ContentAsia October 2018

ISSUE FIVE 2018

C

NTENT

Viu point: Taking the lead in Asia streaming originals spend

Hulu effect: Shows lighting up Hulu Japan

PLUS: Distributors pick the #onething with the biggest impact on biz this year & formats update

From the producers of Get Out and Insidious A feature-length Anthology Series Into the dark Sony pictures television

2018 Sony Pictures Television Inc. All Rights Reserved.

O V E R 12 , 0 0 0 U F O S I G H T I N G S.

1 G OV E R N M E N T C O V E R - U P.

Over 12,000 UFO Sightings 1 government cover-up

Aidan Gillen Game of Thrones, The Wire Michael Malarkey The Vampire Diaries Project Blue Book Executive Produced by acedemy award Winner

Zemeckis ARobert IDA N GILLEN

GAME OF THRONES, THE WIRE

MICHAEL MALARKEY THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

Sales.aenetworks.com A+E Studios Compari entertainment

E X E C U T I V E P R O D U C E D B Y A C A D E M Y A W A R D® W I N N E R

ROBERT ZEMECKIS

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©2018 A+E Networks. Claimed marks are the trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC protected in the United States and other countries in the world.

editor’snote editor’snotecontents

Here’s the thing about local content in Asia. Demand has never been higher but the funding models are, in many markets, on life-support. How does that even make sense? It doesn’t, but that’s what it is. Money is tighter than ever, production houses are being squeezed to single digit margins, quality is compromised, demands from broadcasters have

what’s in this issue... #OneThing

Distributors talk about the one

soared, indies are being given nowhere near the support they should be

thing that has had the biggest

given, and the ever-present hunt for funding hasn’t turned up monetisa-

impact on sales in Asia this year.

tion models with a happy ending. Yet. There are exceptions. In China, production is on steroids, sending costs through the roof at such a rate that the government has stepped in to cap talent fees, curb “money worship” and the corruption of social values. At the same time, creativity is being turned on its head and producers’ lives in China have become more difficult. Original content in Indonesia is experiencing a jackpot moment across film, television and online. Indies in the Philippines are seeing glimmers of hope as

8

Descendants of the Sun Vietnam

Reach for the sun

Vietnam’s BHD is making big bold originals – including a local version of Descendants of the Sun – for streaming platform Danet. Co-founder and VP, Ngo Thi Bich Hanh, says being bold is part of the company’s DNA.

10

broadcast giants consider breaching their own ramparts and letting strangers in. In India, The Sacred Games effect is already opening industry eyes to the potential of different kinds of premium drama. And then there’s Netflix, of course, which seems to be working out best for those who can carry original production funding terms that stretch out for years and more years.

Pearl of wisdom

The solution is a mixed bag of collaboration with different kinds of partners,

Frank Zhu, Pearl Studio CEO, talks about the space between China’s rampant opportunity and dramatic shifts in fortune.

evolved thinking about rights and IP ownership, perhaps hubbing, a greater focus on development and definitely a commitment to better production quality. Is that too much to ask?

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

INTERNATIONAL Associate Publisher (Americas, Europe) and VP, International Business Development Leah Gordon leah@contentasia.tv

What is ContentAsia?

ASIA Sales and Marketing Manager Masliana Masron mas@contentasia.tv

To receive your regular free copy of ContentAsia, please email i_want@contentasia.tv

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.

Copyright 2018 Pencil Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved 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

4

contentasia issue five, october 2018

CBS Studio International FBI CBS High Quality Mass-appeal series Escape at Dannemora Showtime Ultra-premium Ground breaking programming Star Trek CBS All Access Top-tier original Streaming Content Charmed The CW Buzzy Youth-oriented Shows

contents...

what’s in this issue...[cont’d] Truths be told

Women have mustered the courage to tell their horrifying stories & also to find a global community of women & men to come out to support them & start to right some of the wrongs that exist today.”

Ellana Lee, ContentAsia’s Asia Media Woman of the Year 2018, talks about women’s empowerment, what it’s like working in an era of fake news and how she never feels threatened in North Korea.

Ellana Lee, SVP, CNN Int’l & Managing Editor, CNN Int’l Asia Pacific

24

page 24

We believe content is created to be consumed, and there’s no point being protectionist.”

Arun Prakash, President/COO, Vuclip

page 26

Linear thinking: adjusted reality

Varavuth Jentanakul Founder & CEO, Zense Entertainment, Thailand

6

30 Virginia Lim on...

Sony Pictures Television Networks’ new Asia SVP/GM on the inevitable re-engineering of entertainment products, strengthening ties with existing partners and breaking new ground with others, as well as balancing IP/rights

Who buys which formats

Korea was Asia’s biggest buyer of scripted formats in 1H 2018.

Indonesia and Myanmar rock game shows. And the Philippines puts talent format rights at the top if its acquisitions list.

ContentAsia’s latest formats analysis looks at the genre breakdown in 10 markets. Plus who’s up & who’s down.

46

Vuclip’s president/COO, Arun Prakash, on taking the lead in local content spend, the realities of the local production ecosystem, and partnerships that set shows free.

26

Hulu Japan’s chief content officer, Kazufumi Nagasawa, talks about hunting down titles from untapped catalogues, the advantages of joint rights acquisition, and how he’s dealing with the looming challenge of rivals such as Amazon Prime Video.

42

The linear world in Asia is streamlining, opening up new opportunities for indie services and a new balance between cost and value. Four of the region’s newest players talk about what they’re doing.

36

Hulu hoops

Viu Point

44

Leena Singarajah on...

A+E Networks Southeast Asia/ Australia’s new MD on what she’s thinking and doing to reshape products and energise activity around consumer brands in the toughest linear environment that channels in the region have ever faced.

Who was at...

60

The ContentAsia Summit 2018

62

Asia Media Woman of the Year 2018 Award Dinner

contentasia issue five, october 2018

Music bites Weekly x 60’

WEEKLY x 60'

An ear-tickling & Mouth-watering game show Visit CJ ENM At P-1.G1 Watch cjenm.com

VISIT CJ ENM AT P-1.G1

So far, the biggest impact on sales in Asia this year is the content pricing strategy among the Asian countries.”

The big industry mergers and vertical integrations of studios will have a material impact on the supply and demand dynamics of premium content.”

Ken Lo, EVP Distribution & Networks, Asia Pacific, Sony Pictures Television

Anne Jakrajutatip, CEO, JKN Global Media Public Co Ltd

With the increased competition, the channels and platforms all want to stand out: creating opportunities and also the need for creative deal making. The increase of local productions has also opened our first scripted deals in the region.”

Sabrina Duguet, Executive Vice President, Asia Pacific, all3media

Over the past year, Fremantle has become the #1 distributor of formats in Asia... Two reasons: the formats are tried and tested ratings winners, and we have a pure licensing business where the platforms and broadcasters are responsible for production.”

One

What’s the one thing that has on sales in Asia this year? answers included everything streaming to China, children, programmatic solutions for

Ganesh Rajaram, General Manager, EVP Distribution Asia, International, Fremantle

Buyers are not looking to acquire programmes for volume on their services, but are now focused on acquiring blue-chip titles to spearhead their content offerings”.

Julius Toh, Vice President, Content Sales Asia Pacific & Middle East, Fox Networks Group Content Distribution

Our penetration in the Philippines has a positive influence on consumption in the neighbouring countries.”

Salmi Gambarova, Sales Executive 8 CIS, Asia, Australia, Kanal D

Effective strategic partnerships that produced richer content for consumers and innovative programmatic solutions for advertisers.”

Parminder Singh, Chief Commercial and Digital Officer, Mediacorp

There is a rising demand for children’s programmes.”

Akira Ichikawa, General Manager, Program Sales, NHK Enterprises Inc

contentasia issue five, october 2018

Continuous streaming of big and powerful content.”

The impact and expansion of OTT operators. They are opening up traditionally insular/secular markets and causing the incumbent ‘traditional’ broadcasters to react and compete. Generally speaking this is good for everyone.”

Jang-ho Seo, General Manager of Global Business, CJ ENM

Gary Putney, Head of Asia, Keshet International

Thing had the biggest impact Malena Amzah asked. The from mergers, pricing and partnerships and advertisers.

Local content is key and given this, everyone is ramping-up production. Local market expertise & the ability to create compelling, quality content, quickly and cost effectively is advantageous.”

Vanessa Shapiro, President, Worldwide TV Distribution and Co-Production, Gaumont

For us, the opportunity lies in enabling leading Asian broadcasters to offer audiences a once-in-alifetime storytelling experience through unique, innovative and awardwinning titles in 4K that have become addictive to audiences in the U.S. and Europe.”

Xavier Aristimuño, Vice President, Licensing for HBO Latin America

The biggest impact on our pre-school sales in Asia has been the demand for content coming from the key SVOD and AVOD digital platforms in China.”

Monica Candiani, EVP Content Sales, Family & Brands, Entertainment One

The continuously growing VOD market – restrictions on content are softer for VOD platforms giving viewers more selection and distributors more licensing opportunities.”

Samia Moktar, Sales Manager, contentasia issue five, october 2018 Banijay Rights

The interest in iconic brands to preserve and capture a new generation of viewers and subscribers.”

Nuno I, Director of Sales, Asia Pacific, Hasbro Studios

Strong returning series have proved consistent rating winners in both first and second windows across Asia.”

Robert Bassett, Senior Sales Executive, Twofour Rights 9

distributionchannels

Picture by Shawn Ha

Reach for the Sun

Vietnamese streaming platform, Danet, has commissioned a local version of Korean blockbuster, Descendants of the Sun and has a second Korean scripted format – My Love from the Star – on its agenda. No stranger to greenlighting high-end scripted formats, BHD Vietnam/Danet co-founder and vice president, Ngo Thi Bich Hanh, talks about why she believes recreating Korean hits for Vietnam is the right way to go, why it’s time for Vietnam’s story to be told by Vietnamese, and why being this bold is worth the risk.

“Vietnam is a developing country, so a lot of what we do does not really

Going back more than two decades, BHD has been involved in every-

exist,” says Ngo Thi Bich Hanh, co-founder and vice president of BHD/

thing from The Price is Right to The Amazing Race Vietnam, Vietnam’s Got

Vietnam Media Corp. “If we want to produce movies, we end up build-

Talent, MasterChef Vietnam, Full House and, going way back, Ugly Betty

ing our own cinema chain. And there are a lot of pirates on digital in

Vietnam.

Vietnam, so we end up creating our own branded VOD platform”.

Earlier this year, Ngo greenlit a Vietnamese version of Korean hit De-

The result so far is a media company that spans production of every-

scendants of the Sun for Danet. Some called her “crazy” for taking on

thing from high-end premium drama and movies and distribution, includ-

a project that was so well known, for which budgets were bound to be

ing the BHD Cinema Complex chain and streaming platform Danet, and

unequal and where comparisons were inevitable.

partnerships with everyone from advertisers and agencies to channels, broadcasters and rights holders.

10

First and foremost, Ngo says, she’s a fan of Descendants of the Sun. Also, BHD has a reputation for being daring, for being one of Vietnam’s

contentasia issue five, october 2018

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From the producer of Grey’s anatomy and Criminal minds Nathan Fillion The Rookie A new beginning never gets old Sold to over 160 territories worldwide U.S. Premiere October 16th ABC EONE entertainmentone

distributionchannels

Descendants of the Sun Vietnam

pioneers. “What makes us different from other companies is that we do things that people don’t do,” she says.

Piracy is Vietnam’s legal operators’ most serious issue, Ngo says. “We are actually not so worried about our other competitors.” Danet is part

“A lot of people asked us ‘are you crazy?’, ‘are you sure that you want

of BHD’s effort to stave off the threat, with multiple access and price

to remake Descendants of the Sun? Vietnam is much poorer than Korea.

points. It turns out that SVOD and TVOD “didn’t develop as well as we

We are a developing country. Why don’t you choose to do something

expected,” she says. AVOD, on the other hand, took off, which led to the

more simple, something easier?”

decision to invest in Descendants of the Sun this year and other originals,

“But we thought ‘why not?’ We know our production budgets are

including a local version of Glee last year. “AVOD is developing quite well

lower, but Vietnamese people are among the most nationalistic in the

in Vietnam and we hope that in time the AVOD audience will turn into

world. We love our country, and Descendants of the Sun is about how

SVOD and TVOD,” Ngo adds.

you love your country. So we thought that would click into the hearts of

BHD is more likely to go forward with adaptations of Asian stories – includ-

Vietnamese people. We have been through a lot worse. A lot of good

ing My Love from the Star from Korean broadcaster SBS – than with more

movies and drama series are set during war time. A lot of them are told

American ideas. “Asian stories are much easier to adapt,” Ngo says. “When

by American Hollywood movies. There are not many about Vietnamese

we did Glee, we had a slight problem in that men in the U.S. can fall in love

people, about how they loved their country. So we thought we would

with different women during different episodes. And that’s really difficult for

focus on that and try.”

us. Our ideal man is one who loves one woman no matter what.”

Bloggers and news sites – including Korean K-pop sites – picked up the

Vietnam’s formats acquisitions have dipped, with Thailand taking over

story very soon after cameras rolled. Support from buyers in the region

as the region’s biggest buyer in the first half of this year, according to Con-

started coming in at the first release of the teaser poster. Although BHD

tentAsia’s Formats Outlook. Ngo attributes this to multiple factors, includ-

never had regional/international distribution ambitions for the series, “we

ing a slower economy, lower TV ratings, and an overload first of game

are really happy about the interest,” she says.

shows and now reality, with back-to-back episodes stuffing schedules.

Descendants of the Sun Vietnam is helmed by film director Tran Buu

“Audiences get fed up,” she says. “There’s nothing new... So funding is

Loc in his first project for television. “Vietnam, despite low budgets, pro-

smaller and audiences want more, and they want something different”.

duces thousands of hours a year of content. And it’s all very similar”. BHD

She has high hopes for OTT, despite piracy. “There’s a big shift from

decided to bring Tran on board because “we wanted to do something

linear TV to OTT,” she says. TV ratings dropped 12% this year compared to

different, something bold, something that would make people pay at-

last year. At the same time, willingness to pay for OTT services in Vietnam

tention among the hundreds of thousands of hours of content in Vietnam

is very low. “Pirate site are for free. Audiences don’t know whether the

on legal and pirate platforms,” Ngo says.

site is pirate or legitimate, they just come to where the content is.”

14

contentasia issue five, october 2018

TV5monde Enjoy the best French programming Subtitled in French, English, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese Available in Asia – Pacific on cable, satellite, IPTV & OTT Find out more on asia.tv5monde.com Contact us on asia@tv5monde.org

productionchina

Picture by Shawn Ha

Pearl of wisdom China’s content boom has created unprecedented opportunities for investment in entertainment. Production is at a record high and Chinese TV series and movies have a whole new profile around the world. At the same time, the country remains a magnet for Asian as well as global talent, Chinese authorities are backing an unprecedented international agenda, and nimble deal making is keeping more international players on their toes. The challenges include the evolution of regulations, fast-forward time lines, and sometimes incompatible processes. Frank Zhu, chief executive of Shanghai-based Pearl Studio, talks about the space between the rampant opportunity and dramatic shifts in a market where animated films have US$100-million budgets, where challenges are as common as ambitious dreams of fortune, and enthusiasm for local partnerships is as high as the push for cross-border content investment and development.

16

contentasia issue five, october 2018

Hasbro Studios Saban’s Power Rangers My little Pony Friendship magic My little Pony Equestira girls Chomp Squad Stretch armstrong Flex fighters Transformers Rescue bots academy Transformers Robots in disguise Zoidz Build them to life

Hana Zuki Full of treasures Transofrmers Cyberverse MIPCOM Stand R7.D32 Hasbrostudios.com

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productionchina

Copyright 2015 DreamWorks Animation LLC, All Rights Reserved

Kung Fu Panda 3

The challenge of taking Chinese or Asian stories around the world is

est), a tent pole animated feature co-produced with DreamWorks and

“not the story itself,” says Frank Zhu, chief executive of mainland Chi-

distributed by Universal Pictures outside China. Abominable is the story

nese indie, Pearl Studio (formerly Oriental DreamWorks). “It is always the

of friends who embark on an epic 3,000-mile journey from the streets of

way we tell the story... how do we share the story and pitch the story in

Shanghai to the peaks of the Himalayas to reunite a stray Yeti with his

a way that it could travel around the world?” This storytelling technique

family. The film, directed by Jill Culton, releases in September 2019.

and talent doesn’t necessarily exist in China. Yet. But it’s on its way...

The studio is also currently producing musical adventure feature Over

In the wake of Crazy Rich Asians, Zhu predicts global interest in Asian

The Moon, directed by legendary animator Glen Keane and sched-

stories will increase and will spread to television and other platforms. “I

uled for release in 2020. Over The Moon is the story of a girl who builds

believe there is rising interest in and popularity of Asian stories,” he says.

a rocket ship and sets off into space to follow her dream of meeting a

Pearl Studio, which in its previous incarnation produced Kung Fu Pan-

Moon Goddess. The film will be distributed theatrically in Greater China

da 3, is now owned by mainland Chinese media mogul Li Ruigang’s

by Pearl Studio and by Netflix worldwide.

US$6-billion China Media Capital (CMC) and has offices in the U.S. and

Zhu says the relationship with Netflix (which includes some theatri-

China. The studio relaunched as a wholly owned CMC entity at the

cal exposure in the U.S.) combines Pearl’s mainland network with the

beginning of this year, with newfound freedom to partner with anyone

streaming platform’s revolutionary global model in a “unique combina-

it likes, including all Hollywood studios.

tion” Pearl is trying for the first time with Over The Moon. Netflix stream-

The mission, Zhu says, is to create premium family entertainment with

ing service is not available in China.

a global footprint. “Our mission is to be a premium family entertainment

“China is the fastest growing theatrical market in the world, while in

brand. We’re trying to create family content in China, rooted in China

the rest of the world Netflix has revolutionised the whole business model.

but able to travel around the world, just like what we did with Kung Fu

This is why we chose the combination,” Zhu says.

Panda”.

Pearl Studio’s third current feature, epic adventure tale The Monkey

By 2022, Pearl Studio plans to release two films a year with China-

King, is part of a development deal with Hong Kong director Stephen

related stories for the global market. Current budgets can top US$100

Chow (The Mermaid, Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons).

million, with a mix of tentpole features and speciality releases on differ-

The Monkey King is written by Ron Friedman and Steve Bencich, whose

ent distribution platforms. Television projects are also part of the mix.

animated film credits include Brother Bear and Chicken Little.

Creative output is driven by a diverse team balanced between Chi-

The ancillary business is a critical revenue stream. Kung Fu Panda 3’s

na and the U.S., and refreshed by, among other elements, the ongoing

global box office topped US$520 million. The domestic Chinese box of-

artists residential programme that brings artists from Hollywood to China

fice was RMB1 billion/US$145.5 million – the highest of all time for an

to work with Pearl Studio. Creative development initiatives also include

animated film in China – and ancillary retail sales hit RMB1.5 billion/

the Brain Trust Summit, which gathers some of the world’s best storytell-

US$218.3 million. Pearl Studio developed more than 2,000 consumer

ers in Shanghai every year. “We have a unique creative capability,”

products for the films. “The ancillary business is important in China, es-

Zhu says.

pecially in a family entertainment business,” Zhu says.

Zhu currently has more than a dozen projects in development, including Pearl Studio’s first original film, Abominable (formerly called Ever18

All Pearl Studio’s titles have a Chinese cultural component. As Zhu says: “We want to present the beauty of China to the world”.

contentasia issue five, october 2018

Wounded Love Price of Passion Visit us at our location R9.A32 MIPCOM Kanal D international

Telling you what’s going on in Asia and what it all means. On the ground in Asia.

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Every day.

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Thai that binds Listed Thai media company, JKN Global Media, opens a new chapter in its life as a listed company during Mipcom this year. For the first time, the Bangkok-based company is expanding into global distribution, with a wide-ranging drama slate from leading Thai broadcaster BEC. The four-year-old JKN’s expansion into distribution is part of a landmark relationship signed in May this year, about five months after JKN listed on the Thai Stock Exchange, and involves exclusive worldwide rights to more than 2,200 hours of BEC content – including upcoming titles – outside of China, Hong Kong, Macau, Cambodia and Vietnam.

BEC series, some of the highest rated in Thailand, range from romance and romcom to costume drama, action and horror. Titles include Nakee Rising Sun I-2, SWITCH, Love Destiny, The Victim of Love, Love Beyond Time, The Frenemy, The Legal Husband, Furious Fire and Waves of Life.

Talking about what the collaboration means for JKN, the company’s high-stepping chief executive, Anne Jakrajutatip, says JKN is already known as the number one global content management and distribution in Thailand, and that the alliance of JKN and BEC “will bring the pride of Thai Excellence to the worldwide market”.

“Our missions are, first, importing the best global content and distribute. Second, we produce and export the best Thai content to the world market and, third, to be the window of the world to all audiences. Therefore, the collaboration with BEC is our big step to fulfil our publicly listed missions”.

Thai drama is currently most popular in Southeast Asia, Sponsored content

including Cambodia, Lao, Myanmar and Vietnam “where our culture of viewing drama are similar”. Thai programming has also done well in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, which have existing fan bases, and in Philippines and Indonesia, where there is a fan base for stars such as Nadech Kukimiya and Mario Maurer.

“Thai drama has unique stories that have resonance worldwide, and the production quality is high,” Jakrajutatip says.

JKN has also ramped up its own catalogue for global distribution, including its documentary on Thailand’s Royal family, which the company says has been endorsed by National Geographic and A+E Networks’ History, as well as picking up Southeast Asia rights for a package of Indian dramas.

In all, JKN’s catalogue has 3,000 titles across eight genres, including JKN Originals, Asian fantasy, Hollywood hits, kids, music and entertainment extravaganzas.

Jakrajutatip says that the end-2017 IPO has strengthened the company’s financial standing and enabled expansion. Annual growth rates are at least 15%. In addition to expanding distribution activities, JKN has obtained the licence from CNBC to broadcast news under its brand in Thailand, owns domestic cable/satellite channel JKN Dramax, and has vibrant media sales and consumer products units. And, Jakrajutatip says, she’s only just begun...

21

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Truths be told Ellana Lee, ContentAsia’s Asia Media Woman of the Year 2018, talks about women’s empowerment, what it’s like working in an era of fake news and how she never feels threatened in North Korea.

“Women’s empowerment starts at home,” says CNN International SVP and Asia Pacific managing editor, Ellana Lee. Accepting ContentAsia’s 2018 Asia Media Woman of the Year Award, Lee told dinner guests that “of all the years to win this award, the significance of 2018 does not escape me... women have mustered the courage to tell their horrifying stories, and also to find a global community of women and men to come out to support them and start to right some of the wrongs that exist today.” Now in its sixth year, the ContentAsia award recognises the outstanding achievements of female leaders in the media industry in Asia.

Lee is CNN International’s most senior person outside of the U.S., and is also the global head of CNN Vision, which produces more than 1,300+ hours of original premium long- and short-form editorial content on everything from sports and style to food and travel. A separate unit, Create, deals with sponsor-funded/branded content.

In her keynote at the ContentAsia Summit the following day, Lee talked about real fake news and facts that people don’t happen to like or agree with. “There is absolutely fake news out there. It’s misinformation which people interpret as real news... the fake news we’re talking in the context of [U.S. president Donald] Trump is absolutely different. The news that the president does not like or doesn’t agree with, he considers fake news. That’s not a definition of fake news,” she said.

She described living in Trump’s fake news environment as “challenging. It takes a lot of courage. We have to stay purposeful in what we’re doing. It’s not easy when the most powerful person in the world is consistently threatening journalists... It’s a very unsettling position to be in, to be threatened as an organisation in this industry. And that’s what we’re faced with on top of the all the other challenges.”

A recent one was the U.S.-North Korea Summit in Singapore, to which the news organisation sent 80 people. The event was not only major for CNN. Lee, who was born and grew up in South Korea, called North Korea “a tricky situation for me”. Of her multiple visits to the Hermit Kingdom, she said: “You go through a variety of emotions. I think the first emotion is a stage of wonder and a stage of ‘wow I can’t believe that this is how this country is run or this is what it looks like’. It’s bit surreal but then, the longer you stay, there is an emotional tug. A couple days after that you really feel that just for the luck of where my ancestors decided to be at that time, that day, that year. They managed to be on the other side of the DMZ line and that completely changed their fate and my family. And if you think about that, it really starts to pull on you”. In addition to the emotional highs and lows, North Korea also

Picture by Shawn Ha

involves “mental highs and lows and is very physical challenging as well.” But her many trips have been rewarding. “Believe it or not,” she said, “there is a respect for what we have done. I never feel threatened in North Korea”.

24

contentasia issue five, october 2018

The DUO Good Alone Great together Mastiff 60’ entertainment format Banijay Rights MIPCOM Stand C20.A

60’ entertainment format MIPCOM Stand C20.A

distributionchannels

Viu Point With Asian versions of The Bridge and Hollywood Squares, Viu/Vuclip cemented its place in the rare category of Asian streaming platforms ballsy enough to put real budgets behind original content creation. Vuclip’s president/COO, Arun Prakash, talks about taking the lead in local content spend, the realities of the local production ecosystem, and partnerships that set shows free.

What problem are you trying to solve with originals, such as the local

tent, largely, is made for free to air or for movies, but premium content is

version of Hollywood Squares in India and scripted drama The Bridge?

lacking. It’s a great opportunity for Viu.”

“Viu’s philosophy is to bring premium entertainment to everyone. We don’t believe premium entertainment is only for the elite few. We are

What was it about The Bridge that convinced you? “We navigate the

focused on Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent as well as in

decision-making process through two eyes – consumer insights and in-

Middle East and Africa.

tuition. Our strategic initiatives include the globalisation of local content

“When we look at bringing premium content to everyone, there are

and the localisation of global content. Both are important to us. The

three elements that come together to make that a possibility. First and

Bridge presents a great opportunity to do that, with Double Vision, Me-

foremost is availability of premium local content. The second one is ac-

dia Prima and HBO Asia.”

cessibility of that content in a very fresh way, not a year later. We know consumers don’t understand content windows and doors. They want

In addition to Viu streaming The Bridge in all its markets, Media Prima will

fresh content. And so access to fresh local content is extremely important.

air the series on free-TV channel, ntv7, in Malaysia and HBO Asia will air it

And the third element is the affordability and, especially in Asia, providing

on premium/subscription services across the region. What do you see as

value to the consumer. We look at addressing all three through a free-

the advantages of this mixed streaming/free/pay-TV arrangement? “We

mium business model.

believe that content is created to be consumed and if the content is cre-

“Viu focuses on the youthful segment of the population. What we are

ated to be consumed there’s no point being protectionist. We believe

finding is there is not much local premium content being made and we

strongly in getting the content out to be consumed across all the plat-

see that as a big gap. As a platform, it’s easier for us to spend money

forms, whether it’s free to air, whether it’s pay TV, whether it’s on the digital

and license content because we can get it onto the platform and to the

platform on Viu. So that’s one strong belief.

consumer quickly. But we see the gap in premium content. Local con-

26

The second belief is the economics of making high production value,

contentasia issue five, october 2018

We believe content is created to be consumed, and there’s no point being protectionist.”

Arun Prakash, President and Chief Operating Officer, Vuclip Inc

premium local content. The SVOD approach in Southeast Asia cannot

the originals strategy about two years ago. In 2018 Viu will air 70 originals

be relied on to recover the investment. The economics are not there. A

across eight different languages in all the markets that we’re in.

great way for us as a platform is to partner with free to air and pay TV. We

“When we look at making originals, there are a few things that stand

all have an equal share in terms of ensuring premium content is made.

out. First and foremost, there’s the approach. You can either take a mer-

At the same time, there’s economic recovery for everyone involved.”

cenary approach or a missionary approach.

What are the pain points in reaching the kind of agreement you have

the top scriptwriters and directors and saying, ‘okay, I’m going to invest

with Media Prima and HBO Asia for The Bridge? “Global studios are very

I’m going to make a few pieces of content with you’.

The mercenary approach is looking at the top production companies,

keen to bring their formats and their content to Asia. So there is a keen

The missionary approach is developing the market and the ecosystem.

willingness to work with a platform like Viu and we appreciate that. Sec-

Viu has taken a very missionary approach in developing the content

ond, the approach needs to be win-win. We understand what Media

ecosystem in every market. That means identifying and working with tal-

Prima is trying to accomplish. Ntv7 is going after a youthful segment and

ent from the long tail of talent. That’s a very tough thing to do that re-

is looking for fresh premium content. And we understand what HBO Asia

quires deep commitment of time in addition to the resources that you

is trying to do, which is to get to premium local content. As long as there

pump in.”

is a deeper understanding of what each partner is trying to accomplish,

“The second is when it comes to selecting content, how do we de-

and there is complete transparency in the conversation. I think every-

cide? We have deep consumer insights, but we also go with our intuition,

thing else can be worked on.”

so a lot of times it’s a leap of faith. The Bridge was a leap of faith. We are happy to take those leaps of faith as well. The third element is: Who do

What kind of production ecosystem do you think is most conducive to

you work with as a creator? For us, it’s extremely important that the cre-

creating the kind of originals pipeline that you would like? “We started

ator, in addition to talent, has passion.”

contentasia issue five, october 2018

27

distributionchannels

The Bridge

What mistakes have you made? “We are very entrepreneurial, so we

What kind of traction are you getting on your India originals? “India in itself

have an appreciation for mistakes, but those mistakes are tactical mis-

is a big market but it’s a hugely challenging market. There is also an Indian

takes. We don’t believe in making a lot of strategic mistakes. When you

Diaspora, which is a high ARPU market. Our content is syndicated to mar-

make a strategic mistake you can either be brought down onto your

kets where Viu does not have a presence, including the U.S.”

knees or you’re burning a lot of your investors’ cash to pivot. They key word is pivot, which burns an enormous amount of investors’ cash. We try

What about profitability and return on investment? “The OTT game is not

not to make strategic mistakes by being very clear about our hypotheses

for the weak hearted, and definitely not for those who don’t have deep

or understanding of the markets and the consumer, and how we ap-

pockets. It’s a long-term game and one that requires a certain level of

proach things. But we have made a number of tactical mistakes. And I

commitment and discipline. It’s a five- to seven- year journey and it’s not

have a lot of scars on my back from those mistakes as well.

something that we were not aware of going in.”

“The first mistake was when we started doing originals. We didn’t realise that, when you’re working with so-called experts in the market, there are

Are you planning to have Hollywood titles in your AVOD layer or just on

some un-learnings to be made. There is almost a just-in-time approach

SVOD? “We don’t look at every market in the same way. For example,

to making television content in Southeast Asia. You write a few pieces of

Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia are more SVOD markets; consum-

script in the morning, you shoot in the afternoon, edit room in the eve-

ers’ propensity to pay for content is already there. In a market like Indo-

ning and it’s taking life in the night. That just doesn’t work for premium

nesia, pay TV has not done well and the consumer’s propensity to pay for

content, where there’s a lot of emphasis on the creative development.

content is not as high, so they have indexed more towards AVOD. Market

We didn’t initially anticipate how much unlearning would be required by

by market, we turn the dial of AVOD vs SVOD.

the industry.

Would we like the Hollywood studios not to have their windows and

“The second is, when you work with the long tail of creators, there’s a

doors? Of course. We don’t like the windows and the doors. Would we

lot of learning to be had. We have to invest in the creative development

like to not have the restrictions of AVOD and SVOD and multiple screens?

process, in the script development process. In Indonesia, we conduct an

You know these restrictions don’t exist for the pirate sites. It’s a shame

annual event where we hold one week of just script writing and learning.

that when you pay for content and you license from all these studios you

This is completely Viu invested and it has no expectation of return what-

have to deal with hundreds of restrictions and you know that the next

soever. So the second learning for us was to actually invest in learning for

day it will be available on pirated sites. That’s what we are competing

the ecosystem.

with. Would I like all Hollywood content to also be available on AVOD?

“The third mistake came from different market maturity levels and the expectation of a certain level of structured, disciplined execution.”

28

Absolutely I would love that. Is that going to happen any time soon? I don’t believe so.”

contentasia issue five, october 2018

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Hulu hoops Hulu Japan celebrated its seventh anniversary in September, with the clock ticking on the premiere its first Russian drama, zombie series The Day After, and still basking in the halo effect of original show Miss Sherlock, which was the platform’s first international co-production. Employee number one, chief content officer and board member Kazufumi Nagasawa, talks about hunting down titles from untapped catalogues to follow Australia’s Wentworth, Turkey’s Magnificent Century and Spain’s Locked Up, the advantages of joint rights acquisition, and how he’s dealing with the looming challenge of rivals such as Amazon Prime Video.

Hulu Japan premiered its first Russian series, zombie drama, The Day After, on 5 October, broadening its SVOD offering, introducing a new approach to sublicensing and windowing, and paving the way for a broader selection of foreign acquisitions.

What is chief content officer, Kazufumi Nagasawa, up to with the zombies? The simple answer is programme diversity. The more complex answer is feeling his way through an evolving environment with different genres and a wider range of partnerships.

“Japan has so many OTT services, including of course the global platforms. Most of the programmes watched on those OTT platforms are either local, American or Korean, and some Chinese. That’s it.

99% or even 99.9% of viewing is from those four territories. What I want to do is give diversity, show content to our users that they cannot watch if we do not exist,” he says.

Sub-licensing deals around The Day After maximise every window and then some.

The Day After premiere on Hulu Japan was followed on 6 October by a first-episode special window on the country’s top commercial broadcaster, Nippon TV, which bought Hulu Japan in 2014. AVOD platform TVer, jointly owned by five Japanese terrestrial networks, has one-week catch-up rights. Sister Nippon satellite network, BS Nippon, will begin airing

Picture by Shawn Ha

the series on 10 November 2018. Hulu Japan, which

30

contentasia issue five, october 2018

They’re coming Eleanor Tomlinson Rafe Spall The war of the worlds Itv Studios Global entertainment Brand new drama Coming Soon

E L E ANOR

TOMLINSON

RAFE

S PA L L

Brand New Drama Coming Soon

HJ Holdings

Quarterly subscription increases post-Nippon TV acquisition 2,000,000

1,719,849

1,800,000 1,600,000 1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0 1Q

2Q

3Q

4Q

2014

1Q

2Q

3Q

4Q

2015

1Q

2Q

3Q

4Q

1Q

2016

2Q

3Q

4Q

2017

1Q 2018

 Added 18,730 subscribers from previous quarter, reaching almost 1.72 million →Hulu original “Miss Sherlock” continues to perform solidly  Hulu original spinoffs of Nippon TV dramas “Hotel on the Brink!” and “ZERO –The Bravest Money Game – ” received high acclaim acquired all rights from Russia’s Art Pictures, has also sub-licensed si→Hulu will continue to aggressively produce original spinoffs of Nippon TV dramas multaneous DVD (rental/sell-through) rights to FOX Home Entertainment  On track to reach the goal of 1.8 million subscribers by the end FY2018senses, In ofsome Japan (Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment).

Source: HJ Holdings. Hulu Japan added 18,730 subscribers in the first quarter of FY2018 to end June, reaching almost 1.72 million subscribers and said it was on track to reach the goal of 1.8 million subscribers by the end of FY2018n at end March 2019

Outlier acquisitions in the past have included Australian drama Wentworth, which was an unexpected hit. “We weren’t expecting a lot... but it ranked in the top 10 right away,” Nagasawa says. “Until then we were not really aggressive about acquiring English-language content not from the U.S. or U.K., but the success of Wentworth made us think a little bit differently, and we became more open to content from other territories,” he says.

Turkish drama was another eye-opener. Hulu Japan acquired Mag-

[Amazon] is a huge 19 threat... but on the other hand we are cultivating the [OTT] market together.”

Kazufumi Nagasawa Chief Content Officer, Hulu Japan

nificent Century (Muhtesem Yuzyil), which it streamed with subtitles.

Magnificent Century is an epic tale about Suleiman the Magnificent and Hurrem, the slave who became his wife. Like Wentworth, the series exceeded Hulu Japan’s expectations. “Magnificent Century opened our minds to a new opportunity... to bring content that is a mega-hit in its own markets around the world to Japanese audiences,” Nagasawa says.

Turkey’s Magnificent Century broke the rights mould in its own way.

The opportunity extends to Asian territories outside of Korea and Chi-

The series was a joint acquisition with the NEP division of Japanese pub-

na. “We are open to any content from any territories,” Nagasawa says,

lic broadcaster NHK. Nagasawa says the joint acquisition was unusual.

cautiously, lest anyone think it’s open day for foreign content acquisi-

“We came to know that we were both chasing the same title so we

tions on the platform. While shelf space is, technically, unlimited, the

decided to do it together,” he says. The advantages are, primarily, shar-

platform remains realistic about culture and cost, including the high

ing the risk. In this case, NEP’s relationship with pay-TV channel, Chan-

costs of localisation.

nel Ginga, was an added benefit. The series was licensed to Channel

The preference is for domestic mega-hits and volume, and high defi-

Ginga, which targets older audiences.

nition. “We are open to acquiring content from any part of the world

Did he expect a Japanese audience of 70+ years old to take to a

but we’d rather go with a proven track record, a mega hit, and we

Turkish drama aired with Japanese subtitles in such a big way? Maybe

need volume. It doesn’t make sense to allocate resources to launching

a little. “It’s surprising, but the thing is, they are used to watching Korean

mini series from unknown territories. We would rather go with series that

period drama. And in essence it’s quite similar,” Nagasawa says.

already have multiple seasons and many episodes,” Nagasawa says.

Exclusivity is a moving target. Nagasawa describes Hulu Japan’s ap-

As Amazon gains strength in Japan, Hulu Japan has stared down the giant. And lost. Or won, depending on how you look at it.

proach as “flexible”. Hulu original, The Handmaid’s Tale, for instance, is

Amazon Prime offers an annual subscription of about US$35 a year,

exclusive to Hulu Japan in Japan. But he is more than happy to share

and the platform is estimated to have double the number of subscrib-

rights on The Day After, including airing the premiere in a regular slot on

ers. “In some senses, it’s a huge threat.... but on the other hand, they

Nippon TV’s terrestrial channel to promote new seasons of shows – par-

are cultivating a new market for OTT service and for specific content”.

ticularly unknown shows – on Hulu Japan.

32

Game of Thrones is an example. The first six seasons of Game of

contentasia issue five, october 2018

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Miss Sherlock

Thrones migrated from Hulu Japan to Amazon Prime earlier this year,

“The fact that we are owned by Nippon TV is obviously the most impor-

leaving Hulu Japan with exclusive rights only to season seven. “Amazon

tant differentiator. Another important competitive edge is that we are a

launched Game of Thrones until season six and, as a result of that, our

local player. We can adjust ourselves to the needs of the market,” he says.

viewership for season seven increased dramatically. So, yes, it should

And then there’s the Hulu Japan Originals strategy, which ramped up

be fair to say there’s a huge threat. But on the other hand, we’re culti-

last year with the first international co-production, Miss Sherlock, with

vating the market together”.

HBO Asia. Miss Sherlock is an eight-episode contemporary female-led

Hulu has a few advantages, the prime one being the exclusive catchup service for Nippon TV, the top-ranked terrestrial channel in Japan across all time bands, as well as the exclusive platform for Nippon TV spin-offs.

series based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic and set in Tokyo with Yuko Takeuchi as Miss Sherlock and Shihori Kanjiya as Dr Watson.

Miss Sherlock was Hulu Japan’s number one show during its run. The release strategy matched HBO Asia’s release of one show a week for

“Spinoff might be a misleading word. It makes it sound a little bit tiny

eight weeks. “In this case we had no choice because we had to be

but it’s not tiny in reality,” Nagasawa says. The spin-offs vary; they might

day-and-date with HBO,” he says. But the benefits are clear in the in-

be a part of a character’s story, a prequel, or even a different ending.

creased promotional opportunities, and the longer potential subscrip-

“It’s working super well, and is one of the most important differentia-

tion period. “If we launch everything at once, there are those who

tors for us,” he adds.

come in and stay just for one month,” he says.

Reporting its financials for the first quarter (April-June 2018) of the 2018

The biggest learning on international co-productions was how diffi-

financial year, Nippon TV said Hotel on the Brink! and Zero – The Bravest

cult it was (and is) to find a show with the potential to work in Japan

Money Game had been well received. “Hulu will continue to aggres-

for Hulu and in other territories for partners, in this case HBO Asia. Naga-

sively produce original spinoffs of Nippon TV dramas,” the company

sawa is not deterred: “If you can come up with the right material, it’s a

said at the end of July.

great way to do it because we can share the risk”.

34

contentasia issue five, october 2018

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strategychannels

Adjusted reality The new linear world is emerging in Asia – streamlined, with clear[er] genre propositions, an effort to drive up value, an element of on-demand/playlists, a revised partnership manual, and an expanded set of content brands. Four players with new services in Asia and two who are rethinking their worlds talk about the region’s adjusted reality.

The exit of 11 Discovery/Scripps channels from Singapore platform StarHub by the end of August this year created a gap into which new channels, some of which were created especially for StarHub, didn’t hesitate to pile. That much is obvious. The bigger story is that the slew of new services making its way into Asia is about mass realignment as the entire subscription video industry rethinks, well, everything about who it is, the way it’s structured, how it operates, what it needs, and how much it pays.

One version of the truths being told is that StarHub, along with other platforms in the region, was working tirelessly anyway to create a more compelling entertainment proposition that would stem subscriber losses and not cost as much, and that Discovery’s exit was, well, if not immaterial, then certainly not the primary catalyst for this full-scale carriage spurt. StarHub itself says the seven new channels that it started rolling out from July (two days after the exit of the first seven Discovery channels) were part of an “ongoing process to revamp our content line-up”.

Programmers are leaping at opportunities opening up in other countries. Indonesia is in content overdrive, filling in for a pay-TV environment that has never lived up to expectations for real as well as manipulated reasons. New streaming player Oona has just launched its free platform

This is not about replacing linear channels with low-cost alternatives. It’s much more than that. This is about being able to provide a deeper experience.”

with telco Telkomsel, creating a whole new option for programmers and offering innovative advertising solutions. Will this and other initiatives – in-

Monty Ghai, Founder and Chief Executive, brandwith

cluding the linear bundle being introduced by streaming service Hooq – put traditional pay-TV out of its less-than-10%-penetration misery in Indonesia? Doesn’t matter. The key attraction is that it’s an alternative with

Monty Ghai

potential.

Brandwith founder and chief executive, Monty Ghai, has begun rolling

In Hong Kong, relatively new sports player beIN is flexing its trademark

out a new slate of entertainment brands – including factual network Cu-

pragmatism, tieing up with PCCW Media/Now TV in July this year on its

riosityStream, Reuters TV, People TV and Cheddar – designed to provide

first co-branded channel to offer live Spanish LaLiga coverage exclusive-

a deeper, broader experience for consumers in Asia. The bundle includes

ly for the next three seasons until 2022/23.

both linear and on-demand services.

Elsewhere in the region, established programmers are retiring channels

The first CuriosityStream linear channel in the world launched on Star-

born in another space and another time, and pruning back giant packs

Hub mid-August. Ghai doesn’t think Discovery’s exit from StarHub in Sin-

that traditional platforms are clearly saying they have no appetite for.

gapore had anything to do with the platform’s decision to introduce Cu-

Have subscribers complained? Not loudly enough for anyone to change

riosityStream although the timing seemed perfect. “I would like to think

their minds.

that we were probably on that journey in any case regardless of what

Amid all the enthusiasm about an expanded entertainment experi-

was happening behind the scenes,” he says.

ence that someone – viewers or advertisers – will pay for, there remains

The gap into which CuriosityStream stepped didn’t emerge on the day

healthy support for the linear experience. The problem, many say, is not

StarHub and Discovery called it quits. On the contrary. Ghai says the va-

with linear as such. But with tired, unfocused products in the linear bundle

cancy was created when incumbent channels “left what is the authen-

with unbalanced cost-value propositions. And that needs to be – and is

tic factual space... [I’m] not saying that's good or bad, just saying that

being – fixed.

that happened,” he says, adding: “There’s a void in the marketplace for

36

contentasia issue five, october 2018

HBO Latin America Originals

Celebrating 15 years

Pushing the boundaris of storytelling.

Sr. Avila Magnefia 70 The american guest The business The bronze garden Santos dumont

strategychannels

hardcore factual”.

Ghai bristles at any insinuation that CuriosityStream – launched by Dis-

Trading Places), thrillers (Fatal Attraction) and Westerns (For A Few Dollars More).

covery founder John Hendricks in the U.S. in 2015 as a next-generation

Himatsinghani’s commitment to operating clearly defined, mass market

online subscription service – is a smaller cheaper linear alternative to

basic channels kicked off five years ago with the launch of the Hits enter-

Discovery. “This is not about replacing linear channels” with low-cost al-

tainment channel with Hollywood’s top series from the 1960s to the 1990s.

ternatives, he insists. “It’s much more than that. It’s about being able to provide a deeper experience beyond linear as well,” Ghai says.

Brandwith’s path forward is to provide branded services to all platforms, be it pay TV platforms or OTT. With so many thousands of hours of

The issues and the questions, for him, are simple. “Is there a need gap in the market? Can we satisfy that need gap at a fair economic value?

Not cheap, just fair, which adds value to the pay-TV consumer and platform partners.”

content out there, “brands play a huge role. People are going to find the

The biggest problem with the current pay-TV ecosystem is that not

next big Disney blockbuster, they’re going to find the sports franchise...

enough networks have asked or answered these critical questions. Hi-

those big titles. But in terms of factual, branded services play an impor-

matsinghani is emphatic: “If we don’t do that, we’re dead,” he says.

tant part”.

Hits Movies – Rewind’s second linear channel – stands in sharp contrast

Ghai’s support for a consumer-centric approach is absolute, and ac-

to “classic” movie channels in the past, which were largely single-studio

cess to data is a basic requirement. Programmers need to be more reac-

line ups that sometimes delivered what they promised and sometimes

tive to what consumers want, he says.

didn’t. “No matter who we are, we have to constantly live up to the promises we have made at any given time. If people tune in, they need

Avi Himatsinghani

to get what has been promised to them,” he says.

The question in his mind was never whether there was a need for the movie channel, just whether he could acquire the rights he needed and make the channel available at the right economic value.

Himatsinghani is a champion of tight effective curation, even in environments where the same content makes its way onto YouTube for free.

The same Hits TV title that gets 40,000 views in Malaysia, will have less than a quarter of that on YouTube globally, he says. “It’s available for free. It’s on one of the largest on-demand platforms you can get. It’s got the best metadata, the best search capabilities and still globally it’s 4,000, 5000, maybe 10,000 views...”

Some titles work better than others on demand – “the content you know you want to demand and therefore it’s available on demand.

You asked for it and therefore you get it,” Himatsinghani says.

“But in a lot of cases, factual, obviously news which is live and many

There are critical questions we have to ask. Is there a need gap in the market? Can we satisfy that need gap at a fair economic value. Not cheap, just fair, which adds value to the pay-TV consumer and platform partners.”

Avi Himatsinghani, Founder and Chief Executive, Rewind Networks

other genres, you don’t know what you want but you know the theme, the mood you’re in, the playlist feel, and you want to go in and experience that. You want someone to help you with that. We’re a service that’s helping people do that,” he adds.

Hits ratings have been “quite good”, even relative to some first-run networks. “Now does it mean we are better? Maybe not.” But here’s something to think about: “A lot of the first-run audiences have moved to where on-demand works best, which is Netflix, Amazon, Hooq, iflix...”

Rewind Networks chief executive, Avi Himatsinghani, celebrated the

Gregg Creevey

launch of his second channel, Hits Movies, on StarHub in Singapore on 1

For the past decade, way before hashtags made communities of like

October, doubling his output but absolutely 100% sticking to his long-held

interests sexy, Gregg Creevey has been talking about catering to spe-

single-minded mantra: “‘Best of’ all in one place, making it easy for view-

cific interests with focused curation and clear positioning. Towards the

ers to find and watch”.

end of September this year, viewership data from Oona/Telkomsel in

Himatsinghani says the new channel “fills a clear need gap in the

Indonesia showed Outdoor by far the most-watched content. The Out-

evolving subscription video landscape for quality, evergreen movies on

door Channel live feed was watched for 50.5 hours over a seven-day

the basic tier”.

period. The closest live competitor was watched for 5.25 hours. Outdoor

Hits Movies curates blockbuster titles from multiple Hollywood studios during the 1960s to 1990s in a linear channel created to live on basic sub-

Channel’s VOD channel was watched for 4.02 hours during the same seven days.

scription packs. The October launch line up crosses a range of genres,

“For us, it’s all about curation,” says Creevey, co-founder and manag-

including romance (Grease, West Side Story), action (Star Trek: The Mo-

ing director of Omni Channels Asia (OCA). OCA has a deal with U.S.-

tion Picture, The Terminator, The Italian Job), comedies (The Pink Panther,

based TV4 Entertainment to distribute a bouquet of linear channels in

38

contentasia issue five, october 2018

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strategychannels

the works. There’s also a slate of original production coming on stream.

“Some of our verticals will be made up of original content. But there is so much content out there anyway. I think there are tremendous opportunities in curating that content. There's a lot to do, a lot to play for,” he says.

Kok-Siew Yeo Hong Kong’s PCCW Media and regional sports network beIN Sports joined forces for the first time in July this year on a co-branded channel that will offer live Spanish LaLiga coverage exclusively to Hong Kong viewers for the next three seasons until 2022/23. The long-term partnership – a first for beIN in Asia – leverages beIN’s global relationship with LaLiga, draws on LaLiga-related content coming out of central command in Doha and,

The challenge for legacy brands and channels is that they have become generalists. That’s a distinct disadvantage in an environment where audiences are increasingly looking for a video experience that’s more tightly curated.”

Gregg Creevey, Co-founder and Managing Director, Omni Channels Asia

critically, spreads risk.

“We have to be very mindful about what our value proposition is, about what we are bringing to the table,” says Kok-Siew Yeo, beIN’s director, distribution & partnerships (Asia). beIN is currently in 12 markets in Asia, with traditional pay-TV services as well as a direct-to-consumer product, beIN Sports Connect. The sports brand’s biggest markets in the region are Thailand and Indonesia, where it has rights for the English Premier League (EPL).

Asia. OCA currently has 40 channels – or content verticals – and by the end of next year, plans to have 100. The deal with Oona is to launch up to 30 new genre-focused channels in Indonesia in 2018/9, giving the linear/VOD bundle access to Telkomsel’s 135 million mobile customers across the country.

“The challenge for legacy brands and channels is that they have become generalists,” Creevey says. “That’s a distinct disadvantage in an environment where audiences are increasingly looking for something that’s more tightly curated as a video experience”.

Creevey is embracing the very different business model of the OTT environment. “In that environment we're looking for platforms of scale,” he says. “That gives us a lot more flexibility when it comes to the commercial model. We're no longer just limited to looking at it on a CPS or flat fee or minimum guarantee basis. There's potentially a lot more revenue at play that we can participate in.”

Access to data that some streaming platforms provide is a definite plus in building an audience-relevant product. “I can open the Oona dash-

We have to be very mindful of what our value proposition is, about what we are bringing to the table.”

Kok-Siew Yeo, Director, Distribution & Partnerships (Asia), beIN

board and I can see live and historical data. I can see how many people have watched, I can see who how many are watching, what they’ve

beIN’s approach depends on specific markets. “It’s important to be

watched in minutes and hours,” he says. The same goes for Outdoor

flexible in this day and age and that’s the approach that we have taken

Channel’s deal with the 7plus group in Australia.

to this constantly changing environment,” Yeo says.

Creevey has also all but stopped talking about schedules, preferring

If escalating sports rights are a major challenge, so too is the balance

to talk about playlists, and says consumers may begin with on-demand,

between original production on the ground in Asia and global collabo-

but their multi-episode viewing patterns once a title is chosen mirror the

ration. “For markets like Singapore and Hong Kong you could leverage

linear experience.

English-language production out of [beIN HQ in] Doha. But for markets

“It was on demand in terms of how you discovered it. But in terms of how you consumed it, it was linear. So that's what leads us to the con-

like Thailand and Indonesia local production is very important, which is what we've done,” he says.

clusion that there's value in linear if you can tightly curate it. We have

beIN has studios in Bangkok and Jakarta creating local productions to

playlists of video and those playlists are tightly curated around genres or

cater to local audiences. “We adopt a very localised approach to the

interests or passions.”

market,” Yeo says, adding: “As and where we think it warrants a local

One of the channels offered on Oona through OCA is Inside Outside, a venture with all3media. Creevey says similar strategic partnerships are in

40

investment, a more localised approach to content, we have no doubt about doing that”.

contentasia issue five, october 2018

Rai Channels Worldwide distribution Rai Italia

Visit us at MIPCOM #R7.D5 Benedetta Migliore Extra European Distribution Benedetta.migliore@rai.it

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distributionchannels

Virginia Lim Tough is as tough does for Sony Pictures Television Networks’ new Asia SVP/GM, Virginia Lim. As the global organisation restructures, Lim talks about the inevitable re-engineering of entertainment products, strengthening ties with existing partners and breaking new ground with others, as well as balancing IP/rights so that everyone along the value chain gets what they need to be viable.

She doesn’t, she says, have all the answers. But she’s tough enough to ask the questions.

The new season of Asia’s Got Talent premieres in early 2019 with familiar judges, the same hosts as season two, a prime time spot on Sony Pictures Television Networks’ AXN channel, a lot to live up to with season two winner The Sacred Riana busting Facebook’s all-time global video records, and a key difference – the sponsor structure.

The idea may not be ‘new’ exactly, says Sony’s newly promoted regional SVP and general manager, Virginia Lim. “But sometimes ‘new’ means a new way of working together, a new relationship and a new mindset. There’s a lot of that going on right now.”

By necessity... and by design. “The truth remains that sponsorship and advertising remain a challenge, especially for pan-regional productions. There’s no longer one solution that can cut across the entire region. So our focus is individual markets and offering local solutions for individual sponsors.” Among other things, this involves different kinds of relationships with free-TV players in specific markets.

Lim says Sony’s new structure in Asia, which consolidates all lines of business under Ken Lo out of Hong Kong, makes a big difference to the channels she operates – AXN, Animax, Sony Channel, Sony One and Gem. For one, it means she has greater access to rights. “And with that we can be a bigger, better partners to all the operators,” she says.

“No matter what part of the business you are in, we all face the need to reinvent and change... the linear business model cannot stay the same because no one can survive in that environment.”

Original production, clearly, remains a priority. That includes shiny floor shows as well as original IP. And she remains committed to day-and-date Hollywood studio titles.

Partnerships, including the Gem JV with Japan’s top commercial broadcaster, Nippon TV, are helping to negotiate better rights. Success stories include on-ground event in Hong Kong with Japanese boy band Hey! Say! Jump! from notoriously picky Japanese agency Johnny’s.

Negotiations took three years.

“I talk a lot about how we have to start looking at different ways to work. And of course rights is everything. It’s about what rights you can provide so that our operators

Picture by Shawn Ha

can also compete with their OTT competitors. But above and beyond that, I also believe in being able to bring some money-cannot-buy experience to the viewers... with that you establish your own value in this ecosystem”.

42

contentasia issue five, october 2018

ORIGINAL CONTENT WITH AN ASIAN PERSPECTIVE Original content with an asian perspective Get real Once reguee Tapestry The heard of asean Visit us at MIPCOM 2018, Singapore Pavilion (Booth P-1.C16/ P-1.D15) Contentdistribution.mediacorp.sg Content_dist@mediacorp.com.sg

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Leena Singarajah New leadership at A+E Networks in Southeast Asia/Australia means a switch in approach and focus on, well, everything in the toughest linear environment that channels in the region have ever faced. Southeast Asia/Australia managing director, Leena Singarajah, outlines what she’s thinking and doing to reshape products and energise activity around consumer brands, starting with Lifetime.

Lifetime Asia refreshes on 1 November, redefining its audience and reshaping the brand as a starting point for broad scrutiny of everything A+E Networks has been doing in the region. Talking about new directions since becoming MD for Southeast Asia and Australia in June this year, Leena Singarajah says “as with everything, as consumption habits change, as audience changes, where people go to consume content changes”. While the product remains strong, “there’s a need for us to look at it again and ask whether we going in the right direction.”

The approach has been a “digital” one, taking an audience-first view and a hard look at available data, and defining a destination for a very specific type of woman – a real woman, who she is, what she does and wants – in Southeast Asia. “We’re not throwing everything away... There’s a great foundation out there to work from. We’re just fixing the funnels.”

The general direction for Lifetime Asia is towards lifestyle. “Many other people do general entertainment better than we do and they will continue to do that,” she adds. “What we can do is provide a destination for women to be inspired, informed, enriched and validated”. Much like hashtags have done for curating themes, the new Lifetime will be built around thematic instead of content pillars.

Local production may be part of the mix, and commissions are less about how much than about what makes sense. “We need to be locally relevant, and that doesn’t necessarily have to be a local production. Or long form... The format, the subject matter, really depends on what the audience is looking for from us.”

An online angle is a critical piece. The initial digital audit is under way, building upon a foundation already in place to expand the business beyond linear subscription. The strategy is to create digital originals, “not just taking cutdowns but really thinking about who our audience is... we can’t be all things to everyone so we need to decide who that audience is and go after them. What we do on digital might not end up being the same thing as what we do on TV and that’s actually okay.”

Singarajah is betting that the future will be made of multiple devices – including TV sets – and multiple access points. “It’s our job to create the content in the length and the form people want. We are not saying that linear is no longer relevant.’

A deeper look at A+E’s other brands in Asia – History, Crime & Investigation, H2, FYI – will follow. “As a matter of hygiene we need to go through and look at all of those brands even if it’s to validate that ‘yes

Picture by Shawn Ha

we’re doing the right thing’.”

What the final product, or suite of products, looks like is still a work in progress. Will it include a streaming app with a telco? A more robust YouTube channel? A Facebook stream? “It could,” Singarajah says, “be any of those things or all of those things.”

44

contentasia issue five, october 2018

www.bcww.kr Broadcast Worldwide BCWW Formats/ NewCon 2019

August 20-22, 2019 COEX, Seoul, Korea Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism KOCCA

formatsoutlook

Drama-rama: formats in Asia Korea was Asia’s biggest buyer of scripted formats in the first half of this

formats on air or commissioned. But what it lacks in numbers, Malaysia

year, topping the charts with 10 titles (77% of its total of 13 format ac-

makes up for in geographic diversity. Four of Malaysia’s six formats are

quisitions), including drama series from the U.S. (Suits, The Mentalist, Mis-

drama – Heartbeat (Turkey), My Coffee Price (Korea), Sanay Wala Na

tresses), Japan (Mother from Nippon TV; Rich Man Poor Woman, The

Wakas (Philippines) and Syurga Yang Ke 2 (Indonesia).

Confidence Man and 100 Million Stars from the Sky from Fuji TV) and the U.K. (Luther, Life on Mars).

Of China’s 23 formats, 48% were drama, while in Thailand 4% of the 53 formats in the first six months of 2018 were scripted. Thailand was Asia’s

Japan is hot on Korea’s heels in percentage terms, with drama making

largest formats market by volume in the first half of the year. In Vietnam

up 75% of its total formats. Japan had six drama formats on air/commis-

drama titles made up 6% of the total 52 formats (see ContentAsia Issue

sioned in the first half, split evenly between the U.S. (Cold Case, Orphan

4, September 2018).

Black, Suits) and Korea (Good Doctor, Memory, Signal).

Philippines and Indonesia, both vibrant domestic drama production

Of the 13 markets included in our special analysis for Mipcom 2018, Malaysia comes in third with scripted making up 67% of the country’s

markets, shy away from scripted acquisitions, as do Myanmar, Mongolia and Cambodia, albeit for different reasons.

Philippines

Cambodia Cambodia

Philippines Entertainment 8%

Dance 8%

Comedy improv 5% Entertainment 6%

Talent 17%

Talent 34% Game Show 8% Social Experiment 17%

Game Show 22% Singing competition 33% Cooking 11%

Singing competition 25%

Modelling 6%

Mongolia Mongolia

Japan Japan

Entertainment 9% Talent 18%

Dating 13%

Factual 9%

Sports 9%

Character led 12%

Game Show 19% Singing competition 18% Business 9% Modelling 9% 46

Drama 75%

contentasia issue five, october 2018

Korea Korea

Indonesia Indonesia

Entertainment 6%

Talent 7%

Cooking 8%

Game Show 15% Singing competition 40%

Game show 40%

Drama 77%

Cooking 7%

India

Myanmar

Myanmar

India

Talent 8%

Singing competition 25%

Singing competition 18%

Game Show 50%

Game Show 14%

Social Experiment 32%

Cooking 8% Character led 9%

Drama 23%

Modelling 9%

Dating 4%

Regional Regional

Malaysia Malaysia

Talk show 17%

Talent 33%

Drama 34%

Variety 16% Drama 67%

Modelling 33% contentasia issue five, october 2018

Source: ContentAsia Formats Outlook 1H 2018. Data provided by formats rights holders

47

formatsoutlook

Who’s up, down or moving sideways...

1H2017

1H2018

+/-

% change

Regional

5

3

-2

40%

Cambodia

23

18

-5

22%

China

39

23

-16

41%

India

26

22

-4

15%

Indonesia

19

15

-4

21%

Japan

4

8

+4

100%

Korea

6

13

+7

117%

Malaysia

5

6

+1

20%

Mongolia

16

11

-5

31%

Myanmar

9

12

+3

33%

Philippines

20

12

-8

40%

Singapore

2

2

0

0%

Sri Lanka

1

1

0

0%

Taiwan

1

0

-1

100%

Thailand

42

53

+11

26%

Vietnam

67

52

-15

22%

285

251

-34

12%

Source: ContentAsia Formats Outlook 1H 2018. Data provided by formats rights holders

48

contentasia issue five, october 2018

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49

distributionchannels

Sabrina Duguet all3media

Two years after she opened all3media’s Asia-Pacific regional office in Singapore, executive vice president Sabrina Duguet is looking at a formats business that doubled in size last year; managing roaring activity in India, including a new deal with Banijay India and the first scripted format deal with Indian streaming platform Voot; broken new ground in Japan; created a sports game format in Singapore; signed off on shows in China, Thailand and Vietnam; and made sure she’s put her hand up for every opportunity possible for Asia on all3media’s global radar.

At the end of last year, the international cast and crew of White Dragon took to the streets of Hong Kong, bringing to her territory and her watch largescale drama for U.K. broadcaster ITV. The conspiracy thriller is from Two Brothers Pictures, which all3media acquired last year. About 80% of White Dragon is shot in Hong Kong. Another drama will be partly shot in Asia in 2019, and active conversations are under way for non-scripted titles.

Duguet attributes growth in both profile and performance to presence on the ground in the region and much talking about the company and what it offers, including output from 27 production companies and a heavy investment in scripted and entertainment content.

None of all3media’s production companies are in Asia – yet – which is why alliances with key partners in the region are a critical goal. Hence the deal with Banijay’s new Asia venture, based out of India, for six formats. Five are non-scripted and one – The Missing – is scripted. “Localising, adapting and working in collaboration with local producers is key,” Duguet says.

The Voot deal involves two seasons of Liar, a contemporary drama that opens with a couple on a first date.

They’re good looking, and the restaurant is chic. Cut to the morning after and she’s telling her sister she has been raped, paving the way for a he-says-she-says story

by Harry and Jack Williams of Two Brothers Pictures.

Streaming platforms such as Voot are, clearly, making a big difference to all3media in Asia. Not only are the rise of new platforms a great business opportunity in themselves, but the competition forces other platforms to be more creative, Duguet says.

An important part of her job is to make sure Asia

Picture by Shawn Ha

is around the table on development and creative conversations. “It’s all about having that conversation and saying ‘hey guys there are some amazing opportunities here’.”

50

contentasia issue five, october 2018

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51

distributionchannels

Rashmi Bajpai

Endemol Shine, Asia

When the Asian version of Endemol Shine scripted format, The Bridge, airs later this year, few will be more pleased than Rashmi Bajpai, Endemol Shine International’s executive director for Asia.

“We have 55,000 hours of content and a lot of good drama,” she says. And the best trend: “People are investing in drama and premium drama,” she adds.

In addition to The Bridge, Endemol Shine is co-producing Humans in China in a deal closed by the company’s China managing director, William Tan. In all, “we’ve had a pretty good year,” Bajpai says.

Scripted drama is trending elsewhere in the region, particularly in India. Korea is close (no details at presstime), Japan could follow in 2019, as could Indonesia and the Philippines.

If deals haven’t been announced, Bajpai says conversations about scripted formats are “definitely” increasing.

“There’s definitely an appetite,” she adds. It’s just about meeting commercial requirements.

The biggest sticking point is budgets, which are, for the most part, still significantly lower than in the U.S., and expectations need to be managed. But Bajpai says there’s also a bigger openness to working in Asia and to thinking differently that is boosting business.

Outside of The Bridge, commissioned by regional streaming platform Viu, digital services continue to drive sales.

These include Hulu Japan, which bought Humans and The Tunnel (the U.K./France version of The Bridge). Japan also acquires Scandinavian series.

Bajpai says buyers “are willing to become a little edgier, and offer shows that aren’t easily available elsewhere”. Five years ago, she adds, “I wouldn’t have been able to put those in my forecast”.

Big Brother is also alive and well in India and the Philippines, with new seasons likely to incorporate AI and other tech that has been refreshing the series in other parts of the world.

Perhaps her biggest surprise was demand for Black Mirror before the show went to Netflix. “The first season has the prime minister doing something inappropriate with a pig and I screened it and I was thinking, ‘how am I ever going to sell this?’, ‘How am I supposed to pitch this?’

“One market changed it for me and that was China. I remember I was sitting in my office in Hong Kong, and I got a call about rights to Black Mirror. Then there was a bidding war and eventually Youku picked it up and it was a great success... people still ask me when the rights will open up”. And yes, in case

Picture by Shawn Ha

you’re wondering, the prime minister and the pig episode went out uncensored in China.

52

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contentasia issue five, october 2018

Genre:

Fantasy,

Adventure

53

distributionchannels

Lester Hu Hunan TV

Hunan TV’s new daytime show, The Rocking Bridge, could be a metaphor for China’s television market: Ride out the gyrations, stay on the bridge no matter what, and the prize is yours. So far, Hunan TV is hanging on determinedly.

At home, another 20 episodes have been added to the original 50 commissioned for The Rocking Bridge, which strips daily from 12.30pm to 1.30pm. Hunan TV has one other original format out in the world – The Sound – and is expanding its in-house original content development skills. Ultimately, the aim is more originals, fewer acquisitions.

For Lester Hu, Hunan TV’s head of formats and international business, The Rocking Bridge is a new experience, transforming him from buyer to seller/co-development partner.

The broader corporate shift has a mix of drivers – regulations that limit foreign IP acquisition, China’s rising creative confidence and the endless quest for new ideas. Hu says finding instant matches for Chinese audiences is increasingly tough. “China is developing so rapidly, audiences always want something new, something more. And, to be honest, the lifespan of classic formats in China is pretty short. We have to come up with new things, which have never been done before, to really take the lead,” he says.

The strategy means fewer international acquisitions. “Basically we’re shifting our focus to co-development,” Hu says. Hunan TV, which has 112 million domestic viewers daily, already distributes its finished programmes, including drama and local versions of Korean formats such as I’m a Singer and Daddy, Where are We Going?, across Asia.

Another trend is the growing strength of China’s indie production sector, which Hu says has given rise to a new era of collaboration.

Meanwhile, online video players is changing the game, including Hunan TV’s Mango TV, which is a top five player in China. “It’s our unique strategy to develop the traditional television channel as well as a new media player as a package in the market,” Hu says.

The two platforms share content and IP freely. “It’s a whole partnership strategy,” Hu says. Mango TV, with different formats of Hunan titles, including short form, brings in younger audiences across devices.

While Hunan TV still led rankings in the first half of 2018, it’s not unaware of rising competition from streaming giants, which can be much more flexible but are increasingly facing regulatory and other chalPicture by Shawn Ha

lenges of their own.

It’s hardly a surprise. As Hu says, “We all have new challenges.” And the bridge keeps rocking.

54

contentasia issue five, october 2018

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55

distributionchannels

Varavuth Jentanakul

Zense Entertainment Zense Entertainment is following up six years of adapting international formats for Thailand with a new plan that takes the company in the other direction. The two titles kicking off the export of its own home-grown formats to the international market are The Producer and Singer Auction, both created with a global audience in mind.

Zense credits include 13 adaptations for Thailand, including Still Standing Thailand (NBCUniversal) and Money Drop Thailand (Endemol Shine) for free-TV national broadcaster Channel 7, and Crazy Market and Show Me The Money (CJ ENM) for digital terrestrial channel PPTV. Now company founder and chief executive, Varavuth Jentanakul, says: “We learned a lot, we’re ready to export”.

Singer Auction combines a concept familiar to Thai audiences (singing reality) with an auction element, which Jentanakul says is a familiar idea to Western audiences “but not to Asian viewers”. The Producer sidesteps the usual singing talent shows in favour of a hunt for the country’s top music producer.

The two originals emerge from a market flush with game shows and talent formats. In the first half of 2018, 30% of Thailand’s 53 formats commissioned or on air were game shows, including Catch Me Out (all3media), 5 Gold Rings (Talpa), Golden Tambourine (CJ ENM), Hollywood Game Night (NBCUniversal) and The Price is Right (Fremantle). Reality was 26% and singing competitions were third with 15%.

Jentanakul identifies interactivity as one of the next big trends in Thailand, along with new types of collaboration with a wider range of partners.

Zense is currently developing an interactive game show where audiences can play along on their smartphones. A year-end launch is within sight. The company is also working with a European production house on co-developing a dating show.

Zense is not alone in pursuing an international agenda. Asian format exports are currently led by Korea’s CJ ENM, which has been aggressive in pursuing an international agenda, and China – including mainland media authorities – has its sights set on global expansion. Jentanakul also has his eye on Vietnam, the region’s second most-vibrant formats market in the first half of 2018.

Picture by Shawn Ha

Looking ahead, Jentanakul outlines a Thai market with more than 20 free TV broadcasters, crazy competition, and a slower ad market. Next year’s elections could make all the difference. “After the election it should be fine”.

56

contentasia issue five, october 2018

Japan content Showcase 2018 Finding hidden gemstones in Asia Sunshine City, convention centre, ikebukuro, tokyo Excel Hotel Tokyu, Shibuya, Tokyo Music/ Film / TV / Animation Walk-in registration will be availabel during Oct 22-25 Details available at: https://www.jcs.tokyo/en/ Contact: inquiry@tiffcom.jp

formatswho’swho

ContentAsia’s Formats Leaderboard Fremantle 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

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24.

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31.

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42.

43.

44.

45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

Asia’s Got Talent S3 Boxing Glove Vietnam S1 Cambodian Idol S3 Cambodian Idol S4 Cambodia’s Got Talent S2 Cambodia’s Got Talent S3 Cambodia’s Got Talent S4 Distraction Bengali India Entertainment Tonight Thailand S1 Family Feud Indonesia S19 Family Feud Indonesia S20 Family Feud Mongolia Family Feud Myanmar S5 Family Feud Myanmar S6 Family Feud Myanmar S7 Family Feud Thailand S3 Family Feud Thailand S4 Hear Me Love Me India Hear Me, Love Me, See Me China S1 Heaven Or Hell Cambodia S1 Hole In The Wall Vietnam S2 Hot Streak Indonesia S1 Idol Extra Indonesia S3 Indian Idol S10 Indonesian Idol S9 It Girls China Kid’s Got Talent China S1 La Banda Philippines S2 Man O Man Vietnam S1 Man O Man Vietnam S2 Match Game Indonesia S1 Mongolia’s Got Talent S3 My Mom Cooks Better Than Yours Thailand S1 My Mum Cooks Better Than Yours Vietnam S4 Myanmar Idol S3 Myanmar’s Got Talent S5 Philippines Got Talent S6 Philippines Got Talent S7 Price Is Right Cambodia S1 Price Is Right Indonesia Price Is Right Thailand S4 Price Is Right Thailand S5 Price Is Right Vietnam S13 Sri Lanka’s Got Talent S1 Take Guy Out Thailand S3 Take Me Out Thailand S13 Thailand’s Got Talent S7 Thank God You’re Here!

Cambodia S1 Thank God You’re Here!

Thailand S1 Thank God You’re Here!

Vietnam S3 Thank God You’re Here!

Vietnam S4 X Factor Cambodia S1 X Factor Cambodia S2 X Factor Myanmar S3 X Factor Thailand S2

Endemol Shine 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

1 vs 100 Korea S16 1 vs 100 Korea S17 1 vs 100 Korea S18 Armchair Detectives Thailand S1 The Band Rules Vietnam S2 Big Brother Hindi S12 Big Brother Kannada S5 Big Brother Kannada S6 Big Brother Malayalam S1 Big Brother Marathi S1

11.

12.

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14.

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41.

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Big Brother Philippines S8 Big Brother Tamil India S2 Big Brother Telugu India S2 The Big Music Quiz Vietnam S1 The Bridge Celebrity MasterChef Vietnam S1 The Choice Vietnam S1 Don’t Lose The Money Cambodia S1 The Face All Stars Thailand S1 The Face Men Thailand S2 The Face Vietnam S3 Family Food Fight China Fear Factor India S10 Humans China S1 Hunted China ICON China MasterChef Cambodia S1 MasterChef Cambodia S2 MasterChef Junior Thailand S2 MasterChef Myanmar S1 MasterChef Singapore S1 MasterChef Thailand S2 Million Dollar Minute Vietnam S3 Million Dollar Minute Vietnam S4 Minute To Win It Kannada India S4 Minute To Win It Philippines S4 The Money Drop Myanmar S1 The Money Drop Myanmar S2 The Money Drop Myanmar S3 The Money Drop Thailand S3 Odd One In Vietnam S5 Perfect On Paper Thailand S1 Puzzle Masters China S1 Show Me Your Son Thailand S1 Singer Takes It All Thailand S3 Singer Takes It All Vietnam S1 Star Academy Mongolia S1 The Wall Thailand S1 Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids Philippines S2 Your Face Sounds Familiar Kids Thailand S1 Your Face Sounds Familiar Mongolia S3 Your Face Sounds Familiar Vietnam S6

Talpa 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

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13.

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18.

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22.

23.

5 Gold Rings Thailand 5 Gold Rings Vietnam Dance Dance Dance Thailand Dating in the Dark India Divided Kannada India Divided Tamil India Divided Vietnam Human Knowledge Thailand It Takes 2 Vietnam S2 The Next Boy/Girl Band Indonesia S2 The Next Boy/Girl Band Thailand The Next Boy/Girl Band Vietnam The Voice Cambodia S3 The Voice Kids Cambodia S2 The Voice India The Voice Kids India The Voice Indonesia S3 The Voice Kids Indonesia S3 The Voice Kids Philippines S4 The Voice Thailand S7 The Voice Kids Thailand S6 The Voice Vietnam S5 The Voice Kids Vietnam S6

24. The Voice Mongolia 25. The Voice Myanmar 26. The Wishing Tree Vietnam

CJ ENM 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

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Crazy Market Thailand S1 Crazy Market Vietnam Get It Beauty Malaysia Get It Beauty Singapore Get It Beauty Vietnam Gobbler Race Hong Kong S2 Golden Tambourine Thailand S1 Grandpas Over Flowers Thailand S1 I Can See Your Voice Indonesia S3 I Can See Your Voice Philippines S3 I Can See Your Voice Malaysia S2 I Can See Your Voice Philippines S4 I Can See Your Voice Thailand S2 I Can See Your Voice Thailand S3 Let Me In Thailand S4 Love at First Song Vietnam Memory Japan Oh My Ghost Thailand Shadow Singer Indonesia Show Me The Money Thailand S1 Signal Japan

NBCUniversal 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

Hollywood Game Night Thailand S3 Hollywood Game Night Thailand S4 Hollywood Game Night Vietnam Real Housewives of Bangkok Saturday Night Live China Still Standing Mongolia Still Standing Thailand S5 Still Standing Thailand S6 Still Standing Vietnam S2 Suits Japan Suits Korea Top Chef Indonesia S2 Top Chef Thailand S2 Top Chef Vietnam S2 World Of Dance Philippines World Of Dance Thailand

9 titles each Fuji TV The Confidence Man China, The Confidence Man Korea, First Class China, Ghostwriter China, Hundred Million Stars from the Sky Korea, Iron Chef Indonesia, Matrimonial Chaos Korea, Rich Man, Poor Woman Korea, Second to Last Love China

8 titles each CBS Studios International Asia’s

Next Top Model S6, Cambodia’s Next Top Model S2, The Doctors Malaysia, Hollywood Squares India S1, Hollywood Squares Thailand S1, India’s Next Top Model S1, Mongolia’s Next Top Model S2, Top Model India Keshet Lovers or Liars Vietnam, Manbirth Philippines, Manbirth Vietnam, Master Class Vietnam, Masters of Dance Vietnam, Rising Star India S2, Rising Star Indonesia S3, Who’s on Top? Indonesia

TV Asahi 31 Legged Race China,

31 Legged Race Thailand S13, Beat The Champions Mongolia, The Dinner Table Korea, Noisy Neighbours Thailand, Noisy Neighbours Vietnam S4, Turn Back Vietnam S3

6 titles each All3media Catch Me Out Thailand,

Gogglebox Mongolia S5, The Great Art Robbery China, Hit It Singapore, Sexy Beasts Vietnam, Undercover Boss Japan S3 Armoza The Arbitrator Movie, Honey Badgers India, Hostages India, I Can Do That!

Philippines S2, La Famiglia India, Pull Over Thailand BBC Studios Criminal Justice India, Life On Mars Korea, Luther Korea, Mistress Korea, The Office India, Orphan Black Japan KBS

Descendants of the Sun Vietnam, Full House Malaysia, The Good Doctor Japan, The Return of Superman Thailand, Singing Battle Indonesia, Singing Battle Vietnam Nippon TV Mother Korea, Pharaoh!

China S5, Pharaoh! China S6, Silent Library Mongolia, Silent Library Thailand, Your Home Is My Business China Sony Pictures Television Brainiest Vietnam, Chosen China, Raid the Cage S2, Shark Tank Mongolia S2, Shark Tank Vietnam S1 and S2

5 titles Warner Bros The Bachelor Japan

S2, The Bachelor Vietnam, Cold Case Japan S2, Little Big Shots Indonesia S1, Little Big Shots Philippines S2

4 titles each Red Arrow Studios International Body & Brain Vietnam, My Man Can Cambodia, You Deserve It Vietnam S5, You Deserve It Vietnam S6 Dori Media In Treatment

China S1, It Girls Myanmar, The Best Of All Thailand S1, The Best Of All Thailand S2

2 titles each ITV Studios Global Entertainment Come Dine With Me Mongolia S2, Meet The Parents Vietnam Mediacorp The Awakening China –

New edition, The Little Nyonya China – New edition Viacom Lip Sync Battle Philippines S3, Lip Sync Battle Vietnam S2

& with 1 title each 20th Century Fox Glee Vietnam A+E Networks Man vs Child Korea ABS-CBN Sanay Wala Na Wakas Emtek Syurga Yang Ke 2 Malaysia Fox Networks Group Heartbeat Malaysia Global Agency My Wife

Rules Thailand Lineup Industries Radio Gaga Japan MBC My Coffee Prince Malaysia NHK Document 72 Hours China Passion Distribution Drag Race Thailand SBS My Love From The Star Vietnam

Source: Distributors/rights holders, broadcasters, ContentAsia Notes: data updated as of 19 September 2018. Titles were on air or premiered in 2018, or were commissioned for broadcast in 2018/9 in Asia. Does not include: re-runs, format options, titles/formats which have been around from Q1 2017 without any updates, and shows created by broadcasters/production houses/sponsors for one channel but have not been sold as a format to anyone else. All distributors and formats rights holders were given equal opportunity to participate. For information/feedback, please contact aqilah@contentasia.tv 58

contentasia issue five, october 2018

If it’s asia, it’s atf Atf asia tv forum & market In association with miptv and mipcom Asia’s entertainment content market

Meet us at mipcom booth P-1.C23 www.asiatvforum.com Marina Bay Sands Singapore 4 Dec 2018 ATF Leader’s Summit 5-7 Dec 2018 Market, Conference, Networking Events

MEET US AT MIPCOM BOOTH P-1.C23 www.asiatvforum.com

M A R I N A B AY S A N D S | S I N G A P O R E Held in conjunction with:

An event of:

Produced by:

4 DEC 2018

ATF Leaders’ Summit

Supported by:

5-7 DEC 2018

Market. Conference.

Networking Events Held in:

contentasiasummitpeople

Who was at... The ContentAsia Summit 2018 The annual ContentAsia Summit celebrated its

stuff going on, there’s also lots to be enthu-

10th anniversary this year, with conversations

siastic about, from US$100-million animated

curated around the Silver Linings theme and

features in China and big bold original com-

a long hard look at what’s being done to shift

missions for Asia-based streaming platforms to

the Asia story from one of fear and contrac-

wins against fake news, Asian creators’ com-

tion to adjustment, innovation and growth.

mitment to their own IP, and brand enthusiasm

And, even if there’s still a whole lot of worrying

for television content.

Airin Zainul, Media Prima; Lee Mee Fung, DW; Leena Singarajah, A+E Networks

Pictures by Shawn Ha

Power Pan, APT Satellite; Ngo Thi Bich Hanh, BHD Vietnam

Vitto Lazatin, Cignal TV Philippines; Leena Singarajah, A+E Networks; Avi Himatsinghani, Rewind Networks

Min Lim, Double Vision; Agnes Rosario, Astro; Lim Beng Teck, Vision Plus Entertainment; Loke Kheng Tham, Mediacorp

Pia Laurel, Ruel Bayani, ABS-CBN Philippines

Rob Gilby, Blue Hat Ventures; Julia Song, Youku, Alibaba Digital Media & Entertainment Group

Anurag Dahiya, Singtel; Saugato Banerjee, A+E Networks

Adeline Ong, Viacom; Sandie Lee, Rewind Networks; Leslie Lee, Disney; Mayuko Maeda, Fuji TV; Yoko Narahashi, United Performers Studio; Indra Suharjono

Saeed Izad, NEP Broadcast Solutions; Sabrina Duguet, all3media

Sun Moon, A+E Networks

Gushi Sethi, Fun Union

Richard Woo, Gone Viral TV; Sandie Lee, Rewind Networks; Virginia Lim, Sony Pictures Television Networks; Francis Foo, Juita Viden; Derek Wong, Sony Pictures Television Networks; Annie Lim, Celestial Tiger Entertainment; Karen Lee, Singtel

Hannah Merrington, Audio Network; Karen Yew, Mediacorp Singapore

Louis Boswell, Avia; Keh Li Ling, IMDA; Michele Schofield, One Animation

Christian Audroing, Ericsson; Wilfried Runde, DW

Janet Eng, Disney

Masliana Masron, CJ Yong, Malena Amzah, ContentAsia

60

Frank Zhu, Pearl Studio

contentasia issue five, october 2018

Michael McKay, activeTV

Junko Hino, SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation; Mayuko Maeda, Fuji TV; Peter Tsi, writer/director

Kylie Munnich, Sonar Entertainment; Marianne Lee, Turner

Anne Chan, CJ E&M

Natasha Malhotra, Vuulr; Jessica Kam, HBO Asia

Sophie Lin, Fiona Chia, The Walt Disney Company; Chestine Lan, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific

Sonia Fleck, Bomanbridge Media; Joy Olby-Tan, Mediacorp

Bridgit O’Donovan, Facebook; Janine Stein, ContentAsia

James Moore, Eric Lee, Greg Ho, Turner Asia Pacific

Bryan Seah, Hooq; Kok-Siew Yeo, beIN Asia Pacific; Alexa Ng, A+E Networks Asia

Zafira Shareef, Aisyah Razak, Hooq; Avi Himatsinghani, Haikal Jamari, Rewind Networks

Trina Tan, Primeworks Studios; Airin Zainul, Media Prima Malaysia

Janelle Ong, Netflix; Jesslyn Wong, Jomay Wan, Mediacorp; Raphael Phang, Netflix

Fotini Paraskakis, The Story Lab; Kwan Lay Hoon, Spruce Leong, Mediacorp Singapore

Anchalee Chaichanavijit, PCCW Thailand; Noble Binoy, Viu Singapore; Carol Tham, mm2 Entertainment

Ian McKee, Vuulr

Steven Murphy, Motion Content Group; Parminder Singh, Mediacorp

Jesslyn Wong, Simone Lum, Mediacorp

Annie Chan, Celestial Tiger Entertainment; Joanne Fung, Yoey Ho, PCCW Media

Rashmi Bajpai, Endemol Shine International

61

awardswomen

Asia Media Woman of the Year 2018 Award Dinner “Women’s empowerment starts at home” – CNN International senior vice president and Asia Pacific managing editor, Ellana Lee. Accepting ContentAasia’s Asia Media Woman of the Year Award 2018, Lee said that “of all the years to win this award, the significance of 2018 does not escape me... women have mustered the courage to tell their horrifying stories, and also to find a global community of women and men to come out to support them and start to right some of the wrongs that exist today.” Now in its sixth year, the ContentAsia award recognises the outstanding achievements of female leaders in the media industry in Asia.

Standing: Aparna Kadan, Wenda Wan, Bo Zhang, Eurodata; Ofanny Choi, Celestial Tiger Entertainment; Kit Yow, all3media; Victoria de Kerdrel, TRX Seated: Jeanne Leong, BBC Studios; Trina Tan, Marini Ramlan, Primeworks Studios; Syahrizan Mansor, Viacom

Standing: Jennifer Batty, Hooq; Airin Zainul, Media Prima; Marianne Lee, Turner; Min Lim, Double Vision; Lee Mee Fung, DW; Fotini Paraskakis, The Story Lab Seated: Nicole Sinclair, CBS Studios Int’l; Caroline Clarke, Sky Vision; Kylie Munnich, Sonar Entertainment; Wilfried Runde, DW

Standing: Peter Tsi; Julia Song, Youku; Jessica Kam, HBO Asia; Junko Hino, SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation; Rosanne Lo, Plus Media Networks Asia; Yoko Narahashi, United Performers Studio. Seated: Pia Laurel, Ruel Bayani, ABS-CBN; Mayuko Maeda, Fuji TV; Kazufumi Nagasawa, Hulu Japan

Joon Lee, LYD Networks; Vitto Lazatin, Cignal TV Philippines; Avi Himatsinghani, Rewind Networks; Vivek Couto, Media Partners Asia; Amit Malhotra, Disney

Ellana Lee, senior vice president of CNN International and managing editor of CNN International Asia Pacific, Asia Media Woman of the Year 2018

Standing: Aisha Othman, Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios; Greg Ho, Turner; Jennifer Doig, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia; Janine Stein, ContentAsia Seated: Masnaida Samsudin Storey, Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios; Kristene Turner, Charmaine Huet, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific; Rowena Lee, DW

Standing: Shi Ho, BBC Studios; Evangeline Song, CJ E&M; Patricia Chan, BBC Studios; Jannie Poon, 21st Century Fox; Dexter Ong, Wattpad; Roxanne Barcelona, GMA Philippines. Seated: Lavina Bhojwani, Media Partners Asia; Magdalene Ng, beIN Asia Pacific; Hannah Merrington, Audio Network

Standing: Sandeep Hardasmalani, Zee; Terry Mak, Media Station; Howie Lau, IMDA; Katheryn Lim, HBO Asia; Rashmi Bajpai, Endemol Shine International Seated: Rob Gilby, Blue Hat Ventures; Matthew Frank, TRX; Ofanny Choi, Annie Chan, Celestial Tiger Entertainment

62

contentasia issue five, october 2018

Pictures by Shawn Ha

Standing: Ngo Thi Bich Hanh, BHD Vietnam; Virginia Lim, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia; Leena Singarajah, A+E Networks Asia; Amrita Pandey, Disney; Christine Fellowes, NBCUniversal; Sabrina Duguet, all3media Asia Seated: Anna Pak Burdin, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific; Loke Kheng Tham, Mediacorp Singapore; Ellana Lee, CNN International; Janice Lee, PCCW Media

MPA Media partners Asia Latest research Asia Pacific Online Video & Broadband Distribution Online video has become media’s most active, disruptive and talked-about sector, fueled in Asia by telco investment in fast and affordable broadband networks. This comprehensive report reviews the drivers and dynamics shaping the future of online video and telecoms industries across 14 Asia Pacific markets.

LATEST RESEARCH

To learn more or to get a preview, contact Lavina Bhojwani lavina@media-partners-asia.com

Asia Pacific Online Video & Broadband Distribution 2018 Media-partners-asia.com

Online video has become media’s most active, disruptive and talked-about sector, fueled in Asia by telco investment in fast and affordable broadband networks. This comprehensive report reviews the drivers and dynamics shaping the future of online video and telecoms industries across 14 Asia Pacific markets.

To learn more or to get a preview, contact Lavina Bhojwani lavina@media-partners-asia.com

media-partners-asia.com

White dragon aka strangers He’s a long way From the truth Mipcomstand No P3.C10 @all3media_int all3mediainternational.com Prime-time drama for ITV, UK and Amazon Prime Video, USA

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