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HBO Asia

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HBO
CountrySingapore
Broadcast area
NetworkHBO
Headquarters151 Lorong Chuan, New Technology Park 04-05, Serangoon Gardens, Singapore
Programming
Language(s)English
Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese)
Japanese
Korean
Malay
Filipino
Indonesian
Thai
Vietnamese
Picture format1080i HDTV
Ownership
OwnerWarner Bros. Discovery Asia-Pacific
ParentHome Box Office, Inc.
History
Launched1 May 1992; 32 years ago (1992-05-01)[3]
ReplacedRed by HBO (SatLite Only, Philippines)
Former namesMovieVision (1992–1995)
Links
WebsiteOfficial website (Archive)

HBO Asia is the Asian division of HBO, based out of Singapore. It was originally launched on 1 May 1992 as MovieVision, later rebranding on 1 June 1995 to its current name after being purchased by Home Box Office, Inc. The Singapore-based broadcast network offers channels and services with no advertisements– HBO, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Hits and Cinemax – as well as HBO Go and HBO on Demand. They became the exclusive distributor of BabyFirst in Asia.[4]

HBO was the first American television network to set up its bases in Singapore in 1992, with its 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2) production facility based at New Tech Park in Lorong Chuan.[5]

HBO signed an agreement with Singapore Telecom in June 1992 in order to deliver its output to Singapore CableVision's MovieVision channel, as well as other broadcasters in the region.[6]

HBO Asia began 24-hour broadcasts on 1 March 1994 to cater to travelers who visit hotels. It also increased the number of programmes to 70 a month.[7]

HBO Asia was originally a joint venture between Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures. On 16 January 2008 Sony and NBC sold their stakes to WarnerMedia (now Warner Bros. Discovery).[8]

Programming

HBO Asia has licensing deals with the "Big Five" of Hollywood conglomerate film studios:

HBO Central is a monthly program giving information about which movies and series will be shown in the coming month.

New seasons of HBO's Original Series or Original Productions air on Sunday nights/Monday mornings.

Original programming

HBO also aired their Original Series or Original Films from Asian creators which aired on Sunday nights. Some other Asian original title may also simultaneously release in other platform, for example Catchplay, which has co-produce some HBO Asian titles.

TV series

Drama
Title Genre Premiere Seasons Runtime Language(s) Status
Grace[9] Horror drama 17 October 2014 4 episodes Un­known
  • English
  • Mandarin
 Miniseries
Halfworlds Dark fantasy thriller 29 November 2015 2 seasons, 16 episodes Un­known
  • English
  • Indonesian (season 1)
  • Thai (season 2)
 Renewed[10]
Folklore Horror anthology 7 October 2018 2 seasons, 12 episodes 60 min various languages Ended
Grisse[11] Epic Western 6 March 2019 1 season, 8 episodes Un­known
  • English
  • Indonesian
 Ended
Food Lore[12] Slice of life anthology 3 November 2019 1 season, 8 episodes Un­known Various languages Ended
Invisible Stories[13] Psychological drama/Anthology 5 January 2020 1 season, 6 episodes Un­known
  • English
  • Mandarin
  • Thai
 Ended
Dream Raider[14] Science fiction mystery drama 16 August 2020 1 season, 8 episodes Un­known
  • Mandarin
  • Japanese
 Ended
Miss S[a] Period action drama 5 October 2020 30 episodes Un­known Mandarin Miniseries
On the Job Action thriller 13 September 2021 6 episodes 45-63 min Filipino Miniseries
Who's by Your Side[15] Family thriller 3 October 2021 10 episodes 50 min
  • Mandarin
  • Hokkien
 Ended
Scent of Time[b] Period romantic fantasy 13 October 2023 30 episodes Un­known Mandarin Miniseries
Comedy
Title Genre Premiere Seasons Runtime Language(s) Status
Sent[16] Comedy drama 17 September 2017 1 season, 8 episodes Un­known English Ended
Adventure of the Ring[17] Romantic comedy-drama 13 December 2020 8 episodes Un­known Mandarin Miniseries
The Accidental Influencer[18] Workplace romantic comedy 10 February 2024 1 season, 13 episodes 24–29 min Mandarin Pending
Unscripted
Title Genre Premiere Seasons Runtime Language(s) Status
Traffickers: Inside the Golden Triangle[19] True crime docuseries 23 July 2021 3 episodes Un­known English Ended
MarkKim + Chef[20] Cooking show 18 August 2023 10 episodes 30–37 min Thai Miniseries
Deane's Dynasty[20] Reality show 6 October 2023 1 season, 8 episodes 31–36 min Thai Pending
Co-productions

These shows have been commissioned by HBO Asia with a partner network.

Title Genre Partner/Country Premiere Seasons Runtime Language Status
Serangoon Road Period drama ABC/Australia 22 September 2013 1 season, 10 episodes 55 min English Ended
The Teenage Psychic Supernatural coming-of-age drama PTS/Taiwan 2 April 2017 2 seasons, 14 episodes 50 min
Ended
The Talwars: Behind Closed Doors True crime docuseries Star World/India 26 November 2017 4 episodes Un­known English Miniseries
Miss Sherlock Crime drama Hulu Japan/Japan 27 April 2018 1 season, 8 episodes 45-50 min Japanese Ended
The Bridge Crime drama Viu/Malaysia 26 November 2018 2 seasons, 20 episodes 60 min
  • English
  • Malay
  • Indonesian
 Ended
The World Between Us Psychological drama PTS and Catchplay/Taiwan 24 March 2019 1 season, 10 episodes 50 min Mandarin Renewed[21]
Workers[22] Dark comedy-drama myVideo/Taiwan 10 May 2020 6 episodes Un­known
  • Hokkien
  • Mandarin
 Miniseries
The Head Mystery thriller
12 June 2020 1 season, 6 episodes 47–65 min.
  • English
  • Danish
  • Swedish
  • Spanish
 Pending
Trinity of Shadows[23] Crime drama
13 June 2021 15 episodes Un­known Mandarin Ended
Twisted Strings[24] Comedy thriller/Anthology
27 March 2022 7 episodes ~60 min. Mandarin Miniseries

Films

Title Genre Release Date Runtime Language(s)
Dead Mine Action horror 27 September 2012 1 hour, 27 min. English
Master of the Drunken Fist: Beggar So Action drama 25 December 2016 1 hour, 33 min. Mandarin
Master of the Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-Ying 26 December 2016 1 hour, 40 min.
Master of the White Crane Fist: Wong Yam-Lam 20 February 2019 1 hour, 30 min
Master of the Nine Dragon Fist: Wong Ching-Ho 3 April 2019 1 hour, 37 min
The Garden of Evening Mists Romantic period drama 13 September 2020 2 hour English
Gensan Punch Sports biographical film 27 September 2021 1 hour, 40 min.
  • English
  • Filipino
  • Japanese

Censorship

HBO Asia was heavily censored in some Asian countries, with many series such as Sex and the City,[25] The Sopranos,[26] Entourage,[27] The Wire, Hung,[28] Girls,[29] True Blood, Game of Thrones,[30] Boardwalk Empire,[31] True Detective,[32] Westworld,[33] Insecure,[34] Big Little Lies,[35] The Deuce,[36] Succession,[37] Euphoria,[38][39][40][41] I May Destroy You,[42] Perry Mason,[43] Lovecraft Country,[44] Industry,[45] The White Lotus,[46] House of the Dragon,[47] The Last of Us,[48] and The Idol[49] aired in edited versions; with certain programmes are not shown in some territories.

Typically, movies showcasing gestures like the middle finger, nudity, intense intimacy and profanity are edited out. Scenes revealing attire or exposed skin near private areas are commonly censored, especially in predominantly Muslim regions of Southeast Asia (excluding Vietnam). Additionally, depictions of alcohol or pork are often blurred as they are considered haram in Islam.

The HBO-made series Entourage was taken off-air for three weeks by one cable operator in the Philippines, pending clearance by the MTRCB.[citation needed] The entire series continued to air without disruption on all other Philippines cable operators.

In Vietnam, programs broadcast on HBO Asia undergo censorship overseen by Vietnam News Agency. Any film that is judged to contradict or misrepresent the Vietnam War (such as depicting the US as heroes, which contradicts the state's official stance), or critical of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, or to contain explicit sexual or gruesome content deemed inconsistent with Vietnamese societal norms, will not be aired. Instead, it will be replaced with another film, accompanied by an on-screen disclaimer indicating that it is a substitute feature replacing a film with sensitive content.[50] Additionally, scenes depicting nudity, violence, or mild profanity are typically toned down.[51]

In China, due to Western product restrictions, and the China-United States trade war, HBO was blocked and restricted, and the replacement is currently Tencent Video and iQIYI.[52][53]

Channels

Network Description Website
HBO Hollywood films and HBO original series Official site[c]
HBO Hits Hits and blockbuster films Official site[c]
HBO Family Family oriented films and series Official site[c]
HBO Signature Critically acclaimed and original productions Official site[c]
Cinemax Action and suspense movies Official site[c]
HBO On Demand The best Hollywood films and outstanding HBO originals at your control Official site[c]
BabyFirst 24-hour channel for babies and infants distributed by HBO Asia Official site

The live channels remain available on selected pay TV providers as HBO GO not longer provide the live channels in-app and online starting 25 May 2023.[54]

HBO South Asia

HBO South Asia
CountryIndia
Broadcast area
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format1080i (HDTV)
Ownership
OwnerWarnerMedia International[55] (As of 2019)
Turner International India (earlier)
Sister channels
History
Launched22 March 2000
Closed15 December 2020
Links
WebsiteOfficial website (Archive)

HBO formerly provided a separate feed with commercial breaks for audiences in South Asia, namely India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives. All movie promos in this beam are according to IST. A time-shifted feed for Pakistan was launched in the mid-2000s in partnership with ARY Digital Network.[56] The schedule was same as the Indian feed with the difference being the commercial breaks and timings in PST.

Before the launch of HBO South Asia, HBO tried replicating the premium model in India. But then HBO decided it wasn't commercially viable so the South Asia channel was launched in India and also in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Maldives.[57]

HBO Asia and Eros International launched HBO Defined and HBO Hits across India on 21 February 2013 on Dish TV and Airtel Digital TV. These channels are commercial-free. The content of both the channels include movies as well as most of HBO Original Programming. When the channels launched, the main HBO channel stopped airing original series.[58]

In 2015, HBO had decided to exit the Indian market and license the channel to Turner International India.[59] The channel was revamped in February 2016 after a survey conducted by the channel team to better suit the masses.[60][61] HBO Defined and HBO Hits would be handled by Star India, however HBO Defined and HBO Hits SD was shut down on 31 December 2015 while HBO Hits HD was replaced by HBO HD on 4 September 2016.[62] It only airs Hollywood movies, as Star India has the rights to HBO Original Programming which are available on Star World and Disney+ Hotstar.[63]

WarnerMedia International announced on 15 October 2020 that HBO South Asia and WB Channel would close down on 15 December 2020. The HBO channel would no longer be available in India and Pakistan, while WB Channel ceased to exist in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Maldives.[64]

HBO India had closed down at midnight with the last movie on the SD channel being Mad Max: Fury Road (completed 1 hour before the shutdown) and the last movie on the HD channel being Memoirs of a Geisha. HBO Pakistan was also closed down at midnight.[citation needed]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Acquired by HBO Asia from Tencent Video
  2. ^ Acquired by HBO Asia from Youku
  3. ^ a b c d e f The link has been archived at the Wayback Machine

References

  1. ^ "For the first time in Nepal, HBO channels can be viewed for free by DishHome users in the mobile app". Reviews. 19 July 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
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  6. ^ "US pay-TV operator seals deal with Telecom". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 18 June 1992. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Can't sleep at 3 am? Call the radio deeiay". The Straits Times. 14 May 1994. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  8. ^ Janine Stein (17 January 2008). "Sony, NBC exit HBO Asia alliance". The Hollywood Reporter. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  9. ^ Tay Yek Keak (23 October 2014). "TV review: HBO Asia's locally produced horror series Grace is predictable, unconvincing". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  10. ^ "HBO Asia Renews 'Halfworlds' for Third Season, Relocates Series to Philippines". variety.com. 29 November 2019. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  11. ^ "HBO Asia's Original Period Drama Series GRISSE Premieres Today". Medium. 7 March 2019. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  12. ^ "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Food Lore' on HBO, an Asian Anthology Series Winding Food Into the Fabric of Drama". Decider. 2 March 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  13. ^ "HBO Asia's original anthology drama series INVISIBLE STORIES to premiere in the U.S. on August 3". WarnerMedia. 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  14. ^ "HBO Asia Makes Sci-Fi Debut With 'Dream Raider'". Variety. 27 July 2020. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  15. ^ Frater, Patrick (23 August 2020). "Taiwan Drama Series 'Who's by Your Side' Set as HBO Asia Original". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
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  19. ^ Frater, Patrick (6 July 2021). "'Traffickers: Inside the Golden Triangle' to Premiere on HBO GO". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
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  54. ^ @HBOAsia (26 May 2023). "From 25 May 2023, Live channels will no longer be accessible on the HBO website and applications. However, the channels are still available on a number of partner-owned and operated platforms. Please connect with your local operators to find out more" (Tweet). Retrieved 28 May 2023 – via Twitter.
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