Tag: OTT

Philippines – Cignal TV, the pay-TV provider in the Philippines, has strengthened its partnership with Quickplay to deliver a wider range of content across new platforms, including Android set-top boxes (STBs), enhancing the viewing experience for Filipino audiences.

As part of its innovation strategy, Cignal TV is harnessing Quickplay’s cloud-native, open-architecture OTT platform to elevate its Cignal Play service through the launch of the Cignal Play TV Android set-top box.

The new device serves as an all-in-one entertainment hub, combining various tiers of Cignal TV’s live and on-demand content with pre-installed apps like Pilipinas Live, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Go, VIU, and Lionsgate. These services are also accessible regardless of the user’s broadband provider, ensuring a seamless and diverse entertainment experience for users.

Gerard L. Milan, first vice president and chief revenue officer for Cignal TV, said, “Cignal TV is committed to delivering content that our customers love across the various platforms and screens that they use, combining our vast library with that of leading streaming apps.”

“The versatility and flexibility of the Quickplay platform have enabled us to expedite the integration of new services and availability of our content on Android devices. This will serve as the foundation for further content, product, and business model offerings in the future,” added Milan. 

Paul Pastor, chief business officer and co-founder of Quickplay, said, “Strategies that make a wide variety of content available on subscriber-owned devices are essential to MVPD’s continued ownership of the living room. Cignal TV is using the power of our cloud-native platform and its existing content relationships to launch game-changing Android STB services that will enhance their competitive position in the Philippines and address the needs of its Filipino community.”

Cignal TV’s transition to the Quickplay platform in 2022 brought significant improvements, including enhanced streaming performance, streamlined content management, and a user experience that quickly earned praise on Google Play. A year later, the same platform powered the launch of Pilipinas Live, a sports service aimed at Filipino viewers globally.

Quickplay’s OTT platform supports service launches and telco migration strategies to IPTV, enabling scalable cloud applications with advanced technologies like containers and microservices. This technology stack offers superior performance, modular feature expansion, rapid iteration, and built-in scalability and security. Leading OTT providers and telcos, including sports giants MSG+ and YES, as well as Cignal TV in the Philippines, leverage Quickplay to deliver flexible and agile services that match or surpass broadcast reliability and performance.

Sydney, Australia – Tremor International’s Unruly, the omnichannel advertising platform with a specialisation in Connected TV (CTV) and video, has announced its partnership with TCL FFALCON (TCL), the Internet and AI×IoT service platform, to provide advertisers with the opportunity to deliver impactful and relevant ads to receptive audiences across the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific.

Following the integration of the Amobee demand-side platform (DSP) into Tremor International’s end-to-end platform, the partnership between TCL FFALCON and Unruly grants advertisers leveraging Amobee direct access to TCL FFALCON’s ad units on premium CTV/OTT inventory in the TCL Channel, which includes popular entertainment, movies on-demand and live channels. 

“Connected TV has become an integral part of the media landscape across APAC, particularly Australia. The rapid adoption of Broadcast Video-on-Demand (BVOD) and FAST channels is providing more opportunities for advertisers to reach fragmented audiences,” said Adam Hunt, vice president, partnerships and business development at Amobee. 

He added, “Amobee and Unruly’s partnership with TCL FFALCON helps bridge this gap, giving advertisers a unique opportunity to capitalise on this growing trend and deliver highly targeted and impactful campaigns that resonate with their audiences, ultimately driving better business outcomes.”

Kenneth Suh, chief strategy officer at Tremor International, also remarked, “As audiences diversify their viewing habits – and, in some ways, become increasingly difficult to reach – we are pleased to be partnering with TCL FFALCON to help advertisers tap into these viewers at scale.”

Suh further added that the partnership will strengthen the company’s capacity to provide clients with advanced targeting and high-impact creative executions on TV.

“TCL FFALCON is committed to delivering innovative TV solutions to our customers, and that’s exactly what this partnership was built to provide,” said Rebecca Wan, overseas business department leader at TCL FFALCON. 

Wan added, “By leveraging Unruly and Amobee’s technology and offerings, we are now able to bring a more personalised TV experience to viewers while also creating new, more powerful opportunities for leading brands and advertisers. It’s a win-win-win.”

Singapore – Sports content provider beIN Asia Pacific has tapped media and content management solutions provider Globecast to provide multifaceted media processing and delivery services to the sports provider’s Asia-Pacific division, including playout and OTT platform hosting.

Through the partnership, Globecast will be providing a wide range of services including cloud and on-prem playout, sports contribution services and content management. The company is also supplying satellite, fibre and IP streaming distribution. Globecast will also host the sports provider’s OTT platform for the region as well as providing the ability to create and distribute pop-up channels as and when required.

Shakunt Malhotra, managing director of Globecast in Asia, said, “Our cutting-edge facilities and technology setup is designed to fully support the needs of valuable, fast-moving sports content. We are very pleased that a company of beIN SPORTS reach and scale recognises the value we bring to the market across multiple services all managed by a single, integrated global supplier. We will ensure each and every fan gets the most immersive experience possible.”

Meanwhile, Sabil Salim, vice president for media technology and operations at beIN Asia Pacific, commented, “As a major sports broadcaster with a wide array of live events, we had to ensure that we partner with a media services company that can meet our requirements and align with our goals. This isn’t only about the very impressive technical capabilities Globecast has demonstrated, it’s also about the fact the company has a significant background in sports.” 

He added, “This is very much about the quality of the content – vital to sports fans – and the fast, flexible way this can be gathered, processed and played out across multiple languages and cultures. They genuinely understand the demands of sports fanatics, which is at the heart of what we do.”

beIN APAC is part of the beIN Media Group and is headquartered in Singapore. It operates in 11 countries across the Asia-Pacific region – Australia, New Zealand, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Singapore.

Singapore – Asia’s OTT video streaming platform, Viu, has launched a series of digital and out-of-home activations inspired by the latest Viu Original K-drama series, ‘Again My Life’, to bring Singaporeans back in time and immerse themselves in this new series.

Premiering today, ‘Again My Life’ is a fantasy crime thriller based on a popular webtoon and novel of the same title. It revolves around the life of ‘K’, which is starred by Korean actor Joon-gi Lee, a righteous and hot-blooded prosecutor who has no qualms about standing against corruption and tyranny. His investigations eventually led him to be brutally murdered, but the grim reaper offers him another chance at overthrowing his powerful adversaries.

To build excitement for the show, Viu Singapore is hosting an exclusive screening event at Zouk that will showcase the very first episode of ‘Again My Life’ today of its premiere in South Korea. It is expected to bring together K-drama fans in an action-packed festival filled with photo opportunities, trivia, goodie bag giveaways, and unforgettable moments. Registration was carried out on a first come first served basis and the event was fully subscribed in a week, with over 200 registered guests.

Moreover, in celebration of Joon-gi Lee’s birthday on 17 April, Viu Singapore is giving out his favourite ice cream mint chocolate chip ice cream for free. To be a part of the celebration, fans can simply drop by the ice cream cart located at 313 Somerset Orchard on April 17 from 12 pm to 8 pm, flash the Viu app on their mobile device, and enjoy the sweet icy treat, while stocks last.

Meanwhile, fans can keep a lookout for Viu Singapore’s upcoming ‘Time Bolt’ activation from 18 April to 8 May, which is inspired by time travel, one of the central themes in ‘Again My Life’. Viu Singapore is bringing Singaporeans an immersive motion visual experience located at Waterway Point, Basement 1, where fans will get to ‘travel back’ in time visually, and ‘see’ their younger selves again, at the click of a button. This new immersive reality experience is brought to life by Neuromeka’s flagship collaborative robot, Indy. Normally used by B2B industrial manufacturers to do pick and place for precision work, ‘Indy’, equipped with grippers, and vision sensors will be used for the first time in Asia to be programmed and work alongside humans, for this motion visual experience.

In line with the time travel and crime themes of the show, Viu Singapore is also creating an augmented reality filter contest on Facebook and Instagram, showcasing a crime scene from the past. The top three players per week to spot the five pieces of ‘evidence’ around the room in the shortest amount of time will stand a chance to win a $100 Shopee voucher each. This contest runs from 20 April to 11 May by simply snapping a photo showcasing the fastest time and share it on Viu’s social post to win.

Cheryl Lim, Viu’s country head of brand, marketing and communications for Singapore, said that they wanted to create a series of different activations that would bring to life memorable elements from the show so that it will be immersive and fun for fans and the public alike. 

“We see every activation as a touchpoint for us to give Viu-ers an escape from their daily grind and into the world of Again My Life,” added Lim.

In addition to the events and activations, Viu Singapore will also be launching a month-long integrated campaign supported by themed social media postings on Facebook and Instagram, display and social advertisements, influencer engagement, content strategy, and out-of-home single-decker big top bus advertisements to engage with consumers through various touchpoints across different channels.

Our lives have transitioned online, powering a digital revolution. Connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) has overtaken the linear TV experience, moving past video-on-demand (VOD) to everyday programming, movies, live streams, and so much more. An Integral Ad Science (IAS) study found that CTV has become mainstream in key APAC markets; 7 in 10 consumers in Indonesia have access to a CTV device, and a whopping 92% of consumers increased their consumption of streaming content during COVID-19. 

Meanwhile, nearly 9 in 10 people stream content on CTV devices in Australia, and the story is similar in other markets. SpotX research earlier this year found that 68.5% of consumers regularly watch OTT in APAC, predominantly through mobile devices. In more developed markets like Japan, Singapore, and Australia, CTV is also gaining popularity.

Most viewers seek free or low-cost, ad-supported video-on-demand services as they feel the increased strain on their wallets. According to the IAS report, 84% of OTT viewers in Indonesia are willing to see ads in exchange for free streaming content over a paid ad-free service.

Programmatic opportunity in OTT and CTV

Traditionally, TV and OTT ad buys happened separately; however, advertisers increasingly consider them together, indicating an increasing trend of all TV transactions digitally. The efficiencies of programmatic buying and the opportunities to apply data to reach specific audience segments are huge benefits, accelerating the shift of traditional TV budgets to digital channels, especially when it comes to CTV and OTT inventory.

According to eMarketer, CTV programmatic video ad spend in the US is expected to exceed $6.73b in 2021 — accounting for 58.9% of US CTV video ad spend. The majority will be a private marketplace (PMP) and programmatic guaranteed deals, with rates often negotiated upfront. In APAC, many publishers predict more robust growth in CTV spending than their US peers, with a 34% rise in ad spend over the next 12 months compared with 20% for the US. The industry is working on advances in technology to allow a greater degree of addressability in CTV and more sophisticated decisioning for programmatic guaranteed buys across all video channels. 

As programmatic OTT opportunities grow, streaming content creators and services will look to optimise yield while preserving a TV-like viewer experience. Programmatic technology is evolving to meet these complex needs of advertisers and publishers, and OTT header bidding has emerged as a powerful solution.

Safeguarding CTV inventory 

Video content presents an immense opportunity for publishers and advertisers to maximise reach and revenue. However, with the proliferation of SSPs in the market, publishers can find it challenging to manage multiple integrations and optimise yield. 

The demand for CTV advertising is growing exponentially, fueled by increased targeting options, measurement, and transparency as part of programmatic buying. This will continue to open doors for advertisers to reach expansive audiences more efficiently and engagingly. Yet, CTV measurement is still evolving. Partnering with a trusted digital media quality provider can greatly help brands and publishers navigate this changing landscape. This will enhance advertisers’ confidence in OTT and CTV advertising while increasing opportunities for publishers.

Measurement will fuel the future of CTV advertising

During the pandemic, Connected TV (CTV) became the go-to video source for millions of homebound viewers. eMarketer estimates that advertisers will invest over USD$14.4b (£10.8bn) into CTV this year, growing to surpass USD$24.7bn (£18.5bn) by 2024. According to IAS’ Streaming Wars CTV study, CTV has become mainstream in Indonesia and Australia, with the majority of consumers having access to it and a whopping majority of respondents preferring the AVOD model and willing to see ads in exchange for free streaming video. CTV also remained the most viewable format overall, reaching 93.2% in H1 2021 according to our media quality report.

CTV, while still nascent in the region, offers a great advantage for marketers, combining the scale and attention achieved via traditional TV with the precision of digital. Across APAC, CTV viewers are watching for longer periods of time and choosing longer videos. Viewers are also watching a variety of content – from sports and travel to cooking and more.

We expect CTV consumption to grow in 2022 with the discoverability of content on CTV becoming a key focus. AVOD models have increased as video consumption increases, underpinned by the rapid growth of CTV the control and scale provided by programmatic will become even more essential. With the programmatic technology evolving, programmatic will not only facilitate investment into quality impressions but also drive value beyond verification with privacy-compliant, contextual avoidance, and targeting combined with enriched channel-level insights.

This article was written by Laura Quigley, SVP for APAC at IAS.

The article is published as part of MARKETECH APAC’s thought leadership series What’s NEXT. This features marketing leaders sharing their marketing insights and predictions for the upcoming year. The series aims to equip marketers with actionable insights to future-ready their marketing strategies.

If you are a marketing leader and have insights that you’d like to share with regards to the upcoming trends and practices in marketing, please reach out to [email protected] for an opportunity to have your thought-leadership published on the platform.

Singapore – Global mobile marketing analytics platform Adjust has extended its current connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) service offering to include connected TV ad to its mobile measurement tool. The feature gives advertisers a complete view of the user journey from CTV ad view through to mobile app install, providing cross-device insights to help optimize campaigns and drive growth.

The addition of Adjust’s CTV to mobile measurement feature brings attribution data for mobile marketers into one place, enabling them to assess the performance of their marketing campaigns across all channels, including CTV and OTT. By leveraging Adjust’s multi-touch attribution, marketers can see the full impact of CTV advertising on their overall user acquisition strategy, helping prove return of investment (ROI).

The company’s latest feature complements its Connected TV App Measurement solution launched last year. Focused on helping marketers maximize the adoption of their OTT and CTV apps, CTV App Measurement includes integrations for all major CTV platforms including Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku.

Gijsbert Pols, lead product strategist at Adjust, said that the company remains committed to helping apps meet their users where they are, empowering them to serve engaging ads that can be confidently measured and attributed.

“As CTV grows, so does its influence as an advertising medium — transforming what’s broadly been thought of as an awareness tool into a key performance channel. It has become essential for marketers and developers to understand CTV’s role in the user journey,” Pols stated.

He added, “Historically, television has been an expensive advertising channel with ROI difficult to prove. However, with holistic CTV measurement, teams with leaner budgets can enter the space and spend efficiently, while also maximizing an innovative new channel.”

Singapore – With the lockdowns being extended, the demand for video streaming platforms have accelerated. It has also pushed the over-the-top (OTT) industry to be more creative. And with this, the global mobile marketing and advertising platform provider, InMobi, has released its ‘The OTT Premium Video Wave Consumer Study, Asia Pacific 2021’. 

The study aims to examine consumer preferences for OTT video platforms to other video platforms such as cable TV, long-form videos, and short-form videos, over the last year. It also seeks to unravel consumer perceptions of value, ad relevance, and willingness to pay for these platforms across India, Singapore, and the Philippines, as well as Indonesia, and Australia.

Insights from the InMobi report reveal that in 2020, an average of 46% of consumers across Australia, Singapore, India, and the Philippines, have demonstrated a clear preference for watching videos on OTT platforms. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, consumer preference for OTT was second only to long-form videos.

Moreover, respondents were more likely to watch and discuss OTT content with friends and family over any of the other comparable platforms, indicating the prevalence of OTT in everyday life.

Vasuta Agarwal, InMobi’s managing director for APAC, noted that they are seeing OTT becoming the premium video content platform of choice within the Asia Pacific region, where several providers have experienced massive jumps in subscriptions during the past year.

“Users have shown that they are willing to pay for and accept the monetization of OTT premium content through ads, so we expect that advertisers who make OTT a core part of their programmatic marketing strategies will gain a significant advantage,” said Agarwal.

InMobi said that there are additional insights on consumer preferences for OTT premium video platforms across the region, as well as their perceptions on ads on these platforms compared to cable TV, long-form videos, and short-form videos.

The report shows that over 40% of respondents in all markets rated OTT platforms as having the ‘most immersive and engaging content’ and being the most ‘value for money’, while respondents in all markets were least likely to give up OTT platforms and would continue using them even if they were fully ad-based, as well as were most willing to pay for them.

Another insight is that at least 50% of respondents in all markets found ads on OTT platforms somewhat relevant, with the Philippines most receptive towards these ads. It also revealed that OTT platforms also had the most influence on product selection and purchase among four out of the five surveyed markets, ranking in the top two – influential platforms for Australia, Singapore, India, and the Philippines.

And lastly, respondents from all countries ranked OTT platforms among their top two for watching and discussing content with their friends and family, indicating that it has captured the family viewing space.

Singapore – Xandr, telco AT&T’s adtech company which offers a global marketplace for advertising, has announced the expansion of its video marketplace in APAC to include inventory from leading Asia-wide OTT platforms WeTV and iflix, Viu, and iQIYI, as well as local platforms SMX, True Digital and Vidio in the region.

The expansion also adds Australia’s premium commercial broadcasters, signing agreements with Nine Entertainment, Seven Network, ViacomCBS/Network Ten as well as SBS and Foxtel Media.

The said platforms in Asia and Australia have signed on to use Xandr’s strategic selling platform Xandr Monetize, bulking up Xandr’s video offering in the APAC region.

Xandr’s Senior Account Director Shilpa Kolte said that the adtech company remains committed to improving the experience for advertisers, content owners, and consumers in the region in a privacy-first and brand-safe environment. 

“We are thrilled to see the region’s leading OTT players coming on the Xandr platform to provide premium video ad inventory at scale. As an innovator at the intersection of TV and digital, Xandr provides an open platform to support the growing demand in CTV buying and selling across multiple verticals,” said Kolte. 

In June, Xandr has also announced a renewed partnership with Microsoft, which will see both working on expanding Microsoft’s ad space inventory. Similarly, Microsoft will also be utilizing Xandr’s sell-side platform (SSP), Xandr Monetize. The partnership also entails Xandr augmenting its marketing spend using Xandr’s demand-side platform (DSP). 

As it bolsters its business in adtech, Xandr is further claiming its part in the ecosystem as it recently launches its industry guide called ‘Shaping the Future of Identity’. The guide aims to prepare buyers, sellers, and market participants for a future without third-party cookies.

As the deprecation of third-party cookies further nears, the guide aims to offer insights from Xandr executives and industry leaders to look at how the identity landscape is changing and what number of solutions are best responses, such as from industry IDs to contextual targeting and curated marketplaces.

Los Angeles – OTTera, global white label OTT service, has announced the appointment of its director of business development for India operations, seasoned media and communications Sumit Rastogi. 

The appointment comes at a time when on-demand and live stream videos are at their peak demand with audiences looking for digital channels of entertainment in the middle of lockdowns. 

Headquartered in Los Angeles, OTTera provides an all-in-one platform for content developers with solutions for cross-platform development, distribution, and monetization. It allows companies to launch highly customized OTT services at speed, one that would normally take several years and a massive investment to build. According to the company, it currently manages over 70 linear channels and more than 50 OTT services globally.

Stephen Hodge, co-CEO and chairman of OTTera, said that the appointment of Rastogi, who has built a broad leadership and network within the country, will help the company accelerate its growth and tap the many opportunities in the Indian sub-continent.

Rastogi boasts of over 18 years of experience in the area of media sales, content acquisition, and content syndication, and most importantly, in partnerships and affiliate business. Prior to joining OTTera, he was general manager at U2opia Mobile and has also worked for Times of India, Locovida Digital Solutions, and 9.9 Media & Dainik Jagran.

For his new role, Rastogi is charged to grow OTTera’s client base and operations in India. He will be exploring business opportunities from Indian content creators to showcase their content diaspora on leading connected TV and OTT channels and platforms globally.

Rastogi commented that the OTT viewership in India is at an all-time high now and has become the primary mode of entertainment for consumers across Tier II and III cities.

“Regional content, gaming sports, fitness, education will be key drivers in India’s OTT growth and I realize that I have a big opportunity to introduce OTTera services to all the OTT players [and] linear channels and content creators in India. I’m thrilled about working with the talented & experienced OTTera team,” he said.