Astro CEO Euan Smith, in an interview with The Edge Malaysia, announced plans to introduce the “sooka stick” in “a few weeks” time. It will be a TV dongle designed to enable users to enjoy their favourite sports as well as other offerings from the company’s sooka streaming service on any television with an HDMI port.
Smith highlighted that the sooka platform offers a highly competitive pricing structure, especially appealing to those interested in specific content like the English Premier League (EPL). He admitted that Astro could have moved more quickly to differentiate their market offerings, noting that its streaming platform is currently the only app in Malaysia with a comprehensive live sports package.
The introduction of the sooka stick comes at a strategic time, with major sporting events on the horizon, such as the UEFA European Football Championship 2024 in mid-June and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris starting on July 26. These events are expected to drive significant interest in both sooka and Astro’s core subscription TV services.
By leveraging these upcoming events and innovative new products, Astro aims to boost its presence in the competitive streaming market, appealing to a broader audience and enhancing its revenue streams. For now, the sale price and subscription details of the sooka stick are still unknown, and will only be revealed once Astro officially launches the device.
On a related note, a listing of the sooka stick on Android TV Guide was discovered by local tech news publication Amanz earlier this month. In the page, the dongle is revealed to be developed by a Taiwanese company that specialises in TV boxes and home internet networks.
It apparently runs on Android 12, has Chromecast and Google Assistant as well as Widevine L1 DRM and AV1 codec support. Additionally, it is powered by a Broadcom BCM72181 2.6 GHz four-core chip, has 2GB of onboard RAM, and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity to support external devices such as controllers and speakers.
(Source: The Edge Malaysia / Android TV Guide, via Amanz)
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