A new report has revealed that content investment in seven key markets in the APAC region reached US$15.5 billion in 2023, marking a 4 percent year-on-year increase and that Korean and Indian investments dominated the landscape.

Singapore-based Media Partners Asia’s (MPA) ‘2024 Asia Video Content Dynamics’ report offers a comprehensive analysis of content investment, engagement and viewership across TV, VOD, and theatrical sectors in seven key APAC markets — India, Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

According to a MPA statement yesterday, this growth in content investments, while positive, represents a significant slowdown from the 2021-22 period, reflecting a post-COVID normalization of budgets and a rationalization of local content investment in streaming VOD.

India led the charge with a robust 12 percent growth, driven primarily by sports content, while Indonesia followed with a solid 5 percent increase. Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand managed modest gains, whereas Malaysia and Vietnam experienced contractions due to challenging advertising markets.

Korea and India continue to dominate the landscape, collectively accounting for 80 percent of total content investment in 2023. Korea, a mature market, is expected to see flat overall growth, with expansion in streaming and film offset by TV’s secular decline.

In contrast, India, with its relatively low 52 percent TV household penetration, presents significant growth potential across all verticals through 2028. MPA projects that India will surpass Korea in total content investment by 2026.

Looking ahead, MPA forecasts a 2.7 percent CAGR in total content investment across the seven markets, reaching $17.2 billion by 2028. This growth will be predominantly driven by India, with Indonesia and the Philippines also expected to show decent growth rates. Korea and Thailand are anticipated to experience limited growth, while Vietnam faces the most challenges due to weak TV advertising and rampant piracy.

The investment landscape is evolving, with TV (free-to-air and pay) still commanding the lion’s share at 64 percent in 2023, followed by streaming at 26 percent and film at 10 percent. By 2028, TV is projected to retain over 50 percent of industry investment, while streaming is expected to increase its share to 33 percent, with film marginally growing to 11 percent.

Stephen Laslocky, MPA Vice President, while offering insights on the shifting content dynamics, said, “Korean content continues to lead the pack with world-class production values and compelling storytelling, though we’re seeing online original content costs inflate to as much as US$7 million per episode. Its extraordinary appeal is evident, accounting for over 30% of content demand in Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

“The rise of streaming has significantly elevated storytelling and production quality, particularly in Thailand and Indonesia, where competition is intensifying. We’re seeing content from these countries, especially Thai titles, gaining traction across Asia.”

According to Laslocky, it’s become clear that many traditional TV drama producers are struggling to compete with higher-end streamed video content, while, in contrast, quality film producers have embraced the flexibility of streaming and adapted with greater ease.

“Over the past year, as some ad revenues have permanently shifted to digital and streaming behaviour has become entrenched, we’ve observed TV production margins contracting across most markets. For online originals, streamers have become much more disciplined in their approach to budgeting and content strategy,” he added.

The report also highlights significant trends in online video consumption. YouTube leads with over a billion monthly active users across the surveyed markets, with 732 million in India alone.

TikTok has emerged as a formidable competitor in Southeast Asia, boasting 211 million total monthly active users across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

In the premium VOD space, Netflix maintains a strong lead in most markets, capturing between 40-70 percent of viewership in Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. However, it faces stiff competition in Thailand from TrueID and in India from Disney+ Hotstar and Jio Cinema.

Local players like Indonesia’s Vidio are also making their mark, while regional platforms such as Viu are leveraging Korean content and strategic partnerships to strengthen their positions.

The theatrical sector is still in recovery mode, with superhero franchise fatigue and Hollywood strikes delaying a return to pre-pandemic levels in most markets. India has already bounced back, with 2023 box office revenues exceeding 2019 figures.

Other markets, excluding Korea, are expected to recover over the 2025-28 period. An emerging trend in film distribution sees a shift towards revenue-share models for internationally appealing titles, presenting new opportunities for Korean and Thai producers in particular.

As the APAC content landscape continues to evolve, the interplay between traditional and emerging platforms, coupled with changing consumer behaviours, will shape the industry’s future. The MPA report underscored the dynamic nature of the market and the critical importance of adaptability and strategic investment in driving growth across the region.