the microdrama space.
Four new local microdramas, Mandrem, Gadis Dihina Pemilik Empayar, Mak Kau CEO Aku and Raja Fitnah, are set to release on Dec 12.
“We stand for local shows, so Malaysian shorts will be our biggest differentiator,” he said.
He said that, along with Malaysian stories, sooka plans to bring in shorts from Korea and China, partnering with regional production houses.
Smith added, “This is going to be a sensation and it is groundbreaking. It's exactly why we launched sooka in the first place; to bring cool video entertainment to a new generation of Malaysians.”
Selected sooka Shorts episodes will be available for free, while full access will be offered to customers who are on the Entertainment plan and above.
sooka is a Malaysian OTT platform that streams local and regional entertainment as well as live sporting events.
For more information, visit the sooka and the sooka TV stick websites.
