Piracy on the internet has always been considered a very controversial subject. Though it blatantly stagnates the entertainment industry by allowing users to download copyrighted content without any cost, it has been a staple and often times a livelihood for many since the early 2000’s.
Then came many initiatives in the early 2010’s to end piracy once for all. Notable torrent sites have been shut down, the latest paperback books don’t have illegal ebooks available for download, and downloading MP3’s through a P2P service has become nearly extinct.
The entertainment industry seems to be winning, but wait a minute: is there now an affordable way to view movies on demand without paying a high fee?
Spell Movies Inc has brought to Pakistan a web application that allows users to view On-Demand movies, released on the platform merely a month or two after being released in the cinema, SpellFlix. The company already have a setup in various countries including USA, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
SpellFlix aims to give NetFlix and iFlix a run for their money by offering the following things:
- Free Registration (No Subscription Fee)
- Rent a movie for 2 days (Rs. 100 for Credit Card/Rs. 50 for mobile balance)
- Unlimited views
- Payment options through:
- Coupon Code that can be deducted from your mobile balance for
- Telenor
- Jazz
- Zong
- Credit/Debit Card
- Coupon Code that can be deducted from your mobile balance for
- Add a movie to your favorites section
- A separate invoicing interface for your purchases
The service offers a variety of genres to the viewers, which include :
- Hollywood Movies
- Action & Adventure
- Kids & Animation
- Classics
- Comedy
- Drama
- Horror
ProPakistani had the opportunity to speak to the CEO/Managing Partner of SpellMovies LLC, Saqib Rathore.
Yes, Netflix and iFlix have made their way in to Pakistan, and have clearly seen a lot of demand for their subscription based models the world over.
There is also a huge discrepancy between what NetFlix USA offers and what the International (Pakistani) NetFlix has to offer its customers. Spellflix is officially licensed to show content from Sony Pictures and many other studios.
Spellflix does charge as low as Rs. 50, but when you put that in to perspective, you can view a wide collection of movies in store. It also gives customers who don’t have a credit card (penetration is 0.1% in Pakistan) to pay for their movies through mobile coupons. Spellflix is an official licensee of the following regarding home view in Pakistan:
- Sony Pictures
- Warner Brothers
- 20th Century Fox
- MGM
- Dreamworks
It is in that regard that it can be viewed as a parallel of Apple’s model of purchasing videos. However, Spellflix doesn’t seek to entirely isolate itself from the mainstream forms of viewing videos in Pakistan. It is officially syndicated with PTCL Smart TV, and provides them content for their On-Demand Services.
Yet, there is much more than just movies that can be purchased in Pakistan. SpellFlix is also officially licensed to disperse content form 9X Media and INX Music, for those who are passionate about Indian Music.
For the current moment, there is only a website for Spellflix, which expansion in to an app format being worked on. There are Physical Distribution Outlets where movies can be purchased. We can expect a lot of users to use this service as a way to relax on a Sunday with family, as a way to kill time after getting work done early on a weekday, or as a way to see how far our mobile payments system has come. We wish SpellFlix the best of luck in Pakistan.
Whats wrong with Easypaisa OR Jazzcash options?
Do they have anime? I can usually get my hands on everything, but there’s one movie that’s only available with select distributors. It’s called Your Name. Make it available for me in HD and then we’ll talk.
have you tried “Crunchy roll” for anime?
CR encodes are pretty ****. It’s also not available in Pakistan. Like I said, I can usually get my hands on any show I want. This one is just available with select distributors. And the thing is so good, I’m willing to shed good money to own a copy.
A movie as best acclaimed as Kimi No Na Wa. I’ll consider nothing but pure 1080p Bluray. lol
LekiHayasaki?
Not available in Pakistan ? Are you high or what ? I am using it in pakistan
i though about watching paying “Logan” to watch, not in directory
I think they need time to offer new movies there.
When movies are in theaters, they are not on streaming sites. Even in the US you will not find Logan on Netflix or Amazon Prime. But wait a month or two and they will appear.
Do they have “Logan” ? And what about Bollywood? Most people will demand Indian movies here.
Are torrents dead? What about this KODI (XBMC)? It has got all kind of movies and TV shows and seems to be free. Is it illegal too?
They dont have any latest movies, so No….