ITV

Category: ASIA TV FORUM

  • Content Tokyo 2016 sees 1,530 exhibitors covering all genres of content

    Content Tokyo 2016 sees 1,530 exhibitors covering all genres of content

    MUMBAI: At Content Tokyo 2016, a record number of 1,530 exhibitors will gather from across Japan and the world to showcase their latest, most creative and innovative products and technologies. They are dealing with all genres of content such as music, game, animation, TV, film, technology in expression, AI, and publishing, etc. It causes chemical reactions not only between exhibitors and visitors, but also among all the participants, so the venue will be filled with excitement and creativity.

    Exhibitors are both content creators & production companies and companies dealing in the solutions for content business Content Tokyo consists of 6 specialised shows. At Production Companies Expo, Creators’ Expo, and

    Licensing Japan, you will meet from major production companies to up-and-coming creators and unique licensors. At the other 3 shows, Advanced Content Technology Expo, Content Solutions Expo, and Content Marketing Expo, you will find the solutions for your business.

    Industry front-runners will speak at Conference (free admission)

    At conference, industry leaders will reveal their secrets to make attractive content. David Lee from Netflix will talk about useful factors for when making original films and Netflix’s objectives for Japanese and Asian markets. Ms. Sandra Karpman, a camera operator of PIXAR, will reveal how the magical world of PIXAR is created through their camera techniques. Katsuro Onoue, the film director of “Attack on Titan”, will speak focusing on SFX/VFX. Access the website for the information on the other speakers and details on the sessions. These sessions are free of charge specially for visitors coming from outside of Japan.

    Visitors from Around the World

    38,000 professional visitors of the content industry are expected to gather from all across Asia. If you belong to content industry, you have no choice but to join this exciting 3 day event!

  • Digital pushing growth even as linear content consumption declines

    Digital pushing growth even as linear content consumption declines

    SINGAPORE: Interesting revelations came forth on Day 3 of Asia TV Forum (ATF) 2015 where formats were the pivotal topic of discussion. 

     

    At the onset was a presentation by Eurodata head of global research and content strategy Sahar Baghery, who spoke about a few trends that are currently worth making note of. 

     

    According to a study by Eurodata, consumption of linear television is on the decline across progressive nations like France, Germany, Canada and US among others; whereas there is only a marginal growth in the consumption patterns even in countries in Asia and Africa. “What this study suggests is that even though linear consumption is witnessing a downward trend, digital consumption is on the rise,” Baghery stated.

     

    What was even more interesting is the fact that countries like France, Netherlands, Sweden and UK are working on evaluating the viewership of content across screens to give a better understanding to content creators as well as brands advertising on the various platforms about the presence and viability of their investments. Sahar also touched upon the fact that a lot of kids content is now being exclusively produced by OTT players like Amazon and Netflix as they believe that is the future of content consumption by millennials.

     

    The study further educated about the various genres of shows that are currently doing well across the European and American circuits. “Stories dealing with corruption, a spy drama and crime thrillers are doing the best in terms of viewership across popular regions as of now.” She added that anthology series were also doing well as a format and could be further explored by other markets as well.

     

    The next couple of sessions for the day dealt with how leaders in Asia, primarily South Korea, are creating content that travels the world. The Korean wave has been sweeping the world and it was no different at ATF either. In a session, which spoke about the trending shows in South Korea, various case studies were discussed as to what led to their success domestically and how that translated into deals with European, Middle Eastern and US markets. CJ E&M manager Spencer Craig Thomas said, “We are very confident of our linear distribution presence, and thus are now looking to grow our content exponentially on the digital side. Our belief is that by creating follow-up or catch up content for our already existing properties on digital, we are only going to increase our consumption traction further.”

     

    On the other hand, Indonesia’s MNC Group VP content Hendy Liem stated that international content is only capable of gaining eyeballs but can’t be monetised well. “It’s important to understand pricing and return on investments in the first place before venturing into international syndication deals or spending heavily on creating content without knowing its monetising capabilities.”

     

    On the kids’ front, a panel discussion was held on the possibilities and success stories of some of the formats, which have been led by kids as the main protagonists. According to research data by Eurodata, 40 per cent of content, which has kids as their protagonists are fictional; 39 per cent is in the entertainment genre and the remaining 21 per cent are factual shows.

     

    The conclusion of the panel was that though the protagonists of shows like The Voice Kids, Super Kids and Master Class are children or young adults, they look at targeting families and not only kids for gaining that many more eyeballs and touch the empathy chords with their viewers.

     

    That brings us to the end of the TV market at ATF 2015; ScreenSingapore will take centre stage tomorrow. Stay tuned for more updates!

  • Bomanbridge renews ‘Chef In Your Ear’ rights with Korea’s CJ E&M

    Bomanbridge renews ‘Chef In Your Ear’ rights with Korea’s CJ E&M

    MUMBAI: Singapore-based production & distribution agency, Bomanbridge Media has renewed the rights to UK & Canada format Chef in Your Ear for 2016 to Korean powerhouse CJ E&M.

     

    CJ E&M is currently airing the first season, locally-titled Avatar Chef in Korea.

     

    The format was created by Justin Scroggie and developed by Ricardo Larrivée, Michel Rodrigue, Lee Herberman and Henry Less. In Canada, the original English version is produced by HLP + Partners and the French version is produced by 350 Productions, setting record audiences on The Food Network.

     

    Chef In Your Ear is a new cooking competition format in which two professional chefs aim to deliver a restaurant quality dish – by remote control. All the cooking is done by two novice cooks, many of whom claim to be kitchen disasters, each wearing an ear-piece. They take instruction from a celebrity chef whom they have been paired with, and who is locked away in a booth, unable to smell or taste the food.

     

    “Bomanbridge is thrilled to represent the exciting and entertaining format, Chef In Your Ear, for Asia and are so pleased to renew our format sale to our trusted partners, CJ E&M, for a second season. We are known in Asia for licensing great formats which give channels high performance ratings. CJ E&M will enjoy great viewership with this show,” said Bomanbridge Media South Korea director of distribution and business development Gyeong Min Moon.  

     

    CJ E&M international sales & acquisition head Jang-Ho-Seo added, “CJ E&M is delighted to renew Chef In Your Ear for a second season. The show is proving very popular to our audiences in the early stages of season one. CJ E&M has been building its reputation for producing and creating the best Formats in the world and CIYE is a great addition to our portfolio.” 

     

    “The Format People are pleased that Bomanbridge Media, one of Asia’s top distributors, has taken Chef In Your Ear into Asia, first to Mongolia and now expanding in Korea with CJ E &M. The format has proven highly successful on Food Network Canada, Justin & I are confident that the Asian versions will be just as successful,” said The Format People CEO Michel Rodrigue.

  • Cartoon Network acquires ‘Oggy And The Cockroaches’ season 5

    Cartoon Network acquires ‘Oggy And The Cockroaches’ season 5

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network in Asia Pacific has cemented its ongoing relationship with Xilam by taking up the new series of the popular animated show, Oggy And The Cockroaches.

     

    Slated for a 2017 premiere, Oggy And The Cockroaches Season 5 (78×7’) will be available in Ultra HD. This acquisition follows the co-production agreement between Cartoon Network and Xilam for 2012’s Season 4, which is currently airing exclusively on the network.

     

    “Over the past few years, Cartoon Network has become known as the ‘Home of new Oggy’ and with Season 5 now secured, I’m happy to announce that this is set to continue for a long time to come,” said Turner Kids Networks Asia Pacific chief content officer Mark Eyers. “Oggy has a winning formula that has made it hugely popular with kids in this region. Alongside our other original series, this blue cat bolsters an enviable line-up of animated comedy.”

     

    Xilam CEO and founder Marc Du Pontavice added, “Oggy’s worldwide success continues to hit new highs and we are thrilled to announce that Cartoon Network is committed to being the show’s broadcaster of this brand new season in Asia Pacific.”

     

    Over four action-packed seasons and almost 20 years and 300 episodes, Oggy has relentlessly battled his nemeses. In season 5, this cat and those pesky bugs are going to present a different facet of their enduring rivalry by featuring Oggy through the ages. The battle against the roaches continues but this time they’re in period dress. It’s an unlikely collision between history and slapstick.

  • Go Digital, Go Local is flavour of Asia TV Forum 2015

    Go Digital, Go Local is flavour of Asia TV Forum 2015

    SINGAPORE: It seems the pre-market conference is looking to set the tone for the rest of the market as well. Everyone, who is either involved in the content creation or content aggregation end, is thinking digital and going local.

     

    Post the keynotes earlier in the day, the sessions that followed include: ‘The Future of TV and Visual Entertainment,’ ‘Native Players, Digital Strategies,’ ‘View from Over The Top’ and ‘Digital Content: Cashing in or Cashing out?’

     

    In the first one, UK-based Ovum’s practice leader Ed Barton took to stage and gave some valuable insights in terms of how the world’s leading broadcasters and pay-TV operators are rethinking their business models to adapt to the ever changing and evolving viewing habits of the consumers. And even more importantly how advertisers are now thinking outside the box to catch their next potential customer.

     

    “Pay-TV growth in developing regions will be driven by finer market segmentation. While digital will continue to grow and rely heavily on what millennials choose to consume, with creators having to strategise better and cater to those needs,” said Barton.

     

    According to Ovum’s study, India’s average revenue per user (ARPU) from Pay-TV subscribers would be around $7.24 by 2020, whereas that for APAC will be at $8.63. But, what was more interesting is the fact that according to the same study, China would be having a lower ARPU than the Indian sub-continent, which is somewhat hard to digest. “The growth for video on demand services and HD services will be directly proportional to the ARPUs drive they receive,” Barton added.

     

    Next up the panel discussing ‘Native Players, Digital Strategies’ saw Endemol Asia MD Fotini Parakakis, MNC Sky Vision – Indonesia, VP director Yudha Wibawa and BBC Worldwide – SEA, SVP & GM Monty Ghai giving their views on what they believe is the future of digital content from the broadcaster’s perspective.

     

    “Broadcasters and brands are more open than ever before to explore differentiated content offerings and break out of the old school, tried and tested formulas. It’s heartening to see independent content creators, who got their very own multi-channel networks (MCNs) now taking it a step ahead by working with broadcasters to create more engaging content,” said Parakakis.

     

    Sharing similar views BBC’s Ghai shared, “We are exploring short format shows as well, but our main focus will continue to remain long form premium content since that’s in our DNA. That being said, what I believe will work for SEA and rest of Asia is if digital content can be used to drive audiences to consume more content on linear as well, rather than leading to cannibalise its presence.”

     

    Indonesia is somewhat similar to how India is progressing in terms of its digitisation process, and people there too face similar hurdles like low broadband connectivity and penetration, along with infrastructure woes. But even in such a scenario MNC Sky Vision’s Wibawa sees a ray of hope. “Although only a few cities are in the position to look at heavy consumption of content on the mobile (given the low broadband penetration) it is still worth a shot and a fairly large population (read over 30 per cent) that is on the look out for such content,” Wibawa said.

     

    Similar discussions were held during the other two sessions as well, which clearly shows that digital is here to stay and if creators embrace the idea of ‘Going Local, but for the world’ then there’s nothing that can stand in the way of how Asia transforms from being influenced by western content, to influence western content instead.

  • Asia’s millennial generation will pave the digital roadmap

    Asia’s millennial generation will pave the digital roadmap

    SINGAPORE: After DJ Lee set the tone for the day’s proceedings, it was Maker Studio’s René Rechtman’s turn to elaborate on the ‘Development and Expansion in Asia’s Digital Marketplace’ at the 16th Asia TV Forum & Market. 

     

    Sharing some interesting market shifts and trends in the digital ecosystem in Asia, Rechtman also touched upon the background growth story of Maker Studios in the region, sharing new initiatives about the product, programming and distribution categories within the Asian contingent.

     

    Entertainment is changing. Millennials are living a mobile, social, on-demand life. Specialising in short-form video reaching this diverse, tech-savvy group, Maker Studios attracts more than 10 billion views on YouTube every month with over 650 million subscribers.

     

    “Digital is growing exponentially, be it for content creation or consumption, there is no end to it. We have looked at a few research studies and it’s amazing to see a 247 per cent  year on year growth at the consumption end of the spectrum. And it’s the millennial generation that is setting the pace for it,” Rechtman shared.

     

    With 55,000 independent creator partners from more than 100 countries, Maker Studios is home to top digital stars, channels, and content.

     

    Rechtman further added that 50 per cent of the population that’s consuming content digitally is from the age group of 13-34 years; and the same group was four times more active socially. “Most of the content consumption is in the way of watching videos and engaging on social media,” he said.

     

    “YouTubers are major influencers in today’s age for millennials to even select their brands. Audience is now the creator and the creator is also the audience; that’s how the cycle of digital content creation functions,” he added.

     

    According to a study, 84 per cent of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising; whereas they prefer brands promoted by YouTubers almost 1.8 times.

     

    Rechtman also stated that the duration of short form videos have reduced over the last two years, and it’s an important aspect to keep in mind for newer and seasoned content creators who wish to gain more eyeballs. The time duration, which was at around 5.1 minutes back in September, 2013 is now down to 3.8 minutes in September this year.

     

    Speaking from Maker’s perspective, Rechtman said that data analytics plays an important role for their strategy and the company always looks for partners who dare to act local, while thinking global.

  • Korea has found its ‘Kimchi’ for its content needs

    Korea has found its ‘Kimchi’ for its content needs

    MUMBAI: The Asia TV Forum kicked off proceedings this time around with a keynote by CJ E&M president, media content business DJ Lee speaking about the future of television in Asia and what lies ahead.

     

    CJ E&M has successfully been operating over 17 television channels and also provides nearly 3,000 hours of content – on an annual basis – across diversified platforms. But, what has been interesting in terms of the growth curve for the network, is the fact that there is a lot more of local content being created, which is doing tremendously with the local audience.

     

    “These are some exciting times for content creators globally. With content being consumed anywhere and being platform agnostic, it’s encouraging to see creators pushing the envelope and doing different things or just doing things differently and being able to reach a wider audience for their content,” Lee expressed.

     

    With an ambitious global expansion strategy along with initiatives such as digital-first original production under Lee’s guidance, CJ E&M rechristened its Multi-Channel Network (MCN) this year to DIA TV (Digital Influence & Artist TV) to focus on creating strategic business partnerships and opportunities with digital content creation platforms such as United States’ YouTube, China’s YouKu and France’s DailyMotion. By partnering content creators via the many digital platforms available, Lee also mentioned that the company is hoping to provide independent digital producers the opportunities to market their product by providing them with more support in areas such as funding, programming, digital rights management and cross-promotion.

     

    “Recently we have signed a licensing deal with NBC for our successful showBetter Late Than Never. So I see lot more such innovative formats traveling across the globe. Asia needs to capitalise on its own rich cultural content, while embracing the diversity in the very same culture as well,” Lee said. “South Korea has branded its content, and made it as popular as its delicacy ‘Kimchi’ and it’s time other Asian countries follow suit as well.”

     

    Lee has been a forerunner, pioneer and innovator of the Korean broadcasting industry, bringing Total Variety Network (tvN), the country’s leading content channel, to greater heights and surpassing Free-to-Air (FTA) giants in terms of ratings and advertising revenue. Being the first to bring international formats into Korea to be localised, while also creating the first international Research & Development department.

     

    With local broadcasting networks in Southeast Asia seeking to augment their original content, Lee’s address also provided insights based on his extensive experiences in cable, formats and the digital sphere.

     

    Lee added, “Evolution and Adaptation are two key traits to have in an industry such as ours. Be it the successful localisation of international formats or integrating existing formats into brand new concepts, it is all about providing engaging and contemporary content for your audiences.”

     

    He emphasised on the fact that Asia needs to find its identity and like CJ E&M find its own ‘Kimchi’ recipe to create a brighter future for the entire content ecosystem of tomorrow. “There will be hurdles like investments and restrictions that will come in your way, but it’s all about having the confidence in your content that will decide the future of your content market and whether it will find space in the hearts of your viewers and money in your pockets from brands who see value in your content,” he said.

     

    CJ E&M’s success is also attributed for creating short format content for the digital space as well as heavy digital marketing spends to in turn increase the content consumption on linear platforms as well. “With experience, we experimented using a lot more social marketing and digital content creation to gain eyeballs and then translate those into gaining more viewership on the linear front as well. I believe that digital is the next big thing and all content creators need to tap it as soon as possible. And what’s more important is to create a differentiated positioning for both the content,” Lee opined.

     

    This keynote certainly gave some great insights behind the success of one of the largest media groups in Asia. And would help a lot of other content producers to think more locally, while keeping the global audience in mind as well. Guess it’s time for India to think of taking its ‘Rajma Chawal’ to the world!

  • ATF kicks off; participation up 25 %

    ATF kicks off; participation up 25 %

    SINGAPORE: The Asia Television Forum, Asia Film Market & Conference and the Asia Animation Conference got off to a flying start this morning in Singapore with the Singapore information, communication and arts minister Dr Lee Boon Yang announcing that participation had grown 25 per cent this year.

    Dr Lee stated that the markets had attracted 80 new seller companies, and 50 new buyer companies. The total number of sellers at the market has grown to 250 and buyer countries represented from 25 to 29 countries, revealed Dr Lee.

    Among the countries which have shown sharp increases include: Greece, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Qatar and Ukraine. The companies attending the market for the first time include: Mosfilm Cinema Concern, Kazakh Cinema Distribution, and Russico. All the major four Korean broadcasters including Educational Broadcasting System, Korea Broadcasting System, Munhwa Broadcasting Corp, and Seoul Broadcasting System have made it a point to attend for the first time.

    The minister added that Singapore was working hard to emerge as a post production service providing hub to Hollywood and other countries wanting to dub or subtitle and distribute to Asia. He pointed out that a beginning had been made and that Singapore has a long way to go but the effort will continue in the form of financing funds from the Media Development Authority, and other government institutions. “Media is one of our core focus areas,” he said.

    He also announced that Oak3 Films will be coproducing a telemovie for German broadcaster ARD which will be distributed by Beta Films globally. Another Singapore company Sitting in Pictures is developing a nine part series with Fremantle International Distribution. Dr Boon Yang also said that the MDA has collaborated with Singapore talent management and executive production company RGM Holdings to set up a loan guarantee facility. The loan facility will be used to partially finance at least six international films worth Singapore $80 million over the next two years.

    His most important announcement was that Singapore’s media industry secured coproduction deals worth $50 million at Mipcom 2006

    Additionally, he said that the his ministry had identified interactive and digital media sector as a key engine of growth and that a fund of upto S$ 500 million had been kept aside to catalyse the same.

    Among the companies which are exhibiting at ATF and the AFM include: Sony Entertainment Television, Sahara One, Zee TV, Eros Multimedia, UFO Movies, Indian Television Dot Com, to name a few.

    The highlight from the Indian perspective is the Indian animation conference which is to be chaired by Ashish Kulkarni with participation from Munjal Shroff, P Jayakumar, Rajesh Turakhia, Sudhish Rambothia. SET CEO Kunal Dasgupta is slated to give the welcome address and function as the co-chair.