20th Edition of ATF Opens in Singapore

The 20th edition of the Asia TV Forum & Market officially opened in Singapore today with some 5,700 participants expected from 57 countries.

“ATF has cemented itself as a must-attend in the international media and entertainment world’s calendar of events,” Yeh Chien Ee, president for the Asia Pacific at Reed Exhibitions, said at this morning’s opening ceremony.

Yeh noted that ATF’s first edition, in 2000, featured 800 participants from 32 countries. “Over the two decades, the market has grown in size and industry standing.”

The overarching theme of ATF this year is “Streaming the Future,” with yesterday’s ATF Leaders’ Summit featuring a keynote from iQiyi’s Gong Yu. Shibasish Sarkar, group CEO of Reliance Entertainment, touched on how the Indian media company is serving the needs of OTT platforms. And WarnerMedia’s Giorgio Stock talked about the continued expansion of HBO GO in Asia.

Yeh also stressed ATF’s role in nurturing Asian storytelling talent and protecting IP.

S Iswaran, Singapore’s Minister for Communications and Information, noted that ATF has “grown from strength to strength” over the past two decades. “It is recognized as an important industry event where buyers and sellers from the entertainment industry converge and conduct transactions.”