ATF Online+ 2021 continues today, December 2, with more activities, panels & conferences and screenings. The event demonstrates its regional strength, but with a twist: it is attracting more global participation. Prensario has detected new buying and selling companies that are betting on APAC to source fresh content, to co-produce or to distribute. Brazil, Turkey, Russia, Israel, MENA, Finland, Germany and UK are on top.

This year’s convention returns with a hybrid format of in-person and online components at the Marina Bay Sands. The platform hosts +3,000 trade attendees from 60 countries and regions: there are 16 official pavilions from China, France, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, and Turkey, and over 4,500 IPs, of which 30% are new, will be presented at the market.

On the Opening Ceremony, Singapore Minister for Communications and Information, Josephine Teo, reiterated Singapore’s vision to be a platform for regional stories. ‘Last year, the Infocomm and Media Sector experienced a 4.8% growth. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced a new content and talent initiative including a new partnership with Netflix for a Series Writing Workshop that will involve up to 20 screenwriters from Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia’, she underlined. (more information in the article below).

Following, Yip Je Chong (JC), MD Singapore & Malaysia, and SVP, Commercial, Asia Pacific, RX, added: “Reimagining TV: Vision 2022” aims to capture the re-prioritisation, re-structuring and re-monetisation that is happening in Asia’s media and entertainment landscape and sharing its ecosystem’. And Justin Ang, Assistant Chief Executive of Media, Innovation, Communications and Marketing, IMDA, concluded: ‘Singapore Media Festival, which last year secured +USD 190 million worth of partnerships and deals, bridges local and international players’. The executive confirmed that ATF will return in-person on December 7-9, 2022.

The “Country Focus” this year is China, so RX offers a number of sessions focused on Chinese media giants. One of them was on Day 1, Chen Xiao, SVP, iQiyi, who confirmed that in 2021 the app downloads have increased beyond 70 million, with a monthly playback time that exceeds 140 million hours. ‘Contents should reflect both the viewers’ everyday experiences and the current zeitgeist. We invite content creators to come forward to freely collaborate with us’, concluded Chen. (more information in the article below).

“Booster shot through Partnerships” highlighted the alliances between platforms and telcos or Pay TV operators, as well as e-commerce. Anna Pak Burdin, Head of Business Development, iQiyi International, announced a partnership with Alipay+ to have a ‘smoother payment experience’. Anson Tan, Country Head, Viu Singapore, added: ‘Being consumer-focused and agile is important, and partnerships are going to be key in our strategy. And Catherine Park, SVP, Head of Office & Streaming (Asia), ViacomCBS Networks International, concluded: ‘Only through the partnerships can we fulfil the need of our consumers. Asia will be a large potential market for the rollout of their streaming service, Paramount+, in 2022’ (more information in the article below).

Fabricio Ferrara y Alberto Buitron

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