Astro’s TV viewership increased by 43 per cent while daily time spent viewing rose 30 per cent since the start of the Movement Control Order (MCO).

The pay TV provider said with the complimentary viewing of all movie channels for all its customers, TV viewership for English movies and entertainment jumped by over 200 per cent.

All news channels are also made available for all Astro customers and they registered a 71 per cent rise in TV viewership.

“We have seen significant shift in consumer behaviour during the MCO as Malaysians stay home, and this is reflected in the increase in our engagement and traffic.

"Brands need to change the way they reach out to consumers as Malaysians navigate a ‘new normal’," Astro Media Solutions director, Wong See Wei said in a statement today.

The complimentary viewing for Astro and NJOI customers as well as complimentary Astro GO access for all Malaysians, now extended until April 14, 2020, have received positive response.

Astro GO was well received by all Malaysians with over 78,000 new registrations with kids shows also dominating viewership on Astro GO during this period, Wong said.

Meanwhile, Astro’s news teams from Awani, Radio and Digital teams are doing their part to keep Malaysians informed as well as debunking fake news.

In the first five days of the MCO, 5.5 million Malaysians watched Astro Awani while its website and app registered a 15 per cent and 13 per cent increase in unique visitors, respectively.

Wong said Astro thanked all Malaysians for supporting its initiatives to keep the nation informed and entertained during the MCO. - BERNAMA