Focusing on Asian streamers, WeTV, Migo and Taiwan + offered their business perspectives at the ATF 2021 edition. Among the hot topics, they reviewed topics such as COVID-19 and opportunities for expansion at a global level.
Kaichen Li, head of WeTV&iFlix, Tencent, remarked that Asia is seeing the entry of new players in the OTT segment, as well as the consolidation of Asian platforms that are expanding their footprint further: I have observed that new entrants to the market have come in three tiers: global, regional and local’.
The executive said that the global pandemic affected his content strategy, as many titles presented delays. He also explained the three phases of his programmatic strategy: ‘First, we intend to have the best Chinese IP to overseas audience, localize them, and make sure that they are available for viewing at the same time as Chinese audience. On the second phase, we are partnering with primary content providers in territories like Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, and Indonesia. And as for third phase, we are creating a slate of WeTVOriginal content to differentiate it from free-to-air platforms’, he said.
Meanwhile, Joanne Tsai, CEO of Taiwan +, a free English-language streaming service launched past August, commented that they are focusing on content related to Taiwan: ‘It’s a very new service, and we haven’t done something like this before because it’s all in English. So, we need a lot of international talent’.The executive added that the financial support for the nascent OTT is ‘important’: ‘The government has backed Taiwan + with US $ 28 Million in funding’.
In terms of programming, Tsai said: full episodes are available on the main Taiwan + website and app with repackaged short form versions of the content available across their various social media platforms to cater to audience on the go’. The executive also added that they are looking to create exclusive content for the platform.
Taking advantage of the growing market in Indonesia by its large mobile-first population, the data distribution platform for content Migo, has set its sights in this territory. Barret Comiskey, founder and CEO, said: ‘We are not an OTT player, but rather, we are a distributor, akin to an MVPD (Multichannel Video Programming Distributor) with direct consumer relationships and their own distributor infrastructure’.
‘Our goal isn’t to be a digital 7-11, with transformative digital experiences across education, entertainment, e-books, music’, explained Comiskey. He also added that they want to integrate the company into the fabric of the everyday lives of consumers. ‘In Indonesia, we place Migo Download Stations at corners stores where consumers can download content. Once downloaded, this content can be viewed at their own leisure’, he concluded.
