MPA Projects 6.2 Percent AsiaPac Ad Growth

Net ad spend in AsiaPac is forecast to increase by 6.2 percent this year, just slightly behind last year’s 6.3 percent increase, according to Media Partners Asia (MPA).

Net ad spend in the region topped $180 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach close to $195 billion in 2019. By 2023, the total ad pie will amount to $235 billion, a 5.4 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2018. MPA released the stats in its Asia Pacific Advertising Trends 2019 report, which tracks ad spend across 14 markets.

Vivek Couto, executive director of MPA, commented, “The general outlook remains positive, buoyed by steady growth across almost all markets over 2019 and 2020. In addition, elections in India, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand will further boost ad prospects this year, while India will also benefit from marquee cricket. In India, TV remains an advertising mainstay, even as affordable high-speed broadband and a strong start-up economy power internet advertising in tandem, especially online video. China’s ad market slowed from 10.3 percent growth in 2017 to 7.8 percent in 2018 amidst macro issues, a clean-up in online advertising and an ongoing downward trajectory in TV. Nonetheless, the future for China’s ad market remains reasonably robust, with an estimated 10 percent CAGR for online advertising over 2018-23 fueling overall growth.”

Couto added, “TV advertising meanwhile remains important but is under pressure from online video and near-term macro headwinds, especially in Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Thailand. TV advertising across Asia Pacific contracted by 1.9 percent in 2018 and will be down by 1.4 percent in 2019, according to MPA forecasts. At the same time, broadcasters in a number of markets—most notably Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan and Korea—are gaining share in online video advertising with their own branded AVOD platforms. Shifting dynamics in TV and online are likely to force more consolidation and M&A in Indonesia, Korea and Thailand in particular, as well as other markets in Southeast Asia.”

This year, the Philippines will be the fastest-growing market, with a 15.2 percent gain in ad spend, boosted by elections and digital. India’s growth rate this year will be 11.8 percent, followed by Vietnam (8.8 percent), China and Indonesia (7.6 percent each), and Thailand (5.3 percent).

Over the five-year term from 2018 to 2023, meanwhile, India leads with a 10.7 percent CAGR, ahead of Vietnam (8.8 percent), the Philippines (7.5 percent) and Indonesia (5.6 percent). The mature markets of Japan and Australia will experience growth rates of 2.4 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively.

India will overtake Australia and Korea to become AsiaPac’s third-largest ad market by 2023. China will remain number one, accounting for 65 percent of new ad dollars in the region between 2018 and 2023.

The proportion of ad spend going to digital will top 50 percent this year and rise to 59 percent by 2023. This year, online ad spend is expected to increase by 13.5 percent to $97 billion. The biggest digital ad market is China, with revenues of $55 billion last year. Japan is a distant second with $13 billion, followed by Korea at $3.7 billion and India at $1.9 billion.

Online video advertising grew by 29 percent across Asia Pacific in 2018 to reach $12.4 billion. Online video’s share of the digital ad pie is expected to grow to 20 percent by 2023, representing $27 billion in spend. The largest markets will be China, Japan and Australia.