MPA: U.S. Content Helps Power AsiaPac SVOD Market

A new report from Media Partners Asia (MPA) highlights the crucial role of U.S. content for SVOD operators in several Asia Pacific markets, capturing 30 percent of viewership in Q1 this year.

US Content in the Asia Pacific uses data from MPA’s own AMPD Research division, which tracks 40,000 online video users across 10 AsiaPac markets. It found that American programming is the second-largest driver of SVOD usage across AsiaPac after South Korean shows.

The most dominant market in the region for American fare is Australia, where it takes 72 percent of measured SVOD viewership. In Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, U.S. content captures about 40 percent to 50 percent of SVOD usage. Indonesia is not far behind at 35 percent. U.S. content has a limited impact in two of the region’s most mature SVOD markets, Japan and Korea, where premium content viewership is anchored in local fare, namely Korean dramas and variety and Japanese anime and live action.

Dhivya T, MPA’s head of content insights, said: “U.S. originals on Netflix are increasingly launched with Japanese, Indonesian, Thai, and Tagalog dubs, expanding their reach and accessibility in Asia. Strong fandoms have developed around many of Netflix’s top originals, building on multi-season momentum, like Stranger Things, You and Bridgerton, while Disney taps into Marvel, Star Wars and family franchise fan bases. Sci-fi and fantasy emerged as the most popular U.S. content genre in Asia over the past year, while comedy rules in Australia. It’s notable that unscripted U.S. content has had little impact in APAC ex-Australia, especially in Japan and Korea where audiences are well-served by distinct local variety and reality formats.”