APOS '24 Recap: The Push for Partnerships
And a few disruptive thoughts for D2C streaming startups in India
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From October 13-16 this year at the iconic Dubai Harbour, Expand North Star 2024 will showcase the world’s leading startups and connect them with investors from across the globe. This year’s event promises to be the biggest yet, attracting over 70,000 attendees and 1,200 investors.
“Media and Creativity” is a key theme at this year’s Expand Northstar which runs along with the biggest tech gathering east of London, GITEX ‘24.
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Agenda
APOS 2024 Recap: The Push for Partnerships and Localized Streaming Strategies in Asia [With some inputs taken from Deadline]
Three Key Takeaways from APOS ‘24
My Views
And….Action!
APOS 2024 Recap: The Push for Partnerships and Localized Streaming Strategies in Asia
As part of our continued effort at Streaming in India, we bring you a comprehensive look into one of Asia's premier events for entertainment and streaming: APOS 2024. This year’s event, held at the luxurious Ayana Resort in Bali, Indonesia, brought together the biggest players in Asia’s entertainment industry, including Warner Bros. Discovery, Prime Video, U-Next, Viu, and Canal+ but also Reliance Jio, Fancode, Netflix India and more. The dominant theme that emerged from the discussions was a focus on collaboration and partnerships—a crucial element to thrive in the ever-evolving world of streaming.
In this edition, we’ll take you through key insights and strategies shared by industry leaders during APOS '24, giving you an in-depth look at how these collaborations are shaping the future of streaming in Asia.
Prime Video’s Multi-Stage Approach in Asia Pacific
One of the most notable speakers at APOS was Gaurav Gandhi, Vice President of Asia Pacific & MENA for Prime Video. Gandhi emphasized that Amazon’s strategy in the Asia Pacific region varies significantly depending on the local market's maturity. He explained that Prime Video is at different stages of development across the region, which requires a tailored approach to each market.
“The APAC region is one where Amazon is at different stages, meaning strategies differ depending on where the journey is,” Gandhi noted.
The Power of Partnerships in Japan
In Japan, where Prime Video has made significant strides, Yosuke Ishibashi, Head of Content for Prime Video Japan, highlighted the importance of partnerships in driving growth. Prime Video Japan has collaborated with local players like Toei and Toho to maximize the reach and impact of its content. For example, Prime Video's adaptation of the popular anime series Oshi No Ko was released in partnership with Toei, while its first Japanese original film, The Silent Service, premiered through Toho before streaming on Prime Video.
Gandhi stressed that these collaborations have been essential to Prime Video’s success in Japan, stating,
"In Japan, it was super important to think about partnership and collaboration.”
Warner Bros. Discovery: A Two-Way Street for Content
James Gibbons, President of APAC at Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), also echoed the theme of partnerships. WBD’s recent launch of the Max streaming service in Japan—through a partnership with local streamer U-Next—was a prime example of this approach. The collaboration allows WBD to bring global content to Japanese audiences while also acquiring local content to distribute on Max internationally.
“It’s a two-way street,” said Gibbons. “We’re working with partners to take content global.”
Gibbons further elaborated on WBD’s strategy in Southeast Asia, where the rollout of Max will be a hybrid model combining direct service with local partnerships. This approach is designed to adapt to the unique dynamics of each market while maximizing content distribution.
U-Next: Dominating Japan with Content and Coverage
Toshi Honda, COO of U-Next, provided insights into how the platform has become a dominant force in Japan. With around 4 million subscribers, U-Next has built its strategy on "total coverage," offering the largest volume of content in the Japanese market, including local and U.S. films, anime, and now, sports.
Honda pointed out that U-Next’s recent seven-year exclusive deal for the English Premier League and FA Cup was a game-changer for the platform.
“It not only allows us to deliver some of the best premium content from Hollywood, but we can introduce Japanese content around the world,” said Honda.
Viacom18: Local Context is Key in India
Shifting focus to India, the importance of understanding local market dynamics was a key theme in the session led by Kiran Mani and Kevin Vaz from Viacom18. They cautioned international players against applying global strategies to the Indian market without customization. Mani, Viacom18’s CEO of Digital Ventures, warned that global pricing models, especially U.S. dollar-based ones, simply do not work in India.
“For anyone coming in, global models don’t apply to India. If you try U.S. dollar pricing and don’t show commitment to India, India does not reward. We will bring the audience, but we need partners who are in it to win it together,” said Mani.
Mani also pointed out that the Indian subscription market is still in its infancy, with only about 50 million subscribers in a country of over a billion people. He emphasized the need for patience and long-term commitment from global players entering the Indian market.
The Future of Bundling: Personalization and Flexibility
Another key session at APOS focused on the growing role of multiservice bundles in the future of subscriptions. The panel featured speakers from Bango, Amazon, and Telkomsel, who discussed how bundling services like TV, music, and gaming can enhance consumer value and increase retention.
Lesley Simpson from Telkomsel shared how bundling has become a core strategy for the company, allowing it to reach over 9 million homes in Indonesia. By partnering with global providers like Amazon, Telkomsel has been able to offer localized, flexible bundles that cater to the unique needs of Indonesian consumers.
“We are helping our users include whatever services they need at home, especially video, by partnering with global providers like Amazon,” Simpson explained.
Three Key Takeaways from APOS 2024
Partnerships are the Future of Streaming in APAC (arguably the world!)
Whether it’s Prime Video in Japan or Warner Bros. Discovery with U-Next, partnerships are proving to be the most effective way to scale in the diverse APAC region. Collaborations help platforms localize content, expand reach, and offer more tailored experiences to consumers.Local Strategies are Essential in India
For global streaming giants looking to enter India, success depends on understanding the country’s unique cultural and economic context. The “one-size-fits-all” approach does not work, and companies need to invest for the long haul, as emphasized by Viacom18’s leaders.Bundling is Key to Subscriber Retention
Bundling multiple services into one package is becoming the preferred model to deliver value to consumers across APAC. As noted in the panel discussion with Telkomsel and Amazon, personalization and flexibility in bundling will shape the future of subscriptions, making it easier for consumers to choose what works best for them.
Looking Ahead: The Role of Collaboration
As Vivek Couto, co-founder of Media Partners Asia and host of APOS, aptly noted:
“Never before has Asia been more exciting, but, also, never before has Asia been more diverged from the rest of the world, as billions of consumers go on their own journey.”
With collaboration emerging as the central theme of APOS 2024, it’s clear that the future of streaming in Asia will be shaped by how well companies work together to meet the unique demands of local markets while offering global content. This focus on partnership, localization, and long-term commitment will be critical as the APAC region continues to grow as a major player in the global streaming industry.
Stay tuned as we continue to cover the latest developments from APOS and the broader streaming world in our next edition of Streaming in India!
My Views
Partnerships in Indian Streaming: The Opportunity Beyond Reliance Jio
While partnerships are undoubtedly driving the future of streaming in APAC, the situation in India presents a unique set of challenges. Currently, Reliance Jio holds most of the marquee international platform rights, including HBO Max, Peacock, and more, creating a near-monopoly in the market. This leaves little room for other players to access high-demand international content. The sheer dominance of Jio means that partnerships, though powerful, are largely concentrated within one entity.
However, the growing demand for localized and niche content presents an untapped opportunity, even for startups. There’s a massive space for platforms to aggregate Turkish dramas, Korean content, or Anime, all dubbed into Indian languages, and targeted at specific demographics. In fact, the under-25 age group in India, a demographic that is highly active on social platforms like Instagram and YouTube, could be a ripe audience for such offerings.
Niche Platforms: The Next Frontier
India’s diversity means that a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work in the long term. This is where partnerships can play a crucial role—by aggregating content that caters to different tastes and regions. Imagine a platform dedicated solely to Korean and Turkish dramas, or another specializing in anime dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, or Telugu. These types of partnerships could address the gap left by the mainstream OTTs that focus heavily on blockbuster content.
Another significant opportunity is in action content, particularly dubbed films. Action movies have always had mass appeal in India, especially in regions like Uttar Pradesh and the Hindi-speaking heartland. Platforms that specialize in aggregating action movies dubbed in regional languages could see major success. Such an OTT could focus on regional audiences who crave high-octane content, but have few choices outside of the big players.
The Future of Aggregation
We’re already seeing the rise of bundling and aggregation in India with players like OTTPlay, Jio, Watcho, Airtel, and Vodafone, each offering multi-service bundles. But this space could evolve even further. There’s even talk of an “aggregator of aggregators,” signaling that the future of partnerships could be in bringing multiple content platforms together under a single service, offering more choices to the consumer.
The key will be to diversify partnerships beyond just the big players. As platforms target more niche audiences—whether it's anime for younger viewers or action for regional audiences—partnerships can provide the content they need to stand out. For India’s streaming landscape to truly flourish, the market needs more choice and variety, catering to different tastes, languages, and regions.
In summary, while Reliance Jio holds much of the power in Indian streaming today, there’s a growing opportunity for partnerships that cater to niche markets. Platforms that aggregate diverse content, whether it's international dramas, anime, or action films, could tap into unmet demand and build highly engaged audiences. This is where startups and smaller players can thrive, offering more specialized content while still partnering to expand their reach.
On a sticky wicket after a mixed start to the campaign, India will look to fix their batting woes to bolster their net run rate when they take on bottom-placed Sri Lanka in their third and penultimate Group A match of the T20 Women’s World Cup today. Catch all the action live on Disney+ Hotstar in India.
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