Total online video weekly streaming minutes on mobile grew 60% in aggregate across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore between January 20 – April 11, 2020, according to a new report published by Media Partners Asia (MPA). With the disruption and subsequent lockdown measures enforced during the pandemic, total online video streaming weekly consumption reached 58 billion minutes on mobile by April 11, 2020 versus 36.4 billion on January 20, 2020.
The report, entitled “Southeast Asia Online Video Consumer Insights & Analytics: A Definitive Study,” leverages MPA’s proprietary AMPD Research platform, which evaluates consumer behaviour and usage patterns across the digital economy, including online video & gaming. Amongst the key findings of the study, it was discovered that YouTube, already dominant, has grown incrementally from its high base during the surveyed period. Another one of the big digital platforms, Netflix, has benefited from robust pay subs demand across its mobile plans with heavy consumption of its Korean, Anime, and Western Original content (i.e. US & Europe).
Furthermore, Viu streaming minutes and viewers continue to grow, driven largely by Korean content, while its pay subs have spiked up significantly in Thailand and grown steadily in other SEA markets. Tencent-owned WeTV has started to grow in Thailand through strategic local content partnerships and Chinese dramas, while iQiyi, still in soft launch phase in SEA, has grown steadily in Indonesia, the Philippines & Thailand.
On the other hand, Amazon Prime Video grew most significantly in Singapore through the surveyed period. Global and regional players performing well but placed outside of the top five video apps by streaming minutes include HBO Go, Tubi, Viki and iflix. Apple TV’s penetration across the key surveyed markets is low.
“The penetration of streaming video has increased dramatically during this pandemic as millions have been forced to operate from home. The focus now is on how successfully SVOD platforms will be able to retain newly acquired customers in 2H 2020 and to what extent AVOD platforms can capitalise on the expanded reach. Through the study, MPA analysis indicates that the four markets had a combined 8 million paying online video or OTT customers at end-March 2020, accounting for US$400 million in annual consumer spend,” said Vivek Couto, Executive Director of MPA.
“Key local players should be encouraged by increasing consumption and, in certain cases, monetization in the surveyed markets as they look to invest in scaling their offerings and managing the transition from broadcast to digital video. The onus is now on more robust aggregator offerings from traditional pay-TV platforms and new mobile and virtual operators. As consumer spend between online video and pay-TV re-calibrates, the delivery and distribution of live and on-demand streaming video will be critical in Southeast Asia. Today, consumer spending on online video is 25% in aggregate of what customers spend on linear pay-TV services in the four markets,” he added.
The focus now is on how successfully SVOD platforms will be able to retain newly acquired customers in 2H 2020 and to what extent AVOD platforms can capitalise on the expanded reach” Vivek Couto Executive Director of MPA
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