SINGAPORE: It has been a month since Christopher Lee's latest drama, A Mobile Love Story, has been available on MOBTV for a free preview - way before its TV premiere which is slated for September.

And apparently, the heartthrob-blockbuster bait is working. According to a spokesperson from MOBTV, it has seen an increase of more than 2,300 new members, bringing its total number of subscribers to over 64,300. More than 11,000 videos from A Mobile Love Story have been streamed since June 1.

It is a response that has been 'quite encouraging', said Khiew Voon Kwang, MediaCorp TV's senior vice-president, network programming and promotions. Slowly but steadily, it seems that Singaporeans are embracing a service that allows them the freedom to watch what they want whenever they want - better yet, at no cost at all.

Said one subscriber Andy Goh who is a big fan of local dramas: "Of course, it's good. I get to watch all the dramas before others do on TV. Sometimes, I work late and miss a few episodes here and there, so I catch them on MOBTV." Needless to say, the radio administrator, who pays $36 every three months for the drama package, was excited about the free preview.

The objective of this free preview, according to MediaCorp's senior multimedia director Julian Lit, is to test-drive an ad-supported business model which could replace the current subscription-based one, if all goes well.

Allaying fears that such a free preview could potentially sabotage a drama's ratings when it eventually airs on Channel 8, Khiew said that it will, on the contrary, 'help generate publicity buzz'. "The audience MOBTV reaches is very (focused) - they're net savvy young adults and students who are light TV viewers."

A Mobile Love Story has been billed as a blockbuster co-production between MediaCorp Studios and Beijing Yibo Production Co, starring Lee, Yvonne Lim, Taiwanese actor Wallace Huo and Chinese actress Han Xue.

MOBTV subscription fees currently start from $6 a month. To view MOBTV programmes, log to on www.mobtv.sg or tune in to SingTel mioTV's MOBTV Select channel. - TODAY/fa