formatsoutlook
Follow the script Scripted formats are at an all time high in Asia as streaming/online platforms fast-track premium content output. Aqilah Yunus tracks leaders and laggards across the region. Despite tight regulations and censorship, China was Asia’s biggest buyer
India is not far behind, running second with 10 drama titles, making
for scripted formats in the first half of this year. ContentAsia’s Formats
up 38% of the country’s total formats. The drama formats on air or com-
Outlook research for the first half of 2019 shows China topping the drama
missioned in India in the first half of this year include Armoza Formats’
charts with 13 titles (57% of the country’s total 23 format acquisitions),
Hostages by indie production house Applause Entertainment for the Dis-
including all3media’s Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, BBC Studios’ Life on
ney-owned streaming platform Hotstar; BBC Studios’ The Office, also by
Mars, Endemol Shine Group’s Younger, Fuji TV’s The Hours of My Life and
Applause for Hotstar; and Keshet’s Baker and The Beauty, produced in
ITV’s Jekyll and Hyde.
Regional Regional
Cambodia Cambodia
Singing contest 33%
Game Show 34%
Reality 100%
Note: Regional formats were all but MIA in first half 2019. The two regional reality shows on our radar were Asia’s Got Talent for Sony Pictures’ AXN and No Sleep No Fomo for streaming platform Viu. Traditional regional pay-TV broadcasters have been pulling back on big-budget format production for a few years, and there’s more than a little scepticism over any kind of meaningful revival anytime soon. Viu is changing the regional game. In the second half of 2019, Viu greenlit Endemol Shine’s The Bridge season two by Malaysia’s Double Vision for Viu and HBO Asia, as well as an Indonesian version of Warner Bros’ Pretty Little Liars, which is backed by Viu in Malaysia and Indonesia, and will be available across 17 markets. The 10-episode The Bridge 2 will be released in 2020.
Reality 33%
China
China Factual 4% Entertainment 4%
Game show 9%
India India
Singing contest 12%
Reality 22%
Singing contest 4%
Drama 57%
60
Drama 38%
Reality 19%
Game Show 31%
contentasia issue five, october 2019