SOUTHEAST ASIA STREAMED 8 BILLION HOURS OF OTT CONTENT

The Trade Desk released a research report, which indicated that 180 million consumers streamed 8 billion hours of OTT content across Southeast Asia. The trend represents one of the fastest-growing media channels in the area. “The pandemic has ushered in an accelerated shift to OTT, and there’s no turning back,” said Mitch Waters, SVP of Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, The Trade Desk. “This is not surprising, given that many consumers have been spending more time at home, and OTT content is more convenient and more accessible than ever.”

The study intended to obtain data about the usage behaviors performed on OTT platforms in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Covid-19 has been the number one driver of the OTT adoption. More than half, 57% of OTT users say the time they spend streaming has increased since the pandemic was declared, with 73% saying they will likely continue these habits through the end of the pandemic, and after. “Our research shows, however, that this shift is only going in one direction. Advertisers understand this,” Waters said. “They want to move their campaigns to reach consumers where they are, and so they can apply data to video campaigns in ways that are simply not possible via traditional channels, such as linear TV.”

The increasing OTT trend has greatly impacted traditional primetime TV in the region. The majority of OTT viewers, approximately 70% prefer to tune in between the hours of 8 PM-12 AM, which is a crucial time for primetime audiences. Nearly one in five OTT viewers hadn’t watched any traditional TV at all in the three months prior to the survey. Southeast Asian viewers tuning into OTT for their favorite content, with 58% tuning in to OTT to watch their favorite programming versus just 48% on traditional broadcast. Regionally, 17 percent of OTT viewers haven’t watched any traditional TV in the three months before responding to the survey.

Figure are higher in the Philippines at 22% and Malaysia at 23%. Viewers stream eight billion hours of OTT per month across Southeast Asia, with three billion hours in Indonesia alone. Other top markets include the Philippines (2.2 billion hours streamed/month), Thailand (1.41 billion hours/month), and Vietnam (1 billion hours/month). 89 percent of Southeast Asian viewers will watch ads in exchange for free streaming content. Indonesia and the Philippines are especially ads tolerant, with the number of viewers willing to watch four or more ads per hour of free content at 38% and 42%. Advertisers can reach more than 100 million consumers in Southeast Asia on ad-supported platforms. Ad-supported streaming is especially popular in Thailand, where advertisers can reach 7 out of 10 Thai OTT viewers.

As part of this shift, Southeast Asian viewers are willing to embrace ads for free content. Regionally, more than 100 million people use ad-supported OTT platforms, with 89% willing to watch ads in exchange for free programming. “As streaming services continue to provide more and richer streaming content to fulfill the growing demand for OTT content, brands can create engaging advertising experiences that Southeast Asian viewers are willing to consume,” said Waters. “And with OTT, advertisers have the opportunity to invest in data-driven advertising approaches and platforms that will help them succeed in this new future of TV.”