Clip TV closes down.

Clip TV's TV Box. Photo: Khuong Nha .

According to an announcement on its website, the Clip TV mobile application and platform will cease operations from December 31st. This means the company will end its digital streaming and movie streaming services via OTT apps on smartphones and smart TVs before 2026. This development highlights the high level of competition in the Vietnamese pay-TV market, as several major players are leaving the game.

“ MobiFone announces to our valued customers that Clip TV will officially cease service from December 31st. Throughout our partnership, MobiFone and Clip TV have strived to provide a rich and high-quality entertainment experience. MobiFone sincerely thanks our customers for choosing to partner with us over the past time,” the announcement reads on the Clip TV website and app when users access it.

As a long-standing internet service in Vietnam, ClipTV has undergone many changes throughout its operation. Founded in February 2007 by Bach Minh Joint Stock Company (Vega), the platform was considered the "YouTube of Vietnam" under the name Clip.vn, used for video sharing in its early stages. However, the website could not compete with the increasing popularity of Facebook and YouTube. This led to ClipTV's initial closure in 2015.

Announcement of Clip TV's closure.

By 2016, Clip became Clip TV, shifting its model to OTT television. Vega released the Clip TV Box hardware device, transforming regular TVs into smart TVs. In 2020, the platform was transferred and operated by MobiFone. The application became part of the network's ecosystem.

Besides Clip TV, K+, another major television broadcaster in Vietnam, is also facing difficulties. Currently, this broadcaster is only selling subscription services until the end of this year, the same time Clip TV will close down. Previously, K+ held the broadcasting rights for many attractive sports tournaments such as the EPL and F1.

Since July, information about K+ Television's impending withdrawal from Vietnam has spread on social media, attracting significant public discussion. The reason stems from Canal+, a major shareholder of the broadcaster, considering withdrawing from the Vietnamese market due to "significant" losses and "no viable solution in sight," according to DecodeTV.

Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada said: "We may make a decision to significantly restructure our operations here, or even consider withdrawing entirely."

Later, the broadcaster stated that they were still selling and renewing subscriptions "normally," and would continue to broadcast the tournaments for which they held the broadcasting rights. Following this announcement, the K+ package was no longer distributed on many OTT applications and cable TV. To watch the English Premier League with proper broadcasting rights, viewers were forced to purchase K+.

With K+'s future uncertain, its users and sports fans are worried about which channel will be licensed to broadcast English Premier League matches.