Disney+ Hotstar Drives SVOD Gains in Southeast Asia

There are now 39.5 million SVOD subs across Southeast Asia, Media Partners Asia (MPA) reports, with 2.8 million added in Q1 alone, driven in part by gains at Disney+ Hotstar.

The report, Southeast Asia Online Video Consumer Insights & Analytics, notes that Disney+ Hotstar secured 22 percent of new SVOD subs in the region in the first quarter, powered by gains in Indonesia, where the platform now has more than 5 million paying customers. There are 17.4 million SVOD subs in Indonesia. Vidio is out front in terms of consumption in Indonesia, with 28 percent of premium video usage, followed by Disney+ Hotstar and WeTV at 15 percent each.

Outside of Indonesia, Netflix leads premium video consumption share in the region thanks to its U.S. series and movies, Korean dramas, Japanese anime and international originals. Across all platforms, Korean dramas and U.S. content drove more than half of measured consumption (South Korea at 30 percent, U.S. content at 23 percent). U.S. content was the largest category in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. Demand for Indonesian, Thai and Filipino content is rising thanks to Vidio, Disney+ Hotstar, WeTV and Viu. Chinese dramas captured 14 percent of consumption, driven by growing demand in Thailand.

Commenting on the streaming landscape in the region, Vivek Couto, MPA’s executive director, noted, “Subscriber growth is likely to moderate as sluggish macroeconomic conditions set in across SEA. Inflationary pressures could impact consumer wallets with affordability, new content cadence and hits, and ease of access through telco and direct retail bundles likely to be the key to driving customer acquisition and limiting churn. Local series, particularly in Indonesia and Thailand, have proven use-cases in customer acquisition and retention. Along with local, U.S. and Korean content and live sports are expected to continue to drive premium customer demand. The expansion of Amazon Prime Video in 2H 2022 is also set to intensify competition, along with Disney+ Hotstar’s launch in the Philippines.”