Television Asia Plus | June 2021

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JUNE - JULY 2021

June - July 2021 Television Asia Plus

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Editor’s Note EDITORIAL/PUBLISHER Keen Whye Lee Publisher Raymond Wong Publishing Director raymond@harvest-info.com Monina Eugenio Editor editor-tva@harvest-info.com Arjay Alivia Layout and Design OPERATIONS Mari Vergara Head of Operations mari@asiantvawards.com SALES

Dear Reader, Thank you for picking up the latest issue of Television Asia Plus for June and July 2021.

This month, we’ve put together an insightful issue with interviews from industry leaders such as Alon Shtruzman, the CEO of Keshet International; Ana Pak Burdin, the Head of Business Development at iQiyi International; Debbie Lee, the founder and CEO of TechStorm; Lee Choong Khay, the Head of Sports at Astro; and Ted Baracos, the Director of MIP China.

On this issue, our cover story takes a look at the contributions of broadcasters to Asia’s vibrant and growing e-sports scene. We have also put together a content showcase to give a taste of what type of content you should expect at the upcoming MIP China trade show.

We hope you enjoy going through the latest issue of Television Asia Plus and we wish you a fruitful time at MIP China!

Monina Eugenio Editor

Simon Lee Hong Kong, U.S.A., and Europe sales@harvest-info.com Chua Chew Huat Asia Pacific sales-sg@harvest-info.com MARKETING Franco Rafael mktg@harvest-info.com TECHNICAL SUPPORT Michael Magsalin tech@harvest-info.com Harvest Information Pte. Ltd. 1100 Lower Delta Road #02-05-8, EPL Building Singapore 169206

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June - July 2021 Television Asia Plus

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NEWS CONTENT

CJ ENM Hong Kong unveils slate of four Mandarin language scripted series

CJ ENM Hong Kong expands its local language scripted series production pipeline with the introduction of four scripted series made for global streaming audiences. Three of them are supporting by the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) to produce “streaming first” premium scripted series for global audiences by marrying Korean, Singaporean, and Regional talents.

The first three series, namely Hungry Souls, Venus on Mars, and Deep End are co-developed and co-created with Singaporean production partners. Each project will be led by a key production outfit, and CJ

ENM HK will bring on board a team of producers from Korea as a creative consultant for each series.

All three series will finish casting and commence production in the second half of 2021. CJ ENM HK will distribute these series globally.

Apart from this, CJ ENM HK has also collaborated with Taiwanese production company, Butt Mountain to take a sensational novel into an 11-episode series, Mom, Don’t Do That! which was filmed entirely in Taiwan in 4K quality. CJ ENM HK contributed to the creative direction of the project and will handle distribution within Asia (excluding Taiwan and China). It is slated for release in Q4 of this year.

ITV Studios and BBC Studios India ink deal to create premium dramas ITV Studios and BBC Studios India signed a production partnership deal to adapt popular ITV Studios scripted dramas in India.

BBC Studios India will bring to life ITV Studios hits such as Gold Digger, Sticks and Stones, Trauma, and 35 Days. The deal is a first of its kind and will allow both entities to reach wider audiences in India with their rich slate of premium dramas. BBC Studios will also look at taking these dramas to the ever-growing popular regional markets of Tamil and Telugu.

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BBC Studios India has a track record of outstanding drama production, which includes Criminal Justice, Out of Love (Doctor Foster) and forthcoming shows like Luther.

Discovery+ India launches largest content expansion, including non-fiction library content from A+E Networks Discovery+ India announced it added over 750 hours of content, including premium non-fiction library content from A+E Networks in an extension of Discovery’s US content partnership. The platform, in working with additional content providers, also welcomes new episodes of global hit shows for the first time, a specially curated kids content section, further cementing its reputation as the definitive real-life and learning streaming service for the family.

The A+E Networks deal covers India streaming rights to iconic shows such as Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, and made-in-India shows from India History TV18 including OMG! Yeh Mera India, Kumbh: Among The Seekers, and Dwarkadhish: Kingdom of Krishna.

Internationally, Discovery is leveraging its massive library of local-language content, and its broad portfolio of live sports, to drive its direct-to-consumer offering across more than 25 key markets in 2021. Moreover, the brand will also launch in Latin American markets and parts of the Asia Pacific.

ITV Studios hit, Gold Digger.

Credit: ITV Studios/ Mainstreet Pictures 2019

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All3Media International delivers over 90 hours of content to TrueVisions Thailand

Sixteen South partners on co-production with Tencent, France Télévisions, and Technicolor

All3Media International announced that it has signed a deal with Thai broadcaster TrueVisions who has acquired cable and satellite TV rights to a diverse range of scripted and nonscripted content totalling over 90 hours.

Sixteen South Originals revealed details of The Coop Troop, their fast, funny, farcical and feathery new comedy series. Currently in production, The Coop Troop ( 52 x 11’) is the first Sixteen South show for an older age group (6 -9) and their first CGI animated series.

A co-production with Tencent Kids as a Tencent Video Original in China, France Télévisions in France and Technicolor Animation Productions, The Coop Troop was co-created by Colin Williams of Sixteen South and the children’s author and illustrator Alex T. Smith. The series is due to deliver from Spring 2022 and is being produced in Northern Ireland, France and China.

The agreement features a selection of primetime dramas, including both seasons (14 x 60’) of All Creatures Great and Small from Playground Productions and White House Farm (6 x 60’).

Meanwhile, TrueVisions’ non-scripted acquisitions include the hybrid-history series Inside the Tower of London (4 x 60’, Lion Television), real-life drama from the French Alps in Ski A&E (10 x 60’, North One Productions) and transformational makeovers in season two of 10 Years Younger in 10 Days (20 x 60’), Maverick Television).

Both seasons of Five Mile Films’ human-hound matchmaking show The Dog House (17 x 60’) feature in the deal, alongside Curve Media’s special Animals Reunited. TrueVisions has also picked up both seasons of culinary challenge Snackmasters (10 x 60’, Optomen), as well as North One’s Eddie Eats America (12 x 30’) and Eddie Eats Christmas (4 x 30’)

The Dog House

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Voot Studio collaborates with Deutsche Welle for an exclusive series on VOOT

India’s eminent video streaming platform, Voot, has been successfully working towards creating a wholesome entertainment ecosystem to cater to its diverse audience needs with hours of exciting content across formats and genres. The platform’s brand solutions arm, Voot Studio, has now partnered with leading German international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, to stream the progressive series HER- Women in Asia. The series is based on the inspiring real-life transformational stories of women from the Asian sub-continent.

The series will stream exclusively on VOOT starting 11 June 2021.

The Coop Troop, a gang of five unlikely heroes: hyperactive rabbit Maggie, eccentric inventor Flo the chicken, bon vivant swine Clive, excitable yet insecure lamb Billy and enigmatic egg Jo d’Oeuf. Thirsty for adventure to escape their mundane farm life, their mission is to help any animal with a problem – and they’re kept busy by the precious and very pampered pets of the nearby town of Animauville.

Sixteen South Rights is managing the global distribution rights for the series outside of France and China.

With topics ranging from online dating to beauty, HER- Women in Asia comprises six episodes, each 15-minutes long, highlighting the stories of women from different walks of life residing in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, and Taiwan. The series focuses on telling universal, existential and deserving stories with each episode showcasing three women who share their experiences about online dating, marriage, career, beauty and more.

June - July 2021 Television Asia Plus

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NEWS OTT

Disney+ Hotstar now available in Malaysia

Asian independent short films extend worldwide accessibility through ZEASN and Viddsee team-up

ZEASN, the world’s leading provider of OTT and Smart TV solutions, has announced a partnership with Viddsee, bringing one of the most attention-drawing original content providers Viddsee to global Whale Eco users. This collaboration incorporates the Viddsee application into the Whale App Store across 146 countries on one go, covering Asia and Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Africa, West Asia and Middle-East.

The highly-anticipated streaming service Disney+ Hotstar has officially launched in Malaysia on 1 June, giving viewers a new way of experiencing wellloved content from The Walt Disney Company’s most iconic entertainment brands. In addition to films and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, viewers will also enjoy a wide array of general entertainment series and films for young adult audiences, as well as Malaysian and Asian hits.

Subscribers can sign up on DisneyPlusHotstar.my or download the Disney+ Hotstar app on Android and iOS devices from today to start streaming Disney+ Hotstar for RM54.90 for three months. Special packages are available for Astro Movies Pack customers.

Bringing thousands of hours of entertainment for all ages, Disney+ Hotstar offers an exceptional and expansive selection of over 800 films and 18,000 episodes from The Walt Disney Company.

Disney+ Hotstar brings thousands of hours of entertainment for all ages, offering an exceptional and expansive selection of over 800 films and 18,000 episodes from some of

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The Walt Disney Company’s greatest storytellers. Subscribers can look forward to the latest releases such as Raya and the Last Dragon (start streaming 4 June) and Luca (start streaming 18 June), blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame and Frozen 2, exclusive Disney+ Originals Loki (start streaming 9 June), The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, WandaVision and The Mandalorian, and exclusive premieres of some of Malaysia’s most anticipated films and drama series such as J2: J Retribusi, Zombitopia (start streaming 2 July), Ada Hantu (start streaming 13 August), Semanis Senyumanmu and Wifi Sebelah Rumah (start streaming 25 June).

With a growing library of movies and TV series available in Dolby Vision® HDR and Dolby Audio™, viewers with compatible devices can stream a selection of their favourite shows on Disney+ Hotstar with remarkable visual and audio quality. Available on the Disney+ Hotstar app on Android TV and Apple TV, subscribers can enjoy ultra-vivid imaging with Dolby Vision, while Dolby Audio delivers crystal clarity, easy-to-hear dialogue, great detail, and realistic surround sound effects, and they all come together to dial up the impact of your favorite scenes and events.

Founded in 2013, Viddsee is a leading platform specializing in short premium content contributed by independent filmmakers and features Viddsee Original content produced by Viddsee Studios. Its content distribution network reaches 9 million viewers and scales across multiple platforms to targeted audiences across the world. It currently has more than 5,000 films created by over 3,000 storytellers.

The joint hands of ZEASN and Viddsee bring unique and quality original content to tens of millions of smart devices global wide, including 36 countries in Asia-Pacific, 40 in Europe, 30 in Latin America, 9 in Africa, 12 in West Asia and 19 in the Middle-East. This move greatly widens the coverage and reach of Viddsee and adds value to their technology DNA. Meanwhile, global users of Whale Eco will be able to enjoy an abundance of quality content that is made easily accessible

by ZEASN.

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NEWS PAY TV

GlobalData: DTH, IPTV to drive pay-TV services revenue in Indonesia to US$633M in 2025

Akash Jatwala, Senior Research Analyst of Telecoms Market Data and Intelligence at GlobalData, says: “DTH will be the leading pay-TV service platform in Indonesia, in terms of subscriptions during 2020-2025, and will go on to account for 58% of the total pay-TV subscriptions by the end of 2025. IPTV, on the other hand, will see its subscriptions grow at a faster CAGR of 12% over the forecast period, primarily driven by the improving fixed broadband infrastructure in the country and growing adoption of multi-play packages with integrated IPTV service.

Pay-TV service revenue in Indonesia is set to grow from US$497m in 2020 to US$633m in 2025, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5%, mainly supported by the growing DTH and IPTV subscriptions, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

An analysis of GlobalData’s Indonesia Pay-TV Forecast Model highlights that cable TV subscriptions will decline at a CAGR of 19% between 2020 and 2025, which will however be offset by the considerable growth in DTH and IPTV subscriptions through the forecast period.

“Indovision will lead the Indonesia pay-TV services market, by subscription share through 20202025, led by its strong presence in the DTH segment while Telkom Indonesia will gain significant market share through the forecast period driven by huge subscription gains from its IPTV service segment.”

KC Global Media expands distribution in Southeast Asia KC Global Media Asia the owner and operator of pay-TV channels AXN, Animax, ONE, and GEM, expands in Southeast Asia via new carriages in three territories: Cambodia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

In Cambodia, subscribers of regional video streaming service provider WeWatch can now enjoy the best of both English and Japanese entertainment following the launch last June 1 of Englishlanguage general entertainment network AXN, as well as anime

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channel Animax and Japanese entertainment channel GEM. In the Philippines, anime fans are now able to stream full episodes of select Animax titles on TrueID Philippines, an offshoot of Thailand’s leading digital lifestyle app and a new player in the Philippine market.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ premier DTH satellite provider Cignal completed their bouquet of KCGM Asia Channels with the launch of GEM on April 5. Subscribers of Postpaid Plan 290 and up and Prepaid Load

300 and up can now watch the best of Japanese entertainment on GEM on Ch 173.

Fans of Japanese entertainment in Malaysia can similarly look forward to the imminent launch of GEM in the country via Sirius, a new local satellite player providing DTH services. More details surrounding the launch will be shared by KCGM Asia in the coming weeks.

June - July 2021 Television Asia Plus

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NEWS PLATFORMS

Viu Thailand partners with Channel 3 and Amarin TV

variety shows, and many more on Viu. In Thailand, viewear can enjoy top dramas from Channel 3, exclusively within two hours after the initial broadcast, including the first exclusive romantic comedy series PraoMook, as well as over 600 hours of drama from Channel 3.

In addition, Viu is the first OTT video streaming platform to offer Amarin TV’s simulcast content such as The Folly of Human Ambition, Cheating Spouse, and more, all with a 30-day exclusive headstart (available only in Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar).

Viu, PCCW’s leading pan-regional OTT video streaming service, joins hands with leading Thailand entertainment players Channel 3 and Amarin TV to serve up highlyanticipated Thai content to viewers across Asia including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Viu’s partnership with GMMTV has entertained viewers with a myriad of content including the series Irresistable, The Player, and The War of Flowers, which will be available in selected markets that the platform operates in. Meanwhile, with CHANGE2561, Viu will be streaming highly-rated TV programs such as Club Friday Show and Club Friday The Series, along with a 30-day exclusive headstart before other platforms.

Adding to Viu’s existing content partnerships with GMMTV and CHANGE2561, Viu continues to collaborate with leading content providers to grow its ecosystem, bringing exceptional Thai contents and talents to the regional spotlight.

Asian Viu-ers can enjoy their favourite Thai shows, from melodramas, intense dramas, romantic comedies,

Viacom18 launches COLORS Gujarati in the UK

jointly owned by TV18 and Viacom18, has partnered with Sky and Virgin Media for the channel launch.

Viacom18 Media has launched its regional entertainment channel, COLORS Gujarati in the UK. IndiaCast Media Distribution,

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The channel is available to Sky subscribers starting 1 June on Channel No. 794 and will be available to Virgin Media’s ‘Asian Mela Pack’ subscribers from 8th June on Channel No. 825.

The network offers its flagship general entertainment channel COLORS along with the premium entertainment channel COLORS Rishtrey and the movie channel COLORS Cineplex in the UK. With this new addition, COLORS Gujarati will become the only Gujarati language channel to be available to UK viewers.

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NEWS TECHNOLOGY

Radio Televisyen Malaysia installs Densitron IDS

Korea’s KBS uses ATEME technology to update legacy infrastructure ATEME, a leader in video delivery solutions for broadcast, cable TV, DTH, IPTV, and OTT, announced that Korean broadcaster KBS has selected the company’s Kyrion encoders to update its legacy infrastructure, enabling broadcasting in high-quality MPEG-2 HD.

Densitron, the global leader in innovative Human Machine Interaction (HMI) and display technology, has announced that Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), has installed a comprehensive Intelligent Display System (IDS) from Densitron for its broadcast facilities in Kuala Lumpur.

IDS is a vendor-agnostic control and display layer that integrates with, and controls, all critical media technology infrastructure products such as playout, automation, scheduling, building management and AV systems. The simplicity of IDS is its strength. The elegant UI allows users from any level to engage with IDS to deliver multiple complex applications at the touch of a button.

The install at RTM, specified and completed by Malaysia-based system integrator, Mahajak Trio Electronics, is comprised of 135 IDS devices located throughout RTM’s TV and radio studios and control rooms, edit suites and public spaces.

The installation, which includes displays, display drivers, servers, I/O interfaces, table lamps, touchscreens, and wall lamps gives RTM a comprehensive range of visual information and control options for each area in which IDS operates. facebook-f TVAPlusMag | twitter TVAsiaPLus | linkedin-in television-asia-plus

RTM came to Mahajak Trio Electronics with a must-have list for its display and control needs. In addition to 43 IDS large format displays, IDS touch panel controls were also required for RTM’s primary control rooms. The panels are able to display mic live, on-air, and indicate if a telephone is connected or ringing.

With the IDS control system, screen design layouts, branding logos, and backgrounds can be switched and updated via an easy-to-use web interface. Scrolling and prioritised text messages can be shared with all displays if required, or with specific groups on the system for a predetermined amount of time. Each studio that uses IDS takes advantage of reference-quality pip tones from the world-standard Greenwich Time Signal.

And IDS doesn’t just monitor what’s going on inside each area. The system provided to RTM also gives an overview camera display outside each studio, so what’s taking place inside can be observed without disruption. It also offers visibility of all security cameras if necessary.

The touchscreens in the control rooms also provide for situational awareness and interaction with each studio as necessary.

As the largest broadcaster in Korea, KBS operates a wide range of platforms to deliver nationwide terrestrial service – including four terrestrial and two satellite channels, plus seven radio and four DMB channels. For KBS, providing a reliable broadcast service is particularly crucial due to its position as the most trusted media brand in Korea and its audience’s reliance on its news service during times of emergency.

This infrastructure update brings several benefits. First, it enables outstanding video quality and a surround-sound audio experience thanks to multi-channel audio support. Second, it enables KBS to streamline its video/audio flows as well as its operations by combining three pieces of legacy equipment into just one encoder. Third, it brings the stability and reliability introduced by SMPTE-310 configuration, while remaining compatible with KBS’ existing ATSC system. And finally, it ensures the best live broadcasting experience for Korea’s viewers with the lowest latency possible.

June - July 2021 Television Asia Plus

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PEOPLE

Firstlight Media names Jim Vinh to lead Asia-Pacific sales

Jim Vinh

Firstlight Media announced that it is expanding its sales activity to meet growing demand in the Asia Pacific market, and has named Jim Vinh to lead sales for the region.

The Walt Disney Company names new General Manager, Direct-To-Consumer The Walt Disney Company has announced the appointment of Winradit (Win) Kolasastraseni as General Manager, Direct–toConsumer, for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia (excluding Indonesia). Mr Kolasastraseni is also General Manager for The Walt Disney (Thailand) Company Limited. The appointment has been in effect since 1 June 2021.

He reports to David Shin, General Manager, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia and Jay Trinidad, General Manager, Direct-toConsumer, APAC.

Vinh, who has spearheaded APAC sales for multiple video and advanced technology providers over the past dozen years, will shape solutions that leverage Firstlight Media’s cloud-native platform for Tier 1 providers.

Prior to Firstlight Media, Vinh spent four years with IBM, for which he focused on APAC opportunities for the company’s Watson Media, Intelligent Analytics, and AI & Cognitive Applications units.

Previously he had held senior sales and business development positions with NAGRA and SeaChange International. Earlier in his career, he was regional director, APAC for Witbe.

Firstlight Media’s Gen5 architecture is designed to build and run scalable applications in the cloud using cloudnative technologies, including containers, microservices, a service mesh, APIs, and immutable infrastructure. The Gen5 technology stack provides significantly better performance, a modular approach for feature expansion, continuous delivery for rapid iteration, and builtin scalability, observability and security.

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ITV Studios appoints Kunal Shah as Sales Director for South Asia ITV Studios has appointed Kunal Shah to the role of Sales Director, South Asia.

Shah joins after spending five years at NBCUniversal, where he worked as Director of Sales Liaison (South Asia), managing all content licensing of linear and digital within India and other South Asian regions for the studio and its affiliates. Bringing with him a wealth of sales experience spanning 21 years in the industry, he will be based in Mumbai and report to Augustus Dulgaro, Executive Vice President - Distribution, Asia Pacific.

He will be responsible for identifying new business opportunities and maximising the value of ITV Studios’ 46,000+ hour-strong catalogue of finished programming across the region. Shah will also be tasked with driving revenue across the tape and scripted formats business, whilst managing the end to end sales process for one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing international distribution companies.

Winradit (Win) Kolasastraseni

In his role as General Manager of Direct-to-Consumer, Mr Kolasastraseni will be responsible for spearheading the Company’s growth in the dynamic directto-consumer space and will lead business teams across the region to deliver Disney’s unparalleled storytelling to consumers in the evolving ways fans and families around the world prefer to experience Disney’s content.

As General Manager for The Walt Disney (Thailand) Company Limited, Mr Kolasastraseni will lead local teams with a ConsumerFirst strategy to continue growing Disney’s brand affinity across Thailand, focused on understanding Thai preference and tastes, and connecting with consumers in a locally relevant way.

Kunal Shah

In his last role, he was instrumental in initiating a localisation project with Indian production companies to produce remakes of key shows and in 2018 he won an internal SharkTank Award at an APAC leadership summit. As well as working for Times of India, Zee Network and Star India, he has spent time at various start-ups. Previously, he worked as General Manager - Content at Times Internet & The Times of India Group heading content acquisition & partnerships, further to launch ‘follo’, BoxTV, TOI App, and as Director & Country Business Head at Qtelm.

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Television Asia Plus June - July 2021 Television Asia Plus

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C-SUITE

Alon Shtruzman. Courtesy of Keshet International.

Alon Shtruzman of Keshet International

By Monina Eugenio

Leading global content producer and distributor Keshet International (KI) has recently announced a raft of finished tapes for scripted titles in Asia. Titles such as Prisoners of War India, Our Boys, Secret Bridesmaids’ Business, The Brave, and The Trial of Christine Keeler have been snapped up by Subscription VideoOn-Demand (SVODs), including Mola TV in Indonesia and Now TV in Hong Kong. The company is also set to announce sales of Killer Camp and Singletown, along with other factual and entertainment shows from Keshet’s UK-based Greenbird indies.

With the announcement of these sales, Alon Shtruzman, the CEO of Keshet International told Television Asia Plus that the appetite for scripted

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content is present in Asia, but observed a resurgence of interest in non-scripted formats.

Citing Netflix as an example, Alon said that the streaming platform is pivoting towards cost-effective and quick turnaround formats like The Circle and feel-good genres like dating and entertainment formats.

“This is a trend we are seeing around the world, particularly in Europe and the UK, with relationship reality format Singletown, which is getting renewed in Denmark and being picked up in new territories all the time, and we will be announcing three new local adaptations soon,” Alon commented.

Meanwhile, in Asia, KI has recently licensed Domination, which Alon

described as a “very COVID-safe game show that challenges a whole nation in Vietnam,” and the singing talent show, Rising Star, which is returning for a fourth and third season in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, respectively.

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Singletown. Courtesy of Keshet International.

Investing in productions Alon shared that KI currently has two global shows in progress for Apple TV: Suspicion, the False Flag adaptation starring Uma Thurman that is being produced in the UK

by Keshet Productions; and Echo 3, the When Heroes Fly adaptation produced by Keshet Studios in the US. Meanwhile, Keshet International is due to start shooting the eight-part crime drama Diamonds for Netflix in Belgium with De Mensen. The series was co-created by Rotem Shamir and Yuval Yefet, the team behind KI’s latest Israeli hit, Line In The Sand, which was renewed by Keshet 12.

Following the success of The Trial of Christine Keeler, and Secret Bridesmaids, other projects in the pipeline include Furia and Summer of Sorrow, which shooting in Finland.

Lastly, Keshet Studios’ La Brea – currently in production in Australia – has just been slated to premiere Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on NBC this Fall.

Digitising amidst COVID-19 With COVID-19 restrictions limiting face-to-face interactions, KI has been adapting well amidst changing times. Alon shared that his company has been well-prepared for the pandemic, hosting their first virtual preview event for buyers in March where the company showcased its Spring slate as part of the London TV Screenings. Mounting their event virtually has allowed KI to reach hundreds of buyers

from all over the world, speeding up the company’s plan to shift from a traditional brick-and-mortar approach of having physical stands at markets to creating their own bespoke digital presentations as their preferred way of launching new content.

Alon said, “There is obviously nothing like being able to catch up face-to-face, but while travel is restricted and we’re still working from home, video calls have allowed us to conduct our entire development and sales process online, and honestly, we’ve never achieved so much.”

AVOD a bigger opportunity for Asia Speaking about the general trends in Asia, Alon said that he believes AVOD offers a bigger opportunity in the region compared to SVOD, noting that AVOD has the potential to reach more people.

“I think AVOD is a better fit for Asia than any other model. In some markets, the CPMs (cost per thousand viewers) are higher now for AVOD than linear TV, meaning the value of AVOD could potentially eclipse that of broadcast,” Alon shared.

Alon said that KI has been working with the likes of Pluto TV, Little Dot, Tubi TV and other AVOD platforms elsewhere on bespoke packages of scripted and nonscript content with great success. The chief executive is keen on establishing similar partnerships with AVOD platforms across Asia as well.

A version of this story was published on tva.onscreenasia.com.

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June - July 2021 Television Asia Plus

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COVER STORY

Asia’s e-sports broadcasters unlock an exciting world of gameplay

By Monina Eugenio

Esports Revolution features some of the most legendary esports players and streamers and reveals a world of cosplay, sold-out stadium showdowns, and a billion-dollar industry with over 380 million followers.

Asia’s e-sports and gaming sector has thrived amidst these challenging times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With lockdowns being the new normal and more people staying at home, the sector has seen rapid growth in the past year.

According to a report from VentureBeat, game revenues for PC and mobile in Southeast Asia and Taiwan is forecast to grow to USD 8.3 billion in 2023 from USD 5 billion in 2019. The report also said that by 2023, the number of gamers is expected to expand dramatically, growing from 227 million to 290.2 million in 2023 for mobile, and 154.3 million to 186.3 million by 2023 for PC gamers.

The growth of e-sports and gaming in Southeast Asia Debbie Lee, the founder and CEO of e-sports and tech-centric entertainment channel, TechStorm, attributed the growth of the sector to gaming having a well-developed history in Southeast Asia.

“Gaming has always held a strong foothold worldwide and in Southeast Asia where many of us grew up playing games and watching game plays,” she shared. The CEO said that they see huge popularity in game titles on mobile right through multiplayer PC games like “Among Us” or Augmented Reality (AR) mobile games like “Pokemon Go.”

Debbie stressed that e-sports has a slightly different adoption and growth curve in comparison. She said, “The competitive e-sports scene and the professional and semi-professional scene has a relatively younger history compared to general gaming.”

The TechStorm CEO cited several factors that propelled e-sports in the region: Macro market drivers in two parts of the demographical shift, technological innovation, high quality of game titles, and the rise and recognition of e-sports as a legitimate competitive sport

Debbie Lee, the Founder and CEO of TechStorm

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at medal games. For instance, the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines was a game-changer in the ecosystem of e-sports, with titles such as “Arena of Valor”, “Dota 2,” “Starcraft II,” “Tekken 7,” and “Hearthstone” played at the games.

Meanwhile, Lee Choong Khay, the Head of Sports at Astro, said that the gaming audience is growing in Southeast Asia, with a low barrier of entry for mobile games, while certain multi-player titles are cross-platform, meaning they can be played both on PC and console gaming, increasing the overall gamer base.

Lee added, “Global lockdowns have also increased playtime and viewership, not just for tournaments but for live streamers and content creators as well.” He noted that between December 2019 and March 2020, all game genres that Newzoo covered exhibited growth in player share on PC, up to a 40% increase for shooting games. He said, “Given the influx of new players and viewers, many different game genres have seen growth in viewership, player share, and average play time.”

Contributions to the e-sports sector Pay-tv channels such as TechStorm and Astro have been doing their part to contribute to the e-gaming sector’s rapid growth in the region.

Lee Choong Khay, Head of Sports at Astro

to reach multiple countries, reaching spectators and audiences who are a mix of game aficionados and mainstream audiences who might be new to the world of e-sports and gaming.”

Among the channel’s activities include collaborating with e-sports associations, professional teams, game creators, publishers, and various communities that include young talents of game streamers and shoutcasters in tournaments.

According to TechStorm’s CEO, the platform has showcased close to 20 of the region’s most played and popular titles such as “Mobile Legends,” “Fortnite,” “CounterStrike,” and “Dota 2.”

TechStorm, which enjoys distribution in countries such as Thailand, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Cambodia, and the Philippines, champions the stories of Southeast Asia’s e-sports and gaming ecosystem, giving stakeholders a platform to tell their story and shape their own narratives.

“We’ve showcased the International Esports Federation’s (IESF) 2020 World Championship for the “Dota 2” series and we look forward to more collaborations to bring greater diverse gameplay on our network.

We believe in the motto of the ‘collective’ and ‘us.’ If all the moving parts of the entire ecosystem can come together, the industry can flourish, and we can do our part,” Debbie shared.

Debbie said, “Stakeholders can work through a single access point

On the other hand, Astro’s eGG Network, which is broadcast in

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Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Myanmar, Australia, Brunei, and Singapore, has been hosting community tournaments such as the “Telur Mata Cup,” where Malaysian PUBG Mobile players have a chance to enter the professional scene. The event is supported by PUBG Mobile Malaysia and at stake is a prize pool of RM 30,000 (or over USD 7,000).

Grand champions get automatic qualification into the Group Stage of the upcoming PUBG Mobile Malaysia National Championship 2021.

Lee said that eGG Network has also been appointed as the Creator Service Provider for Facebook Gaming where they support and grow creators and live streamers in Malaysia and the rest of Asia. Through the two-year-old partnership, eGG Network engages over 350 gaming talents and streamers in Malaysia and Asia.

Lee added, “The Gaming community has grown a lot, and we see top streamers in Malaysia reach up to 2.3 million followers. While Partner Creators can monetize their Facebook Live streams, eGG Network, as a media company, can help these talents work with brands through our influencer marketing service.”

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COVER STORY

What is Asia watching?

With Southeast Asia being a diverse market in the e-sports sector, platforms such as TechStorm and eGG Network offer a myriad of content for e-sports enthusiasts to enjoy.

TechStorm features game-based and game-themed content, such as the documentary Nintendo Quest where Jay Barlett goes on a mission to track down 678 collectibles of the original NES series. In Modern Day Gladiators, audiences can get a taste of what really goes on inside the world of professional e-sports tournaments and gives a candid view of what goes on behind the scenes.

Debbie shared that TechStorm did exceedingly well with most of its game review titles and tech-centric content. China’s artificial intelligence reality series and staples like Shark Tank were popular programmes for the channel.

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Meanwhile, eGG Network reached a milestone with the “Dota 2 Kuala Lumpur Major,” a ticketed tournament held in 2018 with over 8,000 fans in attendance. According to Lee, the event was the seventhmost watched e-sports tournament globally that year, with live stream totalling 12.9 million hours.

Lee added that eGG Network co-produced Jalur 14, a five-part docuseries chronicling the rise of e-sports and the gaming industry in Malaysia. Jalur 14 recounts the tales of 14 Malaysian icons including Chai ‘Mushi’ Yee Fung, Ng ‘YamateH’ Wei Poong, and Malaysia’s first e-sports gold medalist, Dr. Yew Wen Kean, along with industry newcomers like Mohd Fariz ‘Soloz’ Zakaria, Ahmad Fuad ‘Fredo’ bin Razali, and more.

simulation racing tournament that features the best drivers in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific. Having ended its first season, Lee said that Astro has plans of doing a second season soon.

With Asian broadcasters extending their full support for Southeast Asia’s vibrant e-sports scene, platforms such as TechStorm and eGG Network are doing their part to help unlock an exciting world not just for those familiar with e-sports, but for the younger generation of gamers as well.

In addition, eGG Network’s E1 Championship, which launched in November 2020, is a premier

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TRADESHOW MIP CHINA

Animation and kids’ programming shine at MIP China 2021

By Monina Eugenio

The highly-anticipated fifth edition of MIP China is being held as a physical event for conferences and an online one-on-one meeting event that brings together content providers from around the world with Asian and Chinese acquisition executives.

MIP China’s conferences will be held physically in Hangzhou, starting 22 June. The physical event highlights how to produce global animation hits with local stories. Among the featured speakers is Kung Fu Panda director John Stevenson, who will address delegates in a keynote interview with Andrew Eborn, President of Octopus TV. Sessions from the physical event will be accessible online and available to delegates on replay.

Meanwhile, MIP China’s Partnership Forum runs online from 28 to 30 June. The forum offers delegates prescheduled, one-on-one matchmaking that guarantees meetings between Distributors, Producers, and Asian buyers and commissioners to support programme sales and co-production partnerships.

A first in the TV trade show industry Ted Baracos, the Director of MIP China observed the willingness of the TV industry to participate in online one-on-one meetings during the pandemic. “MIP China was the first TV trade show last year to introduce online video meetings between content providers and programme buyers,” he told Television Asia Plus.

Ted shared that a year later, the number of participants rose by 40%.

The growth came as a surprise, given the proliferation of online events and festivals, and buyers starting to get tired of online meetings.

Ted added that a trend he noticed that is gaining traction among Asia buyers is Kids TV. He said, “This year, facebook-f TVAPlusMag | twitter TVAsiaPLus | linkedin-in television-asia-plus

Ted Baracos, Director of MIP China

nearly 60% of registered buyers are looking for kids TV programming. Last year, with one-third fewer buyers, the ratio was 53%.”

Another highlight of this year’s MIP China is the Pan-Asian KIDS TV Talent Quest, a new high-profile platform that offers producers the chance to submit new ideas for Asian-focused kids programming directly to key decisionmakers. For 2021, MIP China enlisted the help of pitch commissioners from pan-Asian platforms such as iQiyi, Tencent Video, ViacomCBS, and WarnerMedia APAC to select finalists.

A first in the TV trade show industry Ted said that the reason for launching the Pan-Asian Kids TV Talent Quest was the need expressed by commissioners to discover new projects in Kids TV for development.

“The pandemic has made the sourcing of new talent much more difficult than traditional program acquisition, so the talent quest is a win-win concept for producers and channels alike,” Ted shared.

The selection of finalists is based on several criteria including originality and freshness of ideas or characters; appeal for multiple Asian countries; the producer’s ability to deliver high production value and engagement; and positive social message.

The Pan-Asian KIDS TV Talent Quest opens up new opportunities for the five selected finalists. Ted said, “The finalists get to pitch their project directly to commissioners from Asia’s leading TV platforms, which is the most tangible benefit. In addition, the finalists are invited free of charge to join MIP China’s online meeting platform, as well as have their video pitch shown during the MIP China conferences in Hangzhou on 23 June.”

Ted shared that from the very beginning, MIP China has not been a traditional exhibition, but a very focused matchmaking event where delegates get pre-scheduled agenda of meetings. He said, “The only difference this year is that the meeting themselves are held online using the best technology available. While we miss not being able to hold the oneon-one meetings in the beautiful lakeside setting of Hangzhou, the online platform does provide for ‘open networking’ starting 21 June, which will be used extensively.”

Ted said that MIP China’s ambitious goals this year were to attract a minimum of 300 buyers and sellers, showcase 50 Chinese and international new programme screenings, and launch the Pan-Asian KIDS TV Talent Quest. “I am delighted that these objectives have been met and even surpassed,” Ted commented.

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TRADESHOW MIP CHINA

MIP China Pan-Asian Kids TV Talent Quest FINALISTS:

Chiruta

Baby Genie & Me

Organization: Flying Ship Studio, Inc.

Organization: i M Genie Digital Pvt Ltd

Country: Japan

Country: India

Synopsis: The Mossy Village is a miniature world hidden away from human pathways to protect the gnomes’ secret way of life. The village is a bustling community of tiny wood-carved gnomes including Chiruta, an adventurous and evercurious 5-year-old girl.

Synopsis: A young boy and his magic genie struggle with the problems of growing up in the modern world, complicated by dangers that emerge from a mystic book.

Target audience: 4-8 Target broadcast: Q4 2022

Target audience: 2-4, Family Target broadcast: 2025

Super Snail

Alvis Wonderland

Organization: Sixteen South Originals

Organization: Stereoimage Studios Pte Ltd

Country: Northern Ireland

Country: Singapore

Synopsis: Super Snail follows the extraordinary adventures of a very ordinary slug called Kevin. Kevin is a normal, everyday kind of guy with a big dream. While he may not have super powers and even a shell, he does have what it takes to be a superhero: The drive to help anyone and everyone.

Programme: Alvis Wonderland Synopsis: An animated edutainment series using song and dance format to share knowledge like simple astronomy, languages, and science.

Episodes incorporate good Asian value such as discipline, hard work, harmony, and respect.

Target audience: 6-12

Target audience: 6-9

Target broadcast: Q1 2023

Target broadcast: Q1 2023

The Tango and Jojo Show Organization: WeKids Country: PRC Synopsis: A fast-paced animated comedy where two sports-obsessed pandas invite animal contestants from warmer climates to explore winter sports and learn about themselves.

The characters discover fun facts and soft skills in a world of sports designed for Grade 1 and 2 audiences.

Target audience: 5-8 Target broadcast: Early 2022

JUDGES:

Xiao Xuan Yang

Vice President, iQiyi Inc.

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Qing Fan

Producer, Content Investment & Co-Productions, Tencent Kids

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Syahrizan Mansor

Vice President, Nickelodeon Brand, ViacomCBS Networks Asia

Leslie Lee

Vice President Kids Asia Pacific Warner Media APAC

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MIP China Content Showcase: CHINA HUACE FILM & TV CO.

The Long Ballad

Go Ahead

Genre: Costume, History

Genre: Modern, Family, Romance

Episodes: 49

Episodes: 40

Synopsis: Set in the 9th year of the Wude Period of the Tang Dynasty, Li Changge, the daughter of the former crown prince accidentally escapes from the military coup in the palace. During her escape, Changge encounters a secret service agent from a grassland tribe, Ashima Sun, who goes by the pseudonym Qin Zhun.

Synopsis: Three kids develop a sibling-like bond after living as one family, but how will their relationship develop once they turn into adults?

Be Together

Mr. Fighting

Genre: Modern, Youth, Romance

Genre: Modern, Inspirational, Romance

Episodes: 35

Episodes: 44

Synopsis: Four young girls of different personalities in their late 20s are about to usher in a new stage in their lives and they encounter great changes. One is a senior white-collar worker, another is a celibate woman born into a wealthy family; the other is a conservative “white rabbit” teacher; and a cold and rational doctor.

Synopsis: Hao Zeyu has been a drifter in Beijing for 10 years and succeeds at nothing.

His agent, Teng Dan leaves him without saying goodbye. In order to find Teng Dan, Hao Zeyu works with a new group that turns out to be completely unreliable.

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TRADESHOW MIP CHINA

ZOLAND DISTRIBUTION

Betsy The Bear Car

Miraculous Healer

Genre: Animation, Pre-school, Edutainment

Genre: Animation

Episodes: 52 x 5.5’

Episodes: 20 × (5’ - 7’)

Synopsis: Join Betsy The Bear Car and her incredible family and friends of animal cars as they embark on one exciting adventure after another. They may make mistakes along the way, but together, they always find the solution to their problems at the end of the day. Young children will be fascinated by the imaginative world and characters in this series, and learn through its fun-filled and educational stories.

Synopsis: A comic book-adapted series about young martial arts and Chinese medicine-trained protagonist named Lin Hao who was brought up by a mysterious international organization with a shady background. Aware of the organization’s evil intentions, Lin Hao uses his skills to escape its powerful grip, and save those who have suffered its merciless harm.

Animal Fanpedia Genre: Edutainment Episodes: 26 x 11’ HD Synopsis: Animal Fanpedia is an edutainment series that takes kids and families on a journey into the animal kingdom. From the depths of the ocean to the heart of Africa and beyond, we get to meet the most interesting, unusual, unique and fascinating animals. Each episode showcases entertaining and insightful facts with a dynamic and humorous twist. A perfect balance between fun and education.

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The Grandmaster of Kungfu Duration: 1 x 78’ Year: 2019 Synopsis: At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Eight-Power Allied Forces suppressed China. Tianjin Wei, which was close to the capital, was the land of martial arts, and the place where Eight-Power Allied Forces did not dare to step in. In In order to invade Tianjin Wei, Japan’s top master Takeda Kamesaburo opened a safflower martial arts museum in Tianjin Wei, wounding many martial arts masters in a row. Under the trap designed by the Japanese, Huo Yuanjia finally started a live-or-die battle with Takeda Kamesaburo.

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TELEVISA INTERNATIONAL

Empire of Lies

Keeping My Family Together

Genre: Telenovela

Genre: Telenovela

Episodes: 92 x 60’

Episodes: 26 x 60’

Synopsis: Elisa Cantú’s life, dreams, lifestyle and family relationships are nothing like those of Leonardo Velasco, an officer of the National Guard. But destiny has a surprise in store for both of them when one night Elisa’s father and Leonardo’s fiancée are found murdered in the same car, and no one knows exactly how these two people from two apparently distant worlds were related.

Synopsis: This is the story of the Rueda family who will face tough tests of fate to prove that love is the only answer, that love transcends everything. The Rueda family will prove that they must be united and affectionate and that they can only be whole if they stick together and are supportive because life itself rolls and gives us important lessons.

Rubi

The Dragon

Genre: Melodrama

Genre: Melodrama

Episodes: 92 x 60’

Episodes: 82 x 60’

Synopsis: Rubi is a gorgeous woman of boundless ambition. Her beauty drives men crazy, but she is only in search of someone to get her out of where she lives, a classic working-class neighbourhood with all the excesses of her social class. Rubi grew up with Refugio, her mother; Cristina, her older sister; and Fernandita, her niece, in a deprived home. Rubi promises to leave that place where so much misfortune has marked them.

Synopsis: After an attack in which his parents died, Miguel is sent to Japan where he becomes an expert in finance and martial arts. 20 years later, Miguel is brought back to Mexico by his grandfather who tells him that it is time for him to take over the family business, a powerful drug cartel. Miguel will have to utilize all his knowledge, both physical and mental, to carry on the family business, fight against his enemies and protect those he loves the most.

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TRADESHOW MIP CHINA

ABC COMMERCIAL

Aftertaste

The Time Travellers Guide to the Galaxy

Genre: Comedy

Genre: Factual

Episodes: 6 x 30’

Episodes: 6 x 60’

Synopsis: The hit comedy with bite, Aftertaste is an irreverent, laugh-out-loud series that follows an internationally renowned yet volatile celebrity chef, Easton West, whose spectacular fall from grace sees him return from his highprofile career in Shanghai to his small hometown in rural Australia where he endeavours to rebuild his career and restore his reputation, with the help of his talented, young, pastry-chef niece.

Synopsis: Space always was and always will be our final frontier. Mankind’s insatiable desire to break loose the shackles of earth and journey deep into time and space is examined by the world’s sharpest and most innovative cosmic thinkers. A new generation of inventors and explorers - engineers, astrophysicists, planet hunters and more - break down ideas that are literally astronomical in scale, providing an accessible, informative and exciting narrative that lays the groundwork for humanity’s future in space.

Big Worlds Small Stories

Fight For Planet A: Our Climate Challenge

Genre: Kids

Genre: Factual

Episodes: 65 x 5’

Synopsis: One of the freshest and most readily adaptable new factual entertainment properties on the market, recently optioned in Spain, Fight for Planet A follows five diverse and competing households and takes a positive approach to reduce our carbon footprint and helping to protect our planet for future generations.

Synopsis: An entertaining animated series that brings the power of new words to curious kids! Based on the book series by Judith Henderson, Big Words, Small Stories is an animated series that slides one big word into each fun and silly episode in a laugh-out-loud way, bringing the power of new words to small kids.

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GAUMONT

Joy House Genre: Thriller Duration: 97’ Year: 1964 Synopsis: Marc is on the run from a gangster and hides out at the chateau of Barbara. He discovers that Barbara’s husband was murdered by her lover.

Meanwhile, Barbara’s niece Melinda has fallen for the handsome Marc who doesn’t know which way to turn to get out of his predicament.

Hannibal Genre: Psychological Horror, Thriller Duration: 39 x 60’ (3 seasons) Synopsis: Back to the Origins. Hannibal Lecter was a brilliant psychiatrist in the employ of the FBI. His task: to help an unusually gifted criminal profiler, Will Graham, solve horrible crimes.

The Art Of Crime

Bionic Max

Genre: Procedural Drama, Soft Crime Series

Genre: Animated buddy comedy series

Duration: 24 x 60’ (5 seasons)

Duration: 52 x 11’

Synopsis: In this modern-day police procedural, a hot-headed Paris cop teams up with a Louvre art historian to solve crimes across storied French museums and landmarks.

Synopsis: A malfunctioning bionic guinea pig and his goldfish buddy escape from their laboratory into Woodchuck Woods and must learn to adapt to this urban jungle.

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TRADESHOW ASIA TECH X SINGAPORE

Asia Tech x Singapore explores the intersection of technology, society, and the digital economy

By Monina Eugenio

The inaugural Asia Tech x Singapore summit is set to gather over 350 expert speakers from across the globe as they convene to engage in challenging conversations spanning all aspects of technology.

Swee Keat. The event seeks to address how governance, trust, and technology can come together to solve global challenges while promoting innovation, diversity, and inclusion.

Organized by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Informa Tech, the conference will be held virtually from 13 to 16 July.

The ATxSummit on 13 July, is the apex event of the inaugural ATxSG and is set to be opened by Guest of Honor Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies, Mr. Heng

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At the invitation-only ATxSummit, attendees will hear from top-level government officials and private sector executives as they engage in conversations on trends, challenges and opportunities across four key pillars – Tech x Trust, Tech x Good, Tech x Builders, and Tech x Creative – that will redefine tech for a better future.

These movers-and-shakers who push the boundaries of innovation across the globe include:

ATxEnterprise, which is comprised of BroadcastAsia, CommunicAsia, SatelliteAsia, and TechXLR8Asia, will give attendees complimentary access to the exhibitor showcase and conference sessions. These industry segments, aimed at fostering B2B connections, will highlight new tech solutions and innovations, as well as provide valuable insights on digital transformation and trends central to driving the future digital economy.

• •

The ATxEnterprise Industry Headliner stage will feature industry leaders who are at the forefront of leveraging tech to address global challenges, including:

•

• • • • •

H.E. Kersti Kaljulaid, President, Republic of Estonia H.E. Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Indonesia H.E. Jane Hume, Minister for Superannuation, Financial Services and the Digital Economy, Minister for Women’s Economic Security, Australia Brad Smith, President, Microsoft Ming Maa, Group President, Grab Scott Beaumont, President Asia Pacific, Google Maya Hari, Vice President, Global Strategy & Operations, Twitter Inc Vitalik Buterin, Co-founder, Ethereum

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• • • •

Anne Chow, CEO, AT&T Business Celine Le Cotonnec, Chief Data and Innovation Officer, Bank of Singapore Kuo-Yi Lim, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Monk’s Hill Ventures Samit Chopra, Managing Director, International (EMEA & Pacific) Strategy & Operations, WeWork

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FEATURE STORY

Differentiating the sports OTT experience

By Luke Gaydon, Business Development Sports, Accedo

After a year of experiencing sports like never before, viewing habits have changed significantly. Sports content providers have needed to respond to the challenges of unpredictable live events and the lack of content, as well as react to consumer’s changing habits. This has resulted in a careful balancing act, with providers needing to manage viewer’s expectations while also generating excitement and engagement around key sporting events.

The impact of sports OTT There is no disputing the popularity of OTT services, there are now more than 400 million viewers using OTT streaming platforms in the Asia Pacific. Many sports organizations and content providers are recognizing the importance of reaching out to fans directly, with tailored content that fills the gaps in disrupted schedules. OTT offers a way to leverage an established brand, drive new sponsorship activations and create supplementary content formats. From repurposing classic archive footage to showcasing the highlight reels of a fan’s favourite player, there are a host of ways to differentiate viewing.

OTT offers the sports industry a unique opportunity to maximize audience engagement. The creation of a branded content hub allows content providers to have complete control over how they connect with fans. Providers can not only generate new content formats but also respond to user analytics and gain insights

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into how subscribers are interacting with the content they are offering.

This connection with consumers will remain vital, long after the pandemic is over.

The social aspect of sport Watching sporting events is fundamentally a social activity and with fans unable to see games in the stadium, or out with friends, they have turned to alternatives to fill the gap. Due to the restrictions of the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in remote social watching across the globe. A study conducted last year found that 76% of sports fans in the US want more ‘watch party’ experiences and we can expect this trend to grow globally. Even as social distancing restrictions ease, fans watching from home will be keen to maintain the benefits of new viewing habits with friends further afield.

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Even when audiences are not subscribed to platforms with cowatching options, they are seeking out their own ways of connecting with like-minded viewers to enjoy their favourite sport.

Many are using messaging apps or social media to start discussions around sports events and content providers are keen to join the conversation.

By integrating messaging and social sharing options into OTT platforms, providers can allow fans to distribute bite-sized content and promote their brand.

These integrations also enable OTT providers to leverage sponsorship opportunities and brand activations that can generate valuable new partnerships.

OTT offers the sports industry a unique opportunity to maximize audience engagement. Jeshoots/Pexels.

The shift in audience behaviour The rise of the second screen has been well documented, 86% of internet users now use other devices while watching TV. To leverage this, providers are looking to offer additional content to supplement OTT viewing. With viewers’ attention split between screens, it’s important to maximize engagement across all platforms. Rather than passively consuming the generic stats which accompany matches, providers can integrate customizable stats on devices. This would allow viewers to select and filter the information they are interested in or find out more about their favourite player.

Supplementary content can also tap into new innovations such as Augmented Reality (AR) to drive engagement. AR delivers a novelty element for consumers and gamifies content to provide sustained interaction, allowing OTT providers to offer additional value for their sponsors. AR also provides a catalyst for social media campaigns, with the ability to generate meme content or unique branded stories for sponsors.

This helps to extend a brand’s story beyond match day and leverage subscriber engagement both inside and outside the platform.

OTT providers also need to add value with supplementary content that supports the main event. It is important to consider all the stages of interaction and multiple touchpoints for each game. By collating archive content into bitesize formats, they can capture the viewer’s imagination in the run-up to the match, maintain audience attention during gaps in play and weigh in on the post-match analysis. Short-form content can be tailored to fans on both sides and promote a sense of community within each camp, prompting comment and interaction amongst subscribers.

Moving forward, OTT providers need to consider not only how they deliver the main event, but also the audience’s patterns of behaviour while they watch sport. The pandemic has accelerated certain industry trends but also created completely new audience habits.

These consumer viewing habits will drive the direction of content consumption in the coming years.

OTT providers will need to stay one step ahead to maximize these opportunities and differentiate their offering.

About the author: Luke has over 15 years experience working in the digital media and technology space at Brightcove, Channel4 and OC&C Consultants.

During this time, Luke has held roles in several disciplines including Strategy, Product Management, Operations and Business Development. He has a deep understanding of the economics and technology behind video streaming services and has worked with the likes of the BBC, Sony Pictures Television, Hulu Japan and Turner Broadcasting.

A version of this story was published on tva.onscreenasia.com.

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FEATURE STORY

iQiyi’s SaaS solution lowers barriers for a slice of the OTT pie

By Monina Eugenio

Asia’s tech-savvy population is more connected than ever, with video streaming being an essential part of life. Recent research from SpotX revealed that close to 400 million people are using video streaming services across the region, with a majority of OTT viewers watching over two hours of content per day.

shared that the OTT business is still growing. Citing a Media Partners Asia (MPA) report, Anna predicts the whole revenue from the video business will grow to over $50 billion by 2025. She believes that there will be digital transformation, especially for traditional businesses.

In a crowded OTT space, iQiyi is one of the leading platforms that doesn’t just serve up content but helps other companies monetize their offerings.

The brand’s white label artificial intelligence (AI) and big data-driven Service-as-a-Software (SaaS) solution caters to AVOD, TVOD, and SVOD, as well as freemium, and live channels.

“We’ve seen the numbers, and we see the business potential,” said Anna. Citing the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 where businesses like cinemas had to close and filmmakers were limited in their monetization services, iQiyi saw it as a window of opportunity not just for the company, but also for its customers.

Anna Pak Burdin, the head of Business Development at iQiyi International

“We thought it was a great window of opportunity for us and our potential

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customers as we can diversify our business. We can create a new revenue stream and we can optimize our investment. For our customers, it means that we can guarantee the lowest barriers to enter this market to share the OTT pie,” Anna explained.

OTT is not an easy game Launching an OTT platform involves money, talent, technology, and a platform. Whilst having all of these is great, it all boils down to having an excellent user experience.

Anna shared, “This is what we want to do with SaaS, it’s all in one end-toend solution. And it’s definitely about user experience. iQiyi has been in the OTT business since 2010 and we know how to build the OTT business

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and how to scale it because we have millions of users. So why don’t we share our experience and technology with our partners?”

The business development head said that iQiyi’s SaaS platform is driven by AI and big data. The latter allows the brand’s partners to know the user, and how to build a better strategy for acquisition and retention.

Anna added, “You know how difficult it is to retain users on the OTT platform. Our solution is built in a way that our partners would have the solution, so the customer can highlight their content at its best.”

Premium VOD as an opportunistic collaboration iQiyi launched its Premium VOD (PVOD) service in China in February 2020, becoming the first streaming platform to adopt the PVOD mode for new releases, which cater to users’ needs to watch newly-released cinema movies at home.

Anna shared that streaming services in China had a roller coaster journey in 2020. With the coronavirus pandemic resulting in a lockdown in a bid to control the spread of the virus, people were forced to stay home, driving viewership numbers up. However, once the lockdown was lifted, iQiyi noticed a decline in user’s visiting time, affecting membership growth.

With a shortage in theatrical releases and cinemas shuttered, iQiyi decided to launch its PVOD service as it allowed them to satisfy the demand for new content.

At the same time, the service allowed filmmakers to monetize their content.

“For us, PVOD is an opportunity to collaborate with filmmakers and the rest of the industry. In this ecosystem, we are happy as an OTT platform and filmmakers feel the same for having a new revenue stream. Meanwhile, users have access to new releases,” Anna said.

Notable collaborations Anna noted that what they do differently from other platforms is their SaaS business offering. Enjoying great success in the partnership with Malaysia’s Media Prima, iQiyi provided the Malaysian broadcaster with its SaaS solution for their digital transformation. The broadcaster operates various businesses such as content production and digital trading.

Ana Pak Burdin, Head of Business Development at iQiyi International.

“We provided the white label solution for their platform, and for iQiyi, it’s an opportunity to work with such great partners like Media Prima because we have different kinds of collaborations with them. On the content side, it allowed Media Prima to showcase and monetize their content in the market, making it a high-class technical solution and upgrades the consumer experience for users in Malaysia,” Anna said.

A version of this story was published on tva.onscreenasia.com.

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POST EVENT: AVIA PHILIPPINES IN VIEW

Sentiment among the Filipino video industry’s top leaders remain positive at AVIA’s Philippines in View seminar

By Monina Eugenio

Digital Advertising, GMA New Media, also said that spend on YouTube has been moving to OTT inventory, and it was a matter of time before OTT revenues can outpace TV ad spend.

On 18 May, the Asia Video Industry Association’s (AVIA) Philippines In View seminar brought together over 700 industry delegates to discuss the state of the TV and video industry in the archipelago. The event was attended

by Manuel V Pangilinan, Chairman, President and CEO of PLDT, Ernest Cu, President & CEO of Globe and Dennis Anthony Uy, Founder & CEO of Converge ICT Solutions.

Arnold “ALI” I. Atienza, Undersecretary, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) for Government Digital Broadcast Television and the Digitalization of the Entertainment Industry Sector, Emerging Technologies, Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs Sector, kicked off the seminar with a discussion on Policy and Regulations for the 21st Century in the Philippines. He said that the impact of TV could not be overemphasized, being a source of business, shopping, spiritual fulfilment, medical and legal information, among many others, for the average Filipino. While it needs to be regulated without affecting freedom of speech and expression, challenges remain to regulate it across the different platforms. Hence, the DICT welcomed industry and the private sector, to work closely with the DICT for help and support.

Leo Jaymar G. Uy, Head of Research, BusinessWorld, said that despite major changes in the media industry over the last year, TV continued to remain

resilient. According to him, despite total tv ad spend shrinking by a slight 4% year on year, digital video ad spend actually rose by 4.8%. And even though viewership has not recovered to prepandemic levels, it is showing signs of recovery. Pay-TV subscriptions have also increased and the roll-out of digital terrestrial television (DTT) continues to progress. Online is certainly one of the beneficiaries of growth as well, with OTT adoption expected to continue rising even after the effects of the pandemic.

Constraints on internet speed and infrastructure also suggest there is still room for growth in this segment, and with the country’s relatively low internet penetration rate, Pay TV can still coexist with OTT. Robert P. Galang, President and CEO, Cignal TV and TV5, shared these sentiments as well. Galang expects growth for both Free and Pay TV in the next 5 years, as well as with DTT. Even though TV5’s bread and butter will still be subscriptions on DTH, it is also seeing growth in OTT and ad revenue for TV5.

While continued consolidation will have an impact on Pay TV, Galang still believes it is a strong proposition and the move to digital will provide an even bigger market for Pay TV.

This move to digital has been a large part of Globe’s transformation through the decades. In the keynote conversation with Ernest Cu, President & CEO of Globe, Cu shared that it was part of Globe’s purpose to make people’s lives better and solve everyday problems in a digital way. “It is a journey we have embarked on for many years, it’s just part of what we do now, as part of our DNA at Globe,” said Cu. And while streaming now dominates the entertainment landscape, the pandemic also brought about dramatic changes in consumer habits and a need for new lines of services, from remote health services to online grocery shopping, paving the way for a huge leap in ecommerce and making GCash the largest e-wallet service in the Philippines today.

Philippines In View is generously supported by Gold Sponsor Globe and Silver Sponsors Brightcove, TV5MONDE, Cignal, PLDT, Smart.

The growth in OTT has made the Philippines the most attractive market for OTT advertisers in Southeast Asia, with the highest advertising attractiveness index, according to a recent report by The TradeDesk and Kantar. Marilyn See, SVP and Head for Digital Publishing and A version of this story was published on tva.onscreenasia.com.

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POST EVENT: ZEE5

ZEE5’s launch in the U.S. ushers in a new era of South Asian entertainment

By Monina Eugenio

communities to watch their own hyperlocal content and see themselves being represented to international audiences, and how streaming services were key in providing such a platform to help people feel represented.

ZEE5 announced its lineup of Originals and other blockbusters across languages to release on the platform in the coming months. There’s Ladies & Gentlemen, a 10-episode Bangla web series; Pakistani releases such as Churails and Ek Jhoothi Love Story; and Telegu releases like Losers 2 and Lol Salaam.

The world’s largest streaming service for South Asian content ZEE5 has launched in the U.S. The arrival of the platform in the country opens up a world of multicultural entertainment for the South Asian diaspora and mainstream audiences across the United States.

Present at the virtual launch on 22 June was Archana Anand, ZEE5’s Chief Business Officer, who was joined by special guest, Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

“While the U.S. is a new market for ZEE5, it’s a country that we as a group have had a long-standing association with, and one that goes way back to 1998 when we launched our flagship channel ZEE TV. Today, with over 15 channels across multiple Indian languages, the U.S. remains one of our key markets where we now look to further build out our growth story that is inclusive of a much younger demographic and with far more contemporary content,” continued Archana.

Commenting on the arrival of the platform on U.S. shores, Archana said, “The United States is the final and most exciting bastion in our global journey.

Reaching out to 5.4 million South Asian diaspora audience that has been so eagerly awaiting our arrival is easily going to be the best part of this journey yet.”

Priyanka joined Archana in unveiling ZEE5’s upcoming content slate and its new global brand campaign “Welcome to South Asia: Stories from our world.”

The campaign spotlights stories from South Asia, where even ordinary stories are extraordinary, therefore leading to the narrative “if this is our reality, imagine our stories.”

Archana Anand, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5

The multiple announcements were interspersed with conversations between Archana and Priyanka, with the latter commenting on how streaming services have changed the landscape of content viewing, and on the hunger among South Asian

ZEE5 will be available at a highly affordable price of $6.99 for a monthly pack, and an annual pack heavily discounted from $84 to a very attractive $49.99 as an introductory offer. The platform also announced a special discount for the student community with the monthly pack priced at $4.99 instead of $6.99.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas

A version of this story was published on tva.onscreenasia.com.

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