Television Asia Plus | May-June 2023

Yada Hakim Reporting for BBC News channel

Editor’s Note

EDITORIAL/PUBLISHER

Keen Whye Lee Publisher

Mathew Chan Editor editor-tva@harvest-info.com

Arjay Alivia Layout and Design OPERATIONS

Mari Vergara Head of Operations manager-ph@harvest-info.com

SALES

Simon Lee Hong Kong, U.S.A., and Europe sales@harvest-info.com

Dear Reader,

Thank you for picking up the latest issue of Television Asia Plus!

As we head into the second half of 2023, the landscape is truly changing faster than we think and slower than we expected. With an on-going Writer’s Strike in the US with more Unions that could strike as well, the future of AI use, fair pay and more could impact not just the Western TV industry but the whole world. While only time will tell how big the effect will be in the global market and if there will be any side-effects that come out of it, we look into the future of linear tv in our latest issue.

On this issue’s cover story, we take a deep dive into the world of linear TV and what is in store for it as streaming services are popping up left and right in varying sizes and scales. It seems everyone wants a part of the streaming pie but what is left of linear TV and what is it’s role now that the landscape has changed. We have insights from BBC on what linear tv will possibly look like and if a hybrid streaming and linear tv strategy is the way to go.

For our first feature story, we look to linear tv even more and how it remains the top line for broadcasters especially for reliable revenue.

Our final feature story sees Gatis Gailis, CEO of Veset bring his insight on the new ad-funded landscape which OTT platforms are slowly adopting as they try to figure out what the best strategy for them is and what options do they have to remain profitable and competitive.

Mathew Chan Editor

Chua Chew Huat Asia Pacific sales-sg@harvest-info.com

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Cast and character art for revolutionary new Japanese series Dragons of Wonderhatch revealed

ABS-CBN announces major tentpole coproduction for 2023, The Bagman

ZEE5 Global announces Bengali original thriller series

Seven

This winter, audiences are invited to marvel at Dragons of Wonderhatch – a revolutionary new series that spans both live action and anime worlds to tell an unforgettable story. Available exclusively on Disney+, the main cast for the series’ anime world and several pieces of character artwork were recently revealed for the first time. A hybrid story set in both the “real world” we live in and an anime land called Upananta where dragons and humans coexist, Dragons of Wonderhatch will tell the story of Nagi, a high school student who lives in the real world but who feels out of place among her classmates; Thaim, a dragon rider who communicates with dragons in Upananta, and Aktha, a dragon rider hero.

As part of the announcement, Disney+ exclusively revealed that the characters of Thaim and Aktha will be voiced by Daiken Okudaira and Mackenyu respectively, while Nagi will be performed by Sena Nakajima, and Thaim’s dragon sidekick, Guphin, will be voiced by Shunsuke Takeuchi. Jairo, a newly announced character, and the most fearsome dragon rider in the anime world, will be voiced by Kenjiro Tsuda.

Set to debut this winter exclusively on Disney+, Dragons of Wonderhatch is directed by Kentaro Hagiwara, with Takashi Otsuka directing the anime world. The series’ animated world is produced by Production I.G.

ABS-CBN announced its tentpole international co-production for 2023 entitled The Bagman, a spin-off of the original locally produced digital series Bagman for the Filipino audience. This 8 x one-hour action-packed drama series will be produced by Philippine-based companies – ABSCBN International Production Division and Dreamscape Entertainment, Rein Entertainment, and Nathan Studios Inc. The announcement was made today by Ruel S. Bayani, Head, International Production Division, ABSCBN. The Bagman will star Arjo Atayde, reprising his character Benjo Malaya from the original Bagman series, a role that won for him the 2020 Asian Academy Creative Awards Best Actor.

The original digital series, Bagman 1 and 2, which sold to Netflix Philippines, follows the story of Benjo Malaya, a neighborhood barber who landed a job as the governor’s henchman and gets caught up in a dangerous web of crime, corruption, and political turmoil.

Now with The Bagman, when convicted prisoner and former governor, Benjo Malaya, learns the tragic news about his missing family, he is left with no choice but to return to the vicious underworld that he turned his back on, and take on a new mission, this time, as a Bagman for the sitting president of the Republic of the Philippines to stop an impending and civil war.

ZEE5 Global is back with yet another original suspense drama series –‘Seven’ Created by celebrated producer and director, Anjan Dutt, ‘Seven’ stars Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, Gaurav Chakrabarty, Ridhima Ghosh, Suprobhat Das, Ankita Chakraborty and Anjan Dutt in key roles. The unpredictable & intense thriller series premiered on ZEE5 Global last March 2023.

Set against the backdrop of a mist-clad hill station, ‘Seven’ is a suspense thriller which revolves around five friends Subir [Rahul Arunoday Banerjee], Bibek [Gaurav Chakrabarty], Namita [Riddhima Ghosh], Ananta [Suprobhat Das] and Ria [Ankitaa Chakraborty] who discover a bag stacked-up with dollars and a gun during a trip. As money makes the world go round, the lines between right and wrong and good and bad become hazy, leading to an irreparable dent in their bond. As rifts surface amongst them, what seems like a jackpot turns out to be a curse. Will their friendship survive the lure of money? Does money change or reveal one’s true colours?

Unfolding over 7 episodes, this intense series unravels the dark web of life, mysterious secrets and complexities of human nature keeping you at the edge of your seat.

Viu Thailand announces Reborn Rich remake at Viu UPFRONT

Viu, PCCW’s leading pan-regional OTT video streaming service, announced that it would be remaking popular Korean drama Reborn Rich in Thai at the Viu UPFRONT 2023 event held in Bangkok. The Viu Original title was a major success last year, topping most-watched charts on the Viu platform across its markets and was distributed to over 170 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Japan and the Americas. Starring Song Joong-ki, Reborn Rich was one of the most-watched Korean dramas of 2022 and is amongst the topranking dramas of all time on JTBC.

The Thai version of Reborn Rich is scheduled to premiere in 2024 It was the finale to the showcase which unveiled Thai Viu Original titles including Love Me Again, Shadow, Close Friend: Soju Bomb, The Outing, and the previously announced Get Rich. The Viu Original titles cover a range of genres, from romantic to mystery drama, in line with the consumer demand observed in the market.

Showcasing regional and localspecific original titles through UPFRONT events aligns with Viu’s proposition to be relevant on both levels. This is the second country-specific UPFRONT event for Viu this year after the successful launch of its Malaysia lineup for 2023 at Viu Malaysian UPFRONT. Viu UPFRONT events enable the platform to connect key media agencies, business partners, clients and the local creative community.

ITV commissions second series of BAFTA-nominated comedy The Dry for ITVX

The phenomenal lead pair of Prime Video’s global spy series, Citadel, journeyed to Mumbai for the epic Asia Pacific premiere. Ahead of the grand evening, the lead cast of the action-packed series, Richard Madden, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas sat down for an entertaining chat and revealed what went into making this groundbreaking spy franchise. Created by Amazon Studios and Russo Brothers’ AGBO, with David Weil serving as showrunner and executive producer, Citadel exclusively premiered on April 28 on Prime Video

“We are excited to open the first window to the great universe of Citadel, and thrilled that we get to host the Asia Pacific premiere in Mumbai,” said Gaurav Gandhi, vice president, Asia Pacific, Prime Video. Priyanka Chopra Jonas who plays Nadia Sinh said, “When Jennifer Salke, who is the head of Amazon Studios, presented Citadel to me, she wanted to create an international, global franchise – an original IP that truly connects the world. Amazon strongly believes in diversity; and true diversity is represented internationally, not just by having different skin tones, but also by hearing the way people speak, actually delving into the culture. And this show has incredible ability to span across every country and continent. So, I didn’t even know the story and I said yep, doing it.”

Citadel is executive produced by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO and showrunner David Weil. Alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, the 6-episode series features Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville in pivotal roles.

ITV has announced the commission of a second season of the critically acclaimed comedy-drama The Dry for ITVX, which will be produced by Element Pictures (part of Fremantle), in association with Fís Eireann/Screen Ireland and ITV Studios, in partnership with RTÉ

Award-winning playwright and BAFTAnominated screenwriter Nancy Harris (Dates) and acclaimed director Paddy Breathnach (Viva, Rosie) will return to helm the second season, which will stream exclusively on ITVX next year. The first season was made available to view for free on the streamer last month.

Roisin Gallagher will return as recovering alcoholic Shiv Sheridan, alongside regular cast members from the first series. Further casting details will be confirmed in due course.

The second series picks up seven months on from the events of the first, and we now meet the Sheridans in their new normal. To all outward appearances, it seems like the family is relatively content: Shiv’s been sober, celibate, and solvent for 6 months, Ant has hung onto his job at the estate agents and his relationship with Max, and Caroline’s making up for a lost time by shagging everyone she meets on Tinder.

Emma Norton, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe will serve as executive producers for Element Pictures, alongside Nancy Harris and Paddy Breathnach. ITV Studios is handling global distribution for THE DRY

Prime Video’s global spy thriller- Citadel, kicked-off its global tour in Mumbai, India

Spanish adaptation of Nippon TV’s Mother entitled Heridas from Atresmedia set to air on Antena 3

present and past experiences of its two protagonists. The drama series is also an award-winning series having won the 2022 Winner National TV Series Contest, Best Actress in a Drama Series for Adriana Ugarte, at the Almería International Film Festival. In addition, the series also received the 2022 PRODU Award for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series recognizing María León for her role in Heridas.

Having previously streamed to tremendous success on Atresplayer Premium, Nippon TV, currently celebrating its 70th Anniversary and Japan’s leading multiplatform entertainment powerhouse, announced that free-to-air channel Antena 3 in Spain, the flagship Spanish terrestrial television channel part of Atresmedia Televisión, has now secured the rights and will air

the Castilian Spanish adaptation of the award-winning drama series Mother (11 x 60’) as Heridas (13 x 50’) beginning April 13th. Heridas is a production by Atresmedia TV in collaboration with Buendía Estudios.

Heridas is an intense drama that addresses the issue of child abandonment and the search for one’s own identity through the

With Heridas marking the eighth international deal for this megahit drama, the scripted format Mother has already been licensed to CJ E&M (South Korea), MF Yapim (Turkey), STB TV (Ukraine), JSL Global Media (Thailand), Radiant Pictures (China), GoPlay (Indonesia), and Incognita (France). Mother is ranked as Asia’s most exported scripted format to the World.

Golden Boy sells to string of new international territories

Record-breaking Turkish drama

Golden Boy, has racked up more international sales ahead of MIPTV next week, with broadcasters across CEE, Central Asia and Africa picking up the series from distributor Eccho Rights. Viewers in Albania (TV Klan), Hungary (TV2), Lithuania (LNK), Uzbekistan (Sevimli), South Africa and Namibia (eTV) will soon enjoy the series which has taken Turkish audiences by storm since launching in October 2022, and has now sold to more than 40 countries worldwide.

Golden Boy was the most watched series of 2022 in Turkey and has continued its dominance into 2023, still ranking as the number one rated series every week, after 27 weeks on air.

The title has also scored a number of breakthrough international sales, including becoming the first Turkish drama to air on free-to-air TV in the MENA region since a blanket ban on Turkish productions in 2018. Golden Boy also recently became the first Turkish drama ever picked up for broadcast in Finland (MTV Oy/C More), and also the first such

title licensed by a commercial broadcaster in Sweden (TV4).

Golden Boy, produced by OGM Pictures for Star TV, is a classic family drama that tells the story of two sisters, Seyran and Suna, whose paths cross with golden boy Ferit. The series stars Afra Saraoğlu, Mert Ramazan Demir & Çetin Tekindor

Global Agency’s Blind Duets to premiere in Vietnam

Global Agency announced that their ground-breaking show “Blind Duets” will be on air in Vietnam soon. The show will be produced by MEGA GS Communications and broadcasted by Vinh Long TV. The first season will have 13 episodes. The show will be hosted by the singer and actor Bach Cong Khanh, with celebrity juries on board.

The innovative “Blind Duets”, which was created by Gila Kantar and Izzet

Pinto, brings four celebrity singers in the jury together to perform with 12 contestants in a primetime game show filled with surprises, talent, and entertaining rivalry between the star performers.

This primetime contest features key elements of surprise, all set in a dazzling studio. The identities of the contestants, hidden in cabinets in a dazzling

studio, are only revealed when a jury member chooses them, and each one emerges to perform on stage with the celebrity. Each jury member sings three songs with the contestants and the highest-scoring celebrity summons their partners to perform as a trio to decide the overall winner. The excitement and tension create a show in which viewers enjoy not just the singing but also the rivalry between the jury members.

Chen Jianbin and Chen Xiao co-lead in new suspense-crime series Thirteen Years of Dust

bring the killer to justice. In this story that extends over 13 years from 1997 to 2010, the two leads’ style had to be changed to better fit the generation they were in

Starring Chen Jianbin, who acted as the emperor in Empresses in the Palace and Chen Xiao, from A Dream of Splendor, iQIYI’s suspense-crime series Thirteen Years of Dust has been a hot topic of discussion of late. The two leads collaborating for the first time are a police mentor-apprentice pairing in the series. Despite their age difference

of 17 years, shows no problem communicating with each other.

The series follows the serial killing mystery that happened in the city of Nandu back in 1997. Left unresolved, the killer reappears once again 13 years later and Chen Jianbin and Chen Xiao are back together to attempt to crack this mystery and

Thirteen Years of Dust follows the story of a serial killing case in 1997 which was left unresolved. 13 years later, this mysterious killer reappears once again and the mentor-apprentice pairing reunited once again to resolve the case. In this cross-generation and time incident, this spate of killing is one that extends over 13 years and is one that is fast paced yet filled with plot twists, creating two lines of mystery, making the final verdict one everyone is looking forward to.

iWantTFC partners with Vooks to stream animates kid’s books

selling books, Vooks offers a collection of animated children’s story books and it is available in more than 175 countries worldwide, with the Philippines ranking at the fifth spot of top platform users.

iWantTFC, the world’s leading Filipino streaming platform available in 200 countries, bolsters its move to expand its content offerings as it partners with Vooks, an award-winning international streaming app with over 1.7 million total users globally. With over 40 publishing partners of best-

It has also received recognition and awards from the Parent’s Choice Awards, Academic’s Choice Awards, and Mom’s Choice Awards. The partnership between iWantTFC and Vooks will allow iWantTFC users in the Philippines to stream 35 titles from Vooks with different genres ranging from biographies, early learning, poetry, science, and social studies that aim to enrich the reading comprehension skills of children.

Vooks turns educational children’s books into bite-sized, watchable,

and entertaining content by featuring read aloud narration of animated story books designed for kids under eight years old. Some of the titles available for streaming on iWantTFC are “Little Girl Big Dream: The Story of Olympian Samantha Peszek,” “Irving Berlin (The Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing),” “A Boy Like You,” and “I’ll Love You For Always.”

This latest partnership strengthens iWantTFC’s commitment to offer a diverse content library by collaborating with the best content providers around the world. Currently, iWantTFC offers a vast lineup of educational content with titles such as “Hero City Kids Force,” “Jet and the Pet Rangers,” and “Team Yey.”

Amazon India and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB) join hands to boost India’s creative economy

Amazon India announced that it has signed a Letter of Engagement (LoE) with the Ministry of Information and Broadcaasting (MIB), Government of India, with an objective of growing India’s creative economy. As part of this collaboration, Amazon and MIB will help build pathways to promote creative talent in India, create capacity across eminent film and TV institutes, and globally showcase Made in India creative content. The LoE was

signed at The National Media Centre, New Delhi in presence of Hon’ble Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India, Chetan Krishnaswamy, Vice President Public Policy at Amazon India and Gaurav Gandhi, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Prime Video.

As part of the LoE, National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and IMDb will work together to help enable

discoverability of India’s creative talent by listing their profiles and skill sets on the ranking’s platform. Prime Video and miniTV will both work towards providing internships, and scholarships to students at Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTII) This will enable students to gain real work exposure, and become industry-ready. Additionally, to commemorate the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav Celebrations, iconic content from NFDC, Doordarshan, and International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be showcased on Prime Video and miniTV, reaching a vast majority of Indians, furthering its cultural influence and expanding its soft-power. Furthermore, skill-based masterclasses will be organized for the students of various film and TV institutes and 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow – an annual talent enrichment program under the umbrella of IFFI where 75 young, talented artists, shortlisted by MIB will be selected and coached.

Paramount+ expands global Korean content slate from

partnership with CJ ENM

Paramount+ announced the expansion of its global Korean originals slate, revealing two new series A BLOODY LUCKY DAY and QUEEN WOO will launch exclusively on the service in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria Both series will be available on TVING in South Korea and mark the latest projects developed by Paramount+ and TVING, out of Paramount’s global partnership with the Korean entertainment powerhouse, CJ ENM.

The news comes amidst the growing success of the service’s global Korean originals, as upcoming Paramount+ original series BARGAIN was crowned “Best Screenplay” at last night’s Canneseries Awards Ceremony in France. Paramount+ also announced that recently launched Korean drama series YONDER ranks as the most watched international series in the U.S. so far this year. YONDER launched globally on April 11th on the service, and BARGAIN will premiere on Paramount+ this summer

Paramount+ officially marked its entry to Asia last year with the launch of its streaming service in South Korea on the numberone K-content platform, TVING, launched by CJ ENM. This was a part of a strategic global partnership between Paramount Global and CJ ENM that includes content licensing and distribution across Paramount+ and TVING, as well as the development of Korean original series. A BLOODY LUCKY DAY and QUEEN WOO will be licensed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of Korea, Japan and Taiwan

Chef Burton has created more than 200 instructional cooking videos, including 30 live streams. His YouTube channel has 179,000 followers.

GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV on iWantTFC in select regions

and the United Kingdom; in Middle East namely, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Palestine, Turkey and Yemen; in North Africa covering Algeria, Chad, Djibouti, Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Somalia, and Tunisia; and in certain territories in the South Pacific/Caribbean Islands where the three GMA channels and certain GMA on-demand programs will be available on iWantTFC.

Two Asian media giants, ABSCBN and GMA, make history with the collaboration of ABSCBN International and GMA Network, Inc. to offer outside of the Philippines GMA’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV, as well as certain GMA on-demand programs, on iWantTFC starting this year.

The collaboration benefits iWantTFC viewers in Asia Pacific (APAC), specifically in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Macau, Brunei, Vietnam, India, Laos, Myanmar, and Pakistan; in Europe, covering Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,

With the agreement, viewers of iWantTFC in select countries and territories in APAC, MENA, Europe, and the South Pacific/Caribbean Islands can enjoy watching GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, GMA News TV, and GMA programs on demand on iWantTFC, including Maria Clara at Ibarra, Abot Kamay na Pangarap, Apoy sa Langit, First Yaya, and The World Between Us, among others starting May 1.

TV5 HD on Pay TV via Cignal Channel 15 to launches in the Philippines

Kapatid viewers all across the Philippines are now given a clearer and more intensified way of enjoying their favorite TV5 shows as the network becomes available in high-definition (HD) on pay TV via Cignal Channel 15.

Experience TV5 HD with all its exciting entertainment, news, and sports programs, bringing family bonding to a whole new level of fun and

amusement. Some of these engaging shows that can be enjoyed on TV5 HD are the highly-rated drama action series FPJ’s Batang Quiapo which has been trending every weeknight and the newly launched sitcoms Team A and Kurdapya which offer ribtickling laugh fests on Saturday nights.

TV5 HD also gives a crisper and clearer view of the day’s news and current events via Frontline Pilipinas and Frontline

Tonight as well as the action-packed PBA games, bringing coveted frontrow access to live hardcourt action right at the comfort of your home.

TV5 HD also airs ABS-CBN programs such as the primetime series Dirty Linen and The Iron Heart, the noontime favorite It’s Showtime, the iconic Sunday variety show ASAP Natin ‘To, among other ABS-CBN shows.

Chess makes global debut on primetime sports television, Armageddon Championship Series quickly becoming the most televised chess event

The Armageddon Championship Series 2023, a chess tournament developed to be broadcast on live TV, is on the way to become the most televised live chess event in recent history. The annual event, which concluded today,was broadcasted on 16 sports channels around the world, including Welt.de, BeIN Sports and FOX Australia and featured players’ heart rate, calorie-

burned data points and, of course, a lot of chess pieces flying around!

The Armageddon Championship Series, produced by World Chess, an award-winning chess innovator, and hosted in the Berlin pavilion, was designed to captivate fans beyond the traditional chess audience. High-stakes, super-fast game structure, pioneering design,

nail-biting drama, sky-high heart rates, and rule-breaking moves, are shaking up the world of chess. With top players and streamers like Wesley So, Sam Shankland, Andrew Tang, Leinier Dominguez, Ray Robson, Eric Hansen, and online qualifiers Renato Terry and Jose Martinez, the competition has been an exciting journey for chess enthusiasts and wider audience everywhere.

American grandmaster, Wesley So, won the first event of the Armageddon Championship Series 2023. So’s impressive performance secures him a spot in the Grand Finale along with Sam Shankland, the tournament’s runner-up. The players will continue the battle for the €400,000 prize fund this September

Mech TV Launches FAST channel on Samsung TV Plus

science, engineering, and robotics content. This first launch on to FAST is a huge milestone and endorsement of the appeal of the channel.

Mech TV Limited announced the launch of its Mech+ FAST Channel in the UK on Samsung TV Plus, the free TV platform for Samsung TV, mobile and tablet owners. The channel offers audiences 24/7 access to 10 seasons and over 160 episodes of the iconic Robot Wars, remastered in HD. Robot Wars is the hugely popular robot combat competition series that sees amateur and professional roboteers clash with destructive remote-controlled robots in a steel arena patrolled by the legendary

“House Robots” including Sir Killalot, Matilda and Dead Metal who keep the competitors in check.

Other titles on the channel will include spectacular Olympic-style robot competition Techno Games, automotive reality show Car Warriors and Rescue Robots, a children’s show featuring robots performing explorative missions. Launched less than a year ago on Web, iOS and Android, Mech+ is dedicated to bringing viewers the best in

Tom Burton, Senior Sales Manager, Mech+, said ‘We’re very excited to be working with Samsung TV Plus. Mech+ has been a massive hit since we launched last year and we’re continuing to build a highly engaged audience. Our expansion into FAST is a continued example of our ambition to meet the needs of our constantly evolving audience, providing the viewers with exactly what they want to watch around the clock and free of charge’.

Mech+ has ambitious plans as it enters its second year with further FAST channel launches planned, expansion into overseas territories and new content all in the pipeline.

Warner Bros. Discovery and Viacom18 announce exclusive

partnership for India

Warner Bros. Discovery and Viacom18 announced a new multi-year agreement, making JioCinema India’s new streaming home of HBO, Max Original and Warner Bros. content from next month. The partnership, which includes exclusive content rights across digital and linear, represents a significant step forward for both entities as they seek to deliver unrivalled worldclass content to audiences.

Spanning thousands of hours of some of the best and most popular series and movies from around the world, the agreement sees Viacom18 offer an unmatched

content slate to its users in India across linear channels and the JioCinema streaming service. HBO Original, Max Original and Warner Bros. Television series are set to premiere on JioCinema on the same day as the U.S

The deal includes current and future seasons of HBO’s globally acclaimed series such as House of The Dragon, The Last of Us, Succession and The White Lotus, and returning seasons of True Detective: Night Country, Euphoria, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty and Perry Mason. Max Original series including, And Just Like That…, Peacemaker, and The Flight Attendant, highly anticipated

content

premieres such as Dune: The Sisterhood, The Batman spinoff The Penguin, and Duster, from J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan, as well as much-loved Warner Bros. Television series like East New York and Gotham Knights are also part of the offering.

Future Warner Bros. blockbuster movies and a vast film library including the Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and DC Universe movies, as well kids animation titles like Dexter’s Laboratory and Tom and Jerry Kids will also be available on JioCinema.

Fremantle appoints Kit Yow as Vice President of Sales, Asia

Fremantle announced that it has appointed Kit Yow as the new Vice President of Sales across Asia. Based in Singapore, Yow will report to Haryaty Rahman, who was promoted to EVP Sales, Asia at the end of last year.

As VP Distribution, Kit will be responsible for driving sales of Fremantle’s productions with local broadcasters and platforms to help grow the business in the region. She will be joining a team, spearheaded by Rahman, which has already established strong relationships with broadcasters and producers to enhance Fremantle’s name and showcase its roster of stellar content to audiences across Asia.

Haryaty Rahman, EVP Sales Asia, Fremantle said: “Kit’s experience within the industry speaks for itself. She will no doubt bring an invaluable level of expertise and know-how to the Fremantle family as we look to grow the business, reaching local audiences across Asia. Her drive and understanding of all genres will make Kit a brilliant new VP Sales and we look forward to working with her to ensure we continue to build on our success to date.”

Kit Yow, VP Distribution Asia, Fremantle added: “I am thrilled and excited to have been given the opportunity to start this new chapter with Fremantle. I very much look forward to playing my part in terms of enhancing the already incredible reputation that the company has in the region by nurturing existing client relationships as well as bringing in new partners to the fore.”

Yow started her broadcast journey as a production assistant at Media Prima Berhad (MPB), where she progressed to become a multilingual broadcast journalist. She went on

to become Head of Brand Management for Tonton, MPB’s OTT arm. With over 20 years’ experience in the broadcast industry, Yow was most recently the VP of Sales at All3Media International where she played a key role in the company’s business expansion and content partnerships across Asia. Over her six-year tenure, she closed a raft of content licensing deals and was also responsible for licensing hit BBC dramas to Asian OTT platforms such as Pumpkin Films in China and Naver in South Korea.

Kit Yow

All3Media International expands APCA team, hiring Jaenani Netra in new roles as VP Sales for Indian subcontinent

All3Media International is expanding its APAC team in Singapore, appointing Jaenani Netra to the newly created role of VP Sales Finished and Formats for the Indian subcontinent.

Reporting to Sabrina Duguet, EVP Asia Pacific, Singapore born Jaenani will be responsible for sales of finished content and format rights across India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The creation of a dedicated role covering the region reflects the company’s continued growth in exports to the area, including an Indian adaptation of Sophie Petzal’s award winning Blood which launched as Masoom on Disney+ Hotstar as the platform’s Number 1 Hindi series, in addition to Indian adaptations of Two Brothers Pictures’ hit thrillers Liar and Cheat. The adaptation of Liar launched locally as Marzi on India SVOD Voot, whilst Cheat launched on ZEE5 as Mithya

Jaenani has more than 15 years’ experience in senior management roles with leading media companies. This includes six years at Hi-5 Operations Pte Ltd – first as Director of Sales before promotion to General Manager and Executive Director – where she spearheaded the growth of the Hi-5 brand globally through international content creation, format adaptations, and brand extensions and partnerships.

Previous roles include Branding & Segments Manager at Singtel Next Gen. TV and Senior Manager at MediaCorp TV Pte Ltd. In addition to her experience in the region, Jaenani has an MBA in Business Administration from the University of Birmingham and a Bachelor’s Degree in Management from the University of London.

Jaenani Netra commented, “All3Media International has a fantastic reputation in the Asian market as a goto distributor for scripted and non-scripted content from the industry’s most acclaimed producers, and I’m

thrilled to be joining the team to head up its sales operations on the Indian subcontinent. This vibrant region is home to a diverse range of national and regional broadcasters and platforms, creating a highly competitive market and myriad opportunities for premium shows and formats. I’m looking forward to playing an integral role in introducing more viewers to All3Media International’s incredible line-up and building on the company’s already flourishing business in these key territories.”

Jaenani Netra

The Future of Linear TV is Coexistence

by Mathew Chan

The growth of OTT platforms and users is rapidly occurring with research and projections only seeing more expansive growth in Asia by the end of the year alone. We are then left to wonder what does this mean for linear TV and broadcasters? While streaming is the home for scripted series of all kinds, things like live news, sports events, and non-scripted programming still thrive in linear TV.

At a business stand point, ad revenues continue to do well for linear TV which remains its strength and bread and butter to keep free to view content alive and well. The logical future, which spaces like BBC have been integrating, is that linear and streaming to unite in a cohabitabal ecosystem that benefits everyone.

BBC Senior Vice President for Content for Asia and Greater China, Ryan Shiotani, believes this to be and we got to dig deeper and get his insight on what the future holds and how BBC is one in the forefront to make the coexistence as smooth and enduring for all.

The Communal Experience

There is nothing like witnessing an event with people at the same time to really drive a sense of community, which is why news, sports, and other programming continue to thrive. According to Ryan Shiotani, the BBC News Channel in Asia alone has an audience of 202.4 million monthly who consume the content, “There is certainly more of an appetite for those communal watching titles on linear TV and people will always want to watch Sport and News in particular.”

He continues to note that they “see a huge uplift in audiences on the Sunday night premieres of our Natural

History Unit titles as it’s a really communal watching event. It’s not necessarily something that people need to watch live but by doing so you are creating a special moment in the home and I think this feeling from audiences will endure.”

Strategies like this continue to work because it gives people a date and time to focus on. While streaming gives you a bulk of the content in one go or part of it, you can watch it at any time so concurrent viewers isn’t the goal. You can watch it at any time you please but with linear, you are assured that you are watching it at the exact same time as everyone else. That feeling and anticipation seems to be what keeps these kinds of viewing experiences alive and a feeling that will continue to endure.

For The Masses

Access and ease remain to be the biggest draw and advantage for linear tv, especially in Asia, particularly the SEA region. “[T]he linear TV eco-system continues to be a

Ryan Shiotani

source of funding for content as it is still an important way to reach mass audiences” as Ryan Shiotani would put it.

Additionally he says that “many of the countries that we work across in this region as an industry are still at a relatively low penetration of broadband internet. Linear TV is here to stay in Asia for the foreseeable future and we are in fact still serving huge audiences on linear with our CBeebies channel alone attracting an audience of 60 million households in the region so it’s still an absolutely phenomenal amount of people.”

“As access to digital services grows, there will continue to be a lot of live linear viewing but it will be delivered online. We see the growth of FAST channels in the US and Europe as an example of how audiences still appreciate an EPG-driven linear viewing experience.”

While OTT’s are popping up left and right in Asia and as bigger streaming platforms go wide, the biggest hurdle for them is the access to the internet of a lot of the masses in the region. This makes a case for linear tv to remain in the forefront being much more accessible and often more reliable when it comes to a consistent flow of content whether or not it’s scripted content or non-scripted.

Coexistence is the Key

But while companies like Disney have slowly pulled back from their broadcast channels in favor of consolidating their business and content on Disney+, places like BBC Studios see that an integration and a coexistence of both platforms is the key to success.

“This is what we are aiming to do at BBC Studios, our strategic vision means we are not only investing in the strength of our linear business but we also have ambitious plans for the growth of our authenticated SVOD service ‘BBC Player’. BBC Player is set up to allow us to work with our partners to launch a streaming option to their subscribers in order to super serve their BBC fans. This is such a great hybrid mix as not only does it complement our linear plan and give added value to our partners but it increases our offering to audiences. BBC Player allows us to work uniquely in each market across Asia and tailor our product offering to our partner’s needs. So ultimately yes we certainly believe success lies in continued investment and growth in both sides of the business and ensuring they work together, they complement each other, they don’t cannibalize.”

BBC Studios hit drama Happy Valley

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Linear TV remains critical to broadcasters’ top lines

The phrase ‘game-changer’ is used perhaps a bit too often in our industry, but it’s undeniable that in recent years on-demand streaming services have upended the business entirely, ushering in a new era and new volumes of content, and putting traditional broadcasters under pressure like never before. Where the main competition for eyeballs used to come from cinema, or latterly from gaming; now it’s from ‘within’. But whilst on-demand viewership may be accelerating around the world, linear remains critical to broadcasters’ top lines.

Take for example the 2022 World Cup; the tournament on linear cable and broadcast channels combined to deliver over 9.5 billion verified household TV ad impressions, representing a 28.9% increase vs. the 2018 World Cup coverage. With this reach, linear TV still remains one of the best ways for advertisers to target genuinely large audiences.1

It’s no real surprise then that when you look at the figures in detail, as Omdia did in their IBC 2022 exclusive report: ‘The Advertising Revolution’2 , you find that linear TV is predicted to remain critical to

broadcaster top lines. Here, they outlined that advertising on traditional linear TV broadcasts will still account for over two-thirds of TV broadcaster advertising revenue in 2027. And while all media suffered during the pandemic and the consequent global ad pullback, in 2021 global ad spends on linear TV bounced back, with television advertising forecast to have grown 4% globally in 20223 . And yes, the spectacular pandemic viewing gains have receded, but they were only ever going to be a spike in the charts. The underlying trend is still a healthy one and the main family TV screen remains the most valuable way for audiences to consume TV content and therefore, the most efficient way for advertisers to reach them.

Whilst the grass is exceedingly green on the streaming side of the fence, especially with the launch of highprofile new AVOD options from the likes of Netflix and Disney+, advertisers and rights-holders are keeping linear TV firmly in mind when it comes to choosing appropriate avenues to increase revenues.

1. https://www.adweek.com/adweek-wire/tv-ad-reach-for-world-cup-spikes-29-on-linear-tv/

2. https://informatech.turtl.co/story/exclusive-ibc2022-omdia-report/page/3/1

3. https://www.ibc.org/news/global-ad-spend-to-rise-84-in-2022-says-groupm/8612.article

The implications for broadcasters

One of the key buzzwords that has been spun out of the move towards digital transformation across all industries is agility, and that is precisely the same for broadcast. Even though linear TV has been around for decades, it does not mean that it has to continue to run on legacy technology.

And to that drive to digital, we can add the importance of cost-effectiveness. Broadcasters everywhere are having to streamline their operations and do more with less, satisfying their audience’s demands for new content and new means of consuming it within the same budgetary requirements, or even bigger constraints, than in previous years.

Linear TV has been a constant in a changing world, for consumers and broadcasters alike. When built on robust adaptable solutions, it helps drive efficiencies in personnel / real estate, as well as meet the challenges of an evolving marketplace by providing a revenue stream for investment across the wider business.

The challenge to optimise operational efficiencies while retaining capability and future flexibility is what fuels

the shift towards technologies that enhance workflow orchestration, automation, and data analytics. With this technology, broadcasters are able to understand and respond to their audiences like never before, and to run their operations with an efficiency that their engineers would only have dreamt of a generation previously.

As an automation playout provider, Pebble can help drive the efficiencies in linear that keep that vital ad revenue coming in. This enables broadcasters to continue to invest in their digital offerings. It’s not about ignoring streaming or discounting linear, it’s about developing a strategy that can accommodate both; the reliability and revenue of one with the future-facing rapid iteration of the other.

The game might indeed have changed a lot during the past decade, but not for all viewers and not in all countries. Linear TV still very much has a place and remains a powerful engine and revenue stream that can help drive further innovation in the industry

Navigating the New Ad-Funded Landscape

By Gatis Gailis, CEO, Veset

2022. Never one to be behind the curve, it was quick to act, and announced in April 2022 that it would launch a reduced cost tier supplemented with ads later in the year.

Disney+ was quickly to follow when it announced that it would also launch a reduced fee ad-supported plan. Those services are not alone in going down the ad-funded tier path. Hulu, Discovery+, Paramount+, HBO Max also all offer ad-funded tiers.

Add FAST to the mix

As we usher in the age of ad-funded tiers, the broadcast industry is yet again going through a period of readjustment. Global events have resulted in rising inflation and increased cost of living, which is putting mounting financial pressure on consumers, leaving them with less disposable income in their pockets. SVOD services whose strength was once delivery of ad-free content, are now re-evaluating that business model and introducing ad-funded tiers as a means of generating additional revenue. Deloitte predicts that all leading SVOD services will have launched an ad-funded tier by the end of 2023, and by the end of 2024, half of those will also have a FAST (free ad-supported TV) service.

As with any business or sector, broadcasters must continually adapt their offering in response to changing customer needs and market pressures. But navigating through this new landscape where viewers once again find ad-funded content acceptable, is not straightforward. When faced with high levels of global instability and uncertainty, deciding whether or not an ad-funded model is right for a service can be incredibly difficult.

The advent of ad-funded tiers

There’s a limit to the number of subscriber services that an individual or a household can afford so when the cost-of-living crisis started to bite, it wasn’t surprising that some consumers felt they could no longer afford to pay for multiple streaming services.

The financial pressure being felt by consumers was evident when after a decade of growth, Netflix reported relatively high subscriber losses in the first quarter of

Alongside the launching of ad-funded subscription tiers, another noticeable development is the rise in popularity of FAST services such as Pluto TV, Tubi, Peacock and The Roku Channel. FAST services deliver content in linear format over IP streaming. The somewhat unexpected popularity of these services indicates that it isn’t linear TV that is going out of fashion, but rather traditional TV viewing by cable, satellite, or terrestrial digital that is instead.

Although ad-based content is proving attractive to consumers because it is either free or at a reduced price, there is another reason that consumers are more willing to accept ads. Using data obtained from the user’s IP address such as browsing activity and viewing behaviour, advertisers can address ads directly to the consumer, which means consumers receive ads that are relevant and interesting to them.

The benefit for advertisers is that ad content is being delivered to the most receptive audience for optimum return on investment. Another benefit for advertisers is that ads viewed on ad-funded tiers and on AVOD services are not skippable like ads on platforms that show user created content such as YouTube and Facebook. This makes them an advertisers dream because users must watch the whole ad to get to the content they want.

Obstacles along the ad-funded road

By offering a range of subscription options to suit different budgets, SVOD services are hoping to appeal to a wider audience. However, attracting subscribers to these adfunded tiers is not always easy, particularly when there are AVOD and FAST services available that viewers can access

for free. It may also be difficult to attract subscribers to these reduced fee tiers if there is not much difference in price point between the top tier and the ad-funded tier. After all, as with the pure SVOD model, new subscribers will only come if they feel it is worth their while.

Attracting subscribers to the ad-funded package is just half the battle. To get maximum revenue from ad space, you also need to be able to push the right ads to the viewers. Getting this right is a complex process. Not only do you need to effectively target the viewer, but you also need to ensure that inserted ads comply with the platform guidelines, as well as any local regulations that may be in place. This is why ad insertion can be even more challenging in markets such as Europe where the ads need to be localised to each country.

Delivering a consistent quality user experience is particularly challenging in today’s fragmented market because a service has to deliver a smooth, seamless user experience across multiple device platforms. This can be complex to achieve. Getting the balance right between content and ads is also critical. Too many ads and viewers will become frustrated and disengage. Too few ads and the service won’t be profitable.

Let’s say you’ve succeeded in overcoming these challenges, the subscribers are there, they’re engaged, and the UX is out of this world. But for an ad-funded model to be profitable, you still need to attract advertisers.

Which route to take?

Broadcasters now have more ways to engage with viewers than ever before so deciding which monetisation path to follow can be a difficult decision to make. Although many consumers now choose streaming as their favourite mode of entertainment, traditional broadcasting via terrestrial, cable and satellite still attracts huge audience numbers. For some groups of viewers, particularly older generations, it is still the primary mode of TV viewing, so remains a valid choice.

The OTT market has undeniably created new engagement and monetization opportunities for

content owners and broadcasters. Whether a SVOD, AVOD, FAST, or hybrid model is the right route to take for a particular service will depend on several factors. The region that the service will be available in is an important consideration because some audiences are more open to ad-funded content than others. The US for example has the largest advertising market in the world, and viewers there tend to be much more accepting of ad-supported content than in other regions.

It’s now coming up to 6 months since Netflix first launched its ad-funded tier, and it recently announced that in the US, average revenue per user (ARPU) was higher on the ad-supported tier than in its basic ad-free plan. If over time, this starts to be the case across other regions and with different services, we may start to see these SVOD services trying to drive users over to their ad-funded tiers by upping monthly subscription costs of top tiers.

vWith high levels of global uncertainty and financial instability looking set to continue, one of the most powerful tools in the broadcasters’ toolbox is the ability to diversify, be flexible and act quickly. The industry is

changing at such a fast rate that what’s working well now may not be quite so lucrative in 24 or even 12 months’ time. The TV advertising market is projected to grow from $129.78 billion in 2023 to $160.38 billion in 2027, so incorporating adfunded content in some form looks to be a sensible move for most broadcasters and content owners.

Gatis Gailis, CEO, Veset