TV Asia December 2021 ATF Online+

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TVASIA

WWW.TVASIA.WS

DECEMBER 2021

ATF ONLINE+ EDITION

Distribution Trends / TV Asia Screenings Festival / Viu’s Helen Sou

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CONTENTS

All Eyes on Korea Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Chelsea Regan Managing Editor Jamie Stalcup Associate Editor David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Asia ©2021 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvasia.ws

ALL POINTS EAST Leading distributors of drama, formats and kids’ content discuss the opportunities they are finding across the Asia Pacific.

As Asia emerges as the latest battleground for the global streamers—with Disney+’s regional expansion well underway and HBO Max’s soon to come—it’s clear that the quest for Korean content is going to ramp up pretty intensely over the coming months.

In nine AsiaPac markets, U.S. and Korean content accounted for 70 percent of Netflix’s streamed minutes in the third quarter, according to new data from Media Partners Asia (MPA).

In the report, MPA analyst Dhivya T notes, “Korean and Thai dramas demonstrated strong travelability, with a significant share of streaming generated outside the home country. As we move into 2022, we expect Korean dramas and a new slate of Japanese anime, dramas and movies to play a major role in the region, while emerging regional interest in Thai series and movies is likely to attract further investment from Netflix.”

Viu is a major player in the frenzied bid for Korea’s hottest shows, as the platform’s chief business officer, Helen Sou, tells us in this edition.

But distributors from elsewhere are also finding new opportunities in Asia’s fastgrowing streaming ecosystem. We take a deep dive into the market for drama, formats and kids’ shows in this edition for ATF Online+.

—Mansha Daswani

GET DAILY NEWS ON THE ASIAN REGION

TV ASIA SCREENINGS FESTIVAL The inaugural TV Asia Screenings Festival spotlights hot properties at ATF Online+.

VIU’S HELEN SOU The chief business officer at the leading regional streaming platform in Asia on the benefits of its hybrid freemium model and its approach to acquisitions and commissions.

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Droners

Cyber Group Studios Gigantosaurus / Taffy / Droners Cyber Group Studios is highlighting at ATF its preschool series Gigantosaurus, which has launched on CCTV in China, NHK in Japan and Disney Junior in Korea. The original animated cartoon Taffy is a slapstick comedy, “a genre that is very appealing globally and in Asia,” says Raphaelle Mathieu, senior VP of sales, acquisitions and new media. For the adventure comedy series Droners, Cyber Group “worked a lot on having diverse characters in which kids from all over the world can identify,” notes Mathieu.

“The Asian market is key for us, and we want to use our presence during Digital ATF to strengthen our relationship with both multiregional and local partners.”

—Raphaelle Mathieu

GMA Network I Left My Heart in Sorsogon / The World Between Us / To Have and to Hold In GMA Network’s I Left My Heart in Sorsogon, a fashion designer and socialite returns to her hometown to face the life she left behind. The World Between Us centers on an orphan tech genius framed for the death of his legal guardian, who is the mother of the woman he loves. A man searches for the truth about his wife’s affair in To Have and to Hold.

“All three featured dramas revolve around the universal topics of love, betrayal and revenge,” says Roxanne J. Barcelona, VP of GMA’s worldwide division.

The World Between Us

“GMA looks forward to returning to face-toface engagements during content markets and exhibiting together with the rest of the industry.”

—Roxanne J. Barcelona

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Guang Dong Winsing Company GG Bond: Kung Fu Pork Choppers / Team S.T.E.A.M.! / GOGOBUS Guang Dong Winsing Company’s GG Bond: Kung Fu Pork Choppers, the seventh season of the GG Bond property, follows the adventures of a team of pigs and their pets who use their Chinese kung fu powers to save the universe. Team S.T.E.A.M.! centers on a STEM curriculum, with athletics and the arts thrown in, and features a diverse cast of characters who enjoy solving problems and sharing knowledge. The preschool series GOGOBUS focuses on social-emotional learning and teaches the audience about modern science technology, life science, natural history and more.

Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) Singapore Media Festival / Singaporean content & collaboration IMDA has several initiatives in the pipeline that aim to develop the capabilities of and provide support for Singapore’s media talents to go global.

“Our priority for ATF is to leverage the Singapore Media Festival’s position as a global gateway for Asian storytelling to connect showrunners to creative talent through speed dating on coproduction and pitching events,” says Justin Ang, IMDA’s assistant chief executive for media, innovation, communications and marketing.

GG Bond: Kung Fu Pork Choppers

Justin Ang

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Twist of Fate

Kanal D International

Three Sisters / Recipe of Love / Twist of Fate Kanal D International is spotlighting Süreç Film’s Three Sisters, which centers on Türkan, Dönüş and Derya, whose fairytale upbringing had not prepared them for adulthood’s challenges. “By channeling their past, a journey of recovery begins,” says Gamze Utma Besler, sales executive for Asia. Produced by ARC Film, Twist of Fate follows a young girl who tries to keep her “marriage fraud” alive while falling for her boss.

In Recipe of Love, what starts as chef Fırat’s quest for revenge after being abandoned on his wedding day becomes a search for love.

“Our approach is not one-size-fits-all, but rather tailored to the unique needs and terms of clients.”

—Gamze Utma Besler

Off the Fence

The Secrets to Civilisation / Wolverine: One Tough Mother / Japan: The Sense of Season Off the Fence’s The Secrets to Civilisation offers a fresh perspective on the ancient world, while Wolverine: One Tough Mother tells the story of a female wolverine in the rugged wilderness. Japan: The Sense of Season focuses on the seasons of Japan through the country’s traditional lifestyle and changes in its nature and wildlife. The editing and postproduction of the two-part doc “was entirely done by Off the Fence to present the authentic Japanese stories as an international show with English narration,” says Jia Zhao, director of co-production and sales in Asia.

Japan: The Sense of Season

“All of these titles are of premium quality, which Asian broadcasters often look for in nature, wildlife and history content.”

—Jia Zhao

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Russia Television and Radio/Sovtelexport Cloister / The Son / Elsa’s Land Based on a novel by Zakhar Prilepin, Russia Television and Radio’s Cloister tells the passionate love story between a prisoner and officer at a Solovetsky camp in post-Civil War Russia. The detective series The Son centers on a missing child. Elsa’s Land follows a 70-yearold couple whose families disapprove. These new titles in Russia Television and Radio’s catalog “are sure to interest not only buyers from the Asia region but the ones coming to the market from other parts of the world as well,” says Julia Matyash, director of Sovtelexport.

SMF Animation Studio

Elsa’s Land

“We keep prioritizing high quality and diversity in the content we offer.”

—Julia Matyash

Meow Magic

Coolics / Meow Magic / Rockoons SMF Animation Studio’s lineup includes Coolics, centered on a team of young space cadets who must help protect the universe from evil. The upper preschool series Meow Magic features a girl whose pet cat can grant her two wishes each day.

Rockoons, a music-driven, preschool edutainment show, follows raccoons who perform songs in a wide variety of genres. Marina Povkh, head of international business development and sales, says including the “educational function is vital in kids’ development,” which “will be appealing to Asian audiences.”

“A key goal is to create unique and universal content for kids and their families.”

—Marina Povkh

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Game Keepers

Studio 100 Media FriendZSpace / SeaBelievers / Game Keepers Studio 100 Media’s offering includes FriendZSpace, an action-comedy that follows children as they go on deep-space missions to befriend alien kids. The eco-tainment series SeaBelievers centers on underwater superheroes who take action on key environmental issues. The series is “informative and realistic about real-life issues affecting our ocean and [encourages] kids to make a difference,” says Vanessa Windhager, sales executive. Game Keepers sees two teenagers compete in digital gaming worlds to prevent evil powers from taking over the real world.

“Our mission is to bring brands to life that are contentdriven and entertain kids and families wherever they are.”

—Vanessa Windhager

WarnerMedia Kids Asia Pacific Cartoon Network / Cartoonito / POGO WarnerMedia Kids Asia Pacific’s bouquet includes Cartoon Network, which features the Malaysian-made series Mechamato and the Indian series Ekans. Coming soon is We Baby Bears, a spin-off of We Bare Bears. The comedy “will be the tentpole for us to launch our regional version of the global Redraw Your World brand campaign,” says Leslie Lee, head of kids. Also in WarnerMedia’s bouquet are Cartoonito, POGO, Boomerang and HBO GO, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter film by airing all eight movies.

Mechamato

“We’re looking forward to a big finish to 2021.”

—Leslie Lee

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GMA’s I Left My Heart in Sorsogon

TV Asia Screenings Festival The inaugural TV Asia Screenings Festival put the spotlight on hot properties for ATF Online+.

T

he booming OTT sector in Asia is taking center stage at ATF Online+, and with it, the surging demand for regional content from streamers clamoring for local market share.

The selection of content showcased at the TV Asia Screenings Festival includes two new scripted series from the Philippines’ GMA Network. I Left My Heart in Sorsogon is a romance drama starring Heart Evangelista, “a well-known fashion icon who gained international fame after being featured as a real-life ‘crazy rich Asian,’” says Roxanne J. Barcelona, VP of the worldwide division at GMA Network. GMA is also highlighting To Have and to Hold, which delivers a “fresh take on the theme of infidelity,” Barcelona says.

The festival also includes two new dramas from Russia Television and Radio/Sovtelexport. Cloister is a period drama set in the 1920s, following the

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Russia TV’s Cloister

Nicely’s Love in Bloom

Jetpack’s Moley

Off the Fence’s Wolverine: One Tough Mother

love affair between a prisoner and an officer at the Solovetsky concentration camp. The Son, meanwhile, is a contemporary crime drama “about a missing child, attempts to find him and shocking results of the kidnapping investigation,” says Julia Matyash, director of Sovtelexport.

Nicely Entertainment is touting its new selection of TV movies, including the Lifetime thriller Dying to Belong. “Following a young investigative reporter as she enters the underbelly of the sorority hazing system,” says CEO Vanessa Shapiro.

She also highlights the romantic comedy Love in Bloom.

Kids’ content distributors are finding a wealth of new opportunities across AsiaPac as the streaming landscape intensifies.

Jetpack Distribution is offering up the new series Moley, which Sophie “Kido” Prigent, global sales director, describes as a “heartwarming, beautifully constructed CGI animation ideal for family viewing. The storylines

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and characters are universally appealing for kids across the globe. Moley has been produced with incredible attention to detail and has the hallmarks of a timeless and perennially popular children’s TV series.”

Factual content continues to be a top seller across the region, with Off the Fence highlighting two new shows in the festival. The Secrets to Civilisation “investigates how cutting-edge science is changing the way we think about the ancient past,” says Jia Zhao, director of co-production and sales for Asia. From Red Rock Films International for Smithsonian Channel and Terra Mater Factual Studios in association with ZDF/ARTE, NHK and NRK, Wolverine: One Tough Mother is a one-hour special that “takes an intimate and rare look at this elusive creature over the course of a year as she battles against the harshest conditions and fiercest predators,” Zhao says.

Nicely’s Dying to Belong

Off the Fence’s The Secrets to Civilisation

Russia TV’s The Son

GMA’s To Have and to Hold

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Nippon TV’s Guilty Flag.

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ALL POINTS

EAST Mansha Daswani checks in with a range of distributors about the wealth of opportunities they are finding across Asia.

A

s Disney+ arrived in key Asian markets this fall, the platform eagerly touted its selection of local content as it looks to take on Netflix’s dominant presence in the region. “Disney will need to continue to scale investment in local content in key markets excluding India, with a focus on acquiring and producing content that resonates on its platform across the region and potentially even in the U.S.,” a recent report produced by Media Partners Asia (MPA) said.

The global streamers expanding in Asia are ramping up the intense competition for local content, joining an already crowded fray of homegrown players. And it is this frantic OTT space that is presenting an array of compelling new opportunities for distributors participating at this year’s ATF Online+ across a range of genres.

One area that is developing in the digital space is formats, with local and pan-regional players increasingly looking at known IP to

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drive viewership. “While their focus has been almost exclusively around local scripted, we foresee demand naturally evolving and broadening to the various possibilities and genres of non-scripted,” says Rashmi Banijay Rights’ thriving format business in Asia Bajpai, executive VP for Asia at includes MasterChef Singapore.

Banijay Rights. “There are plenty of opportunities in a large market like China with huge sponsorship budgets, but the challenge to protect IP and adhere to government regulations remains a cause for concern.”

Banijay Rights had a good year in its format business, despite the ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic. “We entered this year with some caution, expecting more renewal commissions and some production delays,” Bajpai notes. “However, we’ve instead managed to launch several new shows, including LEGO Masters in Korea and China, All Together Now in Malaysia and

Kanal D International’s New Life recently rolled out in Brunei.

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China, The First and Last Thailand, The Wall Philippines and Big Brother Mongolia.

All these over and above our returning shows.”

Nippon TV, similarly, had a good year in terms of its format business, including Game Keepers is one of Studio 100 Media’s the continued success of highlights for ATF Online+.

Pharaoh! in China. Reality formats such as the company’s Old Enough! are resonating particularly well with Asian audiences, according to Shigeko “Cindy” Chino, associate managing director for international business development at the Japanese media giant.

For Banijay’s Bajpai, meanwhile, the formats that are doing best across Asia at present are those that can be “shot in controlled environments like studios or houses, regardless of genre.” Plus, she continues, “Broadcasters (and advertisers) have gravitated to the tried-and-tested franchises with big brands and fanbases.”

Kids’ content also remains in high demand across the region.

“Despite the pandemic challenges, our business in these territories has been good,” reports Dorian Bühr, the head of global distribution at Studio 100 Media. “Broadcasters and platforms are still looking for high-quality animation. After almost two years of the pandemic, the demand for animation content remains at a high level.”

Raphaelle Mathieu, senior VP of sales, acquisitions and new media at Cyber Group Studios, however, concedes that while business has remained brisk with the company’s traditional

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partners, “the decision-making process has slowed down; hence, working with new partners is much more difficult.”

And there are plenty of new players on the market. “The demand for content from the platforms has grown,” says Marina Povkh, head of international business development and sales at SMF Animation Studio (Soyuzmultfilm). “We see it as an advantage for the studio since every year new players appear and we have new opportunities to distribute our content. Besides, the platforms are more flexible to the content, versus TV channels where there are many restrictions due to censorship.”

Studio 100 Media has established relationships with digital platforms across the region, but Bühr notes that a first window on television is always preferred. “When selling new shows, we are more cautious regarding free VOD content. However, depending on the region, AVOD can coexist with television at the beginning of the life cycle of a property without jeopardizing each other. Our focus, however, will remain on television for the first window, since it creates the highest level of awareness for a property, which is needed especially for the licensing and merchandising business.”

Guang Dong Winsing Company has built multiplatform brands across the region, including GG Bond, a franchise that includes the series Kung Fu Pork Choppers and the film Diary of Dinosaurs, a box-office hit in China that has rolled out in theaters in Korea and on OTT platforms across Asia.

Coolics is a new series from SMF Animation Studio.

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Guang Dong Winsing Company’s lineup includes GOGOBUS.

Mathieu notes that China, Japan and India have been Cyber Group’s busiest markets in the region. “We need to work more with Korea—where we have a strategic partnership with Harry Yoon from Mogozzi—Malaysia and Thailand, to name a few.”

China has also been a lucrative territory for SMF Animation Studio, Povkh reports. “Joy Culture Media is distributing our animated series and short films in China. Since 2021, more than 80 SMF short films have been presented on 16 Chinese platforms.”

Bühr references China, Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand as Studio 100’s best markets in the region. “For India, in particular, there has been an increase in the demand for animation content. However, it’s our policy to target all territories across the region. We put a lot of effort into dealing with broadcasters from smaller Asian countries as well, and we are continuing to notice an increasing demand from Southeast Asia, especially from Malaysia.”

Southeast Asia has also emerged as a bright spot for drama distributors. Of note, Kanal D International’s New Life recently premiered on Radio Television Brunei (RTB), while Love of My Life, part of the company’s extensive slate of romantic comedies, will soon have its premiere on Malaysia’s Astro. “Turkish dramas have proven their strength worldwide, and we believe that their success

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in Asia is just around the corner,” says Gamze Utma Besler, sales executive for Asia.

Banijay Rights’ Bajpai is exploring more scripted format opportunities in Asia, notably in China, where the company previously had success with a local version of Humans.

Nippon TV’s Chino, too, is seeing interest in scripted formats, especially “in the crime and mystery area with a guessing game element, where viewers can join in guessing the culprit,” Chino says.

“Guilty Flag, from the creators of Your Turn to Kill, is an example of the perfect choice for both finished tapes and local adaptation.”

Nippon TV’s scripted formats have traveled even further, with France the latest territory to board its hit drama Mother.

Exporting Asian storytelling to the world is a key mandate for ATF Online+ and the Singapore Media Festival, according to Justin Ang, assistant chief executive for media and innovation at the Taffy is among the series available from Cyber Group Studios.

IMDA. “Despite the ongoing pandemic, we have continued to see new creations and partnerships that bring Asian content to international markets,” Ang says.

“Our priority for ATF 2021 is to leverage Singapore’s connectivity and the Singapore Media Festival’s position as a global gateway for Asian storytelling.”

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Helen Sou Viu

W

ith its hybrid AVOD and SVOD model, Viu has emerged as Asia’s leading homegrown regional streamer, delivering a mix of top-notch imports alongside a growing slate of original productions.

Helen Sou, chief business officer for digital media and Viu Asia at parent company PCCW, shares with TV Asia the strategies driving the platform’s subscriber and usage gains.

TV ASIA: Tell us about Viu’s overall positioning in the AsiaPac streaming landscape.

SOU: Viu is a pan-regional OTT video streaming service that was created in Asia for Asia. Our global scale operation has garnered us extensive coverage across 16 markets. At the same time, we have established deep penetration in local markets through cultivating local fans and like-minded partners that grow with us.

The tremendous growth of our subscriber base—our monthly active users (MAU) grew by 37 percent year-on-year to 49.4 million, and we hit 7 million paid subscribers, a 62 percent year-on-year growth in the first half of 2021— brings us invaluable data and insights into consumer behavior that we need to stay up-to-date on local tastes and to curate quality and diverse content for our audience in each local market. It also guides our content investment strategy and how we should prioritize our resources.

By Mansha Daswani

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Viu’s slate of local originals includes Pretty Little Liars, which is returning for a second season.

A large part of our success comes from our dual revenue model built upon direct subscriptions and partnerships with local players through SVOD and AVOD. This increases the appeal of our service to a diverse customer base across the greater Southeast Asia region, which has a population of over 500 million.

TV ASIA: Tell us about the approach to content acquisitions.

SOU: Viu is the hub of premium Asian content—this is evident in our strong partnerships with leading broadcasters and production houses in Korea, China, Thailand and more. We’ve expanded our offerings to bring fresh and engaging premium Asian entertainment through our volume deals with China’s Huace Film & TV and Huace Croton Media. Viu brings the largest volume of simulcast Korean dramas to greater Southeast Asia. Aside from partnerships, we also take pride in exclusive rights. With the Korean crime thriller One Ordinary Day, available exclusively on Viu, Viu is determined to bring the best of Asian entertainment to our viewers.

TV ASIA: What role does original content play in your overall lineup?

SOU: We have been investing heavily in our original productions to attract more users while retaining our loyal subscribers. We are currently producing an average of 40 Viu originals this year. These include our Korean Viu originals such as Doom at Your Service,

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River Where the Moon Rises, Lovers of the Red Sky and the highly anticipated Now, We Are Breaking Up. On top of that, we work with various partners, from broadcasters to industry partners, to bring local content to Viu-ers. In line with the growing popularity of Thai content locally, we’re pleased to share that as part of our continued partnership with leading Thai broadcaster GMMTV, Viuers can enjoy a number of fresh and exciting Thai dramas such as Irresistible and The Player. Our local Viu original Pretty Little Liars in Indonesia has earned wild success across several markets and is

“We’ve been investing heavily in our original productions to attract more users while retaining our loyal subscribers.”

returning for a second season in early 2022. Also slated for 2022 is our first Filipino Viu original, Still, a musical set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. Our popular Thai “Boys’ Love” series Close Friend is also coming back for a second season. Joining the exciting lineup is Ganjil, Malaysia’s third Viu original.

TV ASIA: What are Viu’s goals in the year ahead as the market gets more crowded? How are you driving new subs and engagement?

SOU: The dynamic markets of Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines have shown us great vitality in terms of their large base

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of young, engaged and techsavvy audiences who are eager for quality, edgy content. We are also supporting our business partners with innovative solutions that can help them grow—the telco data consumption of Viu users is 60 percent to two times more than the Southeast Asian average.

Besides bringing quality conNow, We Are Breaking Up is among Viu’s growing tent that meets the taste of our portfolio of Korean originals. audiences, the innovative collaborations with local partners that we have cultivated in these local markets play a pivotal role in driving the growth there.

Against this backdrop, we can build new forms of partnerships riding on the distinctive characteristics of these young markets.

Focusing on the overall viewing experience and content curation has proven to be the correct direction in these markets, where our audiences value quality localized content. We can localize regional content with almost instantaneous subtitling that is tailored for local audiences. We have also introduced dubbing in local languages for some of the shows streamed in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, which are among our fastest-growing markets. Audience receptiveness toward our service shows that we are doing the right thing. We will continue to invest in our content and technology and explore innovative partnerships to build a scalable and sustainable business.

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