The Asia TV Forum marks its 2024 edition by celebrating its 25th anniversary, reaffirming its status as a leading event for the Asia-Pacific and Southeast Asian entertainment industry. Running from today December 3, the market is set against the iconic backdrop of Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. To commemorate this milestone, attendees are invited to an evening celebration at the LAVO rooftop on the venue's 57th floor, offering stunning views of the city skyline.

The central theme of ATF 2024 is 'investing for the long term', comments Hui Leng Yeow, group project director for ATF at RX Global (Singapore). 'Despite the general apathy in the industry, or what some analysts call the “pause” of 2024, the market is focusing this edition on offering profiles that can provide key knowledge while professionals try to define their vision of the future of the television business and audiovisual in general'.

Although the organization has not offered official figures, it hopes to maintain the numbers from the last edition: 4,511 trade professionals, including 911 buyers from 55 countries and regions. The truth is that this year companies such as Prime Video APAC, Canal+, Docubay, Crunchyroll, Disney Asia, Globoplay, Hulu, iQiyi, and new players such as Playflix K-Drama, Genie TV, Aha, Bongo, among others, are attending.

Today, ATF opens with the “ATF Leaders Dialogue”, an exclusive session featuring handpicked participants who play a pivotal role in shaping a stronger and more resilient future for the industry. According to Yeow, this dedicated program reviews from global financiers to film bonding companies to investors who have growing stakes across regions, especially in Asia, where the event has rounded up profiles that represent pillars of future success.

The focus during the all-day session shifts towards investments in intellectual properties (IPs) designed to transform business models, identifying groundbreaking ideas poised to make a significant industry impact. Also, key conference trends include Asian-centered storytelling to meet rising U.S. demand, innovative global concepts for the Chinese format market, and fresh drama ideas targeting Singapore and the broader Asian audience. The line-up of speakers includes: Tony Gunnarsson from Omdia, Hou Xiaona, VP of Tencent platform, DJ Lee, CCO, Studio X+U, LG U+; Julie Choi, CEO, TVING; and other spoken persons from Youku, IMAX, BBC Film, to mention some.

Key highlights this week also include the “ATF x SAAVA IP Accelerator”, taking place tomorrow, December 4. The market will officially begin with an opening ceremony featuring Tan Kiat How, Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, as the guest of honour. On the same day during the afternoon, the “LEAP Co-Development Program: Variety Show”, hosted by TAICCA (Taiwan) in collaboration with AR Asia Production and South Korean Something Special; the “ATF x Mango 1% Formats Pitch”, a pitch competition led by Chinese Hunan TV and Mango TV, to mention some.

And for the last day, December 5 program has scheduled the “ATF x Mediacorp Drama Concepts & Co-Production Pitch”, with the presentation of "The World Between Us II". Additionally, the day will feature a focus on Thailand's media and entertainment industry, behind-the-scenes insights into "Drug War: A Conspiracy of Silence" series, and a session with Jio Studios discussing its evolving content investment strategies.

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