Foreign video-on-demand service providers must register in Vietnam

By Dat Nguyen October 3, 2022 | 12:25 am PT

Smartphone with Netflix logo is placed on a keyboard in this illustration taken April 19, 2022. Photo by Reuters/Dado Ruvic

Video-on-demand service providers, like Netflix or Apple TV, will need to seek licenses from the Vietnamese government to operate in the country, a new decree says.

They will need to fill out a form for the Ministry of Information and Communications just like their local counterparts, said the decree, which will enter effect Jan. 1 next year.

The decree also relaxes the content allowed on video-on-demand services by allowing the provider to categorize and edit movies, sports and entertainment content.

In previous regulations all video-on-demand had to be edited by a licensed news agency before publishing.

News content, however, must be edited by a licensed news agency.

Video-on-demand services have become popular in Vietnam in recent years thanks to a surge in smartphone usage and internet access.

The worldwide streamer of movies and TV shows Netflix has been including more Vietnamese movies and series onto its platform, seeking to attract the young local audience.