ATF is finishing today, December 3, but ATF Online+ will remain opened until June 2022. The event reflects APAC’s industry good health and progression with many announcements being unveiled from both, traditional and non-traditional companies. The hybrid format of the show has offered a good performance with live panels from Marina Bay Sands combined with pre-recorded sessions in nice scenarios.

Digital platforms have taken the scene, while new talent emerge with fresh and “out of the box” ideas that are getting the attention of the participants. One of the top speakers on Day 2 has been Erika North, director, local originals, APAC, Amazon Studios: ‘Our goal is to be the most local, global service. We do a “Customer Obsess Approach”: we detect the customer needs and we build from there. We are being successful in Japan, India and Australia and we are rapidly expanding across SEA, where we are partnering young creators’. (more information in the article below).

From Korea, Lee Tae-hyun, CEO, Wavve believes that the industry grows with if there are more players competing: ‘The core business of the streaming market revolves around subscriptions, so if we only compete locally, we would curtail opportunities for the future. We are looking to globally expand, by building a library with original content that is edgier and highly differentiated, in addition to acquired content’. (more information in the article below).

BesTV+ (China) is a Shanghai-based streaming platform launched by Shanghai Media Group and Oriental Pearl Group. Wang Xinyi, Chief Content Officer: ‘Internet audiences are no longer satisfied with passively consuming content anymore. They want interactivity. We combine content + services, such as giving audiences to shop online unobtrusively while viewing content, to provide directions for eateries featured in food shows, and to let audiences quickly buy products featured in entertainment programs’.

Disruption? Taiwan music platform KKBOX Group evolved to KK Company and now offers a wider selection of services. Terence Leong, Chief Content Officer: ‘The music labels we’ve invested in now collectively form the fourth largest market share in Taiwan. Other investments are TV competitions, shows and dramas, as well as short form videos, such as Triller, a US-based short video social platform. We believe that short video content will evolve in a multi-dimensional way’.

ATF is attracting new buyers from around the world, and MENA is one of those key regions. ‘People is moving away from American movies and TV shows, while there has been a huge increase in the demand for preschool content and family movies. Saudi Arabia is a huge consumer of anime and Korean content has done well’, observed Syed Ali, Head of Acquisitions, MBC.

Adham Nasrallah, Content Manager, Safe Media (Lebanon) pointed out that Indian content ‘is a mainstay’ and Turkish has ‘capitalized on their opportunity’. Rabia Asif, Director Strategy & Business Planning, Dot Republic Media, concluded: ‘MENA responded well to dramas, romances, and romantic comedies, and we are now looking for more Turkish and Korean content. Millennials are looking for more Arabic content’.

Fabricio Ferrara y Alberto Buitron

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