Astro (company) explained
All-Asian Satellite Television and Radio Operator, doing business as Astro (stylized in lowercase title), is a Malaysian satellite television, streaming television and IPTV provider. Astro is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad and is operated by MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems Sdn. Bhd. It operates from the All Asia Broadcast Centre (AABC) in Kuala Lumpur and MEASAT in Cyberjaya.
It forms part of the mass media duopoly in the country alongside Media Prima.[2] Astro launched the high-definition platform Astro B.yond in 2009.[3] The IPTV platform Astro IPTV in 2011, with the latter targeted at consumers who were unable to receive the company's satellite services.[4] And the new the ultra high-definition (UHD) platform Astro Ultra in end of 2019 well the future full high-definition (FHD) platform (replacement of Astro B.yond in future) is Astro Ulti in mid of 2021.
Astro formerly operated in Indonesia from 2006 to 2008, under the Astro Nusantara brand and also in Brunei from 2000 to 2022 under the Kristal-Astro brand. The Indonesian operations were operated by PT Direct Vision,[5] while the Bruneian operations were operated by Kristal Sdn. Bhd. In 2016, the company was recorded as achieving 71% household penetration in Malaysia.[6] It was granted an exclusive license as the sole pay-television provider by the Malaysian federal government until 2017.[7]
History
The licence to operate Astro, then unnamed, was given in June 1994 and was planned to have 20 channels through the Measat satellite.[8] [9] It was originally planned to launch in 1995,[10] [11] but postponed to 1996 with the launching initially will took place in October and would be known as the All-Asia Satellite Television and Radio Operator, abbreviated as ASTRO and to be operated under its operating company, Measat Broadcasting Networks Systems.[12] The upcoming satellite TV provider will offer 22 television channels and 8 radio stations in its platform.[13] [14]
Ahead of its launch, Astro's operator, Measat Broadcast Networks Systems expected that its satellite TV and radio services will gain profit within two-and-a-half to three years with a total of 700,000 subscriber base.[15] [16]
Astro was launched on 25 September 1996, three months after its establishment.[17] [18] Upon its launch, the company planned to offer the internet speed facility to its customers by early 1997.[19]
Astro signed an agreement with Maybank which allows Astro subscribers to settle their monthly fees via the autophone and autodebit services as well as via automatic bill settlement facility provided by the bank through Visa and Mastercard.[20]
Astro planned to open four out of seven showrooms nationwide by the first quarter of 1997.[21] The company also planned to reach the target of 400 installations as early as January 1997.[22] Astro also submitted its proposal to began broadcasting overseas.[23] Two months later, the company entered a joint-venture with film production companies to produce program varieties.[24]
On 1 April 1997, Astro appointed MOCCIS Trading, a trading arm of MOCCIS Berhad, to market and promote its service to its members via a monthly payment scheme.[25]
Astro planned to establish its own private telecommunications network as part of its preparation to launch a range of multimedia interactive services as well as to increase its business reach.[26] The company also spent RM25 million to enhance its services for domestic and global market.[27]
Astro became the first client of the Canadian telecommunication equipment company, Nortel's Global Account programme for the ASEAN region.[28] In July 1997, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Faber Group Berhad in which Astro will provide its satellite television services to seven of Faber-owned Sheraton hotels.[29] [30]
From 27 September to 16 November 1997, Astro offers installation fees for its Direct-to-U system installation.[31] [32] It also targets at least 20,000 hotels for its pay-television operations by the year-end.[33] [34]
In December 1997, Astro partnered with Oracle Corporation in which the latter would help developing its web-based corporate database for its business strategy.[35] It also allocates RM100 million to provide a Direct-to-U price subsidy to its customers.[36]
In 1998, Astro plans to expand its operations in the Philippines and Taiwan with RM200 million of allocation. The plan was later abandoned.[37]
Between 2000 and 2006, Astro shared time with TV Pendidikan, Malaysian public educational TV channel, where it shared time with Animal Planet on Channel 28 from 2000 to 2001 and with now-defunct TechTV on Channel 13 from 2002 to 2006.[38] [39] The move received much criticism from many parties, demanding that the network should remain aired on public broadcaster, RTM rather than Astro at least until 2002.[40] [41] [42] However, Astro decided to not aired TV Pendidikan upon the expiration of its 6-year agreement with the channel's operator, the Ministry of Education, resulting TV Pendidikan moved to TV9, owned by media conglomerate Media Prima in 2007.
In 2000, Astro's residential subscriber base have exceeded about 300,000 households in just three years after its official launch.[43] Astro also targets a total of a million subscribers nationwide in the next two years.[44] The company enters a joint-venture with Kristal Sdn. Bhd. from Brunei to launch Kristal-Astro on 24 January 2000.[45] [46] [47] The service, however, ceased operations 22 years later, in 2022.[48] [49]
The company had invested over RM1 billion to build a digital broadcasting facility and developed a multimedia services.[50] Astro also spent at least RM350 to subsidized its Digital Multimedia System (DMS) in order to make its service is "affordable for more Malaysian families".[51] The company also planned to expand its services across Asian region.[52]
By June 2001, Astro's subscription total has increased to 600,000.[53]
In April 2002, Astro signed an agreement with Scripps Networks Interactive for the distribution of six TV series from HGTV in Malaysia and Brunei.[54] [55]
By September the same year, Astro reduced 10% of its staffs under the voluntary separation scheme (VSS).[56]
The company set up a joint-venture company with Indonesian conglomerate, Lippo Group to provide pay-TV service in Indonesia as early as July 2005.[57] As a result, Astro's satellite TV service in Indonesia, known as Astro Nusantara was launched in March 2006.[58] It also invested RM500 million to support its operations in the republic.[59] However, Astro Nusantara only operated for two years and ceased operations when Astro ended their joint-venture with PT Direct Vision in September 2008.[60]
On 1 October 2007, Astro renumbered all of its channel numbers from 2-digits to 3-digits to accommodate its expanding number of channels.[61]
In 2007, Astro dominates 29% of television viewership market in Malaysia, after Media Prima (54%) and Radio Televisyen Malaysia (17%).[62]
In December 2009, Astro launched its high-definition service, known as Astro B.yond with a new decoder set and channels in HD feeds.[63]
Astro partnered with TIME dotCom Berhad in December 2010 to implementated the broadband and IPTV service in Klang Valley and Penang.[64] [65]
In 2013, Astro signed an agreement with Telekom Malaysia's wholly-owned subsidiary, TM Net Sdn. Bhd. to broadcast two Astro SuperSport channels on the latter's pay-TV service, HyppTV (later known as Unifi TV).[66] [67]
On 1 December 2014, Astro signed a joint-venture with South Korean retail company, GS Retail Co. Ltd. to launch a home shopping channel, Go Shop.[68] [69] However, the joint-venture only survived for 9 years and following the changing in consumer's shopping landscape, Go Shop ceased operations on 12 October 2023 as part of the company's "ongoing strategic realignment underway".[70] [71] [72]
In March 2016, Astro launched its regional video platform, Tribe, which targets to Indonesian market.[73] [74] [75] [76]
In 2017, Astro enters a strategic partnership with CJ E&M from South Korea to create and produced contents and events for ASEAN market.[77] The company also enters a long-term partnership with print publishing company, Karangkraf to form a joint-venture company focused on content production, Karangkraf Digital 360, which was later renamed as Nu Ideaktiv.[78]
Astro alongside Media Prima and DiGi Telecommunications collaborated to launch a digital learning hub, known as JomStudi in January 2019. The initiative, which supported by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), provides educational resources in a single platform which accessible to students.[79] [80] [81]
The company enters a partnership with Chinese streaming platform, IQIYI in 2019, in which Astro acquired an exclusive rights to distributed the IQIYI's content in Malaysia. Astro also responsible for the latter's customer acquisition, marketing and media sales.[82] [83]
On 1 April 2020, Astro rearranged its channel numbers in order to prioritize its 100 HD channels on its platform.[84] [85]
In 2021, Astro partnered with Netflix to expand its content offering in which the latter's service will be made available on Astro's platform.[86] [87] [88]
In May 2024, Astro and state-owned public service broadcaster, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) have partnered to envisioned an initiative in support to Palestine by launching Malaysia4Palestine, a special channel dedicated to highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Palestine in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Palestine war. The channel began one-day broadcasting on 25 May 2024. Among artistes who involved in it were Siti Nurhaliza, M. Nasir, Syafinaz Selamat, Alif Satar, Soo Wincci, Sarimah Ibrahim, Aznil Nawawi and Wani Kayrie.[89]
Services and products
Astro B.yond
See main article: Astro B.yond.
Astro launched its own high-definition platform called Astro B.yond on 11 December 2009.[90] [91] Its rollout costed RM200 million, including marketing and operating costs of approximately RM150 million. It introduced a PVR with an external hard disk drive connected to the decoder. The PVR comes with an inbuilt 500 GB hard disk and allows customers to record up to two live programmes at one time, rewind, and pause live TV. Recording services are also available through Astro B.yond via a compatible external hard disk drive and activation of the recording service by Astro.[92] [93]
Astro Go
The streaming service of Astro was launched in 2012 called Astro On-The-Go (AOTG).[94] The launch of the app enabled customers to access to Astro's TV channels, live events, Video-On-Demand (VOD) and Catch Up TV on mobile devices. The app was also made for international users in March 2013.[95]
The app was renamed to Astro Go on 31 March 2017[96] [97] and saw a significant revamp that introduced several new features, such as a more user-friendly interface, improved video playback quality, and better content discovery tools. Astro Go offers personalized content recommendations based on viewing history and preferences and allows customers to download shows for offline viewing.[98] [99] [100]
Astro Fibre
Astro embarked on its broadband service in 2011 by collaborating with TIME Dotcom to serve content over broadband through its Astro B.yond IPTV service.[101] To further its place in the ISP space, Astro entered a partnership with sister company Maxis in 2019, resulting in the introduction of Astro & Broadband. In 2022, Astro became an Internet Service Provider and began offering standalone broadband through Astro Fibre, which is also offered to businesses through its BIZfibre services.[102] [103]
Astro NJOI
See main article: Astro NJOI.
Astro NJOI is a Malaysia's first free-to-view satellite TV service by Astro. Launched in collaboration with the Government of Malaysia on 18 February 2012, it debuted with 18 channels and 19 radio stations.[104] [105] Currently, NJOI offers more than 50 channels in Full HD, most of the channels are available through newly-revamped Family Pack.[106]
Connected boxes
In November 2019, Astro launched the Ultra Box,[107] its first self-installable set-top box which can be used with satellite or broadband/Wi-Fi. The main features are its better viewing experience with 4K UHD and access to cloud-based video recording as well as video-on-demand content.[108]
Expanding its set-top box offerings, Astro introduced the Ulti Box[109] in 2021 which showcases similar features to the Ultra Box. The key difference is that the Ulti Box only provides HD resolutions rather than a 4K UHD experience.[110]
Criticism and controversies
Monopoly over paid television market
Astro has been criticised for its monopolistic practices in which it has become the dominant paid television service in Malaysia[111] while its competitors ABNXcess, Mega TV, and MiTV were not able to compete against Astro and became defunct after its launch.[112] [113] Astro was the sole paid television operator in Malaysia until 2017 when another competitor, Telekom Malaysia's Unifi TV, emerged as a strong cord-cutting alternative.[114]
The Malaysian government's plan to regulate Android-based set-top boxes in 2019 raised concerns that Astro's dominance over the country's television content market would be enhanced.[115] While Astro's exclusive rights to Malaysian broadcast content expired in 2017, the company continues to have non-exclusive broadcast privileges under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. Starting in 2022, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission will provide Content Applications Service Provider (CASP) licenses to 35 broadcasting companies, four of which are approved to deliver content via satellite television.[116]
Sports content dispute
Astro has also enjoyed control of the broadcasting rights for sports events, including all Liga Super and Piala Malaysia events, and the FIFA World Cup 2014[117] and 2018. Competitors were restricted from airing those events,[118] [119] or were required by regulators to pay excessive royalties to Astro. The high royalty fees were criticised by Jeremy Kung, executive vice president of TM New Media, who argued that sports content on free-to-air television channels should be made available to public for free. Former Information, Communications, Arts and Culture minister Rais Yatim urged the media groups who had exclusive rights to major sports events to share their content to free-to-air television channels. Pakatan Harapan youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad argued that the rights to broadcast English Premier League should be co-licensed with Radio Television Malaysia instead of being restricted to Astro.[120]
Astro's short-lived Indonesian operations were also subject of investigation by Indonesian regulators, and accusations by rival providers, over allegations of the company also monopolizing Premier League rights in the country.[121]
Overcharging
Astro has been criticised for raising its service prices and imposing penalty fees on customers.[122] In 2007, Astro raised its service fee about 15% and converted previously free channels like Bloomberg, Al Jazeera English, and CGTN into paid channels. Anyone who attempted to drop such service packages was charged a fee.[123] Malaysiakini reporter Cheah Kah Seng encouraged customers to protest against the price hikes and provided instructions on how to do so.[124] Due to broadcasting rights it has received from the Malaysian government, Astro raised its fees several more times in the following years, while consumers had fewer competitive alternatives.[125]
Astro often shows commercials on premium channels for which consumers paid for an ad-free experience.[126] Customers who use the Astro personal video recorder (PVR), Astro MAX, have reported performance problems and difficulty in recording certain channels.[127]
Advertising on pay television channels
Paid channels carried on Astro usually carries traditional commercial advertising that will be shown on commercial break, despite customers had paid for the paid television channels.[126]
Awards and accolades
Year | Award-giving body | Category | Recipient | Result | |
---|
2009 | CASBAA Award 2009 | Chairman's Award | Astro | | [128] |
2019 | MIRA Awards 2019 | Best Company for Investor Relations | | [129] |
2023 | Putra Brand Awards 2022 | Media Network Award | | [130] |
Communications Network Award | |
e-Commerce Award | |
2024 | Putra Brand Awards 2023 | Media Network Award | | [131] |
|
See also
Other pay-TV service provider:
Notes and References
- Web site: BursaMKTPLC : IQ215354258 . Bursa Marketplace. 20 August 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150724121534/http://www.bursamarketplace.com/index.php?ch=ch_themarket&pg=pg_tm_stocksss&ac=2058&sch=ch_stocks_financials . 24 July 2015 . dead .
- Book: National Studies on Assessing the Economic Contribution of the Copyright-based Industries. World Intellectual Property Organization. 2014. 16 April 2020. 9789280520224. 159–160. There are two relatively large integrated media investment groups that carry out commercial broadcasting, i.e. Media Prima Berhad (MPB) and ASTRO All Asia Networks Plc (ASTRO). Both media groups compete for a relatively small but growing domestic market and both have ventured into the international market for broadcasting and entertainment..
- News: Astro to launch HDTV services on Friday. Business Times. 13 December 2009. 7 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20091213125215/http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20091209203105/Article/index_html . 13 December 2009 .
- News: Astro partners with TIME dotcom to roll-out Astro B.yond IPTV services. Greyreview.com. 20 April 2011. 24 September 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141006070723/http://www.greyreview.com/2011/04/20/astro-partners-with-time-dotcom-to-roll-out-astro-b-yond-iptv-services/. 6 October 2014.
- Web site: Astro Akhirnya Berhenti Siaran . . 8 August 2021 . Indonesian . 20 October 2008.
- Web site: Astro aims to increase household penetration to 75% next year. Business News. The Star Online. 7 December 2016. 19 February 2017.
- News: Astro scores in all major indicators. Goh Thean Eu. The Malay Mail. 22 September 2014. 7 February 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20180614171516/https://www.malaymail.com/s/750127/astro-scores-in-all-major-indicators. 14 June 2018.
- News: Coming soon: 30 TV channels for Malaysia. 16 December 2023. The Straits Times. 18 June 1994.
- News: Minister sees up to 30 TV channels in M'sia by 1996. The Business Times. 18 June 1994. 4 March 2019. 3.
- News: M'sian satellite owner to run regional TV station . 16 December 2023 . The Business Times . 9 May 1994.
- News: Malaysians can use dishes to receive foreign TV broadcasts. The Straits Times. 2 August 1996. 4 March 2019. 35.
- News: Astro-step into next millennium. Kamarul Yunus. Business Times. 26 September 1996. 2 February 2021.
- News: Peluang tonton 22 saluran menarik. Harian Metro. 26 September 1996. 2 February 2021.
- News: Digital satellite broadcast service begins on Tuesday. Jasbir Singh. Meera Murugesan. New Straits Times. 26 September 1996. 2 February 2021.
- News: Measat TV, radio expect to break even in three years. Elaine Lim. New Straits Times. 26 September 1996. 2 February 2021.
- News: Bigger cake for local producers with Astro. The Malay Mail. 29 September 1996. 2 February 2021.
- News: Satellite station to debut with 23 channels. The Straits Times. 20 September 1996. 6 February 2018.
- News: KL launches first satellite broadcast service. Ho Wah Foon. The Straits Times. 26 September 1996. 4 March 2019. 25.
- News: Astro tawar kemudahan laluan Internet. Hizral Tazzif Hisham. Berita Harian. 2 October 1996. 3 February 2020.
- News: (Maybank Bhd and Measat...). Business Times. 19 December 1996. 3 February 2020.
- News: 4 more Astro showrooms planned. Nor Asmah Mokhtar. Business Times. 24 December 1996. 3 February 2020.
- News: Sasaran pemasangan TV satelit. Harian Metro. 24 December 1996. 3 February 2020.
- News: Measat plans to broadcast overseas this year. Zuraimi Abdullah. New Straits Times. 30 January 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Astro to venture into local films. New Straits Times. 15 March 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Moccis appointed to market Astro services. New Straits Times. 2 April 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Measat sets up network for multimedia services. Rozana Sani. Computimes. 8 May 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Measat to spend RM25m to enhance its services over the next five years. New Straits Times. 7 May 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Astro pelanggan Akaun Global Nortel. Berita Harian. 14 May 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Faber signs up Astro's services for its Sheraton chain. Daniel Chan. The Malay Mail. 10 July 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Subscribing to satellite TV. New Straits Times. 21 July 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Astro cuts installation fee to RM799. New Straits Times. 26 September 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Astro offers 50pc discount. Business Times. 26 September 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Astro targets 20,000 hotel rooms by year-end. Business Times. 15 September 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Astro expects more hotel subscribers. David Ong-Yeoh. Business Times. 10 July 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Oracle bangunkan pangkalan data Astro. Husain Jahit. Berita Harian. 3 December 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Astro sedia subsidi RM100 juta. Harian Metro. 23 December 1997. 3 February 2020.
- News: Astro masuki Taiwan, Filipina. Harian Metro. 11 June 1998. 3 February 2020.
- Web site: Astro mampu luaskan siaran TV Pendidikan. Utusan Malaysia. 16 October 1999. 1 January 2007.
- News: TV Pendidikan lebih meluas menerusi Astro. Azizi Othman. Berita Harian. 22 May 2000. 19 December 2020.
- News: TV Pendidikan's move from RTM2 to Astro becomes an issue again. Shahreem Amry. New Straits Times. 8 February 2000. 19 December 2020.
- News: Ministry defends TV Pendidikan move. New Sunday Times. 6 February 2000. 19 December 2020.
- News: RTM wajar siarkan TV Pendidikan sehingga 2002. Berita Harian. 4 February 2000. 19 December 2020.
- News: Astro subscriber base exceeds 300,000. Ishun P. Ahmad. Business Times. 28 January 2000. 5 February 2020.
- News: Astro yakin capai sejuta pelanggan dua tahun lagi. Berita Harian. 28 January 2000. 5 February 2020.
- News: Kristal-Astro pact to launch DTH digital satellite TV in Brunei. Business Times. 25 January 2000. 10 February 2022. subscription. KLiK.
- News: Kristal-Astro dilancar ke Brunei. Berita Harian. 25 January 2000. 10 February 2022. subscription. KLiK.
- News: Astro spreads wings to Brunei in joint venture. New Straits Times. 26 January 2000. 10 February 2022. subscription. KLiK.
- Web site: Astro di Brunei gulung tikar selepas 21 tahun beroperasi. Hanif Azrai. 31 January 2022. Soya Cincau. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220131070017/https://bm.soyacincau.com/2022/01/31/astro-brunei-tutup-kedai-selepas-21-tahun/. 31 January 2022. 31 January 2022.
- Web site: MYTV beri liputan terbaik di Brunei. Amree Ahmad. 4 February 2022. Utusan Digital. registration. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204122406/https://www.utusan.com.my/ekonomi/2022/02/mytv-beri-liputan-terbaik-di-brunei/. 4 February 2022. 7 February 2022.
- News: Measat spends over RM1bn on services. Eirmalasare Bani. Business Times. 19 February 2000. 4 February 2020.
- News: Astro's plan to make service more affordable. New Straits Times. 19 February 2000. 4 February 2020.
- News: Astro expanding services to Asian region. Haliza Ahmad. The Malay Mail. 28 March 2000. 5 February 2020.
- News: Astro berjaya pikat 600,000 pelanggan. Berita Harian. 21 June 2001. 5 February 2020.
- News: HGTV series to debut on Astro this month. New Straits Times. 24 April 2002. 5 February 2020.
- News: Scripps Networks to distribute HGTV series on Astro. Business Times. 24 April 2002. 5 February 2020.
- News: Astro to reduce staff strength by 10pc under VSS. Sharen Kaur. The Malay Mail. 19 September 2002. 5 February 2020.
- News: Astro sedia khidmat TV satelit di Indonesia. Azli Ayob. Berita Harian. 12 March 2005. 5 February 2020.
- News: Indonesian satellite TV service launched. Business Times. 1 March 2006. 5 February 2020.
- News: Astro labur RM500 juta bagi operasi Indonesia. Zainab Mohd Yatim. Berita Harian. 19 July 2006. 5 February 2020.
- News: Astro perlu kawal kos, perkukuh hasil. Kamarulzaidi Kamis. Berita Harian. 8 September 2008. 5 February 2020.
- News: Channel Renumbering. Astro. 14 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20080430052135/http://www.astro.com.my/oap/07/channel_renumbering/default.asp. 30 April 2008.
- News: Anil Netto. Malaysian media giant grasps for Internet. 30 November 2007. Malaysia Today. Asia Times Online. 7 December 2007. en. 2008-01-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20080102022324/http://www.malaysia-today.net/nuc2006/news2007.php?itemid=709.
- News: Astro TV perkenal B.yond. Sri Ayu Kartikawati Amri. Harian Metro. 12 December 2009. 6 February 2020.
- News: Time, MEASAT laksana perkhidmatan jalur lebar dan IPTV. Berita Harian. 21 December 2010. 6 February 2020.
- News: Time dotCom teams up with Astro. New Straits Times. 21 December 2010. 6 February 2020.
- News: Astro meterai perjanjian siar 2 saluran sukan dalam HyppTV. Berita Harian. 1 August 2013. 6 February 2020.
- News: Saluran sukan Astro kini di HyppTV. Harian Metro. 2 August 2013. 6 February 2020.
- News: Fakta Yang Anda Perlu Tahu Pasal GO SHOP Astro. Budiey. Sensasi Selebriti. 4 February 2015. 12 October 2022.
- News: Shopping made easy. The Sun Daily. 10 June 2021. 12 October 2022.
- News: Astro Go Shop 'tutup kedai' mulai 11 Oktober ini. Mahanum Abdul Aziz. Berita Harian. 2 October 2023. 15 October 2023.
- News: Go Shop henti operasi 11 Okt ini, sebahagian strategi penjajaran semula Astro. Firdaus Azil. Astro Awani. 2 October 2023. 5 March 2024.
- News: Home shopping Astro Go Shop to cease operations after eight years. Anis Hazim. The Edge Malaysia. 2 October 2023. 6 February 2024.
- News: Astro Launches Tribe Streaming Video Service: Now Available In Indonesia, Targets Mobile Users. Chief Chapree. Lowyat.net. 21 March 2016. 29 February 2020.
- News: Tribe, an OTT online video service launched. Marketing Magazine. 18 March 2016. 29 February 2020.
- News: Astro lancarkan Tribe, perkhidmatan OTT video dalam talian untuk ASEAN. Astro Awani. 18 March 2016. 29 February 2020.
- News: Astro launches Tribe, an OTT online video service for the region. Astro Awani. 18 March 2016. 29 February 2020.
- News: ASTRO AND CJ E&M ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO CREATE CONTENT AND EVENTS FOR ASEAN. Astro Malaysia Holdings. 27 April 2017. 6 February 2018.
- News: Astro and Karangkraf form Strategic Partnership to Create and Distribute Content IPs Across All Platforms. Astro Malaysia Holdings. 15 June 2017. 6 February 2018.
- News: Astro, Digi, Media Prima collaborate to introduce JomStudi. Digital News Asia. 7 December 2018. 4 June 2019.
- News: Jom Studi! Pembelajaran Digital Terbaru Astro, Digi Dan Media Prima. Hanafis Haris. Rojak Daily. Astro Gempak. 4 December 2018. 4 June 2019.
- News: JomStudi hab pembelajaran digital. Mohd Khairul Anam Md Khairudin. Berita Harian. 5 December 2018. 4 June 2019.
- News: Astro and iQIYI announce exclusive partnership. Astro Malaysia Holdings. 17 June 2019. 6 February 2020.
- News: iQIYI Announces Strategic Partnership with Malaysia's Leading Media Brand Astro, Expanding Entertainment Services for Overseas Markets. PR Newswire. 5 November 2019. 17 February 2020.
- News: Astro is rearranging its channel numbers to prioritise HD channels. Alexander Wong. Soya Cincau. 30 March 2020. 14 February 2021.
- News: Astro ubah nombor saluran baharu bermula 1 April. Astro Awani. 30 March 2020. 14 February 2021.
- News: Astro strengthens its aggregator play with Netflix partnership. Digital News Asia. 24 June 2021. 14 February 2022.
- News: Astro expands content offering with Netflix partnership. Syafiqah Salim. The Edge Markets. 9 November 2021. 14 February 2022.
- News: You Can Now Watch Netflix On Astro!. Rojak Daily. 10 November 2021. 17 February 2022.
- News: Astro, RTM tayang saluran khas 24 jam #Malaysia4Palestine mulai hari ini. Astro Awani. 25 May 2024. 25 May 2024.
- News: Astro Lancar Perkhidmatan HDTV Generasi Baru Jumaat Ini . Bernama . 9 December 2009 . 11 December 2009 . 12 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121112174131/http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/bm/newsindex.php?id=461253 . dead .
- News: Astro TV To Spend RM550 Mln In Capex And Opex For FY2010 And 2011 . Bernama . 11 December 2009 . 11 December 2009 . 12 November 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121112174127/http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=461655 . dead .
- News: Astro B.yond Launches New Personal Video Recorder. Astro. 1 June 2010. 23 April 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20100618031417/http://www.astro.com.my/mediaroom/articles/art_736.html. 18 June 2010 .
- News: Tonton bila-bila masa. Nor Akmar Samudin. Harian Metro. 3 June 2010. 13 February 2021.
- Web site: Astro On-The-Go: My New Way to Enjoy Korean Drama!. Tian Chad. 13 June 2012. 13 February 2019.
- Web site: Astro Launches On The Go Service for International Users. Pang Tun Yau. Lowyat.net. 3 March 2013. 13 February 2019.
- Web site: Astro GO Goes Official: Is The Satellite TV Company Trying To Realign Its Digital Strategy?. Chief Chapree. Lowyat.net. 31 March 2017. 13 February 2019.
- News: New Astro Go mobile app offers free viewing of all TV channels for a limited time. Malaysian Wireless. 31 March 2017. 14 February 2019.
- News: Astro GO Has Just Been Revamped. Here's What's New With The App. Rojak Daily. 23 July 2019. 14 February 2020.
- News: If You Have Astro, You Should Totally Download Astro GO For Free And Enjoy Exclusive Shows. Laila Zain. SAYS. 22 July 2019. 14 February 2020.
- News: Astro GO is the #1 streaming video service in Malaysia. Astro Awani. 12 June 2019. 14 February 2020.
- News: Gaya hidup digital sebenar. Hanisah Selamat. Berita Harian. 26 April 2011. 13 February 2021.
- News: Astro now offers Fibre Broadband without Pay TV service, priced from RM99/month. Alexander Wong. Soya Cincau. 5 May 2022. 13 February 2023.
- News: Astro Fibre – Perkhidmatan Internet Tersendiri Astro, Dengan Kelajuan Sehingga 800Mbps. Amanz.my. 24 March 2022. 13 February 2023.
- Web site: PM launches country's first free satellite TV service . . https://web.archive.org/web/20111220234300/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2011%2F12%2F20%2Fnation%2F20111220132018&sec=nation . dead . 20 December 2011 . 22 December 2011 .
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- News: 50,000 dekoder diagih. Harian Metro. 21 December 2011. 13 February 2021.
- Web site: The New Astro Ultra Plug & Play Box. Raihan Hadi. Marketing Magazine. 23 July 2021. 13 February 2022.
- News: Apa Yang Perlu Anda Tahu Tentang Astro Ultra Box. Effi Saharudin. Amanz.my. 20 January 2020. 13 February 2020.
- Web site: Astro launches Ulti Box, adding to its connected boxes series. Digital News Asia. 18 February 2021. 13 February 2022.
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- News: 2018-11-19. No more monopoly for Astro overpaid TV broadcasting, Parliament told. Malay Mail. Kuala Lumpur. 2020-05-18.
- News: Chapree. Chef. 2014-05-29. World Cup 2014 RTM Black Out: Contents On Free To Air Channels Should Remain Free Says HyppTV's Chief. Lowyat.net. 2020-05-18.
- News: Wong. Alexander. 2018-06-11. You won't be able to watch the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Unifi TV. SoyaCincau. 2020-05-18.
- News: 2014-04-24. Media Prima drops Fifa ball. The Sun. 2020-05-18.
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- Web site: MONOPOLY IN MALAYSIA TELEVISION MARKET: EFFECT ON MALAYSIAN FILM PRODUCERS . bin Md. Dawam . Zairul Anuar . Sareya . Rosli . Bromeo Bianus . Adley . Hisham . M. Fazmi . Ali . Shahizan . November 2015 . . 2020-05-18 .
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- Web site: Astro MAX . https://web.archive.org/web/20190412111322/http://www.ourplaypen.com/2006/11/05/astro-max/ . dead . 2019-04-12 . Adrian . 2006-11-05 . ourplaypen.com . 2020-05-18 .
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- News: Astro rangkul dua anugerah di majlis Anugerah MIRA 2019. Isabelle Leong. Astro Awani. 30 October 2019. 7 February 2020.
- News: Astro rangkul lima anugerah Putra Brand Awards 2022. Raja Hisyam Raja Zaid. Astro Awani. 14 January 2023. 7 February 2024.
- News: Astro rangkul dua anugerah pada Putra Brand Awards 2023. Astro Awani. 20 January 2024. 7 February 2024.