Astro, Turner Partner for Asian Content, Warner TV

Astro has announced an expanded alliance with Turner Asia Pacific that includes carriage of Warner TV and an initiative to co-own and co-produce Asian content.

The alliance between the two companies encompasses carriage of Warner TV on Astro and the OTT service Tribe.

Henry Tan, COO of Astro, noted, “Our focus is to deepen our involvement in content creation and ownership, particularly in Asian IPs, which will be increasingly pivotal in a market that values strong differentiation. We believe these IPs anchor our value proposition, and are ultimately what customers want and are willing to pay for. We are enhancing the exportability of signature IPs, and are actively seeking distribution in multiple markets through partnerships, as well as our own platforms, such as Astro in Malaysia and Tribe in the region.”

Tan said that Astro and Turner will partner to “own verticals in Asian content. Together, we will explore opportunities to co-develop Asian content for global distribution and raise the bar for better quality Asian content. Additionally, this new venture will enable us to participate in the revenue distribution generated from Warner TV in the region.”

“We are thrilled to announce that our pan-regional entertainment channel, Warner TV, will debut on Astro and Tribe,” said Phil Nelson, senior VP and managing director for North and Southeast Asia Pacific at Turner International. “The launch is part of a strategic regional partnership that will see us working closely on the channel’s development and reflects both parties’ commitment to continued investment in content our customers love.”

Warner TV will be available on demand and on linear via Astro GO and Astro TV from May 1.