Taiwan-originated streaming services GagaOOLala, known as Asia’s ‘gay Netflix,’ is now available worldwide. The LGBTIQ platform allows users to access queer films, TV and docos from various countries.
The worldwide expansion currently covers more than 190 countries throughout the globe. That said, the streaming service remains inaccessible in neighboring China and North Korea.
The service comes with a competitive subscription fee of US$6.99 a month. By subscribing to the platform, users can stream myriad titles with English and Chinese subtitles. As for other languages, the company is still working on them as it still assesses the content popularity in each region.
Despite everything, GagaOOLala is facing a tight competition against other giant LGBTIQ streaming services. However, CEO Jay Lin believes that GagaOOLala has an advantage over those competitors.
“Of course there are LGBT services in Europe and the US, but they’re almost exclusively Western. There are very few Asian titles, and if there are, they’re more Asian American, or from a US-centric or Western-centric point of view. This is the first time where an OTT service is available globally with such a high concentration of Asian content,” he expounded.
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The Origin of ‘Gay Netflix’ GagaOOLala
Backed by Taipei-based company Portico Media, GagaOOLala first embarked on its journey in 2017. Its worldwide launch came a week prior to Taiwan’s first year anniversary of same-sex marriage legalization.
CEO of Portico Media, Jay Lin, was also co-founding the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival. He hoped that, by releasing GagaOOLala, there would be a positive public awareness of LGBTIQ community in the society, especially in Asia.
According to Lin, LGBTIQ communities in Asia are facing a dire situation. In particular, during this COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown has isolated them, putting them in an even worse situation.
“The LGBTIQ rights in many Asian countries is still dire. In some of them, homosexuality is still considered a crime. We needed to provide easier access to LGBTQ+ stories to let them know they are not alone,” he stated.
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