MAM
Media Partners Asia: growth in video content Investment across india, korea and southeast asia accelerates to 12% in 2018, up from 8% in 2017
MUMBAI: Video content budgets across India, Korea and Southeast Asia climbed 12% in 2018 to reach ~US$10 bil., according to the latest edition of Asia Video Content Dynamics, published today by Media Partners Asia. Asia Video Content Dynamics tracks investment, production and consumption for TV, film and online video across India, Korea and Southeast Asia’s five biggest growth markets (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam).
The 12% increase, up from 8% in 2017, highlights rising competition for audiences and production talent, especially in India and Korea, two of Asia’s most dynamic production and content hubs. Together, India and Korea accounted for more than 75% of video content spend across the report’s seven surveyed markets last year.
Of these, India was by far the biggest dynamo of growth with a 24% surge in video content spend in 2018 taking budgets up to US$3.6 bil. according to MPA estimates. This surge reflects a major outlay on premium sports rights in 2018, including a big price increase for IPL cricket, supported by continued growth and competition in TV, especially among regional languages outside the Hindi heartlands. Growth on TV entertainment is likely to soften in 2019, due to new regulations on channel pricing and bundling introduced earlier this year, although underlying trends remain strong.
Video budgets in Korea expanded at a more modest but still respectable 7.2% to US$3.2 bil. in 2018, lifted up with increased investment on movies and pay-TV content in particular, characterized by rising film production costs and ever improving production values. Compared with India, there is more balanced competition between TV majors in Korea, helping foster creative diversity. Korea’s online video sector is underweight, due to a thriving TVOD market that captures a large slice of audience time and spend. Netflix is starting to drive growth in Korea’s online video sector however, with an eye on local, regional and global distribution.
There are also notable pockets of growth for video content investment in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia, where budgets expanded 13% in 2018 to US$800 mil., and Vietnam, where investment grew 11% in 2018 to US$500 mil. The overall picture in Southeast Asia was more mixed, however. Video content costs in the Philippines fell 2.2% in 2018, reflecting declining audiences for free-to-air and pay-TV. There was minimal growth in Malaysia, as a result of revenue pressures for Media Prima, the free-to-air incumbent, and Astro, the country’s biggest broadcaster.
Commenting on the findings from the report, MPA Vice President Stephen Laslocky said:
“The outlook remains healthy across much of Asia for the video content industry, with aggregate budgets scaling up in TV, film and online video across our surveyed markets. Much of this growth came from India and Korea, two large production dynamos with deep pools of talent. There are pockets of pressure in other markets however, especially for incumbent free-to-air broadcasters in Malaysia and the Philippines, where TV budgets were reined in. Falls in TV viewership have been especially pronounced in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, largely precipitated by digital competition as viewers flee marginal TV channels. Viewing data suggests that popular TV channels are relatively well insulated from online video competition, at least for now.”
Laslocky continued: “Meanwhile, investment in online video content continues to scale, up 60% in aggregate to reach US$858 mil. across the seven surveyed markets, powered by rapid growth in India, boosted by Amazon, Hotstar and Netflix in particular. Online video accounted for 14% of all video content spend in India last year, the highest proportion of all our surveyed markets. Growth in online video budgets is also accelerating from a low base across much of Southeast Asia, although investment remains underweight in Thailand and Vietnam. Online video budgets are also constrained in Korea, due to the popularity of VOD services from incumbent IPTV platforms.”
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
