The idea of Aflix was first conceived in 2017. — Aflix
If you're a parent or viewer concerned about the excessive amount of kissing, violence and foul language in content offered on various streaming platforms, then upcoming Aflix wants to be the solution for you.
"The problem we want to solve is that there are lot of unsuitable and unfiltered content for both mature viewers and children. We are providing ethical content by filtering the content before we agree to show it on the platform," the company's chief technology officer Azarul Hakim Ibrahim claimed when contacted by The Star.
Azarul went on to add that filtered content should not just be a matter of concern for viewers with children but also for everyone, as he claimed that content with excessive elements like violence and sexual harassment can contribute to the attitude and behaviour of some individuals in society.
As to the actual filtering of the content, Cyberjaya-based Aflix claimed it will have a team made up of community users from parent groups that will help with the censorship process.
Pricing for VOD and the time of availability of the content on the platform will be determined by the content provider, Azarul said. For now, the plan is to set the subscription pricing as US$1 (RM4) per month or US$10 (RM41) per year.
"The pricing is such because our strategy is to bring the crowd in first," Azarul explained.
The company is currently looking to fill the platform with 10,000 titles before going to launch. Azarul claimed that they already have 3,500 titles from content providers based locally as well as South Korea, Japan and India.
He added that users can expect an announcement from their CEO Fadzil Hashim about a pilot testing period soon.
Azarul explained that Aflix is based on a revenue-sharing model where some 70% of the revenue will go towards content providers while 30% is for the platform. It aims to provide both video-on-demand (VOD) options for viewers as well as regular and original content such as a 50-episode animated series, which he declined to name.
Aflix came under the spotlight today after social media users speculated that Finas CEO Ahmad Idham is looking to launch the platform as a "competitor for Netflix". Over the weekend, Ahmad said there is a need to regulate digital content on streaming platforms such as Netflix. A photo of the Aflix team meeting with Ahmad at the Finas office then went viral on social media.
"We visited Finas to present Aflix. Then we offered a proposal for them to put up some of Finas' archived content on the platform. We want to help monetise and give value to the content," Azarul said.
The Star has reached out to Finas for comments.
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