Television Asia Plus | November - December 2019

MCI (P) 047/06/2017

PPS 1812/01/2013 (025534)

www.onscreenasia.com

ISSN 0219-6166

Vol. 26 | Issue 06 | November-December 2019

Asia is Now CATCHPLAY Rebrands Netflix Intergrated STB NAGRA - Android TV streaming

editor’snote

PUBLISHING

K.DASS

Get ready for direct-toconsumer revolution

EDITORIAL-IN-CHIEF/PUBLISHER editorial@harvest-info.com (65) 6828 9333

Dear media professional, the Asian Television Forum (ATF) may be the last market on this side of the region but the industry is evolving everyday with new directions to deliver, produce and entertain global audience. If you have been in the streaming business long enough you will agree with me that the industry is entering a pivotal moment in the history with the imminent arrival of major new direct-to-consumer (D2C) services including Apple TV+ and Disney+, the cofounder of a major media and technology research and analytics firm has said.

EDITORIAL

YI AN ANG EDITORIAL ASSISTANT angyian1998@gmail.com (65) 6828 9333

ALISON YEO EDITORIAL ASSISTANT design@harvest-info.com (65) 6828 9333

Disney’s bid to own the customer experience through its own channels shows the power of direct-to-consumer distribution.

K. Dass, Editor-In-Chief Disney CEO Bob Igor recently announced the company will be launching two streaming services: ESPN for sports and Disney for movies. Igor’s reasoning: rather than depend on Netflix for distribution, the entertainment giant wants to control the customer experience for viewers streaming its content. Starting with the slate of new movies for 2019, Disney will end its distribution agreement with Netflix. That means if you want to stream movies like Toy Story 4 or the sequel to Frozen, you’ll have to do it through Disney’s branded channel.

Tim Mulligan, research director and head of video analysis at MIDiA Research, said that the D2C explosion is set to transform the way consumers’ access content in an era where content providers and platforms will compete for niche pockets of fragmented fandom.

With a number of D2C services entering the market over the next six months or more and consumer trends reaching a new post-peak attention epoch, the battle for screen time will increasingly revolve around serving “increasingly” selective consumers with niche interests and tastes.

Fandom is now the difference between the failure and success to cut through in the D2C landscape. According to research, it will come down to market positioning. You have got to have a laser-focused ability to touch the core audience.

The D2C market is set for the potentially dramatic arrival of some new consumer services, notably Apple TV+ and Disney+, both of which launch this year, and NBCUniversal’s Peacock and Warner Media’s HBO Max, which are set to go live in the first half of 2020. But despite the tremendous amount of progress already made, and with such significant new entrances on the way, research has indicated that there are still issues in the financial dynamics of the D2C model which need resolving.

DESIGN/PRODUCTION

SAMANTHA THAM GRAPHIC DESIGNER samanthatkq@gmail.com (65) 6828 9333

Harvest Information has officially acquired Television Asia Plus. All correspondence should be made to K.dass at editorial@harvest-info. com. You may also reach us at +65 6828 9333.

NBCU is not getting left in the dust as competitors like Amazon, AT&T and Disney plan their direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming services. Its service will provide ad-supported content to pay-TV subscribers, including 90 million Comcast-connected homes in the United States and 52 million from Comcast Cable and Sky internationally. NBCU said it will offer original content and more from selected partners, but did not elaborate on who those partners might be.

Streaming is here to stay. It is now mainstream in the developed world. But there’s still a lag in monetisation compared to actual engagement. And now we have organic areas of growth. Netflix is competing against limitations of growth as well as non-core competitors like Fortnite. TVAplus

Here’s wishing all our readers a Merry Christmas & a blessed 2020!

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november-december 2019 television asia plus | 1

Visit us at ATF Stand #P07

contents

5

5

Review

10

People

12

Cover Story: Asia Is Now

16

C-Suite

22

Features

23

Analysis

24

Focus

25

Technology

26

Digital Content

27

Asia Video Summit

28

Review

Winsing to build on internat ional interest in its properties at ATF 2019

12

Asia is Now

CATCHPLAY On Demand Rebrands to “CATCHPLAY+” Promising Boosted Content and Enhanced User Experience for its 4.2 Million Users

35

A+E Networks appoints new SVP and Head of Sales

20

11 21

New Astro Experience

GMA dramas 22 draw strong viewership for Kenya’s KTN TV

25

NAGRA and KAON introduce Android TV streaming solution for payTV operators

ZTE and China Unicorn win Best Network Intelligence Award at Broadband Awards 2019

Talpa commissions hit formats

Regional TV advertising is a smart APAC

For years, Western observers and media have been talking about the rise of Asia in terms of its massive future potential. But the time has come for the rest of the world to update its thinking—because the future arrived even faster than expected. One of the most dramatic developments of the past 30 years has been emerging Asia’s soaring consumption and its integration into global content space, co-production, talent and innovation.

26

7

37

24 Irdeto and Amlogic l a u n c h Net flixintegrated Hailstorm Hybrid Settop Box Platform

EY survey reveals video gaming industry at tipping point as new competitive pressures intensify battle for market share

HOOQ boosts content offerings with Asian eSports, Tech Innovations and Inspiring Startup Stories from TechStorm in its First-in-Asia Partnership

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23

40 D

o c u B a y signs multiple acquisition deals at MIPCOM

review

Cottonwood Media appoints licensing agent for Find Me In Paris PARIS, FRANCE — Premium European Kids content producer Cottonwood Media, (a Federation Kids & Family company), announced a new partnership with L.A. based Beacon Rock Growth for the hit tween drama series Find Me In Paris.

In coordination with Cottonwood Media, Beacon Rock Growth will serve as licensing agent responsible for the development of Find Me In Paris branded licensed products and merchandise throughout the U.S. and Canada, effective immediately.

The deal was brokered by Ana Micoud, who leads Cottonwood’s licensing business through her company The Wizards.

Currently airing on Hulu (US) and CBC (Canada), Find Me In Paris has already sold into a staggering 130 countries and currently broadcasts in over 80 territories worldwide!

The roll-out of licensing activities in the U.S. and Canada will be managed by Johanna Mooney, Founder of Beacon Rock Growth. A thought leader with an impressive track record that spans 20 years, Johanna previously held leadership positions at The Walt Disney Company forging multiple global partnerships for various high-profile properties.

With Season 3 already well underway, FIND ME IN PARIS (78 x 26’) is a premium hit tween series that combines world-class ballet, modern dance, drama and comedy. It follows the story of Lena Grisky, a time-travelling ballet dancer from 1905 Russia trapped in modern day Paris, and the many dilemmas she faces finding her place between two worlds.

Find Me In Paris is produced by David Michel, Zoé Carrera Allaix, and Cecile Lauritano (Cottonwood Media) and co-produced with ZDF, ZDF Enterprises, Be-Films and the Opera National de Paris. Written, and co-executive produced by Jill Girling and Lori Mather-Welch (creators of Nickelodeon’s hit series Ride), with Leila Smith as Executive Producer, Find Me In Paris is directed by Matt Bloom (Emmy Award-Winning Hank Zipzer, and Disney’s The Lodge), along with heavyweight Irish directing team Ronan and Robert Burke (TV3’s hit show Ed Rock, Netflix’s Free Rein, animated series Roy and Damo & Ivor: The Movie).

Find Me In Paris is distributed worldwide by Federation Kids & Family (excluding Germany, GST and Scandinavia which is handled

by ZDF Enterprises). Various seasons of the 12-million-euro timetraveling ballet series have already been snapped up by a plethora of international broadcasters such as France Télévisions and Disney (France and Italy), NBC Universal and Hulu (USA), ABC (Australia), VRT (Belgium), RAI (Italy), Quebecor (French speaking Canada) , HBO (Portugal), Hot TV (Israel), and SVOD service Showmax (South Africa), to name a few. TVAplus

Winsing to build on international interest in its properties at ATF 2019 New shows include MIPJunior Project Pitch finalist GOGO BUS & TEAM STEAM Winsing, a Top Three Chinese animation company for over 15 years, will be promoting a wide range of properties to potential broadcast partners across Asia during this year’s Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) in Singapore at Booth No. C10– in particular, its established hit GG Bond, as well as two exciting new properties now under development: GOGO BUS & TEAM STEAM and Crazy Candies Season 6.

ATF, the leading entertainment content event in Asia for professionals to converge, connect, and collaborate, takes place at the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore from 4-6 December.

Recent deals in India and Malaysia have underlined the overseas potential of GG Bond, which is also available in English-speaking markets under the name Kung Fu Pork Choppers. Winsing will be bringing two series to ATF: GG Bond: Dinosaur Diary and GG Bond: Racing, as well as the hit film GG Bond: Loli Pop in Fantasy.

GG Bond is a thrilling and funny show for 4-to-8-year-olds in which the hero, a superpowered piglet, fights numerous threats to his world with the help of his friends, not to mention courage, enthusiasm, humour, hope, and a strong sense of justice. GG Bond has already inspired 14 hit series viewed by millions of children, as well as five feature films, not to mention an enormously popular and award-winning live show, dedicated theme park areas, and a massive licensing campaign. A 15th series launched in late October and a 16th series is on the way.

Crazy Candies season 6 tells the story of Marshyo, a wannabe top chef, and his assistant, Jackey. They run a food cart, but Marshyo dreams of one day running a five-star restaurant. In the meantime, he can at least show he’s got what it takes by meeting every order in Dream Garden’s Food Square. But sometimes the customers don’t make it easy and Mr. Seed loves to give Marshyo and Jackey a hard time. But Marshyo and Jackey always find a way to fulfill Mr. Seed’s picky orders and he even offers the occasional compliment. Co-produced with cooperation from companies in both Malaysia and Brunei, Crazy Candies season 6 will arrive soon.

A new approach to edutainment, combining social and emotional learning (SEL) and a lovable supporting cast with an exciting central character, GOGO BUS has already been a big hit in its domestic market, and enjoyed a strong performance at retail. GOGO BUS will be represented at ATF by two series: the SEL Series of GOGO BUS and GOGO BUS & TEAM STEAM. GOGO BUS & TEAM STEAM (104 x 15’) continues the story of Gordon, the world’s first artificial intelligence school bus who can transform into different vehicles, and introduces the daring rescues and exciting adventures of Team Steam. GOGO BUS & TEAM STEAM was part of a final shortlist of five selected to appear at the MIPJunior Project Pitch. GOGO BUS & TEAM STEAM’s appearance on the platform, which highlights new kids’ TV projects with the greatest potential for commissioning and multiplatform extension, was a major boost for this exciting new series.

Winsing has specialized in 3D animation production and distribution for 15 years and is firmly established as a major animation player in China. The company has now set its sights on boosting its ongoing expansion into international markets. After a strong response to its properties at MIPCOM, Winsing is looking to build on this interest at ATF, an unmissable content event that last year attracted more than 5,600 delegates from 58 countries and regions across the globe. TVAplus

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review

Synamedia launches new video network solutions LONDON — Synamedia, the world’s largest independent video software provider, will unveil a torrent of new additions to its video network (formerly video processing) portfolio designed to ratchet up the quality and cost effectiveness of live streaming. New solutions will also help customers make more intelligent use of virtualization and cloud, as well as smooth service providers’ infrastructure transformation journey to IP. As the industry moves closer to achieving synchonized latency between live broadcast and OTT streams at scale, Synamedia will show a real-world use case with a latency from content ingest to display on the OTT device of just 6 seconds, which is equivalent to broadcast latency. This is made possible by incorporating Common Media Application Format (CMAF) to reduce workflow complexity and enable bandwidth-efficient, highly scalable delivery across the whole technology infrastructure to ABR-aware client devices including a low-latency DASH device. Synamedia will also unveil plans to support Apple’s Low Latency HLS protocol.

Also on display will be a demo of Synamedia’s virtualized Digital Content Manager (DCM) with Smart Rate Control showing how automation using machine learning can optimize quality levels across the entire footprint to deliver a premium live OTT viewing experience cost effectively.

Flexing its R&D credentials, Synamedia will use IBC to preview content-aware encoding, fuelled by AI and machine learning techniques. The demo will show a new content-aware encoding algorithm that incorporates information such as program recurrence, program similarity and genre taken from sources such as program guides and the IMDb database. Using pattern matching techniques, operators will be able to predict the required quality/bitrate per program (or event) to optimize the encoding. Applying machine learning techniques will hone the encoding algorithms to further minimize the number of bits used, while maintaining premium video quality.

Operational workflow efficiencies will also be in the spotlight at IBC, with the launch of the PowerVu Insights module for video operations teams in the distribution segment. It incorporates a set of monitoring, analytics and remote troubleshooting tools for IP-connected receivers to help customers monitor the video distribution chain and drive greater efficiencies. TVAplus

Brassic sold to five new territories

Sky’s biggest original comedy launch in seven years, Brassic, has been sold to five new territories in the lead up to MIPCOM2019 by ITV Studios Global Entertainment.

Created by Joe Gilgun (Misfits, Preacher) and BAFTA and International Emmy-winning writer Danny Brocklehurst (Shameless, Safe), and produced by Calamity Films (Judy, Pride), Brassic has been the subject of critical acclaim (see notes to editors) and universal adoration in the UK, having received its second season commission before the first had even premiered.

The first episode of series one launched with a 7-day cumulative audience of 1.65 million, making it Sky’s biggest original comedy series launch since 2012.

Brassic will air on CBC in Canada, ABC in Australia, Rialto in New Zealand, Canal+ in France and Comunidad Film in Spain, with several more major territories sales likely to close in the coming months.

TVAplus

6 | television asia plus november-december 2019

Danish podcast Equinox 1985 becomes Netflix original series AMSTERDAM — Netflix announces the new Danish Netflix Original series, Equinox – based on the wellknown podcast, Equinox 1985. The six part series will be created by Tea Lindeburg and executive produced

by Piv Bernth (The Killing, The Bridge and Follow The Money ) and her company Apple Tree Productions, which is backed by ITV Studios.

Production is expected to start later this year.

Equinox is a character-driven supernatural thriller about a young woman named Anna, who is affected by the unexplainable disappearance of a school class in 1999. The series Piv-Bernth is set in Denmark and swipes back and forth between 1999, where it all started, and the present time.

Anna is only 10 years old in the year 1999 when a class of graduating students inexplicably disappears without a trace. Anna, who was close to one of the missing students becomes traumatized and plagued by horrific visions after the disappearance. In 2020 Anna is peacefully living with her family when all of a sudden the nightmares come back and start haunting her. When the one survivor from 1999 mysteriously dies, Anna is determined to find out what happened to the class, only to discover a dark and unsettling truth that involves her in ways she never imagined.

The series originates from the acclaimed podcast Equinox 1985, that locally topped the iTunes podcast chart with its modern take on audio and will be produced by Apple Tree Productions for Netflix by executive producer and CEO Piv Bernth. TVAplus

Sony expands its IP-based remote integration solutions LONDON — Sony has unveiled its latest line-up of IP Live production solutions, including two new IP extension adapters - one for cameras and another for camera control units (CCU). Sony has also introduced two new remote-control panels for Live Element Orchestra, as well as a SMPTE ST 2110 interface board for its PWS-5400 4K/HD live production server.

In June 2019, Sony entered into a strategic partnership with Nevion AS, a leading provider of virtualised media production solutions and the two companies will be on hand to showcase the next level of IP-based production environments.

This new partnership and line-up allow Sony to continue to help customers realise the unique benefits of IP for remote production and effective resource sharing. Working with broadcasters from across the world Sony has created advanced IP Live Production solutions and delivered more than 60 IP live studios and OB trucks to date. These include Euro Media Group, NEP Australia and SIC Portugal. TVAplus

review

Banijay Rights signs deal Talpa commissions with Proper Content hit formats Banijay Rights, the leading distribution arm of Banijay Group, has signed a multi-year, first look development deal with UK factual specialist Proper Content to develop and produce series for the UK and international markets.

The first three titles to spring from this brand new agreement are Suicidal: In Our Own Words (1 x 90’) and How You Can Help Stop Suicide (1 x 30’) both for Channel 5 and airing on 10th September; with new series The School That Tried To End Racism [WT] (2 x 60’) for Channel 4. Proper Content also has a number of other exciting new projects in the pipeline with the BBC. Led by Creative Director, David DeHaney, Proper Content is a UK independent production company launched in 2016 specialising in distinctive and talked-about factual entertainment and documentary programming.

David launched Proper Content in October 2016, before that he held senior positions in some of the UK’s leading production companies including Love Productions, BBC, Nutopia, RDF, Darlow Smithson, Victory Television, Granada Television and Maverick. He has been an integral part of numerous domestic and international hits including Tough Young Teachers (BBC), The Woman Who Woke Up Chinese (BBC), Britain’s Gay Footballers (BBC), The Baby Borrowers (BBC) and Young, Autistic and Stagestruck (Channel 4) to name a few.

The deal was brokered off the back of both parties meeting during the Indielab Accelerator earlier this year. IndieLab is the leading growth programme in the UK TV sector, helping independent production companies to scale-up and super-charge their growth. Banijay Rights is a major sponsor of the programme.

Suicidal: In Our Own Words (1 x 90’ for C5) This feature-length documentary explores the crisis in male mental health through the eyes, emotions and experiences of six suicidal men. For the first time, a programme follows men during a suicidal episode; the men’s journeys begin at the moment they want to try and die, and the film documents the complex, and challenging road to recovery as they are supported by a remarkable NHS team.

How You Can Help Stop Suicide? (1 x 30’) This one-off film offers support and advice to anyone struggling with their mental health or concerned about a loved one’s state of mind. The film features expert voices from the charity sector as well as the NHS, each of them with extensive experience in the area of suicide. The film provides practical and accessible advice to anyone struggling, suggesting coping strategies as well as signposting individuals to relevant organisations. The film also hears briefly from men that have come out the other side of a suicidal crisis, as well as a young woman who faced the loss of her father.

The School That Tried To End Racism (W/T) (2 x 60’ for C4) This bold and engaging new series will explore a ground-breaking school’s programme that tests for unconscious racial bias in an ordinary class of 11 to 12-year-old pupils. The School That Tried To End Racism (w/t) (2x60’) is based on a pioneering American scheme and will be led by leading Multicultural Education academics and scientists where pupils will take part in games, exercises and activities, both in and out of the classroom, that will challenge everything they thought they knew about race. TVAplus

Talpa announced two new commissions for its hit formats, Divided and The Story of My Life to Alpha TV in Greece. With the addition of these two blockbusters, Talpa is looking forward to being able to contribute to Alpha TV’s ongoing success. Both titles have already traveled widely across the globe, with Greece being the 22nd country to acquire the fast-paced game show Divided. The Story of My Life is currently commissioned by 11 countries. This heartwarming talk show with a twist shows celebrity couples a sneak preview of how they’ll look at two different stages of their future.

Divided is the general knowledge game show with a tantalizing twist. Three total strangers must work together to build up a collective amount of cash.

At the end of the game, the money is split into three unequal shares. Are the contestants able to reach agreement as to who gets what, before all the money disappears? Find out on this fast-paced game show.

In The Story of My Life celebrity couples get a sneak preview of how they’ll look in 25 years... in 50 years... and maybe even older than that! How will they react to seeing their loved one age? And what do they think when they see the ‘old’ version of themselves in the mirror? Paired with some risky, deep, and emotional questions, the transformation of a lifetime is sure to touch hearts like never before. TVAplus

Globecast announces GlobecastMCN

Paris — Globecast, the global solutions provider for media, announced the launch of Globecast Managed Cloud Network (GlobecastMCN), responding to pressures across the sports broadcasting market for more content more of the time, to affiliates and viewers.

Taking a tennis tournament as the example, Globecast MCN allows multiple additional feeds to be fed into the cloud at the nearest POP, transported across the world in the cloud and then received at an affiliate’s nearest POP. This allows the affiliate to air the content – following matches they choose - without the additional cost of more fibre-delivered feeds and the risk of purely public internet. As competitions move from location to location, this also provides a very simple way to deliver content without the need for onsite installation, with the processing and management complexity handled in the cloud. We can also take care of last-mile connectivity too. TVAplus

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review

First two LLNW named a leader in teams IDC Marketscape report invited to ONE Dota 2 Singapore World Pro Invitational announced SINGAPORE — Limelight Networks, Inc. (LLNW) has been named a leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Commercial CDN 2019 Vendor Assessment (#US44842119). The report provides a comprehensive view of top global commercial content delivery network (CDN) providers comparing their capabilities to offer CDN services, innovate and strategies for growth.

SINGAPORE — A subsidiary of the largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship(ONE), ONE Esports’ is delighted to announce that Chinese powerhouse PSG.LGD and Major winners Team Secret will be the first two invited teams at the ONE Dota 2 Singapore World Pro Invitational.

Captained by veteran player Clement “Puppey” Ivanov, Team Secret has been a dominant squad since its inception in 2014. They finished first place at the last 2018-19 Dota Pro Circuit season, scoring two Major wins. This strong performance saw them through to the Main Event at The International 2019, where they placed fourth.

Veteran Chinese team PSG.LGD is one of the strongest Dota 2 teams in China, having placed sixth in the last DPC season. With TI9 hosted in their home country, PSG.LGD showed up big time by topping the Group Stage as well as delivering a strong Upper Bracket run, before ending their campaign in third place.

Both squads will join 10 yet-to-berevealed teams at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from 20-22 December to compete for a share of the US$500,000 prize pool.

Organized together with PGL, the ONE Dota 2 Singapore World Pro Invitational is the first event in ONE Esports Dota 2 World Pro Invitational series, with the second ONE Dota 2 Jakarta World Pro Invitational taking place on 17-19 April next year at the Indonesia Convention Exhibition (ICE BSD).

Tournament information and ticketing details will be unveiled at a later date.

TVAplus

In the MarketScape analysis, IDC cited Limelight’s high-quality/ price ratio as a key strength, and the continuous capacity expansion of Limelight’s dense and private network for content delivery and edge services. Limelight was recognized for its investment in low latency video streaming delivery formats including WebRTC, HLS and CMAF, integrated DRM packaging and integrated video platform.

The report also highlighted Limelight’s exclusive partnership with Ericsson’s Edge Gravity and extensive access to more than 1,000+ ISP networks. TVAplus

Qligent CTO to Explore Cloud-based Data Analytics as IBC2019 Content Everywhere Panelist MELBOURNE, FLORIDA — Qilgent, a specialist in cloud-based, enterprise-level content monitoring and analysis, announces that its Chief Technology Officer, Ted Korte, will be a featured IBC2019 Content Everywhere panelist. Korte will contribute his expertise to Running Content Everywhere Businesses from the Cloud on Saturday, September 14, 2019 from 3:30-4:15pm (15:3016:15). The session is scheduled at the Content Everywhere Hub Theater

Ted Korte

in Hall 14 of the RAI Amsterdam Exhibition and ConferenceCenter.

Korte will speak alongside other panelists, including Laszlo Zoltan, VP of DVEO and Andreas Jacobi, CEO and Co-Founder of Make.TV, with IABM CTO Stan Moote serving as the panel’s moderator. The synopsis shared on the IBC website teases that the “three experts will share their practical experiences” of using the cloud across the entire broadcast and production ecosystem, and how big data can both streamline media operations and open up new business models.

Korte has become an in-demand speaker on the topic of analytics, having presented at the 2017, 2018 and 2019 NAB Shows, the 2018 IEEE Broadcast Symposium, and the TecnoTelevisión México Conference last month. Korte brings further validity as a speaker through his development work with Qligent’s Vision Analytics platform. On demonstration at Qligent’s Hall 14 Stand (14.C19), Vision Analytics harnesses advanced technologies (AI, machine learning, virtual IoT-based probes, data mining) to analyze massive datasets that detail the quality of service and experience, as well as measure, manage and monetize viewer engagement. This helps users prevent viewer churn by predicting and detecting problems out to the last mile, including penetration into end user devices. TVAplus

8 | television asia plus november-december 2019

BBC Studios renews distribution deal with MEASAT in partnership with Globecast Netherlands KUALA LUMPUR — MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd., (MEASAT), in partnership with Globecast, has announced that BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC, has renewed its agreement to distribute its BBC channels across Asia via the MEASAT-3 satellite.

The channels include BBC Earth HD, which inspires audiences by sharing the incredible wonders of the universe; CBeebies HD, which provides preschool age programming to encourage learning through play; and BBC Lifestyle Asia, which provides a wealth of inspiration for home, family and life.

Globecast provides MEASAT satellite capacity, ground and uplink services to BBC Studios, carrying these channels to viewers across the Asian market.

MEASAT-3 is collocated with the MEASAT-3a and MEASAT3b satellites at Asia’s prime video hot slot of 91.5°E. The three satellites form the region’s strongest video neighbourhood, providing UHD, HD and SD channels across Asia, Australia, East Africa and Eastern Europe. The MEASAT fleet will be further strengthened with the addition of MEASAT-3d in 2021. TVAplus

KIDS 3-5 52 x 11’

KIDS 2-5 78 X 11’

KIDS 2-5 50 x 22’

Visit us at ATF - Booth J13 Contact distribution@9story.com Artwork © 2019 9 Story Media Group. Owned or licensed by 9 Story Media Group.

All rights reserved by respective owners.

people Irdeto appoints new Head of Sales, North & South East Asia AMSTERDAM – Irdeto announced that Dario Choi has been appointed to the role of Head of Sales, North & South East Asia.

Mr. Choi joins Irdeto from Huawei, where he was Vice President of Digital Services, Cloud & Data Center and responsible for assisting its global customer base with their digital transformation strategies. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving sales growth in the region.

Prior to his role at Huawei,

BBC Studios appoints Executive Vice President, APAC

Dario Choi

he held senior management positions at Asianet, Harmonic, Avid, Harris Broadcast and Ericsson.

With extensive experience in the technology and media and entertainment sectors, Mr. Choi will strengthen and expand Irdeto’s substantial customer base across this market. TVAplus

Cohesity appoints Sheena Chin as Managing Director of Sales, ASEAN Former Veritas and Symantec Executive Brings Deep Experience in Data Management and Data Protection to ASEAN Market.

Sheena Chin

SINGAPORE – Cohesity announced the appointment of Sheena Chin as the managing director of sales for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to continue the company’s

rapid growth in the region. Chin will be responsible for driving go-to-market strategy and execution for the ASEAN region, working with channel partners, systems engineering, operations, and marketing teams.

Chin brings years of data management expertise to Cohesity. She joins Cohesity from Veritas, where she served as the Singapore country director, building a strong presence in the region and significantly impacting revenues during her tenure with consistent year on year growth. Previously, Chin worked as an enterprise sales director for Symantec, growing the company’s cybersecurity and information management software business in Southeast Asia.

With more than 20 years in enterprise technology sales, Chin has extensive experience in developing deep customer engagements with large global customers and securing strategic wins in hyper-competitive markets.

Throughout her career, she has helped organizations address the challenges of exponential data growth by leveraging cloud scalability, achieving infrastructure and application resiliency, and adapting to the latest data protection and compliance requirements.TVAplus

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BBC Studios has brought its Asia and Australia & New Zealand regions together to create a newly formed Asia-Pacific (APAC) regional business comprising its international sales and distribution business, under the leadership of Jon Penn, formerly Managing Director, Australia & New Zealand, BBC Studios.

sales, branded services and ancillaries, came together as a single global distribution group from 1 September under Paul Dempsey. In his expanded role, Penn will continue to report to Dempsey.

The move follows the departure of Myleeta Aga, Acting EVP, Asia, and comes after all BBC Studios’ international sales and distribution business, encompassing content

Prior to his successful tenure as Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Jon was, for four years, CEO Asia-Pacific for Fremantle’s International distribution division. TVAplus

John Penn

New Network Head appointed for Cartoon Network and POGO in South Asia MUMBAI, INDIA – Abhishek Dutta has been named Senior Director and Network Head – Kids, overseeing Cartoon Network and POGO in South Asia.

Based in Mumbai, his responsibilities include programming, channel operations, acquisitions and promotions, as well as the content direction for the two brands.

Abhishek will also be working closely with and under the direction of Leslie Lee, VP of Kids Content, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks APAC. Abhishek has more than two decades of experience and expertise in the media and entertainment industry.

He has been a part of four successful TV channel launches as well as a digital platform focusing on kids in India. Besides his creative and programming skills, his technical skills include sound recording, voicing, music mixing and editing.

His career includes stints at ALT Balaji, Discovery Networks India and, most

Abhishek Dutta

recently, was Senior Kids Programming Director at Viacom18, a company he joined in 2016. His various roles have included programming, channel operations and management, content development and acquisitions, and animation development.

Abhishek is a sports enthusiast and has won multiple honours for volleyball and handball. He has also been involved in the National Cadets Corps and has represented his platoon as the commander in India’s Republic Day parade. TVAplus

people Cobalt Digital promotes Ciro Noronha to Executive Vice President of Engineering

Ciro Noronha

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Cobalt Digital announced the appointment of Ciro Noronha, Ph.D., as executive vice president of engineering. Noronha joined the Cobalt team in 2016 when iMediaTV was acquired. He will work closely with Ryan Wallenberg, vice president of engineering, and Kyle Wilken, vice president of firmware, managing the

engineering team and providing valuable resources for Cobalt Digital as the company continues to offer the highest quality, latest technological solutions to meet the needs of the broadcast industry.

Noronha was responsible for the development of ARQ technology, which was instrumental in enabling a costeffective means of live, low latency contribution and distribution of broadcast content over the internet. As a result, Cobalt was one of the companies selected to receive the Emmy® Award for “Pioneering Reliable Transmission Method for Live Contribution and TV Links.”

“Dr. Noronha has extensive engineering knowledge and management experience that will assist in guiding Cobalt to an increased successful future,” added Gene Zimmerman, president and CEO of Cobalt Digital. “We are pleased to have him on board to strengthen our engineering management team.” TVAplus

A+E Networks appoints new SVP and Head of Sales LONDON – A+E Networks International Division has promoted Glen Hansen to Senior Vice President of Content Sales in the Asia-Pacific region, and Ellen Lovejoy to Senior Vice President and Head of Sales in the Americas and Formats. Both report to Managing Director, Content Sales & Co-productions Richard Tulk-Hart.

Hansen’s new role will expand upon his duties as Vice President of Content Sales in the Asia-Pacific markets to include Territory Manager across Australia & New Zealand. Since joining A+E Networks in 2014, Hansen has overseen international content sales across Asia-Pacific, developing and implementing sales strategies for A+E’s programming catalogue in the developing region.

Hansen came to A+E Networks International from Zodiak Rights, where he was Senior VP of Sales and Acquisitions for the North American market. Prior to Zodiak Hansen worked as Head of Sales for Finished Programming and Formats at Fox Look, and Senior VP of Sales and Acquisitions at Target Entertainment and Granada International (now ITV).

In her new role, Lovejoy will expand her leadership responsibilities in the region as well as continue to grow A+E Networks’ format business around the world. Lovejoy joined A+E Networks in 2011

GatesAir appoints new Regional Sales Manager SINGAPORE – GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-the-air content delivery solutions for TV and radio, continues to strengthen its global presence with the appointment of Graham Lay as Regional Sales Manager, MEA (Middle East and Africa), effective immediately.

Based in Dubai, Lay reports to Andy McClelland, Managing Director, EMEA, with a focus on building GatesAir’s market share and brand visibility in the Middle East and eastern Africa.

Lay comes to GatesAir with more than a decade of sales and account management experience in the broadcast and communications industry. He spent most of this time with electrical cable distribution company IEWC, where he consistently took on roles of increasing responsibility.

Lay was instrumental in the launch and growth of IEWC’s broadcast and communications business in Europe. He relocated to Dubai in 2015, taking on the role of Business Unit Leader, MEA for Argosy Cable, part of the IEWC group of companies.

Lay’s years of in-region experience with IEWC and Argosy well-positions him for success with GatesAir. He has established strong business contacts with broadcasters and systems

Graham Lay

integrators throughout the region, possessing a customer-friendly mix of relationship skills and technical knowledge.

Lay is already building a foundation for new business, and is especially bullish on digital transition opportunities. He notes that GatesAir is an established brand in his region, with a ripe-for-growth transmission presence in most countries.

Lay expects to fortify GatesAir’s regional service and support presence through expansion of its channel partner network, in addition to working directly with customers to solve problems, reduce operational costs, and create new opportunities.

This includes helping broadcasters transition from legacy TDM networks to intelligent IP transport architectures, leveraging GatesAir’s quickly-growing Intraplex product line.

TVAplus

when she was brought on as Senior Director, International Content Sales overseeing sales into Australia, NZ and Canada. She was promoted to Vice President in 2013 expanding her remit to launch a global format sales business, and again to Vice President, Head of Sales, Americas and Formats, in 2017 taking responsibility for the Americas region and expansion of A+E’s off-net US strategy.

Originally based in London as Head of Sales for Beyond Distribution, Lovejoy moved to New York to set up their U.S. sales office in 2002.

She then moved to Target Entertainment Ltd, where she served as SVP Sales & Programming in 2003, overseeing the Americas. TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 11

cover story

Asia Is Now For years, Western observers and media have been talking about the rise of Asia in terms of its massive future potential. But the time has come for the rest of the world to update its thinking—because the future arrived even faster than expected. One of the most dramatic developments of the past 30 years has been emerging Asia’s soaring consumption and its integration into global content space, co-production, talent and innovation.

In the decades ahead, Asia’s media industry will go from participating in these flows to determining their shape. Indeed, in many areas— from conceptualisation, direction, scripting to completed shows— they already are. The question is no longer how quickly Asia will rise; it is how Asia will lead. K. Dass reports.

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cover story the period 2018 to 2023) and China adding S$115bn (7.7% CAGR).

In Singapore, the growth forecast for the E&M industry will remain at a healthy 3.7%, in line with other mature markets such as Hong Kong (2.3%), New Zealand (3.3%) and Japan (2.1%). Regional neighbours such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also growing in line with more developed consumer markets, at 9.4%, 7.1%, and 6.1% respectively.

A

s media gets increasingly digital, it’s also getting more personal.

We’re moving towards a new type of space – one in which we are curating our own universe of media choices and experiences, across different platforms and various devices.

We’re seeing consumers create and select what they want to watch or listen to via OTT services – bringing more tailored content in their lives with the use of technology.

In Singapore, this trend holds true. As a case in point, over-the-top (OTT) video is expected to exceed spend in cinema by 2020, and traditional home TV and home video by 2021. While getting personal, consumers also expects OTT video to be almost 50% greater than traditional TV and home video by 2023. We’re seeing people move from more passive to active, on-demand media consumption.

What are the reasons for these changes?

For one, consumers prefer to construct their own ad hoc bundles, buying complementary streaming offerings to cover the full gamut of their tastes and

interests. We’re also seeing more active individualised consumption through the rise of technologies such as the smart home – China, for one, will overtake the US to be the largest market for smart speakers in 2021, and is projected to house 156 million devices by 2023.

“The central theme in this growing world of media is that it’s personal and increasingly digital. It’s one that is constructed by the individual for his or her own enjoyment and gratification, delivered through personal devices. Companies are, in turn, tailoring their offerings to reach not at audiences of billions, but at billions of individuals,” said Oliver Wilkinson Partner and Entertainment and Media Leader, PwC Singapore.

growth in spending on mobile Internet. It will hasten the trend towards personalisation – making it easier, more convenient and cheaper to access E&M on phones and other mobile devices,” said Mark Jansen Partner and Technology, Media and Telecommunications Leader, PwC Singapore.

The Asia-Pacific region will be seeing growth – both digitally, and for the E&M industry as a whole – over the next five years. Within that period, China’s absolute growth will exceed that of the US for the first time, with the US adding S$97bn (a 2.5% CAGR over

According to Oliver Wilkinson, “It’s become cliché to speak of how heterogeneous are the countries of Asia. There are indeed stark differences in the E&M industry across our region, with rapid-growth in Indonesia and mature Singapore. The common denominator across all these markets, however, is the onward march of digital revenue, which is increasingly becoming more important.”

As a case in point, Singapore consumers are forecast to spend twice as much on digital E&M by the year 2023 (up from S$1.05bn in 2018 to reach S$1.9bn five years

The way we consume media will be fuelled by the rise of 5G, which will establish new means in which media and content are streamed and flowed through to individual users – all leading to a more active, personalised way of media consumption.

“5G’s impact will be felt along the entire TMT value chain over the next decade, fuelling

Mark Jansen, Partner and Technology, Media and Telecommunications Leader, PwC Singapore

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 13

cover story so by managing their media consumption via smartphones and an expanding range of devices, by curating their personal selection of channels via OTT services, and by bringing more digital content into their lives with the use of technology such as smart cars and connected cars.

later). Digital consumer and advertising revenue is also expected to grow at a rate of 11.7% over the next five years reaching S$2.9bn, whereas non-digital is set to decline at a rate of 1.8%.

On local shores, traditional E&M players including publishers, broadcasters and telcos have been moving towards providing more digital services to engage the consumers where they are at.

The ease of engaging online is also boosting the presence of native online platforms with more and more publishers going on social media to capture audiences.

What this means for E&M players?

Knowing your customer and their preferences is as important as offering the right content. Companies that succeed are the ones that understand consumers as

complex individuals who want to consume media on their own terms.

Consumers today not only have their own personal E&M media consumption profile that is tailored to their own individual needs – they’re also discerning and powerful, meaning that more organisations need to invest further in customer experience. Measuring return on experience (ROX) will help companies understand the earnings on investments that are directly related to how people interact with their brand.

Media gets personal We’re in a world where we’re seeing the convergence of the consumer and the individual experience. Consumers are increasingly mobile, and are empowered to decide how they want to control and experience media. They do

As users are looking for a more personalised experience, we’ve seen OTT video on the rise in Singapore, with revenue expected to grow at a rate of 17.6% (from S$272mn in 2018 to S$611mn in 2023) at the expense of traditional TV and home video which is declining at a rate of 4.9% (from S$513mn in 2018 to

S$399mn in 2023).

Not only will OTT consumer spending surpass traditional TV and home video in Singapore for the first time in 2021, it is expected to be over 50% greater than traditional TV and home video by 2023.

In this personalised world, companies need to be able to reach individuals at the point of consumption, while being able to anticipate their customers’ needs with the help of AI-enabled, algorithm-driven playlists and recommendations.

Online streaming battle for audiences

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Acclaimed director David Michod’s epic The King was one of four major Netflix productions screened at Asia’s largest film festival this week, underlining how streaming services are increasingly challenging Hollywood and traditional media for the attention of artists -- and viewers.

Asia is seen as an important part of the global streaming industry’s growth plan. In conjunction with the main event, Busan International Film Festival also hosted its first Asia Contents Awards reflecting how the market is rapidly changing.

“They gave us the resources and the freedom to make

this properly,” Michod said of working with Netflix. “I like that I don’t feel I am sacrificing myself at the altar of the box office,” he added.

The over-the-top (OTT) platforms or video-on-demand (VOD) -- online services that viewers can access directly such as Amazon Prime, YouTube, Hulu and Apple TV -- are booming.

Hollywood stars including Julia Roberts, Rooney Mara, Brad Pitt and Will Smith, have embraced streaming as audiences grow. “If people want to can go see (films) on the big screen they can, but my TV at home is amazing,” Michod explained.

cover story

Disney and Apple are set to launch their platforms across the Asia Pacific this year, capitalising on growing mobile usage and rapidly improving access to faster speed internet.

Vivek Couto, executive director at research group Media Partners Asia, believes the region is “crucial” to the plans of global streaming platforms as there are “massive prospects to go after”.

Content boom Online video revenue -predominantly from film and TV subscriptions as well as advertising -- in the region will increase by 24 % in 2019, making it worth US$27 billion (S$37 billion) annually, according to a report by Couto’s firm. That figure is predicted to hit US$50 billion by 2024.

China accounts for around 59 % of revenue for the region in 2019, according to the report -- but its strict regulations make access difficult for outside players with local platforms iQIYI, Tencent Video and Youku dominating.

Google-owned YouTube earns the largest share of revenues in Asia, but Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney’s Indian

platform Hotstar have all experienced significant growth in the past few years.

Sylvia Chang -- but global in ambition.

the company’s chief content officer.

“VOD platforms widen the distribution and amplify the presence of these Asian films to global audiences,” the film’s producers said in a statement to AFP. Netflix is rolling out 17 Asian productions, with the platform’s first series from Thailand expected to debut by the end of the year.

Singapore-based documentary streaming service iwonder recently expanded into eight new Southeast Asian markets.

“As we expand our offerings, a key focus will be finding documentaries from within those markets, accessing local voices who shine their own unique light on their world,” said the platform’s cofounder James Bridges.

Know your audience

Adapting content to audiences

Despite the arrival of global giants, local platforms believe they can hold their own.

need will be vital to success.

Around 250 million people regularly watch films on their mobile devices in India.

“Local content has historically been the preserve of large incumbent TV networks in markets such as India, Japan and Korea but as content and consumption moves online the availability and creation of premium local content becomes important,” said Couto.

He added this would drive up demand, and create opportunities for subscription streaming and for advertisers.

HBO Asia had the world premiere of its star-studded Malaysian co-production The Garden of Evening Mists at BIFF. The film is PanAsian by design -- starring Malaysian Lee Sinjee, Japan’s Hiroshi Abe, and Taiwan’s

The Southeast Asian HOOQ platform this week announced 19 productions were in the works all made by filmmakers from the region. “As a company that is built-in Asia for Asians, we believe that local stories are best told by locals,” argued Jennifer Batty,

In response, Netflix introduced a mobile-only version of its streaming, but Asian firms may have the edge on understanding what local audiences want.

“Where I think companies like ours in Asia have the edge is that we are up with the trends out here instantly. We are addressing the way people watch content in Asia,” said Indian producer Ekta Kapoor, managing director of the VoD service ALT Balaji.

She added: “We are making shows designed to be watched on mobile devices, not adapted for them. Shorterform, about local characters and issues. That puts us ahead.” TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 15

C-suite

Inter Medya, Turkish distribution giant Inter Medya has expanded its catalog of strong dramas -like Bitter Lands or Broken Wings- with new genres, including animations, formats, mini-series and films. They also have 10-episode series, which have been filmed for digital platforms in Turkey including It’s Innocent and Bozkir. In addition, Inter Medya has delved into original production in Turkey this year with Behzat Ç, a short premium series developed for a Turkish OTT platform. They believe these are all powerful dramas expected to move the audiences’ emotion and appreciate them. Turkish giant distributor, Ahmet Ziyalar, President / COO of Inter Medya speaks to K. Dass.

Globally renowned for providing Turkish delight films, dramas and formats, Inter Medya is an aggressive distributor in the international market place, constantly increasing its presence with an extended portfolio.

Apart from premium series, it provides entertainment formats and actively involved in production ventures.

At MipCancun, it announced two deals for the series Mrs. Fazilet and Her Daughters.

The successful Turkish drama has been licensed to Panama and Honduras. With a captivating and intriguing plot, Mrs. Fazilet and Her Daughters tell the story of a mother with a life-long dream of become wealthy.

After her husband’s death, she lives in a small house with her two daughters and her failed dream. But a new life will start for Mrs. Fazilet and her daughters when they find themselves absorbed in the life of a rich in Istanbul.

At the same time, Inter Medya is showcasing two reality formats – Exathlon is a competition format for the sports and reality challenge of two teams of athletes whose physical strength is

extremely strong. Exathlon competitors are selected from Olympic athletes, football players or celebrities with strong sports skills.

The Box Challenge – thirty randomly located boxes and three contestants begin the show with USD 200,000 and they choose the amount they wish to allocate to the boxes.

Where do you see potential for growth in the next 12 months?

Ahmet : We will continue our distribution focus in the next 12 months. We see that both South East Asia and India have great potential when it comes to Turkish content acquisition. We have also started to gear our catalogue to include more titles that appeal to digital platforms, which have seen a tremendous growth in the past year. The presence of strong digital platforms in the region gives us hope to extend our reach to new territories. We believe that we can spread our titles to free-to-air TV broadcasters through digital platforms.

Is Asia ready for Turkish content?

Ahmet : Turkish content is still at the center of attention

16 | television asia plus november-december 2019

Ahmet Ziyalar,

all over the world. We still consider Asia as a new region for us but continue to develop successful client relationships in the continent. ATF Singapore is a great opportunity for us to meet old and new clients and see an increasing demand for Turkish content in Asia, especially in South East Asia region. On the other hand, there are many remakes of Asian dramas in Turkey as well.

You have significantly expanded your original slate. What have you learned from this all?

Ahmet : In over 27 years, we have accumulated significant experience in the industry and spread our titles in many countries across the globe.

We have taken important steps to become a significant content distributor in the international marketplace.

We follow global trends and provide our clients with an up-to-date library. In today’s world, trends in content consumption change every day and we always push ourselves to continuously improve and learn. Our primary goal is to extend our slate to new territories that we have not penetrated.

President/COO, Inter Medya

Where do you foresee your biggest success in the content space?

Series, formats, movies etc?

Ahmet : Distribution of TV series and feature films represents the core of our business and we have managed to establish ourselves as one of the biggest Turkish series and films distributors. At the same time, we invest a lot of time and effort in development, production and distribution of entertainment, reality TV and game show formats.

What works best for the Asian market?

Period dramas or modern programming? What is the reason?

Ahmet : In Asia, strong dramas, dramedies and softer dramas are in high demand.

For instance, we licensed HAYAT, our first dramedy series, to Sri Lanka and it had great ratings from day 1. We licensed the International Emmy Award winning Turkish drama ENDLESS LOVE to an OTT platform in India, which is very exciting as it was our first digital agreement in Asia. Asia is a huge and varied continent and different regions have different preferences. TVAplus

C-suite

Tapping the untold stories Viewers aren’t always accustomed to seeing female producer tackle documentary theme in remote corners of China, to explore its economic Belt and Road initiative by tracing how rice is produced and transported between China, Malaysia, Thailand and Dubai. tvNs’ Wok The World – Unearthed Rice Story (3 x 60 mins), proved a breath of fresh air in documentary-making when it screens on tvN, Hooq in Asia, CTV in Canada, as well as other Middle East platforms and Silk Road Hours. The series will further reach out to a wider audience as Spring Festival Special during “USilk”, a time block covering over 20 countries and regions globally in various languages.

Thrilled with emotion and exhilaration, Anne Chan, Producer of Wok The World series and Chief Operating Officer, CJ ENM HK, spent several weeks fully immersed in the cultivation of rice, the staple food of the world. Anne Chan shares her passion for production, distribution and high quality content with K. Dass.

Anne Chan - Three years ago China Intercontinental Communication Center (CICC) wanted to create their own IP. They are one of the first agencies in China that started international co-production with more than 70 TV organisations in over 30 countries. CICC is part of the state counsel and their role is to acquire Chinese content to travel the world. We discussed and early this year, CICC and CJ ENM started our first co-production with a special 3 x 60-minute series of Wok The World entitled “Silk Road Delicacies” Rice: Unearthed.

I suggested “rice”, as it has been the staple food for the early Chinese civilization and still consumed in many ways. Rice travelled the world from China to the rest of Asia when the early Chinese migrated. There are so many different cuisines in China and how it travels the world with a story attached caught my attention. They also provide insights into the Chinese culture and society that audience outside the country very rarely get to experience. I wanted to tell this story to the rest of the world. Moreover, I craved for a cinematic angle to document this. Hence, we invited Michelin 3-star chef Alvin Leung and his protégée, MasterChef Canada winner, Eric Chong. The culinary journey delves into the history,

tradition and technology of the cultivation of rice for inspiration for their gastronomic creations, uncovering different stories behind the tiny grain of rice, bringing cultures together and meeting memorable characters along the way.

The filming crew has worked with me for over 8 years and came from 10 countries and regions, travelled along the Belt and Road routes over 4 countries (China, Malaysia, Thailand and Dubai), 20 cities and 12000km. I also had the best producer and director to direct this US $700,000 series with a possible season two in the near future.

CICC is seeking such collaboration to develop and produce new premium content.

Soon we were awarded a second contract from CICC which we have completed shooting two parts – a cultural reality show in China. Together, we have actually completed about 9 episodes this year in China alone.

Moving forward, we will be creating more Asian content.

We have had 6 to 8 content – 2 in China, GIB - the Korean beauty show which I did with Astro Malaysia (rated no. one). StarHub (Singapore) is launching the show on E-City

Anne Chan, Chief Operating Officer, CJ ENM HK

in Mandarin version. There is a possible launch with an Indonesia broadcaster as well.

We also air and co-produce with Viu in Hong Kong.

The next 3 years is going to be production based models. It’s completely exciting for me as I have to put on an entrepreneur hat. My team sells for multiple platforms and never mention the word TV in their presentation.

And, it’s no longer an ad sales monetisation model but a coproduction monetisation model that we are pushing.

Our partners’ requirements are diverse. We lately spoke to a broadcaster in Philippines who wanted to buy Korean formats which are relatively pricey. So we got into the partnership and asked for a budget to bring in a Korean scrip writer for them.

This could save cost and yet produce Korean premium content elsewhere. We have started to take this path and invite highly qualified writers, producers and directors to work with several Asian partners across genres. We don’t have to own everything, we just want to make this model feasible for our partners and we decide how to monetise the product for mutual benefit.

We are going for more IP shows with variety high on the agenda.

We plan to bring Asian stories to the rest of the world and that is why I came to MIPCOM. Wok is a great content to test the waters with international producer whom I have spoken and he claims it’s very palatable in Europe. My perception tells me that Europeans and North Americans will like to learn about Asians and such local stories will certainly interest them. We are looking at bringing Asian stories and related content to the international market.

Looking at bigger distribution and bigger co-production deals. The business has to be the Asian stories with Korean variety and the scripted dramas and how we localise it beyond the formats of this world. So we literally hold hands with our partners from the start and monetise and share the rewards together.

Branded content works but not everyone is comfortable with it. We deal with more than 10 Southeast Asian tourism boards and have been very successful with their content.

I hope the China deal will uplift the Southeast Asian stories.

This will allow me to work with different Southeast Asian countries and be a broker at some point, bridging Asian stories such as rice from China, wellness from China, Indonesia, Thailand and so on. TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 17

C-suite

The Perfect Storm Techstorm is the brainchild of Debbie Lee, Founder & CEO. Its 24-hour channel programmed in HD showcases a compelling line-up of the best in-class, first-run and exclusive entertainment across tech and entrepreneurship themes.

Debbie is responsible for a number of key businesses.

Based in Singapore, she not only oversees the operation of the organisation, as well as joint-venture, distribution, and acts as the company’s commercial and governmental representative. With deep roots in media and technology, she has sharpened her skills in scripted and unscripted programming. She talks to K. Dass about her priorities, content strategy and direction.

The perfect storm has hit Starhub in Singapore, First Media in Indonesia, Maxstream in Indonesia, SkyCable in Philippines, 8 provincial partners in Philippines and the latest being HOOQ, the leading OTT

by Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros.

TechStorm, the world’s first 24/7 HD channel on Asian eSports, tech innovations and entrepreneurship start-up stories launched on Starhub’s English Entertainment Pack this April has already attracted more than 30 million subscriber reach across Southeast Asia.

In the Philippines, Techstorm is widely distributed by Omnicontent Management which has a multi-decade long track record of channel deals.

In September, Techstorm made an impression with the launch of first and exclusive programmes such as The Gadget Show and Buy it now to its Filipino viewers in line with a huge announcement, the premiere of the world no.1Business reality show, Shank Tank Australia.

The series featured multimillionaires and billionaire tycoons know as sharks who give budding entrepreneurs the chance to secure business deals.

HOOQ’s growing footprint

Debbie Lee,

Founder & CEO, Techstorm

cuts across a projected 2.6 billion millennial generation in Asia by 2020. This is an enormous platform to begin with in Asia. “Asia’s mobile millennials are in for a real treat with our trendy mobile videos covering topics that reflect the dreams, aspirations and interests of our Asian audience. HOOQ subscribers will get to watch latest gadget review videos, exhilarating innovations never-before-seen, eSports game reviews, stories of the gaming heroes and tales of unicorn makers. Willy Foo, TechStorm’s exclusive tech celebrity influencer will host Storm Bytes and give his personal take on the panAsian tech scene,” says Debbie.

Share your content strategy and where are you heading?

Debbie: We build our content in layers, phases and always be ready for further iterations.

Our strategy is always to stay agile, be ready to test our hypothesis on what works for our consumers and refine what is not working. We are data-driven and metricsdriven as a company motto and so we embrace the “Kaizen methodology” in all process of what we do.

Of course, given that we are in the start-up phase of the product and company, the scope of our content iteration continues and we let that approach guide the content direction.

What are your priorities as the CEO of TechStorm?

Debbie: We are here to build a world-class product with massive global appeal and to do that it means first by attracting the best talents in the industry who share our standards of professionalism, ambition and vision to build a globally scalable media product that relates to our consumer market and a successful company. I focus on building people who can build product and in turn drive success in a global company that relates to a global consumer segment.

How much of original and partner’s content make up your library?

Debbie: We are focused on original media IPs that truly speak the language of our Pan-Asian audience’s viewing palate. We are committed to continue our commitment of building more than 200 hours of original content on TechStorm. As a defacto destination on eSports, tech and entrepreneurship our team is here to curate the best of award-winning international content that will continue to form a part of our slate.

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What is your monetisation model?

Debbie: Our monetization model is varied, given the diversity of our content and various content approach of our business. The media landscape has evolved and will continue to do so. As such our business model will be timed to reflect a win-win for both us and partners who recognised the immense value of what TechStorm brings.

Will you consider other genres in the future?

Debbie: We see untapped opportunities in the media sector and global consumption of content will open up genre gaps that will be of value, so, short answer is yes.

As you are the world’s first 24/7 HD channel featuring Asian eSports, tech innovations and entrepreneurial start-up stories, will the rest of the world get a chance to view your content?

Debbie: Our mission is global but our core is Asian, given that this region is home to 3 billion population and one of the fastest growing region in terms of tech, startups and entrepreneurship ecosystem. We look forward to bring more of what we do beyond the Asian footprint in the future. TVAplus

C-suite

Telenovela making headline at ATF Caracol International is inviting international producers to take advantage of Colombia’s vast reservoir of opportunities and incentives offered to shoot their next show in the telenovela land. It’s a strategy to establish Colombia as a production hub and a privilege destination for its diverse and extensive locations. Estefania Arteaga, Director, International Sales & Digital Distribution speaks to K. Dass of her director at ATF 2019.

Caracol International (Colombia), best known for its telenovela licensed products and reality shows globally will brings to ATF a slate of series and formats for Asian buyers. Esrefania highlights two telenovelas expected to make headliners at ATF – the historical drama Bolívar, a high quality production and high budget involved in the making of this drama.

Bolívar is a Colombian Spanishlanguage historical period drama television series created

by Juana Uribe, based on the life of the Venezuelan liberator Simón Bolívar. The show is made up of 60 episodes that document the events of Bolívar’s life from the age of seven until his death, primarily focusing on his formation as the liberator of several South American countries and his romantic engagements. However, the cast and crew also describe the show as an attempt to remove the veil of heroism covering the man and re-humanise him. It was popular in Latin America.

trusts most. For this reason, Yeimy pays an unjust sentence in a prison in New York, United States, after losing her family by orders of a big narco. Since then, her sole purpose will be to go out and collect revenge against all those who ended her life and that of her relatives. For this, she becomes a frivolous, calculating person, who thinks fast and acts with stealth. It will change her identity and her infiltrate among her enemies to destroy them one by one.

Caracol International’s creations are highly claimed for its highend productions that mixes melodramas and historical shows that covers different genres.

Caracol currently produces about 5,200 hours of content a year. It has more than 10,000 hours of original shows broadcast across 80 countries today.

The other headliner is a modern drama – The Queen of flow (first Colombian drama to be nominated at the International Emmy).

“Besides the dramas, we also have the scripted and nonscripted formats. There is a huge potential for our formats with opportunities for adaptation as well. The Challenge is in its 19th season. Shot in Latin American, coast of Colombia and the previous seasons have gone to Morocco, Africa and India.

The series revolves around Yeimy Montoya (Carolina Ramírez), a humble and talented 16-year-old girl, lover of urban music, who dreams of becoming the best singer in the artistic medium. However, her wishes are truncated when she is involved in a deception perpetrated by the person she

“The popular survival reality show

by Caracol Television arrives renewed for its 19th season.

The Challenge: Super Humans.

This new edition focuses on the physical competition, and the participants must face tests designed with a demanding level. A group of super humans has been thoroughly selected,

Estefania Arteaga, Director, International Sales & Digital Distribution

only the best high performance athletes can be part of the challenge. The living together problems are left behind and now it’s only about proving who is the strongest competitor, both physically and mentally,” added Esrefania.

A fact unknown to many is that Colombia is an audiovisual nation with a pool of talent and creative minds in the media industry. Its ecosystem of production knowledge, artistic and creative talent and its huge production capacity is now available to the world.

“Colombia is opening up to the international market, inviting global producers to shoot in our nation. There are incentives such as tax rebate, cash back in some situation depending on which city you choose to produce. There is assistance for logistics, documentation with authorities and more. This is a new strategy to help producers from other screens to benefit from our country.

“We want to attract international businesses by sharing our seasons, technical crews, knowhow and state-of-the art technology. There is also the locations, which include beaches, mountains, forest, lakes, rivers, fields villages, towns and a wide range of climates,” she said.

She goes on, “We have established our presence with OTT players such as Zee5, iflix and Viu. We are seriously seeking other OTT players to work with at ATF. Though we have yet

to co-produce with any Asian players, we are most willing to discuss any possibilities.

“Caracol’s content is widely available in Vietnam and Indonesia, and we are currently talking to Korean and Chinese partners. I see cultural similarities between us and Southeast Asia. We have similar values when it comes to families and telenovelas still have that romantic element which is a universal story of love. And we are seeing many telenovelas being re-done even after 20 years later. That is really encouraging and speaks much of our content,” added Esrefania.

VTV (Vietnam) is about to reproduce an adaptation of One Way Out (40 episodes) –a Colombian drama. Vietnam has been purchasing Caracol formats in the last 15 years with this being the third drama rights acquired.

One Way Out led the charts with 12.1 rating points when it debuted. This story portrays the real life events of what was the most dangerous neighbourhood in America for many years, where not even the police had any control. Juliana and Andres, a young couple who fall into this infernal neighbourhood, will try to leave this place by all means, putting their lives at risk. Along with other people who have seen their lives dragged to this place because of drugs, they must find the necessary strength to survive. Love will be their only way out. TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 19

feature: branding

Regional TV advertising is a smart APAC

By Brett Gillett, Global Director of Business Development, TVSquared

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lthough the Asia Pacific region is frequently viewed as a uniform market, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Significant cultural, economical, and technological differences between regions mean brands need to tailor their advertising strategies to these individual country markets. With regards to TV advertising, viewing the APAC market as one entity will mean brands miss out on opportunities to deliver ads to key demographics.

Brands are able to deliver highly targeted content through TV due to the ability to measure, optimise, and enhance performance with granular consumer data. Audiences want relevancy – they want brands they trust, connect with, and that reflect their needs, as seen with 47.5% of Asia Pacific consumers now trusting country-specific brands over their global counterparts.

So how can advertisers successfully adopt regionalised TV strategies to maximise brand engagement, conversions, and business outcomes across the APAC market?

Optimising the currency Regional level TV can provide a wealth of actionable consumer insights on country-specific audience segments, which allows advertisers to measure the impact of their ads and evaluate the ones performing best. Specific elements can be changed – for instance day of week, day part, channel, program, or ad spot – to maximise the influence campaigns have on consumers. Through this optimisation, advertisers can be assured they’re investing media budgets in inventory that will perform to their target outcomes. Transparent audience data is the key to boosting and maintaining this performance, and TV at a regional or country level in the APAC market provides the means for brands to understand their audience segments on a granular level.

Meeting performance KPIs With access to a deeper understanding of regional audience behaviours, advertisers are able to set specific objectives for their linear TV campaigns. By analysing online activity following ad spots, brands can measure the performance of their ads against desired outcomes. A brand looking to promote app usages, for example, can monitor download rates following an ad spot airing. Or a retailer seeking to boost sales revenue can gather insight on spikes in conversions as a result of TV campaigns. Through granular consumer data, brands are able to tie these actions to TV ad spots, giving clear, measurable insight into a campaign’s impact. Setting key performance. TVAplus

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feature: 4k UHD

New Astro Experience • A new user interface which helps customers discover and stream over 50,000 shows • Enjoy 4K UHD quality - EURO 2020, Premier League, F1, movies and documentaries • Record unlimited programmes concurrently and store in the cloud to watch on any screens • A slim and sleek new set top box with next generation remote control

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alaysians can now enjoy the best of entertainment with the new Astro Ultra Box. The Ultra experience includes 4K UHD, Cloud Recording and a fresh new user interface that is seamless across device screens, improved content recommendations based on viewing history, play from start functions and the ability to record multiple shows at the same time. All of this is available via the new Ultra box and Astro GO. The Ultra Box enables sports fans to enjoy UEFA EURO 2020, the Premier League, Formula 1 and La Liga, in the first 4K UHD experience in Malaysia.

Henry Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Astro Group said, “We are on a journey of continuous improvement to provide our customers with a better experience from customer service, to content, to OTT for mobility and to the experience at home. Today is a new milestone - the Ultra Box takes entertainment to a new level, enabling 4K UHD, Cloud Recording, Play from Start and a new interface that will enhance home entertainment on the big screen. Customers can upgrade to the Ultra Box to enjoy the new experience. The Ultra experience extends also to Astro GO which is free for all customers!

Customers only need to download the app and stream their favourite shows!”

Henry continued, “Over half a million homes have 4K TV of which 70% are Astro customers. The launch of the Ultra Box is timely to meet the growing demand for 4K UHD viewing. Additionally, commercial establishments in the hospitality, retail and F&B sectors will welcome the opportunity to offer patrons live sports and other content in 4K UHD.” The Ultra Box uses a hybrid system of satellite and internet technologies. Satellite delivers the best 4K UHD quality. Connect the Ultra Box to the internet to enable interactivity and the ability to stream content anytime on demand. Astro also offers attractive entertainment and broadband bundles.

With the seamless and unified interface across both Ultra Box and Astro GO, customers can enjoy the following enhanced viewing experience: Astro Cloud Recording is available on the new Ultra Box and on Astro GO. This means that customers can record multiple shows at the same time on the Ultra Box or on Astro GO and store these in the Astro Cloud which can be accessed on any screens anytime anywhere. Customers will be entitled to 200 free hours of HD storage and can increase this to 1500 hours at RM15 per month.

Play from Start: An audience winner - if you tune in midway through a show you can click the restart icon to watch the show from the beginning.

New Home Screen: Allows easier content discovery. All shows shown are available for viewing at no charge with the exception of displayed in the ‘Store’.

Discover and Stream VOD: Connect the Ultra Box to the internet and enjoy over 50,000 videos on demand at home or on Astro GO. Search: Makes discovery of content from our vast catalogue of TV series, movies, kids shows, live content and your own recordings much easier. Search by title, cast, director and even channels.

Multi-screen and Stop Here, Continue There: Imagine pausing on one screen and picking up on another screen at exactly the point at which you paused.

Free Upgrade for Customers with subscription above RM100.

Customers with monthly subscription of RM100 and above can upgrade for free. Customers need to connect the Ultra Box to the internet to enjoy over 50,000 videos on demand, cloud recording, and the other benefits. To enjoy 4K UHD viewing, customers need a compatible 4K TV. Customers can also get connected with Astro & Broadband via our bundled offers. TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 21

feature: drama

GMA dramas draw strong viewership for Kenya’s KTN TV G

GMA dramas continue to make waves across Southeast Asia and recently, Africa through GMA Worldwide Inc. (GWI). A number of series are already being aired in Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam through successful partnerships with broadcasters and content aggregators across the region.

MA dramas continue to be popular among viewers in Kenya.

Through the partnership between GMA’s content distribution subsidiary, GMA Worldwide, Inc. and Kenya’s Standard Media Group, the English-dubbed versions of several GMA programs are aired by KTN TV, exceeding expected figures for primetime viewership, according to data from African surveying platform Geopoll.

GMA’s romantic drama Once Again was among the most watched programs on KTN TV. It debuted with a strong 1.4 million viewers and soared to a peak of 2.3 million viewers. Aired on weekdays primetime, the intriguing story of resurrected star-crossed lovers received positive reviews from Kenyan viewers.

Following Once Again is the internationally acclaimed drama The Other Mrs. Real with viewership that peaked to 1.8 million. The drama which is a Silver Screen Awardee of the US International Film and Video Festival was praised by Kenyan viewers for its delicate and mature treatment of the controversial theme of infidelity.

Also with a peak viewership of 1.8 million is Family Jewels. The comedy-drama about feuding sisters drew many viewers, especially fans of actress Carla Abellana who became popular among Kenyans after starring in My Destiny, Together Again, and Losing Heaven.

KTN TV also aired the dramas Until We Meet Again, an intriguing drama about a feral child; and Someone To Watch Over Me, a story of a wife’s sacrifice for her husband diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Viewership of these dramas peaked at 1.5 million and 1.4 million, respectively.

The dramas’ unique storylines which portray the struggles of characters who eventually triumph, appeal to Kenyan viewers. GMA

continues to strengthen its presence in the region by providing top-rating content not only to Kenya, but to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa.

In Malaysia, the acclaimed GMA drama Legally Blind is gaining popularity through free TV channel TV3 Malaysia. Starring Janine Gutierrez, the series is about a blind lawyer seeking justice after she became a victim of rape. Since premiering, it took over the timeslot of another popular GMA drama, A Woman Scorned. It is also being aired on Vietnam Television’s cable division Saigon Tourist Cable Television Company Limited (SCTV) on SCTV17, as part of their line-up of dramas for August.

Another GMA series in Vietnam is the revenge drama Beautiful Strangers currently aired by Vietnam Cable TV’s Giai Trí TV. The toprating series stars two of the Philippines’ most bankable dramatic actresses, Heart Evangelista and Lovi Poe as two women at odds with each other who later realize that their true enemy is yet to be revealed.

In Brunei, GWI brings romantic comedy series Poor Señorita, broadcast by the country’s oldest free-to-air terrestrial television channel, Radio Televisyen Brunei’s (RTB) Aneka. The series tells the story of a rich heiress who decides to give up her wealth after being mistakenly diagnosed with cancer. No alt text provided for this image Finally, in Thailand, GMA’s adaptation of the hit Korean drama My Love From The Star recently premiered through the cooperation between JKN Global Media and digital terrestrial television channel GMM 25. The Philippine version of the series stars Jennylyn Mercado as a movie star who falls in love with her neighbour, played by Gil Cuerva, who turns out to be an alien from another planet. TVAplus

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analysis

EY survey reveals video gaming industry at tipping point as new competitive pressures intensify battle for market share *60% of executives say growth of gamers is slowing amid flood of new entrants * Margins stretched as 77% say an influx of new games is driving up competition * 67% expect M&A to accelerate as companies look to address talent shortage

While global video gaming revenues have almost doubled in the last five years,1 70% of video game senior executives believe the next five years will be more challenging than the last, as a growing number of new entrants vie for market share.

This is according to a new global EY study, How is your business powering-up for the next video gaming challenge?

The study indicates that the rapid growth and now mainstream appeal of video gaming heralds a new era of opportunities and challenges. Key among them, 68% of respondents say slower growth of new gamers will drive video gaming companies to seek alternative revenue streams, while new entrants continue to flood the market. And 77% say an influx of new games and titles are increasing competitive pressures.

As businesses look to differentiate themselves in this highly competitive landscape, 45% of video gaming executive respondents say sales and marketing costs will rise by at least 10% over the next five years.

John Harrison, EY Global Media & Entertainment Sector Leader, says, “While video game executives are optimistic about future industry revenues and the broadening popularity of video gaming, companies are now faced with unique market forces that they may not be prepared for. Following a decade of jackpot earnings, growth is set to be slower at a time when companies face rising risk, escalating content costs and new, disruptive business models.

Executives are therefore feeling the pressure to evolve and find gamechanging opportunities that will set them apart from the competition.”

Video gaming margins squeezed as competition accelerates and costs escalate Overall, companies are becoming increasingly challenged to protect margins. Seventy-nine percent of executives believe that the

believe video gaming companies will distribute most Triple-A games wirelessly through the cloud within five-to-ten years.

Scott Porter

costs of developing a great game experience are growing, and 42% anticipate that overall development costs will grow by at least 10% over the next five years.

The study finds that companies also face escalating personnel costs, as competition extends to the war for talent. Forty-two percent indicate that the cost of technical and creative talent is set to increase, while more than half (52%) say a shortage of development and technical talent will accelerate over the next five years. To offset this shortfall, 67% of executives expect the number of mergers and acquisitions to increase as they look to ease the talent shortage.

John Harrison

In an environment where maintaining trust is an imperative, video game executives further expect the costs of enhancing cyber security and regulatory compliance to grow.

Following recent reports of cyberrelated issues across the industry, 43% expect cyber security costs to grow by at least 10%.

Cloud and eSports are primed to be industry disruptors The study unearths key trends and technologies that will define the future of video gaming. Sixty-three percent of executives agree that if major game companies do not offer consumers cloud-based games, they will be at a disadvantage in five years. Meanwhile, 70%

Scott Porter, Partner – Advisory Services, Ernst & Young LLP, says, “As competition continues to intensify, cloud-based streaming is poised to be the next major video gaming disruptor. The advent of cloud gaming, especially when combined with the rollout of technologies such as 5G, represents more than just an opportunity for the industry – it’s a strategic imperative. By seizing the opportunities to adopt the latest technologies, leading companies can prevail and potentially reverse the trend of slower growth.”

The findings further indicate that eSports has the potential to improve brand awareness across the industry. Seventytwo percent of respondents say eSports is already making a strong contribution to the brand and image of video gaming companies, and 70% believe that it has the power to draw new customers to games.

However, survey respondents are divided around whether eSports will become an important source of new revenue: 23% anticipate it will contribute nothing toward industry revenues in the next five years, while 34% expect it to contribute up to 10%, and 43% say it will add more than 10%.

Other key findings from the survey include: • 83% say the number of new games entering the market is increasing • 69% agree that gamers will play Triple-A games on a smartphone within a few years • 67% of survey respondents expect overall levels of business risk to increase • 64% say blockchain will be an important part of the industry’s future TVAplus

november-decemberr 2019 television asia plus | 23

focus

Irdeto and Amlogic launch Netflix-integrated Hailstorm Hybrid Set-top Box Platform Pre-certification reduces integration time and effort for operators to deliver optimal streaming and browsing Netflix on the Android TV platform Irdeto, a leading digital platform security solution provider, and Amlogic, a fabless semiconductor company, have launched a set-top box (STB) platform that is pre-certified under the Netflix Hailstorm Hybrid program. The program is designed by Netflix to reduce the integration time and effort for pay TV operator partners on the Android TV platform. Devices pre-certified under the program allow operators to ensure their STB devices can reliably deliver the great experience synonymous with Netflix.

“At Amlogic, we have a strong track record of delivering turnkey Android solutions that reduce integration complexity. Our latest hybrid 4K STB solution will help operators bring content services like Netflix to market faster than ever before,” said James Xie, Senior Vice President of Corporate Business Strategy, Amlogic.

Delivering a great viewing experience to consumers who want premium content quickly on future-proof platforms requires world-class security. Through this program, operators leverage Irdeto’s 360-degree security solution that ensures the integrity of the platform and uncompromised content security.

“Despite an increasingly competitive market, operators cannot compromise on security if they want

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Steeve Huin

to protect their business models and support must-have services like Netflix. With this partnership, operators have the peace of mind that they can maintain full control of security on their platform while delivering content their subscribers want, when they want it,” said Steeve Huin, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships,

Business Development and Marketing, Irdeto.

Amlogic is a System-on-Chip (SOC) partner in the Hailstorm program, and they work closely with Netflix to develop technology capable of processing high quality video content.

Irdeto is a trusted security partner to Netflix as part of the Hailstorm Hybrid program. They work together to ensure seamless and secure content consumption across broadcast and online entertainment platforms.

The combined ready-for-market solution includes a STB platform, powered by Amlogic S905X3/ C1, featuring Irdeto Armor, which includes Irdeto Cloaked CA and the Irdeto App Watch service. Irdeto Armor provides out of the box, best-in-class content protection, as well as monitoring and blocking appbased piracy and malicious apps on the Android TV devices. TVAplus

technology

NAGRA and KAON introduce Android TV streaming solution for pay-TV operators • Leading technology vendors introduce pre-integrated Android TVbased streaming solution for the delivery of premium pay-TV services • Collaboration to accelerate time-to-market of hybrid Android TVbased services for pay-TV operators, as part of the NAGRA Android Fast Track program • NAGRA content protection solutions ensure premium content protection for the platform driven by the NAGRA Security Services Platform in full compliance with the Google MediaCAS framework

NAGRA, a Kudelski Group company and the world’s leading independent provider of content protection and multi-screen television solutions, together with KAON (KOSDAQ: KAONMEDIA), a world-leading provider in broadband customer premise equipment (CPE) and connected home solutions, announced that they are joining forces in a new streaming platform designed to accelerate time-to-market of Android TV-based services for pay-TV operators.

The joint solution will enable an end-to-end streaming platform for the delivery of OTT and hybrid Android TV-based services and offered through the NAGRA Android Fast Track program. Pre-integrated with NAGRA security clients, including NAGRA Connect and NAGRA Protect, and a new hybrid set-top box designed by KAON and based on the Broadcom BCM7268 chipset, the solution will enable the delivery of advanced TV features in a highly secure and cost-effective environment, in full compliance with the Google MediaCAS framework for Android TV deployments.

“We are excited to work with KAON and Broadcom to offer a new solution to pay-TV operators that is designed to accelerate time to market of Android TV-based services,” said Maurice Van Riek, SVP and Head of Content and Asset Security at NAGRA. “We look forward to leveraging our expertise in securing Android TV deployments and our Fast Track ecosystem to drive even more opportunities for pay-TV operators wanting to take advantage of the Android TV opportunity while helping them protect their premium content assets from new

forms of piracy.”

“We are very pleased to get on-board the Android TV journey together with NAGRA and Broadcom to enable a fast and secure way for pay-TV operators to adopt Android TV through the NAGRA Android Fast Track Program” said, Edward Shin, Executive VP, Head of Global Business Development of KAON. “KAON is the first provider to enable MediaCAS together with Broadcom and NAGRA on Android TV safeguarding payTV operators’ content revenue generating streams and guaranteeing scalability with a standardized TV framework for their pay-TV services.”

Leveraging a long-standing experience in Android-based OTT and hybrid TV, the NAGRA Android Fast Track program combines a highly secure and fully featured ecosystem of technologies, partners and services to successfully plan hybrid and OTT deployments and help operators execute on the Android TV journey.

NAGRA Connect and NAGRA Protect deliver Hollywood-grade cardless security for connected and non-connected use cases. They are driven by the NAGRA Security Services Platform and are key components of NAGRA’s scalable service protection offering which goes beyond CAS and DRM to secure premium content over any network and to any device, including Android TV. NAGRA content protection solutions meet Hollywood requirements for premium content like 4K Ultra HD and HDR and provide full support for the Google MediaCAS framework as part of the NAGRA Android Fast Track program for pay-TV operators.

TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 25

digital content

CATCHPLAY On Demand Rebrands to “CATCHPLAY+” Promising Boosted Content and Enhanced User Experience for its 4.2 Million Users Powerful compact digital audio broadcast console provides unsurpassed reliability and world class performance for Majestic Sound Productions Inc. Asia Pacific’s digital premium entertainment content service, CATCHPLAY ON DEMAND, announces its rebranding to “CATCHPLAY+” in all its servicing territories including Taiwan, Singapore and Indonesia. The Taiwan-based film distributor and content provider launched its digital content service early 2016 in Taiwan and immediately expanded to Singapore and Indonesia in the same year. Today it has become one of the leading digital premium content and service providers in South East Asia with 4.2 million users and a well-established distribution network.

The digital content and service provider’s distribution partners include all major telecom and pay TV operators in Taiwan in addition to leading players in South East Asia such as Telkom Indonesia, First Media, smart TV manufacturers MiTV, Sony TV and e-commerce platforms Shopee and GOJEK. Along with the rebranding, CATCHPLAY+ promises a major enhancement on content and user experience. Daphne Yang, Chief Executive Officer of the CATCHPLAY group explains: “By rebranding to CATCHPAY+, we are also announcing our commitment to providing more top quality content including not only blockbuster movies but also exclusive drama series, TV shows and documentaries in addition to elevated user experience for discerning users. Our customers will also get to experience more integrated activities across online and off-line channels due to the enhanced synergy between the digital service-CATCHPLAY+ and the content/distribution brand-CATCHPLAY.” CATCHPLAY’s endeavors in content including movies and drama series this year have been quite successful. In addition to 2019 Academy Award Best Picture GreenBook, Korean action comedy Extreme Job and Cannes’ Palme d’Or Best Picture winner Parasite on its 2019 distribution line-up with remarkable box office numbers,

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its first two original Taiwanese drama series The World between Us and The Making of An Ordinary Woman have been ranked top two in ratings in mandarin-speaking markets. Daphne Yang says: “We are blessed to be able to bring The World between Us and The Making of an Ordinary Woman to worldwide attention. The success has encouraged us to commit ourselves to delivering more original content through production or co-production in order to bring to our subscribers more unique content.”

Yang points out the biggest difference that sets CATCHPLAY+ apart from other Asian OTT platforms is its well-selected content and ad-free user experience. Yang says, “When it comes to content nowadays, we believe a big number of hours is not what the users are after. Users already have too much to choose from. Instead, they need well-selected content that’s worth their time.” CATCHPLAY+ is dedicated to delivering top quality content, including original drama series that movie lovers would love to watch. Furthermore, Yang explains, “We don’t think the viewing experience of our users should be compromised for the sake of advertising income. Therefore, we are a completely ad-free platform.” Besides content, CATCHPLAY+ has also recruited renowned movie critics and bloggers to offer their reviews or insights, providing users more references when it comes to selecting something to watch.

Along with the rebranding, CATCHPLAY+ adds to its content exclusive offering of blockbuster movies such as John Wick 3 for Indonesia, drama series including Benedict Cumberbatch’s Patrick Melrose, Stephan King’s Castle Rock Season 1 & global premiere of Season 2 exclusive for Taiwan and Mark Strong’s Temple exclusive for Taiwan and Indonesia. TVAplus

tradeshow:Asia Video Summit

Piracy, regulatory regimes and the evolution of business models dominate the agenda for the Asian video industry.

At AVIA’s “Asia Video Summit”, the industry remains positive that there are plenty of growth opportunities in the Asian market despite fragmentation and consolidation.

More collaboration is what matters to succeed in 2020 and beyond.

T

he Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) welcomed over 500 senior video executives to the Asia Video Summit, held at the Ritz Carlton, Millenia, Singapore from 4 – 6 November. The summit continued to address the State of the Video Industry focusing on five key themes – business models, advertising, human capital, news and policy, some of the most pressing issues the industry faces today.

The theme of partnerships cut across many of the discussions and sessions, especially when it came to the issue of piracy.

Henry Tan, CEO of Astro emphasized that in order to prevent pirates from stealing our lunch, a collaborative approach between industry and regulators is needed in addition to consumer awareness. Dr R.S. Sharma, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), who was given the responsibility of regulating Asia’s most dynamic and vibrant video marketplace, shared that

India’s recent conversion to digital was a phenomenal achievement. Consumers should be given the choice to pay for what they wish to watch. Empowering the customer with choice as well as digitization has helped India to reduce piracy tremendously.

Today, VOD streaming services are grappling with the burning question of monetisation with no clear consensus on what the best model is. Netflix continue with a pure subscription model while Janice Lee, MD of PCCW Media Group said Viu revenues were today evenly split between advertising and subscription in their freemium model, but she believed subscription would be the more important of the two in the future.

Mark Britt, Co-Founder and Group CEO of iflix took a very bearish position on subscription in South East Asia and insisted that advertising was the key to unlocking consumer growth and loyalty in the region.

The other prominent discussion centred around how innovation in the world of online streaming video for curated content can be damaged by unwise regulation. The very rapid development of new and innovative services in

Asia was underlined in a discussion between Elaine Uy, Head of OTT for ABSCBN, Gidon Freeman, VP, Government and Regulatory Affairs for NBCUniversal International, Sulyna Abdullah, Director of Public Policy South East Asia for Netflix and Deepak Jacob , the Chief Regional Counsel India, South East Asia & Middle East for The Walt Disney Company.

However, the consensus was that proposals for greater regulation – some quite extreme – are also circulating in the region, and that there was a great risk of over regulation. Curated video platforms posed few if any real problems for Asian societies and governments compared to other internet content, and Gidon Freeman emphatically made the point that over regulation of curated content services placed them at a huge competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis piracy services and social media services like Facebook and YouTube,

which had much more dangerous problems with the content they hosted – and were sucking up all the ad revenues, risking killing newer innovative curated offerings.

In the newly launched Tech Innovation Stream at the summit, the themes on flexibility, enhancing the video experience for viewers and user engagement were reiterated in multiple discussions. Organisations are recognising the importance of delivering an experience that makes them stand out from their competition. Better understanding of viewers’ behaviour, localisation and customisation of content were required. Equally it was felt that integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud, voice search, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) amongst others are required to accelerate the video industry’s transformation.

TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 27

review

Viacom International Media Networks partners with Facebook

Saurabh Doshi

SINGAPORE — Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN), a division of Viacom Inc. (VIA, VIAB), announced a partnership with Facebook to launch an upcoming slate of eight original shortform series created for Facebook Watch.

The announcement was made at All That Matters 2019 in Singapore.

The series will be created by MTV Asia as part of the publisher and creator video incubation program for Facebook Watch. With genres ranging across music entertainment, pro-social and reality, the series will feature popular social influencers in Asia. Four shows will premiere later this year while the remaining four will be developed in 2020.

Each series will comprise eight episodes, with each episode running up to eight minutes.

Additional programming and talent partnerships will be announced soon. This collaboration is driven by VIMN’s digital studios arm, Viacom Digital Studios International (VDSI), which focuses on creating and distributing digital content for VIMN’s flagship brands outside of the U.S. With a strong global footprint, VDSI’s collaboration with Facebook taps on our production hubs around the world. In October 2018, MTV Studios and Facebook Watch announced a partnership to produce MTV’s The Real World in Thailand, Mexico and the United States. MTV The Real World: Bangkok premiered exclusively on Facebook Watch from June 13. TVAplus

Dynamic Television acquires worldwide distribution rights to Creepshow

Documentary series debuts on Spektrum TV

LOS ANGELES — Dynamic Television announced it has acquired the worldwide distribution rights for Shudder’s new Creepshow series.

HELSINKI, FINLAND — The documentary reality series Beyond Human Boundaries will be debuting in Central and Eastern Europe this autumn on Spektrum TV. The series of the original title Arman ja viimeinen ristiretki, distributed

by Rabbit Films, is a Finnish documentary-reality experiment, which tells about the triumph of the human spirit.

The documentary-reality program features journalist-explorer Arman Alizad, who travels with his cameraman to eight countries to familiarize with specific lifestyles.

The series features extraordinary stories ranging from the eaglehunter tribe from Mongolia to the human Ken-doll from Brazil. It is not only a show of endurance, it’s an emotional story of gaining trust and building friendships and understanding between different ways of life around the world.

The renowned horror franchise famously billed as “The Most Fun You’ll Have Being Scared” follows in the footsteps of the iconic 1982 horror classic film written by Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero. The (6x60’ & 12x30’) new anthology series premiered last week on Shudder in the U.S. From visionary writer and director Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead), the new Creepshow series features 12 chilling tales of terror and stars David Arquette (Scream franchise), Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog), Tobin Bell (Saw franchise), Big Boi (a.k.a. Antwan Patton), Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator), Kid Cudi (a.k.a.

Scott Mescudi), Bruce Davison (X-Men), Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul), Dana Gould (Stan Against Evil), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) and DJ Qualls (The Man in the High Castle).

A considerable number of contributors to the new series have ties to the original film and its 1987 sequel. The new series will feature adaptations of a story by King as well as his son, Joe Hill, who fans will recall played comic-book loving “Billy” in the original film’s wrap-around segments. Also returning to the Creepshow franchise are director Tom Savini, who created the special effects makeup for the film; writer/director John Harrison, who was 1st Assistant Director on the original and composed its famous theme; and showrunner Greg Nicotero, who visited the first film’s set as a teenager and contributed make-up effects to Creepshow 2.

The new Creepshow series is produced by the Cartel with Monster Agency Productions, Taurus Entertainment, and Striker Entertainment. Stan Spry, Jeff Holland, and Eric Woods are executive producers for the Cartel. Greg Nicotero and Brian Witten are executive producers for Monster Agency Productions.

Robert Dudelson, James Dudelson and Jordan Kizwani are executive producers for Taurus Entertainment. Russell Binder is executive producer and Marc Mostman co-executive producer for Striker Entertainment. TVAplus

SES to showcase at IBC2019 LUXEMBOURG — SES’s latest solution, which will be showcased at IBC2019 in Amsterdam, synchronises over-thetop (OTT) and satellite broadcasts by delivering IP signals to OTT platforms as fast as satellite to create enhanced live viewing experiences, SES announced today. The new solution, named Satellite and OTT in sync, gives broadcasters power to deliver a more consistent experience to viewers watching any screen, orthe even multiple screens, by eliminating the delay between their TV broadcast and OTT services.

Even a few seconds of delay between different screens can spoil the live event experience, and this has been a challenge to eliminate. SES’s unique solution achieves that synchronisation, giving broadcasters confidence that their viewers will be able to enjoy unforgettable moments.

SES’s Satellite and OTT in sync solution takes the source signal on its way to the satellite and distributes it via IP in tandem with satellite. By applying low-latency encoding and tuning to the IP stream at the source, the solution can deliver the content to OTT platforms in sync with the satellite signal. The technique shaves off the seconds of delay between a traditional television broadcast and other low-latency OTT solutions or regular OTT broadcasts.

SES leads the industry with its worldwide reach of over 355 million TV households (or 1 billion people) and distributes over 8,200 channels via satellite. SES’s recent unification of its whollyowned video services subsidiary, MX1, with its SES Video business unit, means SES now manages over 525 channels and delivers more than 8,400 hours of online video streaming, including over 620 hours of premium sports and live events per day. Going to market with a unified solution for video infrastructure and services means that SES will accelerate the rollout of hybrid linear and non-linear content delivery services and solutions with unprecedented global reach. TVAplus

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In autumn 2018, the third season of Beyond Human Boundaries premiered on Nelonen Finland to an average share of 21%. The season was nominated for the Finnish TV Award for Best News-Documentary Programme. The first season of the series won 2 Finnish TV Awards for Best Reality and Best Performer.

Rabbit Films is a TV production and distribution company founded in 2000 by four friends better known as The Dudesons. It has grown into one of the largest independent entertainment media companies in Finland with several big nonscripted primetime shows on air.

Most of Rabbit’s shows are original creations, and the company’s current catalogue includes formats such as primetime entertainment show Posse, musical comedy talent show King, and adventure reality The Ultimate Expedition.

Rabbit Films also produces shows based on international formats, such as the huge relaunch of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Saturday Night Live and Shark Tank. TVAplus

review

ZeeVee Receives GSA Vendor Approval for IP-Based AV Distribution Networks

GatesAir and Pinnacle Communications accelerate Nigerian digital switchover initiative

CHESEAUX, SWITZERLAND, AND PHOENIX (AZ, USA) — NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (KUD.S) company and the world’s leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, today announced that its cloud-based Security Services Platform, cloud.

SSP, was selected to secure streaming content and support a multi-DRM solution for Wynk, a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel Limited, India’s largest integrated telecom services provider. This latest win marks the first deployment of the cloud.SSP for an OTT pure play service in India.

LITTLETON, MASS., — The United States General Services Administration (GSA) has awarded ZeeVee, Inc. with a Multiple Award Schedule IT 70 contract, enabling the independent Boston-area company to supply and proactively market to the government sector, including defense and civilian agencies, through 2024.

The GSA is the federal government’s procurement arm. To be recognized as an approved vendor, companies must undergo an extensive screening process and demonstrate past performance, client satisfaction and financial stability.

Founded in 2007, ZeeVee, is a leading global developer of digital technology and products for distributing audio-video content from any source or multiple sources to any number of displays. Its breadth of solutions ranges from RF distribution technology to AV over IP. The company’s SDVoE products deliver uncompressed 4K, near-zerolatency, over standards-based IP infrastructure.

CINCINNATI — GatesAir, a global leader in wireless, over-theair content delivery solutions for radio and TV broadcasters, and channel partner Pinnacle Communications Limited have completed the plan for phase two of a multi-stage digital TV(DTV) transition in Nigeria. Having covered 100 percent of the Abuja municipality, the second phase will extend coverage to 95 percent of the population in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria.

The DVB-T2 system today delivers 30 national and up to six local channels of high-quality news, information and entertainment to

Primarily manufactured in the United States of America, ZeeVee products are employed worldwide by major organizations in education, government, medical and healthcare, hospitality, retail, sports, entertainment, broadcasting, housing, energy, esports and other industries.

FCT residents – as many as 200 free over-the-air channels are

ZeeVee has been a long-term trusted supplier and partner to all levels of government delivering missioncritical AV distribution to controls rooms, emergency operation centers and educational institutions.

Communications is working diligently to plan future expansions

TVAplus

Discovery Program sales reps The 24 Hour War

anticipated – with GatesAir high-efficiency ULXTE liquid-cooled transmitters powering all over-the-air DTV content delivery.

Comprehensive national coverage will eventually reach more than 50 million viewing homes and approximately 170 million people in 36 Nigerian states and the FCT, with a complete national digital switchover targeted for December 2021.

As the licensed signal distributor for Nigeria, Pinnacle of the service. This includes the rollout of low-power transmitters and gap fillers to fill out the terrestrial black spots in the FCT region and Kaduna state before moving onto other states.

Pinnacle Communications will leverage GatesAir’s expanded range of lower power systems, which GatesAir took ownership of following its recent acquisition of ONEtastic.

TVAplus

NAGRA Security Services Platform (SSP) is an advanced, flexible and modular security platform enabling security for all two-way use cases such as cable/IP, IPTV, OTT or any hybrid scenario. NAGRA SSP can be deployed in an operator’s private cloud environment or as a NAGRA cloud service with cloud.SSP, or in hybrid mode. It goes beyond CAS and multi-DRM enablement and allows to manage home domains, concurrent sessions, device authentication, forensic watermarking and other important aspects of a pay-TV operator’s service without having to resort to additional third-party solutions. With NAGRA SSP, pay-TV operators and content owners have the flexibility to introduce new service modules as they advance in their go-to-market strategy.

NAGRA multi-DRM as a service is part of the NAGRA Security Services Platform (SSP) and supports the main industry device and browser platform DRMs with PlayReady, Widevine and FairPlay, as well as NAGRA’s proprietary DRM, NAGRA PRM. TVAplus

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review

ZEE5 Global announces line-up for Onam Digital entertainment platform ZEE5 has curated a special lineup of content including films, new Malayalam Originals and Onamspecial episodes of popular reality shows and dramas especially for its global audiences on the occasion of Onam.

The exciting line-up includes the latest Malayalam blockbusters like the recent Malayalam hit, Madhura Raja starring South superstar Mammooty in the lead role, comedy film An International Local Love Story directed by actor turned director Harisree Ashokan, And the Oscar Goes to starring youth icon and star Tovina Thomas as well as the comedy of errors Children’s Park.

Adding to the Onam special are ZEE5 Malayalam Originals like; Goodasmitham, produced by renowned filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj and starring actress Amrutha Srinivasan of Meyaadha Maan fame, comedy series Utsaha Ithihasam as well as Malayalam dubbed editions of some hugely popular language originals like the Dia Mirza starrer Kaafir, Naseeruddin Shah starrer Zero KMS and Arjun Rampal starrer The Final Call, among others.

Meanwhile, viewers can also watch Onam specials on ZEE Keralam on ZEE5.

From a four-hour Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Keralam special which will feature the entire Sa Re Ga Ma Pa family, to festive specials of the popular drama Chembarathi, reality dance show Dance Kerala Dance and also introducing Boeing Boeing, a brand-new game show, there’s a lot to keep viewers glued. TVAplus

Discovery Program sales reps The 24 Hour War NEW, YORK, NY — Discovery Program Sales, the program licensing arm of Discovery, Inc., is distributing media rights worldwide to the criticallyacclaimed documentary, The 24 Hour War, from filmmakers Adam Carolla and Nate Adams.

The 24 Hour War examines one of the most famous battles in racing history.

It started in 1963 when Henry Ford II tried to buy Ferrari to save the ailing Ford Motor Company, which was being crushed by GM and the Corvette on the track and at the dealerships. Ferrari was the most successful racing team in the world at that time. After months of intense negotiation, Enzo Ferrari said no — refusing to allow Ford to interfere with what he loved the most: racing. Henry Ford II was furious and vowed to build a racecar that would dethrone Ferrari. Ford engineered a revolutionary racecar called the GT40.

The battle would be at the most famous race in the world, The 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Ferrari had reigned supreme for decades. In the 1960s only two teams ever won Le Mans, Ford and Ferrari — cementing dynasties that would last for generations.

On November 15th, Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in FORD v FERRARI, a film directed by James Mangold and based on the story told in The 24 Hour War. TVAplus

Timeline Television announces new BT Sport Production Project

Star TV to premiere Rabbit Films’ Globetrotters HELSINKI, FINLAND — Star TV, one of Greece’s largest commercial broadcasters, is set to premiere a local adaptation of the Rabbit Films’ original adventure reality format, Globetrotters. The Greek version – also called Globetrotters- will begin on Wednesday 9th October 2019 in a very competitive primetime slot

IBC, AMSTERDAM — Tedial, the leading independent MAM technology

at 9pm. The 12 x 90 mins series

solutions specialist, has announced that Timeline Television has selected

is produced by Star’s in-house production company Green Pixel.

its Evolution MAM platform to handle and orchestrate all the media processing and archiving workflows at BT Sport’s Stratford and BT Tower

Globetrotters follows local celebrities who are competing against each other to complete a number of tasks around the world. Each task will always be located in a new country, where the celebrity needs to travel by using any means necessary. The original version was a 10 x 60 mins series that aired on Nelonen Finland in 2018. The Finnish version featured three celebrities: singer Mikko Kuustonen, actor Jussi Vatanen and social media influencer Saara.

broadcast technology and services, widely recognized for reliability and trusted by UK networks, manages the BT Sport facility which includes three large TV studios, seven sports production galleries, a master control room, 20 edit suites, a dubbing theatre and an audience holding area.

Timeline Television required an enterprise MAM configuration for this BT Sport production project comprising sophisticated sports functionalities

The Greek version will differ from the original in that it will feature three pairs of celebrities: married couple singer Haris Varthakouris and presenter Adelina Varthakouris; Masterchef Greece chefs Christos Mparkas and Pantelis Vouros; as well as father and son duo consisting of football player Stelios Kritikos and model Michael Angelos Kritikos. The series will be presented by Petros Polychronidis.

facilities in London. Timeline Television, an industry-leading provider of

TVAplus

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incorporating live logging, live clipping, integration with BT Live and post-production environment systems as well as integration with the deep archive system. Further BT Sport requirements included the capability to allow the sports broadcaster to maintain its entire archive with one system.

It also wanted to give production users greater control of their workflow by allowing operators to independently restore content and have the ability to send content via IBM Aspera with ease.

TVAplus

review

EditShare Academy introduces new authorized training and certification programs

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS — EditShare, a technology leader that specializes in collaboration, security, and intelligent storage solutions for media creation and management, announced from the IBC2019 show floor the launch of EditShare Academy. A mix of instructor-led and e-learning courses designed to take students from beginner to expert in EditShare tools and workflows, the EditShare Academy offers sales and video professionals a structured curriculum that culminates in industry certification in one of three areas: EditShare Associate, EditShare Engineer, and EditShare Sales Professional. With EditShare the solution of choice to manage the exponential growth in video production, EditShare Academy gives sales engineers, IT managers and video professionals the confidence that systems are running at optimal performance and knowledge to maximize the return on investment.

Nippon TV finalizes fifth deal with MF Yapim

CANNES, FRANCE — Marking their fifth deal together, Nippon Television Network Corporation (Nippon TV), the leading commercial broadcaster network and production powerhouse in Japan, announced that MF Yapim, one of the leading production companies in Turkey, has acquired the scripted format rights to its leading one-hour drama series Abandoned. The company will be remaking the series in Turkish. This deal follows the four prior announcements between the companies including the Turkish remakes of Nippon TV’s scripted formats Mother (Anne in Turkey) which airs in almost 40 countries around the world, Woman – My Life for My Children – (Kadin in Turkey) which airs in over 30 countries globally, and My Son (Turkish title TBD) and OASIS – a love story – (Turkish title TBD). The announcement was made jointly today by Mr. Atsushi Sogo, President of International Business Development for Nippon TV, and Mr. Faruk Bayhan, CEO of MF Yapim.

EditShare Academy training and certification curriculum covers technical This new deal marks the second format deal for Abandoned which was operations and workflow for EditShare’s EFS high-performance shared previously sold to JSLGlobal Media in Thailand. The touching series featuring storage solutions, Flow media asset management (MAM) and QScan innocent small children abandoned automated quality control (AQC). by their parents streamed on Program tracks include: LINE TV across Thai from May • The EditShare Associate 2019, receiving tremendous Program: providing channel acclaim especially from the young partners and customers with demographic and creating immense foundational knowledge of feedback on social media. The Thai EditShare products, workflows After two successful series in the and solutions. adaptation recently won the award US, the new digital series The Voice: • The EditShare Engineer Comeback Stage is set to make its for “Best Drama for Family and Program: upon completion of mark in Europe. In the upcoming 9th Society” at Thai’s prestigious Maya this track, channel partners season of The Voice of Germany, Awards 2019. and customers will command scheduled to launch on September expert technical and operational 12th, talents who missed out on Abandoned is a touching drama knowledge of EditShare that chair turn or were eliminated seen through the eyes of children products and solutions. throughout the show, get a second facing the harsh reality of life in • The EditShare Sales chance to re-enter the main competition. German singer-songwriter Nico an orphanage. While facing many Professional Program: designed Santos will mentor the talents of The Voice: Comeback Stage and serve as the challenges, these young children for channel partners who fifth coach in the competition. long to be adopted. Only after actively support customers through the sales process and agreeing to become a member of The concept has multiple cross-overs between tv and online. After a fierce manage ongoing customer a new family, the orphans learn competition, 2 winners of the online series will join the actual live shows success. of their past given names. Are together with their coach, to compete against the other remaining talents for innocence and happiness lost the title ‘The Voice of Germany 2019’.

EditShare Academy training forever when abandoned, or will and certification is developed in these children ultimately find their In Germany the Comeback Stage is sponsored by SEAT and can be watched conjunction with CSMD Group, a place in the world? This series will online parallel to the 9th season which will be broadcast on Thursdays on global leader in building training take the viewers into the hearts ProSieben and on SAT.1 on Sundays. and certification programs with of children while displaying what exceptional end-user experiences it means for them to love and be Both The Voice and The Voice: Comeback Stage are locally produced by Talpa for both emerging and Fortune 500 loved. TVAplus customers. TVAplus Germany. TVAplus

The Voice:Comeback Stage heads to Germany

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New Multi-Facted Vet/ Adventure Doco Series to Air on Nine Network Australia & UKTV Outback Vet the new factual series from indie Australian production house Projucer and Cinematographer Tim Small that takes viewers on a journey through premium, cinematic and emotive experiences with animals across Australia’s magnificent north-west region of WA, is set to screen on UKTV’s Eden Channel and on Australia’s Nine Network (the series is titled Desert Vet in Australia).

Eden Channel will premiere the series at 7pm weekdays from December 2 and the Nine Network will premiere the series at 8.30pm each Wednesday from December 4. The series has also screened in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe on ViaSat’s Nature Channel.

Projucer’s Matty Roberts is co-creator/writer/exec producer/director of the series. Roberts founded Projucer with Joshua Capelin in September 2012 to create original multi-platform TV shows and digital content.

Projucer has partnered with Cinematographer Tim Small as co-director for the Outback Vet series.

Matty promises audiences will be introduced to the most incredible vet you’ve never heard of in Rick Fenny as he undergoes his day-to-day vet work across 5,500km of harsh desert and within remote outback towns.

And alongside Rick, viewers will follow unique animal encounters with his Marine Biologist son Ed and daughter Louisa, who is also a vet.

Across four dramatic episodes, this family and a host of fellow vets, pet owners and other unique characters to the remote parts of Western Australia will reveal the wild charm of the region’s fauna and lifestyle; from the land to the sea.

Matty describes the show as “Dr Pol meets Mad Max, Bondi Vet meets Outback Wrangler, with incredibly diverse vision of Western Australia’s land and sea as its backdrop.”

“It’s a show that Projucer and our broadcasters are confident both

CAKE launched Netflix original

Australian and international audiences will love, taking them into wilderness areas rich with Australia’s unique flora and fauna, as well as giving them unreal access to highly emotive animal stories, from the moment a pug is rushed into the vet clinic after being bitten by a deadly brown snake, to three men on a small boat accidentally hooking a three metre Tiger Shark and having to drag it onboard to release it humanely.

This show has got everything!”

Outback Vet was produced using Projucer’s innovative reverseengineered funding model, with Sci-fleet Motors, Hills Pet Nutrition and Vetpay featuring as major partners of the show, alongside the broadcasters.

Matty Roberts and Joshua Capelin of Projucer have partnered with emerging Australian DOP/Cinematographer Tim Small to co-create and co-direct the series.

Outback Vet is distributed globally by Parade Media’s Matthew Ashcroft.

Outback Vet/Desert Vet was ordered by Nine Network Australia, with pre-investment from UKTV. The deal was brokered domestically by Projucer’s co-founder Matty Roberts and Nine Network’s Hamish Turner, and in the UK by UKTV’s acquisitions manager, Charlie Charalambous, and Parade Media’s CEO, Matthew Ashcroft.

Acquisitions Manager for UKTV, Charlie Charalambous, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Parade and Projucer on another amazing series. The gripping animal stories and fantastic shooting locations will create a wonderful show that’s perfect for Eden and its viewers.” TVAplus

Legend Quest (26 x 25’), which was created by leading Mexican studio Anima premiered successfully on Netflix in 2017 in 190 countries and was the first animated Netflix original series to be produced in Latin America. Under the agreement, CAKE will handle worldwide distribution excluding LatAm. The title is available in 18 languages.

Legend Quest (26 x 25’) follows 12-year old Leo, a reluctant hero who joins forces with a supernatural group of misfits when his hometown mysteriously vanishes into another dimension: Don Andrés, an eccentric yet amicable old knight; the unflappable Teodora, Alebrije, a shape-shifting, mythological creature; and Finado and Moribunda, two lively, ever charming sugar candy skulls. Together, this intrepid group travel across the globe on a magical ship across time to the most famous and mystical places on Earth to defend the world against evil forces in this Mexican folklore inspired fantasy adventure comedy series.

Based on the characters created by Ricardo Arnaiz and the very

LONDON — Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE, has

successful Las Leyendas film franchise created by Mexico’s Anima,

announced it will bring Netflix Original Legend Quest to MIPCOM this

Legend Quest is executive produced by Fernando de Fuentes and

year.

Jose C. Garcia de Letona of Anima, (Cleo & Cuquin and Here Comes The Grump).

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TVAplus

review

A+E Networks® International Distributes its First SpanishLanguage Scripted Series to the Global Marketplace HERNÁN NEW YORK — A+E Networks® International has signed a deal for the global distribution of Hernán, a scripted series jointly produced by Spain’s Onza Entertainment and Dopamine, a unit of Mexico’s Grupo Salinas, for distribution in the global market, it was announced today by Patrick Vien, Group Managing Director, International, A+E Networks International.

The new deal marks a watershed moment in the expanding scope of A+E Networks International’s growing IP distribution business. Hernán becomes the first Spanish-language series to be distributed by A+E, adding to a continued period of growth for the company in the international scripted coproduction and foreign-language space across many territories, cultures and languages. A+E will work with Dopamine and Onza Entertainment to distribute the series all around the world, including Latin America, Mexico, and Spain.

Last Spring, A+E gave a formal series order to crime drama Miss Scarlet and the Duke, its first international scripted co-production. Other new productions now in development will be announced in 2020.

“Hernan effectively expands the scope of A+E International’s commitment to building our co-production and international IP distribution businesses,” said Vien. “We could not be prouder to work with our partners, Dopamine and Onza Entertainment, to bring this epic series to the global marketplace.

“The series takes the brightest talent and highest production values to accurately tell the story of Hernán, a man of total contradictions. What the show does is not only allow you to understand the man and his loves, but the

Turkish Series and Film Exports Win an Award at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

cultural implications of his actions,” Vien added.

Amazon Latin America will premiere Hernán November 21, 2019, followed by a run on HISTORY Latin America and TV Azteca 24 hours later. Additional distribution details will be announced soon. Season 2 is now in pre-production with production scheduled to begin January 2020.

Hernán stars Óscar Jaenada as 16th century conquistador and explorer Hernán Cortés, and chronicles how he paved his way to the Americas and became the founding father of Mexico during its colonization by Spanish forces. Each of the eight episodes in its first season is masterfully told through the eyes of the people who lived, loved, and led during those years of exploration. Battles are fought and won, alliances are broken, and the spoils of war lead to a vast new world that connects two civilizations for the first time, forever changing the course of history.

Hernán is an epic drama of the conquest of continental America and the meeting of two civilizations led by Captain Hernán Cortés. In 1519, just over 500 Spaniards left Cuba for an as yet unknown destination: what is now modern Mexico. Thus began one of the most dramatic acts in the history of humanity: the conquest of continental America, and the meeting of two civilizations that would change the course of history. Captain Hernán Cortés led the expedition.

Brilliant, seductive, diplomatic, tyrannical, a great military and political strategist, loyal subject to the Spanish Crown and yet also a rebel. Much can be said about the legacy of Hernán Cortés, but no one can deny that he is the father of modern Mexico and, above all, the father of the miscegenation that is the hallmark of Latin America today.

Throughout the series, viewers will discover the story of Hernan the man, explaining how the conquest of an entire continent was shaped by his particular character and charisma. From this personal epic tale, we will approach the epic drama of the discovery of another civilization, the Misoamerican, and the collision between the two. The series relates the story of the Conquest from a subjective point of view, through its principle characters and, specifically, that of its main protagonist, Hernán Cortés.

Embracing the polemic, embracing the chiaroscuro, embracing the man who was the eye of the hurricane – a hurricane he himself caused – in the name of the King of Spain. But, above all, for himself. TVAplus Global Agency CEO Izzet Pinto received the outstanding achievement award at the TOA Awards 2019, one of America’s most prestigious award ceremonies, for his contributions to Turkey’s cultural promotion and his role in bringing Turkish series to the world. At the award ceremony in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, opposite the White House, Izzet Pinto was the only person from abroad to be honored with the outstanding achievement award.

The TOA Awards, which have brought a new attitude and momentum to relations between Turkey and the United States, this year bestowed an award for the first time to the series and film export sector. As a result of the intense work and research of the TurkOfAmerica Association, the TOA Awards are given to Turks and Americans who have made a name for themselves with international outstanding achievement in the fields of business, culture, society and academia.

Izzet Pinto is the CEO of Global Agency, the largest global exporter of Turkish films and series, and he received his award from the former U.S. Secretary of the Interior (2017-2019) Ryan Zinke. “Receiving such an award at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, I am very honored, and I think that Turkish series have a positive impact in relations between the two countries as a result of Turkey’s cultural power,” Pinto said. “I believe that us being the second biggest exporter of series in the world after America will be positive in opening a path for other sectors and will give support to many other export areas. At the same time, this success gives extra importance to culture exports,” he added. TVAplus

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A+E Network signs new Dutch Filmworks launches broadcasters for Project new international sales Blue Book season 2 division

NEW YORK — Building on the global success of its hit drama series Project

Blue Book, Executive Produced by Robert Zemeckis, A+E Networks has signed a new slate of broadcasters for Season 2.

Additional markets include Viasat World (15+ Pan CEE markets) and RTL (Germany), both of which also picked up Season 1 of hit UFO drama series Project Blue Book, it was announced today by Richard Tulk-Hart, Managing Director, International Content Sales & Co-productions, A+E Networks.

The new broadcasters join those previously announced for the all-new 10-episode second season of Project Blue Book and brings the total number of countries airing the series to 165.

Broadcasters include Sci Fi Channel Europe (UK), Corus (Canada), SBS (Australia), TVNZ (New Zealand), U-Next (Japan), HISTORY (Korea, Latin America, Japan and Southeast Asia), HISTORY TV18 (India), OTE (Greece), Manoto (Farsi speaking diaspora), Mesimvria (Cyprus), and Showmax (Africa), TNT (Spain), Warner TV via EuroTV (France), D’Live (South Korea), Vietnam Satellite Digital Television Company (Vietnam), and CIS Yandex (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan).

From A+E Studios and executive produced by Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future, Contact), the 20-episode drama series is based on the true, top-secret investigations into Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) and related phenomena conducted by the United States Air Force in the 1950s and 60s and stars Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) and Michael Malarkey (The Vampire Diaries).

In the U.S., Project Blue Book is the #1 new series on cable this TV season, averaging 3.2 million total viewers in Live+7 delivery. During season 1, HISTORY was cable’s #1 entertainment network on Tuesday nights with total viewers. TVAplus

THE NETHERLANDS — Dutch FilmWorks (DFW), one of the largest independent distributors of filmed entertainment in the Benelux region, announced the official launch of its new international sales division DFW International.

Dutch FilmWorks has formed DFW International as a result of the company’s commitment to investing in local film and TV productions, acting as a co-producer or financier for titles such as The Resistance Banker and Undercover, the first Dutch language series exclusively available on Netflix worldwide.

DFW International will focus exclusively on the worldwide sales of TV Drama Series, Feature Films, Documentaries and Kids Programming, creating a unique window to showcase some of the finest productions emanating from the vibrant Benelux region.

The new operation is spearheaded by Angela Pruijssers, VP International Sales and Distribution. Also forming part of the sales team is Charlotte Henskens, Director International Sales, who joined recently from Fortissimo Films.

Leading up to MIPCOM, DFW Internationall unveiled a selection of gripping titles such as crime dramas Women of the Night(10 x 45’) a Dutch series with international allure, set in the world of high-class escort and crime, Stanley (4 x 50’) based on the life of one of the most infamous criminals in the Netherlands, Stanley Hillis, who went from bank robber to hardened drugs criminal, The Art Dispute (8 x 50’), a thought-provoking documentary series examining the topical issue surrounding stolen art and artefacts, questioning ownership and historical legacy, and an endearing kid’s animation The Daily Fable (4 x 25’) which follows the hilarious adventures of a motley crew of feathered and furry animal inhabitants who live in Fableland. TVAplus

Foxtel selects CommScope to help redefine TV Cottonwood Media viewing in Australia appoints licensing agent for Find Me In Paris

SINGAPORE — CommScope announced its continued partnership with Foxtel, Australia’s leading Pay TV operator, to bring The New Foxtel Experience to subscribers across the country.

The New Foxtel Experience leverages CommScope technology to deliver thousands of hours of TV and on-demand movies as well as access to Netflix for subscribers through Foxtel’s iQ4 set-top box. Whether subscribers are streaming videos, recording live programming, or browsing through Foxtel’s massive ondemand library, the iQ4 makes it simple to get everything they want all in one place.

CommScope’s Professional Services group worked with Foxtel to deliver the iQ4’s full-stack software platform, which integrates to multiple back-office systems to provide a seamless broadcast and IP connected user experience. The iQ4combines broadcast satellite and IP capabilities in a single, powerful device capable of delivering 4K broadcast resolution, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and a 1TB harddrive—allowing subscribers to watch what they want, when they want, the way it was meant to be watched.

“Our work with Foxtel highlights our continued leadership and combined expertise in professional services and software integration,” said Steve McCaffery, senior vice president of Services Providers, International, CommScope. “We are setting a new standard for the television experience by combining the latest technology in support of the growing number of video formats that consumers enjoy. Foxtel’s new iQ4 user interface brings it all together in a single, seamless experience, and we’re delighted by its positive reception in Australia.” TVAplus

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PARIS, FRANCE — Premium European Kids content producer Cottonwood Media, (a Federation Kids & Family company), announced a new partnership with L.A. based Beacon Rock Growth for the hit tween drama series Find Me In Paris.

In coordination with Cottonwood Media, Beacon Rock Growth will serve as licensing agent responsible for the development of Find Me In Paris branded licensed products and merchandise throughout the U.S. and Canada, effective immediately.

The deal was brokered by Ana Micoud, who leads Cottonwood’s licensing business through her company The Wizards.

Currently airing on Hulu (US) and CBC (Canada), Find Me In Paris has already sold into a staggering 130 countries and currently broadcasts in over 80 territories worldwide!

The roll-out of licensing activities in the U.S. and Canada will be managed by Johanna Mooney, Founder of Beacon Rock Growth. A thought leader with an impressive track record that spans 20 years, Johanna previously held leadership positions at The Walt Disney Company forging multiple global partnerships for various high-profile properties.

With Season 3 already well underway, FIND ME IN PARIS (78 x 26’) is a premium hit tween series that combines world-class ballet, modern dance, drama and comedy. It follows the story of Lena Grisky, a time-travelling ballet dancer from 1905 Russia trapped in modern day Paris, and the many dilemmas she faces finding her place between two worlds.

review Find Me In Paris is produced by David Michel, Zoé Carrera Allaix, and Cecile Lauritano (Cottonwood Media) and co-produced with ZDF, ZDF Enterprises, Be-Films and the Opera National de Paris. Written, and co-executive produced by Jill Girling and Lori Mather-Welch (creators of Nickelodeon’s hit series Ride), with Leila Smith as Executive Producer, Find Me In Paris is directed by Matt Bloom (Emmy Award-Winning Hank Zipzer, and Disney’s The Lodge), along with heavyweight Irish directing team Ronan and Robert Burke (TV3’s hit show Ed Rock, Netflix’s Free Rein, animated series Roy and Damo & Ivor: The Movie).

Find Me In Paris is distributed worldwide by Federation Kids & Family (excluding Germany, GST and Scandinavia which is handled by ZDF Enterprises). Various seasons of the 12-million-euro time-traveling ballet series have already been snapped up by a plethora of international broadcasters such as France Télévisions and Disney (France and Italy), NBC Universal and Hulu (USA), ABC (Australia), VRT (Belgium), RAI (Italy), Quebecor (French speaking Canada) , HBO (Portugal), Hot TV (Israel), and SVOD service Showmax (South Africa), to name a few. TVAplus

ZTE and China Unicorn win Best Network Intelligence Award at Broadband Awards 2019

ZENIC ONE is developed based on the micro-service architecture. It is the industry’s first SDN system integrating intelligent network management, control, orchestration, warranty and analysis based on the cloud native concept. ZENIC ONE covers all transport network 4G/5G scenarios, including PTN/SPN, IP/IPRAN, OTN and slicing. It is designed to offer more intelligent network management and control capabilities to the transport network.

ZENIC ONE was rated “Very Strong” by GlobalData in “WAN SDN Controller: Competitive Landscape Assessment” released in October 2019. By August 2019, ZENIC ONE had obtained 94 patents. It had been included in the proposals of nearly 70 international standards, and utilized in over 20 research projects of well-known universities.

The Broadband Awards recognise the very best in broadband and highlight the achievements in next-generation communications, applications, services, strategies & more.

ZTE is a provider of advanced telecommunications systems, mobile devices, and enterprise technology solutions to consumers, carriers, companies and public sector customers. As part of ZTE’s strategy, the company is committed to providing customers with integrated end-to-end innovations to deliver excellence and value as the telecommunications and information technology sectors converge. Listed in the stock exchanges of Hong Kong and Shenzhen (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), ZTE sells its products and services in more than 160 countries.

To date, ZTE has obtained 25 commercial 5G contracts in major markets such as Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle Eastand Africa (MEA). ZTE commits 10 per cent of its annual revenue to research and development and has leadership roles in international standard-setting organizations. TVAplus

Fremantle global commissions new reality-dating format Fremantle announces its first global commissions for the new reality-dating format Five Guys a Week. Created by Label1 for Channel 4 in the UK, the unique new format has stolen the hearts of RTL4 in Holland and TV4 in Sweden, who are set to produce local versions respectively, following deals led by Fremantle. A commission in France is to be announced soon.

SHENZHEN, CHINA — ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of

telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, today announced that ZTE and Guangdong branch of China Unicom have won Best Network Intelligence Award at Broadband Awards 2019 held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands by virtue of Intelligent Configuration Check Based on “Role Fingerprint”.

Based on ZTE’s transport integrated management and control product- ZENIC ONE, the solution adopts the industry-leading AI algorithm and automation technology to allow the intelligent configuration check of transport network devices. The solution boosts great capability of improving the configuration check efficiency by 90%, and the abnormal configuration identification rate to 85%, thereby significantly raising the operation and maintenance efficiency.

Five Guys a Week transforms the first-date experience into the ultimate test of romance and compatibility, whilst putting the woman in control.

Fast-tracking the “getting to know you” period, one single girl invites five guys who are looking for love to move into her home and live with her for a week, all at the same time, all under one roof. In theory, the guys all meet the single girl’s exacting standards, but are any of them boyfriend material? Throughout the week, the suitors will compete for her affection and go everywhere with her together: whether that’s out with her friends, or for dinner with her parents, with a combination of fixed rig

The “Role Fingerprint”-based intelligent configuration check developed by ZTE and Guangdong branch of China Unicom uses the AI algorithm to extract the configuration structure feature of the device from the existing network configuration data to generate the device’s role fingerprint.

and roaming cameras capturing all the action. Each day, she will have to

The intelligent configuration check builds up protocol model based on AI knowledge graph, and implements self-learning of the network roles of the devices, so as to discover configuration errors in advance. This function involves semantic recognition, data mining, and big data analysis.

Label1 have been part of the Fremantle family since 2017, when the

Moreover, it employs various AI technologies, such as NLP and knowledge graph, to change the traditional manual configuration check method. Consequently, the automatic configuration check shortens the traditional way from 90 man-days to 7 man-days, effectively improving the configuration check efficiency and the configuration risk identification rate.

Five Guys a Week joins Fremantle’s family of successful dating formats,

eliminate one of them, whittling them down to the last man standing. But who will turn out to be her perfect match?

global distributor and producer took a minority stake in the UK factual indie.

sitting alongside the most travelled dating title of all time, Take Me Out, the genre-defining Hear Me. Love Me. See Me and the iconic Farmer Wants a Wife. TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 35

review

Telekomsel Enhances High-Quality Content on Maxstream with Launch of HBO Go •

Telkomsel is the first cellular operator in Indonesia to offer HBO GO

•

Customers will be able to enjoy HBO GO blockbuster

CHESEAUX, SWITZERLAND,

movies and award-winning

AND PHOENIX (AZ), USA —

series on MAXstream •

NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (KUD.S)

Special MAXstream data

company and the world’s leading

plans are available to enjoy

independent provider of content

HBO GO

protection and multiscreen television solutions, and

JAKARTA, INDONESIA —

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.,

Telkomsel has announced a

the market leader in consumer

collaboration with WarnerMedia

electronics, today announced

Entertainment Networks to

that HD PLUS GmbH, a subsidiary

launch HBO GO on MAXstream,

of satellite provider SES, is the

the telco’s one-stop video portal.

first operator to deploy TVkey

Telkomsel is the first cellular

Cloud on its HD+ satellite

operator company in Indonesia

platform.

to offer HBO GO service and the launch enables its customers

TVkey Cloud is the cloud-based

to enjoy blockbuster movies

direct-to-TV security solution

anytime, anywhere with a

co-developed by NAGRA and

number of data plans.

Samsung that brings pay-TV services directly to internet-

Director of Marketing at Telkomsel Rachel Goh says, “Telkomsel is very excited about the collaboration. HBO GO on MAXstream allows us to feature world-class content such as blockbusters and award-winning series, and increase customer experience.”

Rachel adds that the collaboration demonstrates Telkomsel’s commitment as a digital telco company to always focus on its customer by providing solutions and digital services.

“There is high demand from our customers for video-ondemand streaming services.

The video traffic penetration has increased by 62% from total traffic within our network, and now contributes 60% overall. We also realize that there has been high demand from our customers for HBO GO content. Our collaboration with WarnerMedia is our effort to accommodate customer needs as well as

HD+ in Germany deploys TVkey Cloud

connected Smart TVs equipped provide added value to video

7GB; as well as Halo Play starting

with market-proven TVkey

streamers in Indonesia.”

from IDR 110,000 which includes

hardware root of trust.

access from MAXstream, HBO “This partnership allows a whole

GO, Viu, and Vidio Premier

TVkey Cloud enables HD+ to

new consumer base in Indonesia

Gold for 30 days and internet

deliver an operator-branded

to enjoy our premium selection

package, SMS and phone calls.

TV User Interface with HD+ own so-called HD+ Komfort-

of movies and TV series,” said Clement Schwebig, Managing

To enjoy the content, customers

Funktion (value-added service)

Director of WarnerMedia

can simply download MAXstream

with instant restart of programs,

Entertainment Networks,

for free on the Play Store and the

access to 7-day-catch-up TV

Southeast Asia, Pacific and

App Store. Today, MAXstream

and an innovative TV guide.

China, which operates HBO

has been downloaded 20 million

Additional value-added services

in Asia. “HBO GO on the

times, which makes MAXstream

like VOD and cloud DVR can be

MAXstream bundle will offer the

a one-stop video portal and

implemented through the TVkey

very best in movies, drama and

marketplace that integrates

Cloud framework.

comedy, as well as kids’ content

video content from various OTT

and the biggest fan-favourites.”

partners.

As part of the launch, Telkomsel

“Going forward, MAXstream

the increasing number of

offers three MAXstream HBO

will continue to improve

internet-connected Smart TVs to

GO data plans for prepaid and

our customer satisfaction

combine the security capabilities

postpaid customers: MAXstream

by providing educational,

of the TVkey embedded

HBO GO IDR 60,000 includes

informative, and entertaining

hardware root of trust in the

5GB MAXstream quota valid

content for all market segments.

TV with sophisticated security

for 30 days; MAXstream Gala

Telkomsel will also continue to

management systems in the

starting from IDR 69,000 which

accelerate the digital experience

cloud, enabling compliance with

includes access to content

through various products and

MovieLabs requirements for

from MAXstream, HBO GO, Viu,

services according to customer

Enhanced Content Protection

and Vidio Gold for 30 days and

needs,” Rachel concluded.

of 4K Ultra HD, HDR, and early

MAXstream quota starting from

TVAplus

release content. TVAplus

Jointly defined by NAGRA and Samsung, TVkey Cloud leverages

36 | television asia plus november-december 2019

review

HOOQ boosts content offerings with Asian eSports, Tech Innovations and Inspiring Startup Stories from TechStorm in its First-in-Asia Partnership

Dreamworks Announces Asian Premier of Brandnew Series - Cleopatra in Space

SINGAPORE — DreamWorks – NBCUniversal International Networks’ 24-hour HD channel dedicated to kids and family entertainment – today announced the Asian premiere of the animated television series Cleopatra in Space. The brand-new series will be available in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, the Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan* from November 25.

TechStorm, the world’s first 24/7 HD channel featuring Asian eSports, techinnovations and entrepreneurial startup stories today announced its first videos will

be

available

made-for-mobile

Asian

original

on HOOQstarting 25 November

2019.

This partnership announcement will see its first-in-Asia premiere of TechStorm originals Storm Bytes, magazine stylevideos on a wide-rangingthemes including eSports, tech reviews, gadget reviews and startup ecosystem chatter on mobile, all available to HOOQ’s subscriber base acrossIndonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

“Asia’s mobile millennials are in for a real treat with our trendy mobile videos covering topics that reflect the dreams,aspirations and interestsof our Asian audience.

Based on the award-winning graphic novel series by Mike Maihack and executive produced by Doug Langdale (The Adventures of Puss in Boots) and Scott Kreamer (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), Cleopatra in Space is a comedic adventure focussing on the untold story of Cleopatra’s teenage years. Viewers can follow Cleo as she is transported 30,000 years into the future, to an Egyptian-themed planet that is ruled by talking cats and where she discovers she is the prophesied saviour of the future world. In order to prepare for her role and mission, Cleo is sent to an elite academy where she has to train to take on the bad guys, figure out how to eventually get herself back home to Egypt, as well as tackling the highs and lows of being a teenager in high school.

The first season finds Cleo learning to adjust to her new school, meeting friends and trying to fit in. In addition to her training, she must also figure out the identity of a spy who is sent to the school by Octavian, her evil nemesis, and uncover what is up with her mysterious

HOOQ subscribers will get to watch latest gadget review

pink glowing powers (that only seem to kick in when she gets

videos, exhilarating innovations never-before-seen, eSports

homesick!) With the help of some new friends and a feline mentor, Cleo

game reviews, stories of the gaming heroesand tales

learns what it takes to be a great leader, all while trying to figure out life

of unicorn makers. Willy Foo, TechStorm’s exclusive tech

as a teen.

celebrity influencer will host Storm Bytesand give his personal take on the pan-Asian tech scene,”says Debbie Lee, Founder &

Watch the adventures that shaped Cleopatra into the awesome, kick-

CEO of TechStorm.

butt queen we read about in our history books today. Great leaders have to earn their place in history by forging their own stories. And this

Jennifer Batty, Chief Content Officer, HOOQ says, “HOOQ’s fast growing footprint cuts across a projected 2.6 billion millennial generation in Asia by 2020. We are always on the lookout for Asian content that bringsa fresh and unique approach toentertainment.With this first-in-Asia partnership HOOQ customers get unlimited access to TechStorm’s Storm Bytesseries on our free tier with new content drops every week.” TVAplus

is Cleopatra’s.

Cleopatra in Space joins a line-up of fan favourite shows on DreamWorks, including Trolls: The Beat Goes On!, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, and Dragons: Race to the Edge.

Cleopatra in Space premieres November 25 with episodes at 6.00pm daily on DreamWorks available on StarHub TV Ch 307 and 606. TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 37

review

Gusto TV to Launch on Freebie TV in the US OTTAWA, CANADA — Gusto Worldwide Media is pleased to announce that Gusto TV will be launching on AVOD platform Freebie TV. With millions of hours viewed monthly, Freebie TV is available on Roku to its US based audience.

Viewers will soon be able to stream over 70 hours of Gusto content, any time and without a subscription.

A delicious disrupter, Gusto TV has been spreading its love of food with launches on several major platforms in the US, UK, and Latin America. Most recently, Gusto TV celebrated its one-year anniversary in Singapore. Keeping up with its momentum, Gusto’s sales team will be heading off to IBC, MIPCOM, and ATF to meet with new channel partners and to explore creating localized content where Gusto TV is available. TVAplus

Globecast partners with PSSI Global Services

NAGRA and DIGI | RCS & RDS provide cardless content protection in Romania and Hungary CHESEAUX-SUR-LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND, AND PHOENIX (AZ), USA — NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (KUD.S) company and the world’s leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, announced that cable and satellite operator DIGI | RCS & RDS, the largest pay-TV service provider in Central and Eastern Europe, has deployed NAGRA cardless content protection technology in a conditional access module (CAM) by SmarDTV in Romania and Hungary.

The launch marks the first cardless CAM deployment for NAGRA. The cardless technology is based on a new generation NAGRA CAS backend that accommodates the seamless co-existence of smartcard and cardless security clients to secure the operator’s services. DIGI | RCS & RDS first deployed cardbased CAMs in 2013.

The NAGRA cardless CAM, developed by SmarDTV, boasts an innovative plastic casing with customized branding for RCS & RDS, allowing differentiation at the retail point of sale. Integrated with NAGRA content protection and adhering to the DVB CI Plus standard, the cardless CAM enables pay-TV operators to deliver premium content directly to integrated TV sets (iDTV) through broadcast or broadband IP networks without the need for a set-top box while meeting security requirements from the Hollywood studios.

TVAplus

LOS ANGELES — Globecast, the global solutions provider for media, announces that it’s partnering with PSSI Global Services, provider of comprehensive event, transmission and connectivity solutions, to enhance media distribution and contribution services for its customers. These include global distribution of news and sporting events, US teleport backup services, and expanded international programming in the US.

The Voice Senior premieres in Netherlands

As part of the deal, Globecast has acquired the Galaxy 19 international channel business from PSSI, which includes three Ku-band satellite transponders and associated customers. This arrangement augments Globecast’s already extensive Galaxy 19 suite of customers and increases Globecast’s commitment to the international channel market by 60 percent. PSSI’s International Teleport will work with Globecast to provide services to the Galaxy 19 customer community as part of this project.

The partnership will also enhance services for customers needing international contribution and distribution of news and sporting events: Globecast will utilize PSSI’s International Teleport and PSSI’s industry-leading fleet of SNG vehicles.

Globecast and PSSI previously worked together on the distribution of live events produced by PSSI/Strategic Television. This new deal will expand the international distribution opportunities for both companies and further positions Globecast as the leader in satellite-delivered transnational television programming.

The Galaxy 19 deal closed in July, with PSSI’s International teleport continuing to provide operational support to customers and Globecast, while Globecast’s Culver City Media Center will now support PSSI’s International Teleport with additional products and services. TVAplus

38 | television asia plus november-december 2019

The second series of The Voice Senior kicked off on RTL4 in the Netherlands last Friday evening and scored fantastic ratings. With almost 1.5 million viewers, the first episode was number 1 in key demo (bds 20-49) with a 26.8% market share.

Alongside the success in the Western World, the heartwarming format continues its span internationally, with the most recent new commission in Cambodia for the format, with broadcaster Hang Meas. This brings the total number of territories that have licensed the show to 11, ranging from the Middle East to Germany to Mexico. In Spain, Germany, Thailand, Belgium and Russia second seasons have been confirmed. TVAplus

review

Telstra, Magna Systems, Summit Tech and Igloo forms partnership

System diagram for the live, 8K VR streaming over Telstra’s 5G network

end-to-end VR content event management solution for live events and concerts, AR conference calls and telepresence. RCS VR Live, 8K VR streaming over Telstra’s 5G network

MELBOURNE — At this year’s Telstra Vantage showcase, Telstra, broadcast and telecoms specialists Magna Systems and their technology partner Summit Tech delivered an Australian first providing live, 8K VR streaming over Telstra’s 5G network with images captured by a Kandao Obsidan R 8K camera from the Gold Coast to viewers in Melbourne.

Visitors to the Telstra Vantage showcase experienced immersive real-time streaming with 5G Voice and Video Calling when stepping into a shared VR cylinder designed by immersive VR and audio-visual specialists Igloo Vision, where they were transported to a beach on the Gold Coast while sharing the experience via carrier-based video calling (IR.94).

Using an outside broadcast truck from scalable OB and fly away specialists Blue Garage TV situated on the Gold Coast, Summit Tech designed a capture and encoding system which can be setup in any location with 5G coverage and began transmitting

Odience enhances the VR calling experience for both the content creators and viewers.

On location content creators manage live events with features such as video calls projected onto video walls or domes situated at the venue, creating Virtual Spectators, connecting viewers to Front Row VR performers and more.

TVAplus

MEZZO partners with THEMA

AFremantle announces its first global commissions for the new reality-dating format Five Guys a Week. Created

by Label1 for Channel 4 in the UK, the unique new Yannick Nézet-Séguin © Marco Borggreve format has stolen the hearts of RTL4 in Holland and TV4 in Sweden, who are set to produce local versions respectively, following deals led by Fremantle. A commission in France is to be announced soon.

to viewers equipped with the Summit Tech RCS VR Odience application, a platform for 5G based live event streaming.

Viewers could access the live stream on 4G, 5G or Wi-Fi and interact with their contacts through Rich Communication Services (RCS) and social media.

For 5G networks, Summit RCS VR Calling supports Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) with 8K 360 video streams and IR.39 HD Video Conferencing (HDVC). Through the RCS VR Odience platform, an

Five Guys a Week transforms the first-date experience into the ultimate test of romance and compatibility, whilst putting the woman in control. Fast-tracking the “getting to know you” period, one single girl invites five guys who are looking for love to move into her home and live with her for a week, all at the same time, all under one roof. In theory, the guys all meet the single girl’s exacting standards, but are any of them boyfriend material?

Throughout the week, the suitors will compete for her affection and go everywhere with her together: whether that’s out with her friends, or for dinner with her parents, with a combination of fixed rig and roaming cameras capturing all the action. Each day, she will have to eliminate one of them, whittling them down to the last man standing. But who will turn out to be her perfect match?

Label1 have been part of the Fremantle family since 2017, when the global distributor and producer took a minority stake in the UK factual indie.

The OB on the Gold Coast

Five Guys a Week joins Fremantle’s family of successful dating formats, sitting alongside the most travelled dating title of all time, Take Me Out, the genre-defining Hear Me. Love Me. See Me and the iconic Farmer Wants a Wife. TVAplus

november-december 2019 television asia plus | 39

review

DocuBay signs multiple acquisition deals at MIPCOM CANNES, FRANCE — DocuBay, the premium international documentary Membership VOD service by IN10 Media, signed multiple acquisition deals with Arte Distribution (France), France tv distribution (France), and Scorpion TV (UK) during MIPCOM, the world’s largest entertainment content market held in Cannes, France. The licensed films will be available on DocuBay for worldwide streaming (in English or English subtitles) in 180+

history and mainstream acceptance of tattoos from artists all over the world including Jean Paul Gauthier, Dennis Rodman, and Kat Von D; Geek Planet: The Irresistible Rise of a Generation, a feature that chronicles the rise of Geek culture, including comic books, cos play, science fiction, and fantasy; Father’s Birth, a feature that follows the story of a gay couple in France who are unable to have a child travel

countries beginning November.

to Wisconsin, USA to explore surrogacy.

Notable titles acquired include:

France tv: Sleeping in Nature, a feature that explores how animals

Arte Distribution: Tattoos, a feature that covers the rebellious

in the wild sleep in their unpredictable environments; Elizabeth II: A Queen’s Revolution, a feature that chronicles the history and evolution of the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II; and Living with Wolves, a feature that explores the deep history and fascination with wolves, one of the world’s fiercest creatures that have fought with humans over territory for thousands of years.

Scorpion TV: Shelter, directed by two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple, follows the on-the-ground work of Veterans Resource Center in California that helps veterans who suffer from the psychological trauma of war; Edge of Obedience, a feature that explores artistic expression, cultural taboos, and religious freedom through the story of Ahmad Zakii Anwar, one of Malaysia’s most provocative artists; Cannabis to Save My Life, follows the story of Patricia Crone and her journey to test cannabis as a treatment for her brain cancer.

W9 acquires new Australian drama LONDON — Independent UK based distributor DCD Rights’ compelling new drama The Hunting has been acquired by French broadcaster, W9, at MIPCOM. A new four-part drama series, The Hunting, is a Closer Production presented by SBS Broadcasting Australia & Screen Australia in association with the South Australia Film Corporation. The Hunting made its market debut at MIPTV earlier this year.

When two high school teachers discover students are sharing explicit photos of their underage friends and peers online, the revelation has unbearable consequences for the students and their families. Starring Sam Reid (Lambs of God, Bloom, Prime Suspect 1973), Jessica de Gouw (Underground, Dracula, Arrow), Asher Keddie (The Cry, Offspring, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Richard Roxburgh (Rake, Hacksaw Ridge, Mission: Impossible II),The Hunting (4 x 60’) tackles themes of misogyny, privacy, sexuality and sexualisation, online exploitation, toxic masculinity and gender. The series uses this singular event as a way of exploring some of the most pressing issues of our time and offering a vital portrait of modern, multicultural Australia. TVAplus

40 | television asia plus november-december 2019

TVAplus

Primitives and Talpa Network to launch new format Primitives and Talpa Network brought Belgian format Homo Universalis to MIPCOM 2019 as new primetime entertainment format 99 to Beat. The format will launch in December on SBS6 in The Netherlands and in January on één, the first channel of Belgian public broadcaster VRT. Together with distributor Primitives, Talpa Network cooperates in an international sales strategy.

The program will be aired for the first time locally in The Netherlands under the name: De Alleskunner, produced by Fabiola.

In Belgium the series is titled Homo Universalis and produced by VRT and De chinezen.

The rights to the format were placed in USA, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Norway prior to the start of MIPCOM. In 99 to Beat you don’t have to win, you just cannot lose. 100 people compete in 100 fun and clever challenges to find the best allrounder. The goal is to never be the worst and by doing so beat 99 opponents.

99 to Beat is a format developed by VRT and De chinezen.

TVAplus

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