Factual
Discovery Asia partners VS Media & Tabilabo
MUMBAI: Discovery Networks Asia Pacific has announced two new partnerships across Asia, with VS Media – a top MultiChannel Network (MCN) that super-serves digital natives in Greater China with more than 120 million subscribers and 320 million video views a month, and Tabilabo – one of the leading and rapidly growing digital media businesses in Japan.
These initiatives are in keeping with Discovery’s ambitions to transform and accelerate its big growth across Asia Pacific, by providing access to amazing content that is being truly customised for “mobile-first” millennial audiences.
Last August, Discovery took a minority investment in VS Media. Together, they are now launching TAN BA, a unique digital brand solution specifically targeting millennials, that make up over a quarter of the Chinese population. TAN BA aims to deliver smart entertainment through highly customised short-form video content that stimulates curiosity and new learning every day.
Content is sourced exclusively from Discovery’s extensive global catalogue and localised by VS Media to deliver an unrivalled short-form, digital-video solution with a multi-genre focus including Health & Wellness, Science & Technology, Travel & Lifestyle, Art & Fashion, History, and Nature. These specially crafted videos will be distributed across the most popular online / social platforms in China including Bilibili, Eyepitizer, Meipai, Miaopao, Pear Video, Penguin, QQ, Toutiao, WeChat, Weibo, and Youku as well as Facebook and YouTube across other markets in Asia.
Established in 2014, Tabilabo is a rapidly expanding digital media business, which has over nine million monthly active users and delivers high quality lifestyle-centric content. Tabilabo’s proven expertise in creating content that engages audiences across social and mobile platforms. The partnership between Discovery and Tabilabo includes a commercial agreement that will enable collaboration to bring solutions to advertisers to reach their desired audience via true 360 opportunities across linear, digital, and on social platforms leveraging Tabilabo’s innovative advertising technology and formats, and Discovery’s world-class stable of advertisers.
“I am thrilled to officially launch the first of many exciting initiatives with Discovery. Tan Ba delivers unique, highly engaging and truly compelling content in a breakthrough format – that has been developed with our local creators and designed specifically for digital savvy, millennial audiences,” said VS Media founder & CEO Ivy Wong.
“During beta testing, Tanba generated over 120 million unique views in less than a month with no marketing at all. The average views per video exceeded 2 million. This is exciting, especially as we look to create new engagement opportunities for audiences and our valued sponsor communities.”
Tabilabo CEO Shotaro Kushi said, “We are thrilled to partner with Discovery Networks to launch the industry’s first premium video advertising solution across both digital and linear platforms. Through this endeavor, we will be able to drive higher engagement amongst Japanese audiences by focusing on media brands and world-class content quality that cannot be realized only with digital–targeted marketing alone.”
“These exciting digital-first initiatives are the first steps in Discovery’s long-term strategy to accelerate our growth in Asia with digital at the core,” said Discovery Asia president & MD Arthur Bastings.
“We are deeply committed to engaging more viewers across more screens than ever before, building our presence on new platforms and attracting young passionate communities that advertisers want to reach with unique branded content opportunities through VS Media and Tabilabo’s extensive networks and strong base of millennial audiences.”
MUMBAI: India’s most famous hot seat is about to welcome an unlikely first-timer. For the first time on Hindi general entertainment television, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla will appear on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the iconic quiz show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.
The special episode marks a rare meeting point of boardroom heft and prime-time television, bringing one of India’s most influential business leaders face to face with the country’s most enduring screen legend. It is a crossover that blends intellect, leadership and popular culture, all under KBC’s familiar spotlight.
Birla’s appearance dovetails neatly with the show’s current theme, Jahaan Akal Hai, Wahan Akad Hai, which celebrates the confidence that comes from clarity of thought and knowledge. His presence lends weight to the idea that sharp thinking and conviction are as vital in life as they are in the quiz chair.
In a thoughtful conversation with Bachchan, Birla shared an upbeat view of India’s economic journey, pointing to the nation’s rapid growth and the scale of opportunity opening up across industries and communities. He spoke of momentum, ambition and a future shaped by enterprise and ideas.
The episode is not all serious talk. In lighter moments, Birla confessed his long-standing admiration for Bachchan, calling him his favourite actor and admitting to a touch of nervousness at answering questions in front of the Shahenshah himself. The candour adds a human touch to a man more often seen in headlines than on television sets.
The special episode airs on Monday, 29 December at 9.00 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.
