ContentAsia June 2015

issue two 2015

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Asia’s OTT leaderboard

The thinking behind India’s hotstar

PLUS: What’s hot in Korea, Divine Data – or not?, the new DW & the numbers fit to count

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editor’snote

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Easy does it The first question iflix asks online is: Are you human?. The second is:

The ability to use every tool known to

What’s your phone number (please include country code)? That’s

humankind will be massively tested in the

all you need – to be human and to have a working mobile phone

next few years as a squillion hopefuls pile into

– to sign up for a 14-day free trial of Asia’s newest online SVOD

digital delivery for Asia.

service. If, that is, you are in Malaysia or the Philippines, where the service launched at the end of May.

Right now, Asia has more than 100 online platforms (that we could count) offering, at

It’s that easy. Getting out is as easy. No long-term contracts if

an average of 10,000 hours each, maybe

you don’t want them. A 20% discount – from RM10/US$3 a month

a million hours of professionally produced

to RM96/US$26 for the year – if you sign up for 12 months. After the

video content online. And that’s excluding

free trial, you either sign up or you sign out. There’s no mix of free

regional services such as Viki, multi-channel

and paid. No confusion over what you’re getting for free and what

networks such as Brand New Media (BNM)

you have to pay for. Nothing to irritate you. No friction. No more

and Commercialize TV, and the mother of all

than one decision to make – do I want it or not?

video platforms, YouTube. At least one more

iflix’s line is: “no strings attached, no hidden catches and no

telco-driven platform will be making its way

contracts”. In the first 24-hours live, 11,000 people had signed up

across Asia this year. That we know of. There

for the trial. The first sign-up was Mark Britt, the iflix Group’s Kuala

are very likely to be more as well-established

Lumpur-based chief executive. In three months, iflix will have

legacy broadcasters and shiny eager new

enough user data to shift from the ‘what we think you will watch’ trial/launch mode to a pure data-driven offering based on what customers are actually watching. Britt says 60% of his acquisition budget will be released in this post-launch phase, earmarked for giving people content they’ve already shown they have a taste for. In five years, iflix plans to have 30 million paying customers.

Britt is a passionate advocate of video-based entertainment. “We all watch twice as much as our

players see and try to exploit the opportunity in delivering absolute consumer choice.

How many of them will make it? Impossible to tell. What we can say is that right now, today, what’s being promised looks pretty much like content heaven. My devil – today – is that, even if I can answer yes to iflix’s ‘are you human’ question, I don’t have a Malaysian or Philippines’ mobile number.

parents,” he said the day after the service went live.

“And our children will watch twice as much as us”.

That golden age of content is nothing that mega global creators like Disney/ABC, CBS Studios, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures Television, don’t already know. But it’s still nice to hear it from one of the region’s great disruptors, especially one who says iflix is a data business first and a content business second.

Ultimately, though, the consumer benefits. Data-driven insights will drive the evolution of the service, Britt says. In a space so easy to exit, every sliver of data that adds a competitive advantage clearly counts.

C Editorial Director Janine Stein Assistant Editor Malena Amzah malena@contentasia.tv Research & Production CJ Yong cj@contentasia.tv Editorial Aqilah Yunus aqilah@contentasia.tv Intern Marilyn Wong Design Rae Yong

NTENT ASIA

INTERNATIONAL Associate Publisher (Americas, Europe) and VP, International Business Development Leah Gordon leah@contentasia.tv ASIA Sales and Marketing Manager Masliana Masron mas@contentasia.tv

What is ContentAsia?

ContentAsia is an Asia-based information resource that refines today’s info-deluge into usable, digestible, and reliable intelligence about entertainment content creation, funding, financing, licensing, distribution, design and branding and technology across the Asia-Pacific region. ContentAsia’s range of products include electronic, print and online publications.

To receive your regular free copy of ContentAsia, please email i_want@contentasia.tv Copyright 2015 Pencil Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved MCI (P) 111/06/2013 Printed by: Print Dynamics (S) Pte Ltd 123 Genting Lane, #02-01, Singapore 349574

Published by: Pencil Media Pte Ltd l 730A Geylang Road, Singapore 389641 l T: +65 6846 5987 l W: www.contentasia.tv

issue two, june 2015

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what’s inside......

6

There is the world as we know it... And then there’s the other one – for want of a better term – the scary world.”

What’s going on in...

16 Data overdrive

InQuotes

Astro chief executive,

Who said what at this

Data, what she’s not going

year’s Asia Pacific Video

to do and why, and the role

Operators Summit (APOS)

of leadership in a world of

in Bali

endless information.

Rohana Rozhan, on Big

Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia (MPA); James Murdoch, Co-Chief Operating Officer, 21st Century Fox

Rohana Rozhan, Astro Malaysia

page 8

18 Channels German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW) launches a new version of its global information Rosy Lovers, Oh!K

channel on 22 June. Asia is a key part of the mix.

20

24

new linear channels to overthe-top take-up.

ad-supported on-demand on-the-go access to some of India’s hottest content.

Free-to-air is still a very strong business in some parts of Heat of the moment Korea Southeast Asia, particularly in Indo- Korean drama and variety Star India has gone over the top nesia, Philippines continue to sizzle across the with new direct-to-consumregion, driving everything from er platform, hotstar, offering and Thailand.”

When there’s a big sporting event, people congregate to watch in huge numbers. The only question is: are there enough of these happening and how much innovation has there been?”

Vivek Couto, Media Partners Asia (MPA)

Sanjay Gupta, Star India

page 6

28

38 In Numbers

Online video: who’s playing Who’s who on Asia’s online video charts.

Korea’s US$15.6m drama of the moment; FIC’s US$4.5m local factual content commitment; 400 hours of original Korean drama head for Malaysia, Singapore; StarHub’s churn hits all-time low...

Plus other numbers the industry is counting right now.

Hooq

issue two, june 2015

page 14

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Who said what... at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) in Bali this year “There is the world as we know it... And then there’s the other one – for want of a better term – the scary world.”

Rohana Rozhan, Chief Executive Officer, Astro Malaysia, talking about some of the issues involved in growing Astro to 85% penetration over the next three to five years with between 50% and 55% pay.

Astro currently has 65% household penetration.

“Content has been liberated and we should treat each piece with respect. Not standardise it.”

Henry Tan, Chief Operating Officer, Astro Malaysia, who said the platform’s bet on vernacular content had paid off handsomely. Astro has trebled the number of shows that have more than a million viewers. Tan said the next challenge was moving beyond Malaysia and beyond TV. “What we would like to do is leverage content into ‘franchisable IP’,” he said.

“We are excited by return path data. For the longest time we were quite tired of data that we didn’t think was reflecting what was happening and a sample base not representative of our customer base.

Less than 40 homes in the sample were HD homes. The truth is that more Astro subs are watching in HD. We thought it was time we took control of the measurement and we want a robust accurate system that captures not just TV viewing.”

Henry Tan, Chief Operating Officer, Astro Malaysia, on the return path data results Astro plans to make available in the second half of this year.

“We want to build communities around the IP, to build up the whole ecosystem and reinforce the value.”

Henry Tan, Chief Operating Officer, Astro Malaysia

issue two, june 2015

Free-to-air is still a very strong business in some parts of Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand.”

Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia (MPA), talking about the state of the video market in Asia. Couto said the video ecosystem grew 7% in 2014. MPA forecasts 5% growth between 2014 and 2023. Pay-TV share is steady, online share will grow to 11% and free to air comes down to 35% between now and 2023. Of the 11%, only 2% is driven by subscription OTT offerings. The rest is all ad-supported OTT, mostly big mass offerings. Couto said pay TV remained “exceptionally strong” in markets such as India and also in places like Korea. He added that an area of concern was in the slowdown in some low-penetration markets in Asia “and it’s not because of OTT”. Reasons included deep structural issues and a lack of alignment between stakeholders, as well as piracy. Couto called pay-TV growth in Indonesia “disappointing”, and said 10% penetration growing to 14% “doesn’t seem right”.

Vernacular programming to us is the new premium.”

“The reality for broadcasters like us is that because we are used to pushing signals out, and live in a linear world, we are probably not ready to provide a completely engaging and immersive experience... but it’s definitely a world that we are moving into in earnest, with targets and milestones.”

“In order for us to do this really well, what we have to do is take ourselves on... we have to organise the organisation to be the aggressor to take on the ‘old world’. That’s where we are at at the moment.”

Rohana Rozhan, Chief Executive Officer, Astro Malaysia

“Taiwan’s ageing population is used to a big bundle.

This is a factor that needs to be considered. There is a regulatory aspect too.

For the more tech-savvy generation, they need not be served so much.

They help themselves.”

Thomas Ee, Executive Vice Chairman, Taiwan Broadband Communications

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“Content costs are increasing faster than revenues.”

“Sports is a fairly big chunk of the annual content spend (obviously India sways it a bit), but it’s still a third of revenues.

Spend on international content is in slight decline.

Asian content spend has gone up from about 7%-8% a few years ago to 12% and local content is still a strong engine.”

“The great thing about the industry is that everyone is investing in great stories and great content, some more than most, but everyone is making these bets. Operating margins for the last year continue to remain under pressure across the board...

It has come down from 22.4% in 2013 to 21% last year. The pan-regional business has gone down from 30% to 28%. Taiwan is making money, but they always make money.”

Vivek Couto, Executive Director, MPA

Whether it’s bundling or unbundling, it’s about building convenience.”

“Data limits and battery life are factors in mobile entertainment access.”

Thomas Ee, Executive Vice Chairman, Taiwan Broadband Communications

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Indonesia’s DTH growth has slowed since last year.

Total subs in Indonesia are slightly above four million, so the potential is still very big. Why has growth slowed? The first reason is piracy. The second and third reasons are related to the content and the channels. Unhealthy free offering for new subs creates a ‘rotational churn’ – the same subscriber moves from operator to operator taking the free offering. Some platforms don’t shut off the non-paying subs. This is something that dampens growth.”

“We have to make sure we are providing our subscribers with all their on-demand as well as linear needs.”

“Netflix will absolutely grow the overall market in Australia.

They will be a good thing in the medium term as people start to experience paying for television and start to compare the products.”

“We do more original first run programmes in a week than Netflix does in a year.

People will start to understand why one product is worth $10 and one is worth a lot more.”

“Subscribers who have spun-down are starting to spin back up.”

Richard Freudenstein, Chief Executive Officer, Foxtel Australia

Rudy Tanoesoedibjo, President and Director, MNC Sky Vision

Bundling is still the right model. We are going beyond bundling channels to bundling with broadband and mobile. We don’t see pay-TV as a standalone.”

Tan Tong Hai, Chief Executive Officer, StarHub Singapore

“We have too many channels... it used to be very convenient to watch TV. The new world – as Rohana said, the ‘scary world’ – is also a very inconvenient world. How do we bring back convenience for customers? How do we harmonise? There is too much OTT content. It’s more scary but it couldn’t be more inconvenient for customers, with all the gadgets and passwords.”

Tan Tong Hai, Chief Executive Officer, StarHub Singapore

“There’s a danger when factual gets into the realm of general entertainment, into reality. We have some concerns about that. A lot of Asians want to hear stories about themselves. There is a greater interest in where they come from. We see a gap there and we see an opportunity.”

Henry Tan, Astro Malaysia, on one of the reasons behind Astro’s involvement in new regional factual channel, Spark Asia

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The best people to address the new world are probably people like us.

The new world is about the science, art and creativity and being able to blend it in a way that makes sense... Also, in the new world, physical, live engagement with content and talent gives you an edge. We are doing a lot more events, live engagement, even merchandising and ticketing... our reality shows have big turnouts by people who pay to attend. If we can add, layer, those different parts of the business, we stand the best chance of making the transition.”

Rohana Rozhan, Chief Executive Officer, Astro Malaysia

Our vision is to democratise content. We don’t think about pay-TV audiences, we think about everyone else.”

Mark Britt, Chief Executive Officer, iflix

“We have gone into Japanese content, into Asian documentaries… these are niches that no one else is satisfying.”

“If you can provide a better product than piracy, people will pay. They are already paying for pirated content...

Netflix has proved that easy, simple, ‘press play and access to whatever I want when I want it’ works.”

“85% of Netflix subs have pay-TV. Right now these are complementary services.

For a top-tier customer, if we can do a good job people will get both us and Hooq.”

Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia (MPA); James Murdoch, Co-Chief Operating Officer, 21st Century Fox

“We love the India business. It has now evolved enormously from Hindi entertainment to regional-language broadcasting and now we are a national platform. The sports business for us is a new pillar and we are looking at the business in a long term time frame. And if we keep innovating and investing in putting more creative and innovative content on screen, Star India will become a billion dollar EBITDA business by the turn of the decade.”

James Murdoch, Co-Chief Operating Officer, 21st Century Fox

We hope, after 18 years, we have strong enough relationships with our content partners to move towards real collaboration... That’s the great challenge. If we can’t do that, we will have to create our own IP, whether it’s by ourselves or in collaboration with friendly, like-minded people.”

“Korea is a market on steroids.”

“It would be derelict of us if we stopped looking at this [regional OTT/SVOD platform] space... but it’s extremely crowded and we’re not good at being a me-too.”

Vivek Couto, Executive Director, Media Partners Asia (MPA), adding that some pay-TV platforms in Korea have penetration rates of 140%.

Rohana Rozhan, Astro Malaysia

Henry Tan, Chief Operating Officer, Astro

issue two, june 2015

Mark Britt, iflix

“We would like to see our consumers – as individuals or households – have access to content across the board. More and more things have to be day and date, bundled or un-bundled, across multiple screens.”

Rohana Rozhan, Astro Malaysia

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“The pace of mobile broadband growth is massive... By 2023, wireless broadband will be used by three billion people, compared to 445 million fixed broadband households, which will have an effect on how online video is consumed and charged for, and how advertisers engage with it.”

“Clearly China and Japan dominate the OTT market currently. They contribute more than 50% of subscribers and revenues respectively.

The sector remains fairly sub-scale in Southeast Asia, parts of North Asia and even India, though the past 12-24 months has seen multiple new platforms launch in many markets. China is very much an AVOD model, while in Japan... average ARPU is about US$6 a month versus US$50 on pay television.”

“The online video revenue pie will be close to US$18 billion by 2023. China and Japan will definitely play a big part.Platforms in India and Australia will also be key contributors to this growth story.”

Vivek Couto, Executive Director, MPA

issue two, june 2015

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“Consumers have zero tolerance for mediocre experiences.”

The one thing that we all need to come to grips with is: None of us is in charge.

The consumer is in charge. And that hasn’t always been the case... that’s not necessarily a bad thing for business, for programmers and distributors. It could actually be a fantastic thing for business.

But it will require each of us to play our part, and require us to up our game in terms of meeting consumer expectations.”

John Martin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Turner Broadcasting System

Ad-funded online video models remain dominant...

There were 500 million active online video users at the end of 2014, of which 75 million were paying for some form of content... That will grow substantially to 1.5 billion by 2023 and the SVOD base will come up to 24% of that. But the ad-funded model will be pervasive in places like India and China and also parts of Southeast Asia.”

Vivek Couto, Executive Director, MPA

It’s very important going forward to have all the rights we need.”

Richard Freudenstein, Foxtel

The term a la carte has been used for years and years, and the idea of allowing consumers to select individually the channels that they want to pay for... what we are seeing now is an elegant evolution of the bundle that is happening in an orderly fashion and will continue. But it’s not necessarily moving directly to a la carte.

Having smaller bundles of more important packages will better serve consumer needs and demands.”

John Martin, Turner Broadcasting System, talking about breaking the pay-TV channel bundle

“We are in the early days of what is going to be a lot of experimentation among programmers to ensure that we can get our branded environments out to as many consumers in as many packages as possible... it’s important to note that our commitment is first and foremost to work collaboratively with existing platform partners... to try to make the overall television service better for consumers. That’s our first, second and third priority.”

“We are in the process of reimagining what TV even is.”

John Martin, Turner Broadcasting System, on existing in a B2C environment without multi-platform video distributors (MPVDs)

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Better engagement in sports will drive greater consumption.

People don’t look happy when they win a sports bid.

Practices in the sports business have become quite toxic. Instead of a content creation business this has been run as a rent-a-cab business.”

“People are queuing up to buy an EPL, a La Liga or a Bundesliga, but the question here is how much engagement do these games actually offer as compared to relevant local content.

We tried this with ISL and Kabaddi and the initial response has been very encouraging.”

“I am prejudiced towards aspirational content..

This is something we have always kept in mind while creating all of our content and is the same philosophy that we are bringing to sports as well. Sports has a huge role to play in empowerment, especially in a country like India, where we need to make the society believe that even an uneducated person can aspire to something greater if he is talented in a sport. This is what has worked with Kabaddi in a big way.”

“English movies and drama consumption is barely 2% of all content consumption in India.

Sports needs to find a much more local strategy to make it relevant and to grow it.”

“The reason I’m excited about the OTT space is because it allows for democratisation of creativity.

However this is not the same as saying that anyone can create content.”

“We need to have a long term commitment to build a sport, a 10- to 20-year approach to build it [from the] ground up. Take the example of EPL, which has been around for decades and has built an extremely strong consumer franchise that advertisers are eager to associate with… The three-year view of buying sporting rights has to change. This current regime disallows most of the partners to make money and disincentivises anyone trying to build a sport.”

Sanjay Gupta, Star India

issue two, june 2015

Uday Shankar, Star India

We have applied the same philosophy that we had in our entertainment business to sports – creating content with deep local affinity using the audience aggregation power of cricket.

“Sports broadcasting has been plagued by laziness and lack of innovation, treated merely as a distribution agent of acquired rights, which is what we have tried to change with multiple local leagues. If it’s your team that’s playing, even if it is not the best team, you will be deeply passionate about it. Creating a hierarchy of leagues across the country can be a huge empowering phenomenon.”

Uday Shankar, Chief Executive Officer, Star India

“One of the challenges that we are seeing is that almost all of the investment in sports is going into rights cost. We are trying to change that by investing in basic sports infrastructure apart from rights, whether it is grooming the players for an on-screen experience in Kabaddi or partnering to get the stadiums ready for ISL.” Sanjay Gupta, Star India

When there’s a big sporting event, people congregate to watch in huge numbers. The only question is: are there enough of these happening and how much innovation has there been?”

Sanjay Gupta, Chief Operating Officer, Star India, on the lack of innovation he says is stifling sports economics

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data

What’s the right role for Big Data in Asia?

“We need to use data to extrapolate what we need to do in the scary

What’s the right role for Big Data in the TV world? It’s a question Asia’s media bosses are

world. And we are starting to do that in earnest now,” she says.

Those initiatives have to run “in tandem with our plans for that world,

busily asking as they move beyond TV. For Southeast Asia’s most powerful platform, Astro Malaysia, the data future is all about hav-

otherwise you end up gathering so much data and not having the right questions,” she adds.

“What scares incumbents like us is that we are rooted in the

ing a clear vision and asking the right questions in order to get there.

present and the past. What stops us from being disruptive is our-

“From a leadership perspective, we have to

selves. And that’s why we need the ability to ask the right ques-

have a vision and a five-year plan and an idea

tions and have the right vision and to use data compellingly to

of the marketplace and how it’s evolving...

optimise our plans”.

The massive pace of change looms large; “It’s one of the things

and then to circle back and look at the questions we need to have answers to in order to

that scares me,” she says, pointing to the difference between

optimally organise ourselves to get there,” says

Astro’s World Cup initiatives in 2010 and those in 2014. In 2010, the

Astro chief executive, Rohana Rozhan. “It’s not

focus was offering matches in HD... followed by subscription and ad revenues.

We should not be scared of what we know.

We should be extremely scared of what we don’t know.”

In 2014, activity exploded from football matches to a community that shared the ex-

Rohana Rozhan, Chief Executive Officer, Astro Malaysia

perience. about having tons of people gathering data in isolation,” she adds.

Prioritising data is nothing new. For the 19year-old Astro, “there has always been the

“We were outside that social ecosystem,” Rohana says. “It’s our content and people were viewing it, but the socially connected system excluded us. We were at the core, but the engagement was outside.”

She says broadcasters and media players are not getting a share of

need for research, for the right questions, for

digital ad dollars, and won’t while they are outside the digital ecosystem,

reports, for analysis on historical performance

excluded from much of the data associated with their content.

and how to do better,” Rohana says.

Today, that has been extended, with new

“We don’t have the data from the World Cup because we were outside the social ecosystem. The scary part is that change happened in four short

technology and a few more tools. But still, “it’s

years. What will 2018 look like? How do we look at that property and the

an extension of what we have always done”.

economics of it? That’s the challenge.”

Which means using data to drive, for example,

At the same time, “the reality of our business is that it’s not all machines,

pricing decisions, upselling initiatives, driving

not all science. It’s also about the layering of taste, creativity, gut feel

operational optimisation and ad sales.

and intuition... and finally it has to be about having the right people to

What Astro isn’t doing is “using data capabilities... to look into the future,” she adds.

make the final calls and to read the data in a way that allows you to make the call,” she says.

She divides the world in two: “business as

“People like us who are in tech and content and consumer

usual” and “scary”. There is nothing to fear in

spaces are best-placed to deal with this because we have the

the first. “We should not be scared of what we

ability to layer the art and science, the heart and soul and the

know,” Rohana says. But, she adds, “we should

creativity, whereas others look at content as more of utility,

be very scared of what we don’t know”.

which it isn’t. So It’s ours to lose.”

issue two, june 2015

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channels

The new DW launches on 22 June.

Asia is a key part of the mix German broadcaster Deutsche Welle (DW)

for a direct line to intelligence. This is both as

brand. But we will also invest in programming

launches a new version of English-language

a compliment to DW viewers and as a core

for younger audiences via mobile, online and

global information channel on 22 June. The

value of the people who actually make and

social media”.

24-hour channel aims to take its place among

market the channel. Limbourg says the tagline

the world’s best-known German brands. The

was created internally, and has the authentic-

what we are trying to do. But, still, linear TV is

Mercedes of information, if you will.

ity of being rooted in the reasons driving DW

important, particularly live TV,” Limbourg says.

DW’s plan is to “redefine the information agenda with a committed vision of how next

staffers to do what they do every day.

“There is so much information, propaganda,

“Young viewers want immediacy and this is

The new DW has much more news than it had before, with bulletins every half hour, time-

rumours online. We are delivering high-quality

shifted prime time for Asia, and a dedicated

journalism. ‘Made for minds’ fits with the way

daily one hour on Asia. “The whole Asian prime

ing is a significant shift away from the low-key

DW approaches news, and with the energy

time is directed at Asia,” Limbourg says.

modesty that has defined DW in the past.

involved in producing it,” Limbourg says.

generation news should evolve”.

The 60-year-old broadcaster’s new position-

Asia’s sensitivities to various newsworthy situ-

Some of this is because of director general

The launch campaign revolves around “lo-

ations are dealt with simply. “The news should

Peter Limbourg’s two decades in the private

cal heroes” – “local heroes motivate instead

be correct,” Limbourg says. “This is the bottom line. And so you have to have at least two

Young viewers want immediacy and this is what we are trying to do. But still, linear TV is important, particularly live TV.” Peter Limbourg, Director General, Deutsche Welle

sources before you produce it. Whether news is well heard by governments, this is not anything we can think about, or do anything about. We shouldn’t think about how people might block us. We should do our job and do good journalism,” he adds.

Sports – including Germany’s Bundesliga – is part of the plan. Kick Off, for instance,

sector before he took the DW post towards

of standing in the way”; “local

the end of 2013. But mostly the new attitude

heroes use curiosity to move past fear”; “local

covers all things football. But it won’t be live;

reflects changing realities in Germany and in

heroes have minds of their own”.

“the rights will ruin us,” Limbourg says.

the country’s status on the global stage.

Limbourg says a German news channel can

In addition to using correspondents in key

compete on the international stage in the

markets, DW will work with broadcast partners

bourg says. “My ambition, and the ambition of

same way other German products can and do

around the world to add local content to its in-

Deutsche Welle, is that we play on the same

– with quality. “Germany has proven that it can

ternational service. Co-production is a focus, al-

level as other big stations,” he told delegates

deliver good products,” he says.

though no target number of co-produced hours

“We are not playing second league,” Lim-

at Media Partners Asia’s (MPA) Asia Pacific

Even so, linear news is challenged every-

has been set. “We are very open to co-produc-

where. “Linear television is still there and is still

tion. In the past, we were a bit more reluctant

important,” Limbourg says. Linear television, he

because everything had to be produced at DW

“Thirty years ago we were probably the most

adds, is “not the fax machine of today. It’s more

and sent out from DW,” Limbourg says.

boring country in the world. This has changed

the refrigerator in the kitchen. It will always be

since reunification [of East and West German]...

there but it doesn’t hinder you from buying more

ing Hindi and Bengali – will give the new chan-

Our USP is that we’re German. We are a strong

digital equipment for your kitchen”.

nel access to stories from different parts of the

Video Operators Summit (APOS) in Bali in April.

The new DW reflects a changed Germany.

country in Europe, and the German voice is worth listening to,” Limbourg says.

DW’s new tagline is “made for minds” and the Bonn-based global broadcaster is going

issue two, june 2015

This means ongoing investment in linear.

DW’s 30 radio/TV/online languages – includ-

world. “That means we can be a bit faster than

“People still watch more than 300 minutes a

others in getting interesting and exclusive sto-

day of TV worldwide,” he says, adding: “We will

ries,” Limbourg says, adding: “In the end that’s

continue to invest because we want a strong

what it’s about – stories”.

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20

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countrykorea

NTENT ASIA

K pops

Korean media companies are pushing a regional and global agenda. And they appear to be on much stronger ground than international channel brands trying for a foothold in the newly liberalised Korean market.

MBC’s Rosy Lovers, Oh!K

One of the bigger questions at this year’s Busan

usual elsewhere in the region. Driven by new digital terrestrial (DTT) play-

Contents Market (BCM) in May was: Who gets to

ers, the number said to be on the table out of Thailand is about double

air drama of the moment, Shin Saimdang. By now

the usual fetched for Korean drama.

we all know the series has gone to SBS, but the elevated chatter continues. Why? For one, because the production budget is so high – about US$650,000 an episode or a total of

that will, hopefully, put the epic period drama on as many screens around the world as did landmark Korean wave series Jewel in the Palace.

US$15.6 million for the 24 episodes. In addition,

Shin Saimdang is based on the life of Chosun Dynasty artist and writer,

the new series stars actress Lee Young-ae (Jewel

Shin Saimdang (1504-1551), one of the most respected women in Korean

in the Palace), who returns to TV drama for the first

history and the mother of Confucian scholar Yulgok Yi Yi. The story moves

time for this show after more than a decade.

between past and present, tracing the efforts of a modern-day scholar

Also, Chinese buyers are said to have committed US$250,000 an episode, which is allaying fears

issue two, june 2014

Shin Saimdang production company, Group Eight, is said to be hopping between negotiating rooms, tying up pre-sale and co-production deals

to uncover secrets of the past after finding Shin’s diaries. The series will air in 2016.

that China’s new censorship rules have put paid

The high excitement over Shin Saimdong runs alongside increased en-

to anything above US$100,000 an episode for Ko-

ergy around Korean formats, including SBS’s Running Man and MBC’s

rean content. The commitments are higher than

Infinite Challenge, both of which are being made in China. Running Man

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22

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countrykorea

NTENT ASIA

Sing Again, Hera Gu, CJ E&M

Just because foreign ownership restrictions have been lifted doesn’t mean we can all of a sudden come in and do whatever we want.

We have a lot to catch up on.”

Joon Lee, Fox International Channels (FIC)

tent a year, also continues to push an ambitious global expansion strategy along with initiatives such as digital-first original production. “Global expansion is a critical agenda for us,” says DJ Lee, CJ E&M’s Media Content Bureau president.

The international slate includes the format co-productions Grandpas Over Flowers and Sisters Over Flowers with China’s Dragon TV. Last year, CJ E&M sold format rights to Grandpas Over Flowers to U.S. network, NBC, which is producing it as Better Late Than Never. “For the past five or seven years we bought formats from international companies. Now we are selling our formats to them. That’s progress,” DJ Lee says. In Vietnam, CJ E&M partnered with national broadcaster Vietnam Television (VTV) on prime-time drama Forever Young, which doubled the average rating for

marked a turning point in China for SBS, which now divides its mainland business into “before

DJ Lee’s vision is, first, to create Asian content that is distinctive, fun,

Running Man” (straight licensing) and “after Run-

empathetic, creative, original and, perhaps most of all, different from

ning Man” (co-production). New deals for Korean

Korea’s big three terrestrial stations.

formats also include JTBC’s variety/talent show,

A poster series for the approach is scripted drama Let’s Eat, which has

Hidden Singer, which NBCUniversal has sold to

leveraged the CJ conglomerate’s food connections into 21 branded

Thailand’s Channel 3. In some quarters, there are

lunch boxes and a vibrant licensing/merchandising revenue stream. “In

also increased levels of foreign format acquisi-

order to make the commerce connection, the content has to be good

tions. U.K. distributor all3media, for instance, has

and it has to be marketed and promoted really well,” DJ Lee says.

sold two titles – Gogglebox and Sexy Beasts – into Korea in the past six months.

Korean drama, including output deals with day-

His end goal is to create the number one Asian content creation and marketing business, not just a TV production company. “Global is our hope and dream... but first, we want to achieve this in Asia,” he says.

and-date subtitled releases, are a healthy con-

For regional channel brands angling for a piece of Korea, the going is

tributor to the rising might of Asian regional chan-

somewhat tougher, despite the new and less restrictive regulatory envi-

nels, including Sony Pictures Television Networks’

ronment. “Just because there are no longer ownership restrictions doesn’t

One (with SBS) and Turner Broadcasting’s Oh!K

mean we can all of a sudden come in and do whatever we want,” says

(with MBC).

Joon Lee, executive vice president, content and communications, Asia

Media group CJ E&M, which operates 18 linear channels and produces about 3,000 hours of con-

issue two, june 2014

the slot. “That’s unique,” he adds.

Pacific and Middle East/managing director, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. “We have a lot to catch up on,” he says.

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24

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indiahotstar

NTENT ASIA

Heat of the moment

Star India has gone over the top with a new direct-to-consumer platform, offering ad-supported on-demand on-the-go access to some of India’s hottest content. Vanita Kohli-Khandekar looks at hotstar and its chances.

In February this year, 21st Century Fox’s US$1.2-bil-

cle, a B2B media firm focused on the investment community. “When we

lion Indian operation, Star India, launched over-

did Indya.com (2000) or Star Player (2009) we had limited expectations.

the-top (OTT) platform hotstar, offering 20,000

The scale and depth of this attempt is significant,” says Sanjay Gupta,

hours of TV shows and movies, across seven lan-

Star India’s chief operating officer, who thinks hotstar should attract a

guages and every major sports property there is in

meaningful share of India’s US$720 million online ad spend and break

India in football, tennis, cricket and kabaddi.

even in five years. He won’t disclose any other financials.

On a normal day or another company, one

21st Century Fox co-chief operating officer, James Murdoch, says the

more app in a market about to register a billion

motivation behind hotstar is to offer Star India’s 14,000 hours of Indian

mobile connections may have gone largely un-

production a year to customers in a new way.

noticed. This time though, the scale of the effort

“Our programming is good and we pretty much own all the rights,” he

involved and the implications for other program-

told delegates at the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) in Bali

mers has the industry everywhere on high alert.

in April, describing opportunity in India as “staggering” and saying that

Hotstar is Star/News Corp’s third serious foray

issue two, june 2015

Star India’s operating profit could hit US$1 billion by 2020.

into India’s online world. The first was Indya.com

Hotstar will be part of that. But for now, Star India’s plan is to “just get on

(2000). The second was Star Player, which followed

with it and... build an audience first, before we get to the revenue part”,

nine years later. The most recent hotstar platform is

Murdoch says.

part of a broader online play, with, among others,

For now, hotstar is sticking with an advertising video on demand (AVOD)

the recent acquisitions of film trade publication

model. The jury is out on how well this will work given India’s online ad

Screen from the Indian Express Group, and VCCir-

rates of about US$1.50-US$4.70 or so per 1,000 people.

Aim Higher It’s not enough just being the best.

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Together, we can aim even higher.

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T (852) 2500 0888 | E as-mkt@asiasat.com | www.asiasat.com AsiaSat Reaching Further, Bringing You Closer

26

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indiahotstar

NTENT ASIA

We want to keep hotstar as simple for people as possible.”

Uday Shankar Chief Executive Officer, Star India

TV homes have only one television set. Most families that can afford to, choose not to buy a second or third set because they believe it will disrupt family life. This puts physical limits on the growth of TV consumption.

If hotstar becomes the second, third or fourth screen, Star could expand the audience for television programming in the world’s second largest TV market.

The timing couldn’t be better. A 2014 study by the Internet and Mobile Association of India shows that more than 78% of the 152 million Indian internet users were mobile and they spent an average of just under US$4 a month on mobile internet. That is very close to the mon-

Industry estimates put the hotstar investment

ey Indians spend on cable TV. There are 70 million smartphone users in

at a little over US$200 million. The current AVOD-

India and about 59 million who consume online video, according to

only model is expected to run for 24 months max.

comScore data.

Some expect Star India to start migrating to a sub-

The new online initiatives feed into – and will hopefully help monetise

scription on-demand (SVOD) model in two years.

– Star India’s massive bet on sports. The broadcaster now owns the

Murdoch denies any dates or deadlines have

rights to major sports properties, including all Indian cricket until 2018,

been set. Hotstar may introduce a subscription

the English Premier League (EPL), Formula 1 and U.S. Open, among oth-

layer but “we haven’t decided when or what”, he

ers. Plus it owns online rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL).

says. An advertising platform is currently being built that is “highly localised and targeted... A lot of advertisers in India today are only able to advertise on radio or local vernacular press,” he adds.

Hotstar is also part of Star India’s bid not only for greater control of online advertising and monetisation, but also of the viewer experience.

While Star has been among the top 10 channels out of India on YouTube for several years, Star India chief executive, Uday Shankar, says

Whatever the speculation about hotstar’s way

the experience has been suboptimal. “We were not happy. The en-

forward, the certainty right now is that take up has

tire experience of content must be heavily calibrated for the content

been stellar. At 16 million downloads and 50 mil-

to have the effect that you want. When it’s just sitting cheek by jowl

lion unique users by mid-May, hotstar has seen “the

with some jumping cat somewhere and some badly made video, and

fastest adoption for any digital service in the world.

here is the drama that your team has spent months and years develop-

Facebook took 10 months and Spotify five months to get to a million,” Star says.

ing... It’s like putting a high-quality painting next to someone’s dumb stuff,” he said at APOS in April.

“Hotstar has made a great start,” agrees

“We were very clear that we did not want our content

Vivek Couto, executive director of consult-

exposed in that kind of environment,” Shankar adds. Star

ing firm Media Partners Asia (MPA).

started pulling its content off YouTube in the middle of

About 60% of hotstar’s views come from drama, an indicator of a steady appointment-based audience that ensures advertising revenues. The average time spent on the app is 30 minutes per consumer a day. This com-

2014.

“YouTube is like a mall. Hotstar is more focused,” says Jai Lala, head, trading and partnerships, central trading group, GroupM, India’s largest media agency.

One of Star India’s biggest challenges in rolling out hotstar was organising and curating content

pares well to the three

and technology. Most U.S. shows have 13

hours or so that Indian

episodes a season with a total of about

families spend watch-

100 hours over eight years. Indian shows

ing TV every day.

just go on and on, running for up to 1,000

one

hours in seven years. This makes discov-

claims hotstar victo-

ering a show or an episode online diffi-

ry just yet, there are

cult. To beat this, hotstar has organised

multiple reasons this

drama episodes into ‘chapters’ of 15-20

OTT service has a

episodes around a theme.

While

no

Mobile broadband infrastructure and

fighting chance.

About

92%

of

India’s 160 million

smartphone

technology

–

including

low-end brands and starter operating systems – are among the challenges.

Sanjay Gupta Chief Operating Officer, Star India

issue two, june 2015

C

Bandwidth constraints have been countered with technology that can deliver acceptable video quality on bandwidth constrained networks.

Gupta says speed can vary from 20 kbps to 150-200 kbps. Hotstar programming is versioned to work across 7,000 screen sizes and operating systems.

Payment gateway issues and low credit card penetration contributed to the decision to offer hotstar for free. “The challenge is really driving consumer engagement and generating significant scale ad revenues.

It is also about moving into more location-specific and direct-response advertising, which means closer competition with Google,” MPA’s Couto

NTENT ASIA

27

The authentication pathways for delivering great differentiated digital experiences are really hard for customers and we need to get way better than that... The reason Netflix is growing so fast is that it’s so easy to sign up and use. We need to work with our partners to make the experience frictionless.”

James Murdoch Co-Chief Operating Officer, 21st Century Fox

says.

That is a tough one. Google gets more than one-third of the US$133billion global online ad revenues and about two-thirds of all searches in the world. Aggregators such as Google’s YouTube or Facebook and their

ated by infrastructure bottlenecks and high data

algorithms dominate the online space and set the rules. So far, nobody

costs.

has managed to win a battle with them.

“One of the problems with mobile broadband

Gupta is not worried. “Our network share of viewership in India is mean-

is that the data tariffs are not fit for the modern

ingful (about 22% all India across all of Star’s channels)... hotstar therefore

consumption of video,” Murdoch says. “That is the

becomes a meaningful destination,” he says.

reality. We figured that if we put too much friction

Free content via hotstar isn’t negatively impacting Star India’s existing pay-TV business.

for the customer to download, it would be a real problem,” he adds.

For one, Shankar says, accessing hotstar is not actually free. “We talk

Murdoch talks about ease and simplicity. “The

about the consumer all the time and then we go and say it’s a free

authentication pathways for delivering great dif-

model. It’s not free to the consumer, who is still paying for the data,” he

ferentiated digital experiences are really hard for

says. And those charges are “unbearably high... Wanting the consumer

customers and we need to get way better than

to watch more content on these devices and expecting them to incur

that,” he says, adding: “The reason Netflix is grow-

huge costs is unrealistic,” he insists.

ing so fast is that it’s so easy to sign up and use.

Many in the online world believe complicated and/or costly access is a death warrant. And particularly in India, which Shankar describes as a “nascent market” with no appetite for data/content complexity.

Murdoch adds that the AVOD model was chosen to remove any possible additional “friction” in the mobile experience, primarily those cre-

We need to work with our partners to make the experience frictionless”.

Ultimately, Shankar says, the aim is to keep hotstar “as simple for people as possible... a great experience”.

issue two, June 2015

28

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NTENT ASIA

updateonlinevideo

Up to our eyeballs Asia is awash in online video. 108 organised platforms (that we could find) and counting. A million hours, probably more, of professionally produced local and international short- and long-form video on offer – largely legitimately – on the OTT platforms and online services we counted. And then there’s the rising slew of local multi-channel networks (MCNs), offering everything from custom-versioned clips of well-known television titles to content custom-made for online audiences.

Plus there’s the mother of all streaming destinations, YouTube, which is moving forward with features such as offline viewing options in, for example, Thailand. Against this backdrop and supported by the smartphone boom, innovation and experimentation is in over-drive. As is education; Disney’s Maker Studios in Asia, for instance, has moved into high-gear on shaping the next generation of content creators.

Well-known and much-loved producers in Asia continue to bring “digital” people on board and are driving a new layer of high-quality digital-first content. Online creators are being tapped for series by production houses that made their names and fortunes in the traditional television world.

Innovation in Asia includes everything from Dee Kosh leading Asia’s Got Talent digital performance to micromovies such as writer/director Faraz Ali’s Ludo, released on WhatsApp at the end of May. Ludo, Ali says, “is our attempt to discuss safety of women and other stereotypes. With Ludo, our aim is to keep the dialogue going”.

The talk, clearly, doesn’t stop there...

issue two, june 2015

Clockwise from top: Line TV (Thailand); PrimeTime (Thailand); hotstar (India); iflix (Malaysia/ Southeast Asia)

Mipcom Turkey country of hour 2015 5-8 October 2015, cannes, france

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CONTENT-IOUS The television industry is experiencing a sea-change with the introduction of online, on-demand, and TV Everywhere services, all of which are MAKING WAVES. At the CASBAA Convention 2015, explore how new business models are helping companies navigate uncharted seas, and meet the disruptors who are churning up the waters of business-as-usual.

Join us in Hong Kong October 26-28 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kowloon for the CASBAA Convention 2015.

updateonlinevideo

C

NTENT ASIA

31

Leaderboard: who’s who on Asia’s online video charts China

Japan

philippines

1.

Future TV (China Network Television)

1.

acTVila (AcTVila Corp)

1.

2.

iQiyi (Qiyi.com)

2.

Amazon Instant Video (Amazon Japan)

3.

Letv (Le Shi Internet Information and

3.

Animax Plus (AVOD OTT service via Play-

2.

Cignal TV-To-Go (PLDT Media Quest)

Technology Corporation)

Station consoles, Sony Pictures Television

3.

Hooq Philippines (Singtel/Sony Pictures

4.

Mango TV (Hunan TV)

Networks’ Animax Broadcast Japan)

5.

PPS (Qiyi.com)

4.

BBTV Next (SoftBank)

4.

iWantv! (ABS-CBN/Globe Telecom)

6.

PPTV (PPTV Inc)

5.

dTV (formerly BeeTV/d-Video, Avex Broad-

5.

OléTV (Dream Satellite)

7.

Shanghai Oriental Pearl New Media Co

casting & Communications, distributed by

(BesTV/Shanghai Oriental Pearl Shanghai

NTT Docomo)

singapore

Blink (Omni Digital Media Ventures’ Solar Entertainment)

Television/Warner Bros Entertainment)

Media Group, SMG)

6.

Dogatch TV (VOD portal by Presentcast)

1.

Singtel TV Go (Singtel)

8.

Sohu Video (Sohu.com Inc)

7.

Fuji TV OnDemand (Fuji TV)

2.

StarHub TV Anywhere (StarHub)

9.

Tencent Video (Tencent Inc)

8.

GyaO! (Yahoo! Japan)

3.

Toggle (MediaCorp)

10. Youku (Youku Tudou)

9.

Hulu Japan (Nippon TV)

11. Tudou (Youku Tudou)

10. J:COM On Demand (J:COM)

Taiwan

12. TV2U (scheduled launch later 2015)

11. Milplus (IP platform-based VOD service,

1.

13. Wasu (Hangzhou Culture, Radio and TV Group/Zhejiang Radio and TV Group)

J:COM’s Jupiter Entertainment) 12. Netflix Japan (Fall 2015 launch)

14. Xunlei Kankan (XunLei Networking Tech)

13. NHK OnDemand (NHK)

15. YOU On Demand (YOU On Demand

14. NicoVideo (UGC site)

Holdings)

CatchPlay.tv (web-based, free/TVOD/ SVOD by CatchPlay Media)

2.

CTS (ad supported, free catch-up service by broadcaster Chinese TV System)

3.

15. NTV OnDemand (Nippon TV)

FTV (free/paid streaming of catch-up content by broadcaster Formosa TV)

16. Smart Pass (offering VOD and apps, KDDI)

4.

Hami App (Chunghwa Telecom, CHT)

hong Kong

17. T’s TV (VOD service, Broadmedia)

5.

Hi-channel/HiNet (internet TV by CHT)

1.

GOTV (VOD streaming service, tvb.com)

18. TBS OnDemand (TBS)

6.

MOD App (extension of IPTV MOD by CHT)

2.

HKTV (original/acquired content, free

19. Tsutaya TV (Culture Convenience Club)

7.

Next VOD

on-demand or live across screens+online

20. U-Next (80,000+ VOD/PPV titles, U-Next Co)

8.

PTS VOD (ad-based/free catch-up VOD

shopping, Hong Kong Television Network)

21. UULA (SVOD, Avex and SoftBank)

3.

myTV (tvb.com)

4.

now Player (PCCW Media’s now TV)

service by Public TV Service) 9.

Korea

RealMa.com (free/web-based, TVOD/ SVOD by RealMa DigiMedia)

1.

Btv Mobile (SK Telecom)

10. Super MOD (Kbro)

indonesia

2.

Everyon TV (Hyundai HCN/Pandora TV)

11. VeeTV (by IPTV/cable TV provider Vee Time)

1.

Dens.TV (CBN’s PT Digdaya Duta Digital)

3.

Hoppin (mobile VOD offering local/inter-

12. VOD.fetnet.net (multiplatform VOD ser-

2.

Firstmedia Go (PT Link Net)

3.

Genflix (Orange TV)

4.

Olleh TV Mobile (KT Telecom)

4.

Indovision Anywhere (MNC)

5.

POOQ (nScreen service from four TV

5.

Playmedia (MNC)

6.

UseeTV (Telkom)

vice by Far EasTone Telecommunications)

national content, SK Planet)

13. YamTV (free/web-based, TVOD/SVOD by Yamedia)

broadcasters MBC, SBS, KBS and EBS) 6.

TVing (live TV/VOD, CJ HelloVision)

Thailand

7.

U+HDTV (live TV/VOD, LG U+)

1.

AIS Playbox (Advanced Info Service)

india

2.

CTH Everywhere (CTH)

1.

BigFlix (Reliance Entertainment Digital)

Malaysia

3.

Doonee (STG Mediaplex)

2.

BoxTV (Times Internet, TIL)

1.

Astro on the Go (Astro)

4.

Hooq Thailand (Singtel)

3.

CineHome (CineHome Entertainment)

2.

Astro Plus VOD/SVOD (complete seasons/

5.

Line TV (Line Thailand)

4.

DishOnline (Dish TV)

movies on demand)

6.

MeTV (ME Television)

5.

Ditto TV (Zee Entertainment Enterprises)

Astro Sports (standalone OTT sports plat-

7.

PrimeTime (PrimeTime Entertainment)

6.

ErosNow (Eros International)

form, launch date to be confirmed)

8.

TrueVisions Anywhere (True Visions Group)

7.

Hooq India (Singtel)

4.

Escape (Celcom)

8.

hotstar (Star India’s Novi Digital Entertainment)

5.

HyppTV Everywhere (Telekom Malaysia)

VieTnaM

9.

Lukup Player (Lukup Media)

6.

iflix (Catcha Group)

1.

BHD VOD (Vietnam Media Corp/BHD)

7.

Tonton (Media Prima)

2.

FPT Play (FPT Telecom)

3.

VTV Plus (VTVcab and Medianet)

10. Myplex Now (Apalya Technologies)

3.

11. Spuul (Spuul Digital Entertainment) 12. YuppTV (YuppTV India)

Mongolia

13. Videocon d2h (DTH extension, launch

1.

OnAir (Mongol Mass Media Group/

eVerywhere Crunchyroll, Viki, YouTube, 4ME

KhulanContent)

(Brand New Media, BNM), Commercialize TV,

2.

Skymedia Go (Skymedia)

Cool2vu...

3.

Univision Anywhere (Univision)

date to be confirmed)

Source: Platforms, rights holders/distributors, broadcasters Note: Information correct as of 25 May 2015

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Hooq What is Hooq? Hooq is a regional video-on-de-

cal studios to stream or download to view offline. While the Hooq brand-

mand subscription service jointly established by

ing will be consistent across all markets, the content will be different de-

Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros

pending on rights and audience preferences.

Entertainment in January 2015. Hooq launched in

Local treats In the Philippines, local content providers include national

the Philippines in early April, followed by Thailand,

broadcasters – ABS-CBN and GMA – as well as Viva Communications

also in April. India launched at the end of May.

and Regal Entertainment. Local titles for Globe in the Philippines in-

The plan is to roll out progressively to countries in

clude My Husband’s Lover, A Secret Affair, Shake Rattle and Roll and

the Singtel Group’s Asian footprint, including In-

Ang Tanging Ina. Hollywood movies include Harry Potter, Spider-Man

donesia. Smaller markets, such as Singapore, may follow.

Target audience “Targeting the life-

Mak, King Naresuan and Boonchu as well as classic films Kwan & Riam

style of users across any age and de-

and Ban Sai Tong. Thai content partners include GTH, Sahamongkolfilm,

mographic… people who love mov-

Five Star and TIGA.

ies and quality stories just like us.”

Peter G. Bithos

and Inception. TV series include Gossip Girl, Friends and Smallville. In Thailand, Hooq’s local movie offering includes the latest the films Pee

Original content “We recognise the need for high quality stories to be

Subscribers Not disclosed. Singtel has

built by Asia for Asia… content that resonates well across Asia with qual-

about 500 million mobile customers in

ity scripting and production. We look forward to filling that need ... This

Asia.

will be part of our journey in the years ahead.”

Who’s who... Peter G. Bithos, chief executive

Key show “Metro Manila, which is currently one of the best local in-

officer

dependent movies in the Philippines. In addition, we will be featuring

Rates Hooq in the Philippines costs 1) Ps199/US$4.50

specific titles consistent with the theme of the week and other content

for all content 2) Ps299/US$6.65 for all content and

highlights in Asia. The aim is to keep up and be relevant.”

1GB data; 3) Ps499/US$11 for all content and 2GB

Hours of new content acquired annually “There is no specific figure. The

data. In Thailand, Hooq costs THB119/US$3.50 a

plan is to keep track on users’ viewing patterns and constantly update

month. Pricing for platforms in other markets has

and tweak our content catalogue.”

not been set but could be about US$3. There are

Social media Hooq uses Facebook (for global users with a separate ac-

plans to offer premium pay-per-view content as

count for the Philippines), Instagram and Twitter to update users on new

well.

programmes/services, to gather feedback/comments and for event

The offering More than 10,000 movies and TV se-

announcements, among others.

ries, including titles from JV partners Sony Pictures

Challenges “The greatest challenge is making sure Hooq provides a

Television and Warner Bros Entertainment, and lo-

great and impressive customer experience at launch with the offering of quality and in-depth content. The second challenge is putting together a strong, collaborative and focused team while launching the product.”

Inspiration “Nobody is better at recommendation than Netflix. We also like the nature of YouTube. We like brands that stand out, are fun and outgoing. That is us and we are inspired by brands that represent that.”

Priority “Getting the service up and running in the targeted markets by the end of 2015.”

The biggest impact on the OTT industry in Asia in 2015… “Particularly in Asia, the challenge is working with and convincing international content owners on issues such as pricing… We need a lot more innovation to stimulate the market and combat piracy to generate incremental revenues for everyone in the industry.”

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Hotstar What is hotstar? Over-the-top (OTT) hotstar platform is owned by Novi Digital Entertainment (formerly Indya Interactive Services), a wholly owned subsidiary of Star India. hotstar has been designed for lower bandwidth environments offering TV programmes, movies and sports via online and across all mobile devices (Android, iOS, Nokia ASHA).

Launched on 1 February 2015 Who’s driving the initiative... Uday Shankar, chief executive officer, Star India; Sanjay Gupta, chief operating officer, Star India What the bosses say... “We produce 14,000 hours a year of Indian programming and we own pretty much all the rights and we thought we should just make this available to customers in a new

consumer pain. The decision to offer hotstar for free to consumers was

way”. [James Murdoch, co-chief operating offi-

aimed at removing any possible additional “friction” in the mobile ex-

cer, 21st Century Fox]

perience, Murdoch says.

The objective... “Our objective behind hotstar

The offering More than 20,000 hours of content, including 120+ hours of

was quite simple actually: a lot of audiences

full-length TV shows, 500+ hours movies and live screening of sporting

were consuming our content on other screens,

events (cricket, football, tennis and Kabbadi) across seven languages

but we were unhappy with the inability to control

(Hindi, Malayalam, English, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali). hotstar is

their viewing experience,” says Uday Shankar,

not currently offering real-time TV shows. The hotstar library is a combi-

Star India’s chief executive.

nation of archive and current shows on all Star India channels, including

Our objective behind hotstar was quite simple actually. A lot of audiences were consuming our content on other screens, but we were unhappy with the inability to control their viewing experience.”

Star Plus, Life’s OK, Star Pravash, Star Vijay, Asianet, Suvarna and Star Jalsha. Local content includes Nach Baliye 7, Shob Choritro Kalponik and Dosti, Yaariyan, Manmarzian. International content includes comedy series Modern Family, New Girl and Wilfred. All videos on hotstar carry advertising either in the beginning or in the middle (or a combination of both).

Top shows hotstar reports consumption across all four content categories: drama, movies, sports and international. The top shows are Yeh Hai Mohabbatein and Diya aur Baati Hum, with the recent addition of Nach Baliye season 7. The cult romantic/comedy Iss Pyar Ko Kya Naam Doon, which is no longer on air, is also among the platform’s popular shows.

Uday Shankar

Number of users Since launch, hotstar has reached an audience of The business model... Advertising supported, with

about 50 million unique users, and app downloads have hit 16 million.

a migration to subscription at some point. Specu-

The platform claims to be the world’s fastest adopted digital service,

lation is that this will be in two years, but Star In-

with one million app downloads in its first six days, and 10 million in its

dia has not confirmed any timetable. Right now,

first month.

James Murdoch told delegates at this year’s Asia

hotstar vs others Facebook took 10 months (February-December 2004)

Pacific Video Operators’ Summit (APOS), “we’re

to reach the one-million user mark and Spotify took about 29 months

building an audience before we get to the rev-

(October 2008-March 2011) to reach the same milestone. hotstar had

enue part.”

one million in six days, and 10 million in a month. Also claims breaking

The thinking behind the AVOD model... Remov-

global records on sports during the World Cup with approximately 50

ing any $$-related barriers to access. India’s in-

million video views for the India versus Australia match.

frastructure bottlenecks are already a barrier

Average viewing time On average, viewers spend close to 30 minutes

and unbearably high data charges ramp up

a day on hotstar.

issue two, june 2015

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iflix What is iflix? Iflix is a geo-blocked, subscriptionbased, over-the-top (OTT) regional service offering access to more than 10,000 hours of TV series and movies, bundled into one monthly subscription package and accessible via internet-connected devices. Headquartered in Malaysia, iflix was established by investment firms Catcha Group and Evolution Media Capital.

Launch Expected to launch in Malaysia and the Philippines by mid-2015. Roll-out plans focus on larger markets in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Who’s driving the initiative... Patrick Grove, co-

perspective on time frames. We are confident that within the coming

founder/chairman, iflix Group; Mark Britt, co-

five years, internet TV will be the dominant platform for entertainment in

founder/chief executive officer, iflix Group; Azran

Southeast Asia, and we will be at the forefront of that revolution.”

Osman-Rani, chief operating officer, iflix Group/

The offering More than 10,000 movies and TV series, including titles from

chief executive officer of iflix Malaysia

Hollywood, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai, Thailand and Tokyo.

...with input from A four-person advisory board that

Major content partners More than 30 Hollywood, Asian and local distribu-

pulls Hollywood heavyweights into the OTT plat-

tors, including 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros and BBC for titles such as

form’s orb. Board members include Gary Barber,

Homeland, American Horror Story, Dr Who, Sherlock, Modern Family, 10

co-chairman/chief executive of Metro-Goldwyn

seasons of Friends and seven seasons of The Big Bang Theory.

Mayer (MGM) and Spyglass Entertainment; Brian

What kind of windows are you working with? ”All windows – from first run

Grazer, Imagine Entertainment chairman; Elec-

to library – on an exclusive and non-exclusive basis depending on the

tus chairman Ben Silverman; and Fox Networks’

title and distributor.”

We are confident that within the coming five years, internet TV will be the dominant platform for entertainment in Southeast Asia.”

How many hours of content do you plan to acquire next year? Not disclosed. “We will have over 10,000 hours of content available in 2015, from Hollywood blockbusters, and TV shows to popular Chinese and Korean dramas in high demand amongst Southeast Asian viewers.”

Will you carry local content in all the countries you are rolling out in Asia?

“Yes, we believe local content is a critical part of creating a compelling product.”

Will iflix create original content? “We are working directly with local and

Mark Britt

issue two, june 2015

regional production companies to collaborate on original projects.” former chairman/president/chief executive, An-

Social media Iflix is on Facebook (Malaysia and Philippines), Twitter, Insta-

thony J. Vinciquerra. The Advisory Board will be

gram and YouTube. “Social is at the heart of everything we do. It is a core

chaired by iflix director and managing partner of

part of our service – not a way to expand our presence.”

Evolution Media Capital, Rick Hess.

On censorship and piracy “Iflix is sensitive to both the legal requirements

What’s behind the name? “We wanted a brand

and the cultural standards of the countries in which it operates in. In ad-

that was simple and strong, that could clearly com-

dition, iflix has a dedicated kids-safe section and pin-code based paren-

municate the simplicity of the product proposition.

tal controls.”

The ‘i’ is an extension of Catcha’s other entities.”

iflix’s 2015 priority “We are just getting started, so the priority is easy...

Subscription rates Pricing has not been disclosed.

creating passionate, vocal, advocates for the iflix services in our avail-

The promise is “a low price point that will be im-

able market.”

possible to say no to”.

The biggest impact on the OTT industry in Asia in 2015 will be… “The con-

Target audience “Everyone and anyone who is

tinued commitment of governments to the open internet, technological

passionate about content and has access to a

advancements coupled with the open internet promote innovation and

mobile phone, tablet, laptop or other internet-

expression, resulting in higher quality of services, applications and con-

connected device. In short, 600 million internet

tent for consumers.”

users throughout Southeast Asia.”

The best thing that has happened to iflix so far this year is... “Opening our

2015 take up expectations ”We have a different

eyes, emerging from the Catcha womb for the first time.”

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Line TV What is Line TV? Line TV is an online TV service and an extension of the mobile messenger app, Line (launched in June 2011). Line TV bundles TV series, movies, music videos and Line TV exclusive content for free via smartphones, tablets and PCs. Launch Line TV became available for download in Thailand at the end of 2014 and officially launched on 6 February 2015 in Bangkok. The development process took about six months. The service is geo-blocked for Thailand.

Why Thailand? ”Thailand is a fast-growing market and Thai people are open to trying new things.

Currently there are more than 33 million Line users in Thailand. We believe Thai people enjoy entertainment, so we have selected series, music videos and variety shows, both from Korea and Thailand, to meet the desires of the Thai audience,” says Line TV’s senior marketing manager, Nuttawut Lertsrimongkol, who is responsible for the platform.

Where else? There are plans to roll out similar services in other Asian markets.

Subscription rates Line TV is a free service currently offering advertising-supported (pre-roll/post-roll) streaming video. Other business models will be considered moving forward.

The offering Key content will be original and exclusive to Line TV. Premiering series is Thai drama Stay, a romantic-comedy co-produced with Thai studio GTH and shot in Saga, Japan. Directed by Yong Songyos Sugmakanan, Stay premiered on Saturday, 14 February 2015. The series stars Sunny

a variety of content on Line TV.”

Suwanmethanont, Supassra Thanachat, Teera-

Social media “We mainly use our channels, such as the official Line Thai-

don Supapunpinyo and Thiti Mahayotaruk. Line

land account and Facebook fanpage, to promote our content and

TV exclusive content also includes Korean enter-

feature our promotional campaigns. Our partners and content providers

tainment title, SurpLINES. Korean artists include

Nuttawut Lertsrimongkol

also help to promote us on their social networking channels.”

boy-bands EXO and Super Junior as well as

Challenges “Line TV is trying to differentiate itself from others by providing

girl group Girls’ Generation. The slate also

higher quality full episodes of content (mainly dramas and movies) ap-

features content from local partners, in-

pealing to local tastes for free. Line TV offers content based on the analy-

cluding GMM, Workpoint Entertainment,

sis of local users’ tastes from various angles. Also, we’re trying to provide

Vithita Animation, Thairath TV, TrueVisions,

high-quality Thai subtitles... besides Thai content, we service and plan to

TrueMusic, TNN, Tigercrys, Pearypie, Fedfe and

source more full episodes of Korean dramas or reality shows as fast as

Dex Channel.

we can, minimising the gap between real-time window. The goal is to

What else are you looking to buy? More variety

also provide special functions connected with the messaging app Line

shows, series and exclusive content

as a social platform. We also have a good rapport with content provid-

Subscribers With more than 33 million Line users in

ers, including TV stations, broadcasting channels and various production

Thailand, “we do not want to limit our potential

companies, who can supply good quality content for us.”

growth by setting the expected download num-

Line TV’s 2015 priority “Our priority is to continue to provide good, quality

ber for Line TV. We would like to do our best to ap-

content for free, which appeals to Thai users and building good partner-

proach anyone who wants to have fun watching

ships with content providers.”

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PrimeTime What is PrimeTime? PrimeTime is an OTT TV service,

Premier Movie+Movie Buffet: THB299/US$9 for 30 days unlimited access

offering on-demand streaming of international

to movies in the Movie Buffet list and two premier movie rental tickets

and Thai TV series and movies, geo-blocked for

(must watch within 48 hours); 3) TV Series Buffet: THB299/US$9 for 30 days

users in Thailand. Available on internet-connect-

unlimited access to TV series; and 4) Combo package: THB549/US$17

ed devices, including smart TV, iOS/Android and

for 30 days (or THB399/US$12 for 30 days if purchased for 360 days) for

PC/Mac

all three options.

Launched on 19 February 2015 by PrimeTime En-

New titles added monthly At least 50 movies in the Movie Buffet pack-

tertainment

age and 20 movies in the Premier Movie plan, and at least 200 hours of

Who’s who... Kasidit Kolasastraseni, chief execu-

TV series in the TV Series Buffet package

tive officer; Nicha Suebwonglee, chief content

Acquisitions Expects to acquire more than 5,000 hours of movies and TV

officer; Phatthaworn Phongphaew, chief prod-

series in 2015, with a strong focus on 4K content

uct officer; Isara Amatayakul, chief technology

Target users “Anyone who owns a smart phone, tablet or PC/Mac in Thai-

officer

land and everybody who loves some form of visual home entertainment.”

The offering 300 movies and more than 20 TV

Take-up expectations 100,000 users by the end of 2015

series in three packages: 1) Premier Movies/TV

Social media “Unlike many digital services in Thailand, we want to util-

series: Hollywood Movies (three/four months af-

ise our social media accounts to create an interactive community be-

ter Thai/global theatrical releases), including Big

tween all movies and TV series lovers. We do not want to use social me-

Hero 6, Theory of Everything and Boyhood, and

dia to endlessly push promotions; we’d rather spawn lively discussions

Thai TV series/movies not shown in local theatres

about all the great content we have on PrimeTime... and highlight all

or cable TV, such as TV series Black Sails and Pow-

the improvements they want to see in our service.”

er, and movie Annie; 2) Movie Buffet: unlimited

Challenges “Localisation, bandwidth management, differentiation

access to movies older than four years, including

are the most important factors to win in this market. Thailand is a coun-

franchises such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings,

try where more than 70% of the audience only wants Thai-dubbed

indie movies such as Magnolia and classics such

content and most viewers do not watch English-language program-

as The Godfather; 3) TV Series Buffet: whole sea-

ming without subtitles, so high-quality localisation is the key. In addi-

sons of Hollywood series such as American Hor-

tion, bandwidth, especially 3G is much slower in comparison to devel-

ror Story, Modern Family, Criminal Minds, Grey’s

oped countries, hence being able to provide high-quality streaming

Anatomy, Scandal and Once Upon a Time

at a limited bandwidth has been our key focus. Lastly, we need to dif-

Packages/rates Four packages: 1) Movie Buf-

ferentiate from other services in the region because ultimately every

fet: THB199/US$6 for 30 days unlimited access; 2)

service will have similar content. This year, we are partnering with DTS to become the first company in the world to launch HeadphoneX, a technology that stimulates 5.1 sound experience on a headphone/earphone.”

issue two, june 2015

Atf Asia tv forum & Market

Asia’s must-attend market for fresh content Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Tap on Asia’s demand for fresh content at Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) where international contents sellers meet Asian buyers. Be it acquiring, engaging regional or international content across all genres and platforms, finding content distributors, seeking financiers or identifying new co-production partners, you will walk away with these and more at ATF. This is the market where the future of Asia television is shaped. This is where you need to be.

Contact us T 65 6780 4683 atf@reedexpo.com.sg www.asiatvforum.com 1 Dec 2015 pre-market, conference 2-4 Dec 2015 Market. Conference. Networking events.

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US$4.5m Fox International Channels (FIC) has committed to between 25 and 30 new hours of original factual content out of Singapore, boosting the local content creation purse by S$6 million/US$4.5 million from now to June 2017. The Fox Formats Lab initiative with Singapore’s Media Development Authority, comes on top of an original drama push that could see the Hong Kong-based operation spend up to US$1 million an episode on locally made series. Lab titles will air on National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo People. If the inaugural project is successful, the idea may be extended beyond factual to other genres.

FIC owns all rights to Lab programmes.

37%

0.7% Singapore pay-TV platform StarHub has recorded an alltime low churn rate of 0.7% for the first three months of this year. Pay-TV customers grew 11,000 to 545,000 households, with ARPU at US$39.

Pay-TV revenue increased 2% to US$73 million, but, overall,

400 hours

net profit dipped 12% to US$56 million.

US$21m

Thailand’s GMM Channel Digital TV has pushed content development and acquisition spend to US$21 million for the rest of this year as the country’s broadcasters ramp up the Asia’s Got Talent 2015 winner, El Gamma Penumbra battle for audiences. The slate includes AXN says it held a 37% share of consolidated seven or eight Thai prime-time viewing among 20 competing drama series, comedy English-language regional entertainment channels in four markets – Malaysia, Singaand variety. pore, Philippines, Taiwan – from January About to March this year. Ratings were more 60% than 60% higher than the next competof the ing channel, AXN said. The Sony Pictures content Television Networks Singapore-based is being Saithip Montrikul na regional channel listed CSI: Cyber and Ayudhaya, CEO produced GMM Channel Digital TV The Blacklist 2 – both of which aired in in-house Asia within 24 hours of the U.S. – and or with GMM suboriginal production, Asia’s Got Talent, as the sidiaries. three driver shows.

issue two, june 2015

CJ E&M’s K-pop themed drama Sing Again, Hera Gu

Korea’s CJ E&M has sold more than 400 hours of original drama to Malaysia

(8TV) and Singapore (StarHub). Both platforms bought about 200 hours of 2014 drama and this year’s full line-up. StarHub started airing the titles on Sundays at 9.30pm from 31 May on in-house channel VV Drama; the earliest window on new titles is two weeks. Media Prima’s 8TV has set aside the 10.30pm slot on Thursdays and Fridays for the CJ shows.

StarHub begins with English and Chinese subtitles, and says it is planning to add Bahasa Melayu.

US$15.6m Korean drama watchers have ears and eyes wide open for drama of the moment, Jewel in the Palace star, Lee Young-ae, returns to TV in 2016 in mega series, Shin Saimdong

Shin Saimdang. The epic series has a production budget of US$650,000 per episode, a total of US$15.6 million for the 24 episodes. The series is scheduled to broadcast in 2016. One of

Korea’s big three broadcasters, SBS, secured rights after months of back and forth negotiations. Chinese buyers are said to have committed US$250,000 an episode, which is allaying fears that China’s new censorship rules have put paid to rights fees above US$100,000 an episode for Korean drama. Driven by new digital terrestrial players, the number on the table from Thailand is about double the usual fetched for Korean drama. Shin Saimdang‘s production company, Group Eight, is said to be hopping between negotiating rooms, tying up pre-sale and co-production deals that will, ideally, put the period drama on as many screens around the world as did landmark Korean wave series Jewel in the Palace.

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ntent asia

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