Former HBO Asia Head Jonathan Spink Joins Taiwan’s Catchplay

Jonathan Spink, former chief executive of HBO Asia, has landed at Taiwan’s Catchplay. The veteran executive is joining the regional streaming service as a principal advisor. A spokesperson for Catchplay said Spink will help the company “in strategic partnership discussions in content and OTT fields, from Korea to China and Southeast Asia.”

Catchplay began business in 2007 as a theatrical distributor, later moving into film investment and production, before pivoting into streaming video in 2016. The company now operates its service, Catchplay+, in Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia, with “a membership base of over 7 million (the company doesn’t breakout out paying subscriber numbers).

Spink spent 16 years at HBO Asia before exiting in 2019 as part of the restructuring at WarnerMedia in the wake its acquisition by AT&T. “It is such an honor that Jonathan is joining us,” said CATCHPLAY Group CEO Daphne Yang. “His leadership has been greatly admired in the industry. I believe his wealth of knowledge and insights will be a tremendous boost for us in shaping strategic direction and seeking growth opportunities.”

In recent years, Catchplay has forged branded partnerships — with HBO GO in Taiwan; and BBC First in Taiwan and Indonesia — as well as focusing on giving its users early access to high-profile theatrical titles, such as Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman 1984, and most recently, Korean action film Seobok, which will be exclusively available on Catchplay+ in Indonesia just one week after its theatrical premiere.

Catchplay’s film investments have included a range of Taiwanese titles, as well as stakes in several New Regency films, including The Revenant, Assassin’s Creed and Tom Hardy’s forthcoming Splinter Cell.

Spink said in a statement: “I’ve always had the greatest admiration for the way Catchplay has approached and pioneered the on demand business in Asia. Catchplay has also been at the forefront of some of the best original programming produced in recent years and I’m delighted to offer any assistance I can in the next chapter of their evolution.”