Local Content Drives SVOD Takeup Across Southeast Asia

Korean dramas led online content consumption across Southeast Asia in 2021, according to new data from Media Partners Asia (MPA), with regional shows, notably from Thailand and Indonesia, in second place, followed by American fare.

According to MPA’s Southeast Asia Online Video Consumer Insights & Analytics report, there were 36.6 million VOD subscribers across Southeast Asia at the end of last year, having added 16.2 million throughout 2021. The biggest players in the region remain Disney (7.2 million customers), Viu (6.5 million) and Netflix (6.4 million). Indonesia and Thailand contributed 75 percent of the region’s VOD growth last year.

Per the study, which leverages MPA’s AMPD Research Platform, Korean dramas accounted for 31 percent of premium video consumption in Southeast Asia last year, with local content at 16 percent, U.S. shows at 15 percent, Chinese dramas at 12 percent and Japanese anime at 10 percent. American movies commanded a viewing share of 7 percent.

U.S. content is the most influential category in the English-speaking markets of the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, driving 35 percent to 40 percent of consumption.