Southeast Asiacontent makers have had it tough in recent times.
Streaming originals have been ditched and free-to-air networks are seeing TV advertising spend move to social media.
Thats not to say the others wont come back.
‘Ratu Adil’Viu
Vidio has doubled down on domestic talent.
Francis, a former Warner Bros.
Yet, Francis has found a way to build on the markets appetite for Indonesian action series.
Reborn RichViu
We landed with action-comedy and action-romance as the two main threads were developing.
Another challenge facing the streamer is the lack of a developed, pre-existing pay-television market in Indonesia.
Premium sports is one answer.
The global K-pop and K-drama trends have only amplified its cultural significance.
For regional streamerViu, Korean content has long been the bedrock of its business.
Acquiring overseas streaming rights and providing high-quality subtitles, often within 12 hours after broadcast, is key.
Its easy-watching and you feel good after you watch the drama.
Korean IP has also driven some of Vius recent original title successes in Southeast Asia.
Viu teamed up with legacy Philippine media conglomerate ABS-CBN to produce the series.
It broke a lot of our viewership records and also traveled outside of the Philippines, says Lee.
Before the pandemic, it was easier for us to build stars, says Gazmen.
Right now, thats the work that we do with the television side.
Were not in the position to take risks and launch new faces each and every time.
Films are moving faster, she says.
In places such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, the box office has moved toward pre-pandemic levels.
Would Korea be where it is today without a platform like Netflix plusSquid Gamecoming together?
WouldSquid Gameeven exist as a domestic commission?
No, I dont think so.
China
Perhaps part of the answer lies elsewhere in Asia.
Lee highlights that Viu is making a concerted push into Chinese content and IP.
Viu execs say Chinese-language content is demonstrating similar patterns to the platforms Korean content.
Released on October 9, the series is a Korean-language remake of an original Chinese drama titledGo Ahead.
It will star Hwang In-youp, Jung Chae-yeon, Bae Hyun-sung, Choi Won-young and Choi Moo-sung.
However, while there is reach, penetration is still limited.
