It didn’t exactly receive a standing ovation. When Indonesian multi-service platform Gojek launched its video streaming app GoPlay in September 2019, the reception was lukewarm.
GoPlay only has a 3.3/5 rating on the Google Play Store, the worst among Gojek’s family of consumer-facing apps. The reviews, especially in the early weeks after launch, were riddled with complaints about bugs and lack of content.
GoPlay was envisioned as a rival to American streaming giant Netflix, but with more local content for Indonesians. It was ambitious from the beginning, given that Gojek’s expertise was in ride-hailing and food delivery, and not the content business.