SE Asia: US & Korean content top online consumption
March 1, 2021
Korean, US and local content form the core of online video content consumption across Southeast Asia, according to a study published by Media Partners Asia (MPA).
The report, Southeast Asia Online Video Consumer Insights & Analytics: A Definitive Study, wraps up 2020 with key insight to online video content consumption trends across four Southeast Asian markets: Indonesia, The Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The report leverages MPA’s proprietary consumption insights platform, AMPD Research.
Share of streaming minuts by content origin:
South Korea: 34 per cent
US & North America: 30 per cent
Local: 13 per cent
Japan: 9 per cent
UK & Europe: 7 per cent
China: 5 per cent
Other: 2 per cent
Platforms measured include:
Indonesia: Amazon, Disney+ Hotstar, iflix, iQIYI, Netflix, Vidio, Vision+, Viu, WeTV
Thailand: iflix, iQIYI, Line TV, Netflix, True ID, Viu, WeTV- Singapore: Amazon, iQIYI, Netflix, Viu, WeTV
Philippines: Amazon, iflix, iQIYI, Netflix, Viu, WeTV
Commenting on the findings, MPA Analyst Dhivya T said: “A steady stream of original and acquired Korean dramas from Netflix and Viu in 2020 has significantly boosted Korean content consumption in Southeast Asia, pushing K-dramas further into the mainstream of online entertainment. US content maintains strength, largely driven by Netflix, while Disney+ Hotstar’s growing scale in Indonesia has boosted US content consumption and we expect its successful launch in Singapore to drive similar results in Q1 2021. We are also seeing strong demand for local content in Indonesia and Thailand addressed by Vidio and Line TV respectively. Both platforms leverage FTA dramas and some originals. We expect to see more platforms drive local content investment in 2021 and beyond while the battleground for Korean content will remain costly. Netflix and Viu have appeared to be able to monetize Korean content investments better than most because of multi-market scale with Netflix in particular benefiting from global SVoD leadership.”
DECODING CONTENT TRENDS
- Korean content outperformed US content consumption in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand in 2020, contributing 34 per cent of online video streaming minutes overall. Korean content demand is strongest in Singapore and Indonesia, where it accounts ~38 per cent of streaming minutes. Netflix and Viu are at the forefront of Korean content distribution and consumption in the region. WeTV and iQIYI capture long-tail Korean content consumption on the free layer.
- US movies and series contributed an average of 30 per cent of 2020 streaming minutes in Southeast Asia, largely driven by Netflix. US content demand is strongest in the Philippines, accounting for 38 per cent of streaming minutes in 2020. In Indonesia, US content consumption (22 per cent) has been boosted by the entry of Disney+ Hotstar, which leverages Disney’s large vault of franchise content from Marvel, Pixar and others.
- Local content pulls significant weight in Indonesia (18 per cent) and Thailand (38 per cent), championed by Vidio and Line TV respectively. FTA sinetrons, linear channels and originals shine on Vidio, while Line TV’s romantic dramas and original series are popular. In Thailand, Viu’s locally acquired Thai dramas have been key drivers of AV0D consumption. WeTV has had early success with local originals in Indonesia and Thailand. Disney+ Hotstar’s aggressive local movie acquisitions have proven astute; local films contribute outsize consumption on the platform.
- Japanese anime is consistently popular in SEA, contributing 9 per cent of streaming minutes, largely through Netflix. Both fresh and long-tail library titles have proven important.
- The growth of WeTV and iQIYI has strengthened Chinese content consumption across the region, boosted by the significant volume of free content on the platforms. Chinese content demand is strongest in Thailand (10 per cent) and Singapore (8 per cent); 5 per cent of streaming minutes overall across the four markets.