Christopher Slaughter
CEO
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In case you wondered, the online video business in the region is expected to grow to US$35 billion over the next five years, according to the latest forecast from MPA. Their “Asia Pacific Online Video Distribution” report hit the streets this week, predicting 22% market growth by 2021, led principally by China, which accounts for 76% of the total number. |
Kevin Jennings
Vice President, Programme
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In a week that saw better than expected quarterly results for Netflix and the announcement that its global distribution exceeded 80 million, Amazon has finally taken the gloves off and said that customers can now subscribe to a standalone video service that acts as a direct competitor . Until now, Amazon has only made video available as part of Amazon Prime, Amazon's annual subscription service that also includes free one-day delivery. The new service will be called Amazon Video and customers will be able to subscribe on a month-by-month basis. The price is also set at $1 cheaper than Netflix in the US. And Netflix quarterly results? They beat analyst projections for revenue and growth, yet saw their share price decline 12% after the closing bell as Wall Street didn’t like the projected Q2 number of additional sign ups which were around 15% off predictions. |
Mark Lay
Vice President, Singapore
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With tech disrupting business after business, the question one may ask is, who is looking to eat my lunch? If you are in the pay TV business, “the slow but inevitable fraying of the cable TV bundle has sparked a newly intense battle to win over audiences who have never been more in play.” "Alibaba, Apple, Facebook, and Google each want a piece of that action.” Fast Company goes through the tactics of each of these tech behemoths and the "implications for the entertainment industry, the tech world, and consumers around the globe”. |
Christopher Slaughter
CEO
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Okay, it’s still sort of in the realm of hype-of-the-month club, but it has to be acknowledged, there’s a groundswell behind VR that makes 3D look, well, positively flat by comparison. (Oh yes, and there’s lots of investment money, too.) New cameras are coming out, widespread live demos are being planned, everybody seems to be jumping on the bandwagon. Which means it’s probably time to start thinking seriously about how to tell stories using VR technology. Meanwhile, an in-depth Wired piece about Magic Leap, which is secretively working on VR’s red-headed step-cousin, “mixed reality” or “augmented reality”. |
Jane Buckthought
Advertising Consultant
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As TV networks digital channels and advertisers in the US, prepare for the latest "upfronts" ad sales season, there are encouraging signs that adspend commitments could increase 3% to 5% this year. According to early estimates from industry insiders who spoke to the Wall Street Journal, TV is expected to be a winner this time after suffering three consecutive years of upfront declines as a proportion of total adspend. Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific will be the second-largest region with $171.51 billion, or 31.6% of global paid media spend. eMarketer has lowered growth expectations in Asia-Pacific for 2016 due to the gradual slowdown of key economies in the region. |
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Yegee Chun
Regulatory Assistant
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The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) released its 2015 full-year internet advertising revenue report, a survey conducted by PwC. The results show that online ad revenues increased to a total of $59.6 billion, up 20.4% from 2014. Unsurprisingly, there has been tremendous growth in mobile-tailored advertising, as well as digital video and social media targeting. Facebook and Google claim a 64% share of total US digital ad revenue, a portion that is estimated to increase further in the coming months. |
Christopher Slaughter
CEO
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When you read this article about “distributed content” companies like Buzzfeed and Mashable, your jaw will drop. (Best line in that article, by the way? “Clickbait is cheap, quality is expensive.”) The headlines are starting to show up all over; between missing revenue targets, laying off staff, and fears about Facebook’s intentions, there’s been a lot of ink lately about the future of the distributed content model, even here in the region. Meanwhile, the companies themselves are working the spin, but the recent news has definitely given nay-sayers a chance to say “nay” yet again. |
Jane Buckthought
Advertising Consultant
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YouTube might think it is "remaking TV", but its strategy is missing a crucial component- an audience strategy writes Dominic Mill Meanwhile, back in the UK, YouTube has got itself into an unseemly spat with Thinkbox, and is currently nursing a bloody nose for what Thinkbox won't call – but I will – statistical malfeasance. It all goes back to a claim by YouTube last year that advertisers targeting millennials should give it 24pc of their TV budgets.
And the claims continue with YouTube claiming new research shows 77 per cent of campaigns on its video site have "a higher return on investment than TV", but broadcasters insisted it was "no surprise" because brands spend "relatively low" sums with YouTube. |
Mark Lay
Vice President, Singapore
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Every week I try to find an article that will get media executives thinking about the future. This one from Jim VandeHei, co-founder of Politico hits that mark; Escaping the Digital Media ‘Crap Trap’. "Just like the Web destroyed the newspaper world; mobile will destroy the desktop world and on-demand video will destroy the TV and cable world. But from the rubble will emerge a much better, more eclectic, more efficient way for all of us to watch, read and listen. It will be brimming with content we can be proud of—and happily pay for." |
Kevin Jennings
Vice President, Programme
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Sad news from the UK with the death of Victoria Wood. Wood was probably best known for her 1980s comedy series Victoria Wood: As Seen On TV and for her on-screen partnership with Julie Walters in the comedy sketch series Wood and Walters. She was one of the most influential TV comedy writers and comic actors of her generation, creating cult hits with Acorn Antiques and comedic, if sometimes dark TV sketches as well as musical parodies that inspired a new wave of female actors and writers on TV. Broadcast veteran Lord Grade said he placed her on par with Alan Bennett in terms of her writing. Wood was a five-time BAFTA winner, and was described as a national treasure. In her own words 'Life's not fair is it? Some of us drink champagne in the fast lane, and some of us eat our sandwiches by the loose chippings on the A597.' |
