Ahead of its “Future of Media 2024 Conference”, Nielsen, a leader in TV, digital, and streaming measurement in Asia, has released its latest data on the region’s changing media landscape. Nielsen’s Consumer & Media View (CMV) data reflects Asia’s rapid adoption of digital platforms, with 64% of viewers now opting for streaming video services.
Despite this surge in digital demand, linear TV still attracts the big bucks when it comes to advertisers. From January to October this year, US$107 billion in ad revenue was injected into Asia’s media industry, with TV attracting the lion’s share (68%), followed by digital (16%) – a demonstration of digital’s ascendency while simultaneously asserting TV’s dominance.
According to Nielsen, smartphone penetration across Asia has now reached 90%, cementing the region's changing media consumption and interaction habits. Indonesia and Thailand are the biggest content consumers “on the go,” with smartphone viewership hitting 62% and 64%, respectively.
Traditional TV viewership remains strong, with Taiwan the largest at 98% and Malaysia at 86%. In internet usage, South Korea (98%), Taiwan (98%), and Malaysia (95%) lead the way. As mobile streaming grows rapidly across Asia, some markets are emerging as standouts. The leaders are Indonesia (69%) and Malaysia (86%) – both huge users of streaming services
The disparity between linear TV viewership and internet usage highlights the unique dynamics of Asia, a consequence of the region’s diverse market and demographics. However, it’s not uniform. In South Korea, a market with 98% internet penetration, linear TV still commands a whopping 97%.
President of Commercial for Asia, Arnaud Frade, said: “As budgets get tighter, and pressure grows to be seen and heard, Asian marketers are doubling down on targeting the right audiences. Multi-screen viewing is already the norm in our region – and streaming channels will only grow. I look forward to covering this in more detail at our conference this week. Still, the key is leveraging this, which means effective cross-media measurement, which Nielsen is actively working to deliver in key markets across the region”.