All Points East

Mansha Daswani checks in with a range of distributors about the wealth of opportunities they are finding across Asia.

As Disney+ arrived in key Asian markets this fall, the platform eagerly touted its selection of local content as it looks to take on Netflix’s dominant presence in the region. “Disney will need to continue to scale investment in local content in key markets excluding India, with a focus on acquiring and producing content that resonates on its platform across the region and potentially even in the U.S.,” a recent report produced by Media Partners Asia (MPA) said.

The global streamers expanding in Asia are ramping up the intense competition for local content, joining an already crowded fray of homegrown players. And it is this frantic OTT space that is presenting an array of compelling new opportunities for distributors participating at this year’s ATF Online+ across a range of genres.

One area that is developing in the digital space is formats, with local and pan-regional players increasingly looking at known IP to drive viewership. “While their focus has been almost exclusively around local scripted, we foresee demand naturally evolving and broadening to the various possibilities and genres of non-scripted,” says Rashmi Bajpai, executive VP for Asia at Banijay Rights. “There are plenty of opportunities in a large market like China with huge sponsorship budgets, but the challenge to protect IP and adhere to government regulations remains a cause for concern.”

Banijay Rights had a good year in its format business, despite the ongoing challenges presented by the pandemic. “We entered this year with some caution, expecting more renewal commissions and some production delays,” Bajpai notes. “However, we’ve instead managed to launch several new shows, including LEGO Masters in Korea and China, All Together Now in Malaysia and China, The First and Last Thailand, The Wall Philippines and Big Brother Mongolia. All these over and above our returning shows.”

Nippon TV, similarly, had a good year in terms of its format business, including the continued success of Pharaoh! in China. Reality formats such as the company’s Old Enough! are resonating particularly well with Asian audiences, according to Shigeko “Cindy” Chino, associate managing director for international business development at the Japanese media giant.

For Banijay’s Bajpai, meanwhile, the formats that are doing best across Asia at present are those that can be “shot in controlled environments like studios or houses, regardless of genre.” Plus, she continues, “Broadcasters (and advertisers) have gravitated to the tried-and-tested franchises with big brands and fanbases.”

Kids’ content also remains in high demand across the region. “Despite the pandemic challenges, our business in these territories has been good,” reports Dorian Bühr, the head of global distribution at Studio 100 Media. “Broadcasters and platforms are still looking for high-quality animation. After almost two years of the pandemic, the demand for animation content remains at a high level.”

Raphaelle Mathieu, senior VP of sales, acquisitions and new media at Cyber Group Studios, however, concedes that while business has remained brisk with the company’s traditional partners, “the decision-making process has slowed down; hence, working with new partners is much more difficult.”

And there are plenty of new players on the market. “The demand for content from the platforms has grown,” says Marina Povkh, head of international business development and sales at SMF Animation Studio (Soyuzmultfilm). “We see it as an advantage for the studio since every year new players appear and we have new opportunities to distribute our content. Besides, the platforms are more flexible to the content, versus TV channels where there are many restrictions due to censorship.”

Studio 100 Media has established relationships with digital platforms across the region, but Bühr notes that a first window on television is always preferred. “When selling new shows, we are more cautious regarding free VOD content. However, depending on the region, AVOD can coexist with television at the beginning of the life cycle of a property without jeopardizing each other. Our focus, however, will remain on television for the first window, since it creates the highest level of awareness for a property, which is needed especially for the licensing and merchandising business.”

Guang Dong Winsing Company has built multiplatform brands across the region, including GG Bond, a franchise that includes the series Kung Fu Pork Choppers and the film Diary of Dinosaurs, a box-office hit in China that has rolled out in theaters in Korea and on OTT platforms across Asia.

Mathieu notes that China, Japan and India have been Cyber Group’s busiest markets in the region. “We need to work more with Korea—where we have a strategic partnership with Harry Yoon from Mogozzi—Malaysia and Thailand, to name a few.”

China has also been a lucrative territory for SMF Animation Studio, Povkh reports. “Joy Culture Media is distributing our animated series and short films in China. Since 2021, more than 80 SMF short films have been presented on 16 Chinese platforms.”

Bühr references China, Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand as Studio 100’s best markets in the region. “For India, in particular, there has been an increase in the demand for animation content. However, it’s our policy to target all territories across the region. We put a lot of effort into dealing with broadcasters from smaller Asian countries as well, and we are continuing to notice an increasing demand from Southeast Asia, especially from Malaysia.”

Southeast Asia has also emerged as a bright spot for drama distributors. Of note, Kanal D International’s New Life recently premiered on Radio Television Brunei (RTB), while Love of My Life, part of the company’s extensive slate of romantic comedies, will soon have its premiere on Malaysia’s Astro. “Turkish dramas have proven their strength worldwide, and we believe that their success in Asia is just around the corner,” says Gamze Utma Besler, sales executive for Asia.

Banijay Rights’ Bajpai is exploring more scripted format opportunities in Asia, notably in China, where the company previously had success with a local version of Humans.

Nippon TV’s Chino, too, is seeing interest in scripted formats, especially “in the crime and mystery area with a guessing game element, where viewers can join in guessing the culprit,” Chino says. “Guilty Flag, from the creators of Your Turn to Kill, is an example of the perfect choice for both finished tapes and local adaptation.”

Nippon TV’s scripted formats have traveled even further, with France the latest territory to board its hit drama Mother.

Exporting Asian storytelling to the world is a key mandate for ATF Online+ and the Singapore Media Festival, according to Justin Ang, assistant chief executive for media and innovation at the IMDA. “Despite the ongoing pandemic, we have continued to see new creations and partnerships that bring Asian content to international markets,” Ang says.

“Our priority for ATF 2021 is to leverage Singapore’s connectivity and the Singapore Media Festival’s position as a global gateway for Asian storytelling.”