Tag: Television

United Kingdom – The commissioning team at BBC Studios Social is inviting independent producers of all sizes and backgrounds to propose unique short-form proposals. These concepts strive to broaden and improve existing intellectual properties (IP), captivate devoted fans, and capture the attention of new audiences across digital channels. 

The available production opportunities currently span multiple key brands in the BBC Studios Social portfolio and are available online. Regarding Kids & Family, commissioners are actively looking for fun activity-based material for the hit show Hey Duggee, as well as engaging concepts focused around cuisine and family-oriented entertainment for the internationally recognized Bluey franchise. Furthermore, suggestions targeting a younger demographic are welcomed for the digital-only humour program Funny Parts and the automotive Top Gear.

Regarding factual and unscripted programming, BBC Earth is actively looking for ideas that capture the wonders of nature in appealing ways that work for its new vertical channels. For BBC Earth Science, a wide range of concepts covering subjects including sustainability, space exploration, and the complexities of the human body are also being sought out. 

Chris Allen, director, digital content development at BBC, said, “In an increasingly competitive and fast maturing digital-first market, BBC Studios Social are committed to finding, developing, and partnering with the best independent producers and new talent globally. We love our world-class brands, and we’re super excited to share them with you to deliver new formats, new talent, and new ideas that are critical and commercial successes. Whether silly comedy sketches, or a mind-bending science documentary, we hope this will be the start of some beautiful creative partnerships.”

Manila, Philippines – PLDT and ABS-CBN have jointly announced that it will cancel the proposed acquisition of Sky Cable, a cable television service provider owned by ABS-CBN. The announcement was made via Sky Cable’s official media channels.

Both parties have not mentioned the reason for this cancellation. MARKETECH APAC checked both stock disclosures of PLDT and ABS-CBN for further information, but no other details of the reason for the acquisition cancellation have been disclosed as of this writing.

With this, Sky Cable will continue its broadcasting operations beyond February 26, the supposed final broadcast date for the cable TV service provider. Its broadband operations remain unaffected as well.

“We thank all our SKY subscribers for their continued patronage and support. We remain committed to providing the same level of customer experience and service for both our cable and internet services,” the company said.

It is worth noting that both the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have already approved the acquisition deal earlier this year.

Details about the merger first came into light when ABS-CBN, the parent company of Sky Cable, signed an agreement with PLDT back in March 2023 to sell off fully the business to PLDT. It is also worth noting that Cignal, the media firm under PLDT’s MediaQuest affiliate, had already a 34.99% stake in Sky Cable, which materialised back in 2022.

India – Indian content distribution platform Tata Play has just recently dropped its latest digital campaign to celebrate World Television Day, giving homage to the enduring role of television in bringing joy and connection to families across generations.

Conceptualised and developed by Chimp&Z Inc, Tata Play’s campaign embraces the nuances of old vs new televisions, while ensuring that Tata Play’s connection keeps entertainment a constant fixture in people’s lives.

The campaign features an old TV set that is being replaced by a new TV set, wherein the old TV mirrors the experience of a family member that has to say goodbye after being a part of it after a long time. 

On the other hand, the new and more advanced TV expresses excitement and promises fun with it as part of the family, with the dialogue between the two showcasing the good things that they can offer such as news and plenty of entertainment. 

Surprisingly, the film ends with a twist wherein both TV sets would still be in the same home as the old TV will simply be moved to another location, and both TVs will be connected with use of Tata Play. 

Singapore – Singaporean mobile network operator M1 has announced an exclusive partnership with regional content-streaming startup Eazie TV to launch a new live TV streaming service optimised for a variety of platforms.

In the partnership, M1 will be adapting Eazie TV’s features in an app subscription, offering an efficient means of access where customers only need to download the app and sign up to immediately enjoy the available content offerings.

The app will offer over 75 live TV channels, including networks like History, CNN, TLC, AXN, Discovery, Nickelodeon, Hunan TV International, and more. Customers can watch their preferred live and on-demand programming from top international and Asian networks in popular categories like news, entertainment, sports, movies, documentaries, lifestyle, kids, and Asian.

Customers can watch content on as many as four streaming devices at home or on the go with a single membership account. Users of M1 pay S$19.98 per month for subscriptions, whereas non-M1 users pay S$24.98.

Existing M1 customers on M1 mobile, fibre and Maxx plans will also be receiving a free 30-days of access on their first subscription.

Manila, Philippines – Media giant ABS-CBN has announced that will be shutting down ‘TeleRadyo’, a pay television channel under its ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs (ANC) arm. According to the company, the closure was brought by financial losses it had experienced since 2020.

“The company is deeply saddened by this closure and having to part ways with the many passionate and committed people who have made Teleradyo an important source of news and information for many Filipinos,” ABS-CBN said in a statement.

TeleRadyo was founded in 2007 as the television counterpart of the commercial news and radio channel DZMM Radyo Patrol. Following the cease and desist order from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to close its broadcasting activities, DZMM Radyo Patrol ceased operations alongside its other free broadcasting channels. They have then moved to TeleRadyo for continued reporting.

Following the TeleRadyo closure announcement, ABS-CBN has also announced a joint venture with Prime Media Holdings. Said venture will produce various programs, which will be supplied to broadcasters and other third party platforms including Philippine Collectivemedia Corporation.

Prime Media Holdings is the majority shareholder of the new venture, with ABS-CBN serving as a minority shareholder.

ABS-CBN also hopes that through its deal with Prime Media, they can help some of their former personnel a chance to find new job opportunities.

Manila, Philippines – WPP’s media investment arm GroupM has officially launched its addressable TV solution, Finecast, in the Philippines. This year, Finecast will be introducing new innovative solutions, technology, and enhanced viewing experience for TV stakeholders, including audiences, advertisers, and brands.

The launch of Finecast, which took place at the Globe Auditorium in Bonifacio Global City in Manila on February 2, will add to the market’s addressable TV capabilities and provide a platform for entrepreneurs and marketers to network, share ideas, and learn from leaders on how to effectively promote ads as well as drive growth in a digital-focused era.

Puneet Arora, CEO of GroupM Philippines and Singapore, said, “We are thrilled to launch Finecast in the Philippines, one of the largest markets in this space, and to see the best in the industry come together to celebrate our official launch.”

Kathryn Domingo, lead at Finecast Philippines, shared that they aim to offer a one-stop-shop access to the entire addressable TV system, coordinating the distribution and frequency across all broadcasters and screens to reach relevant audiences no matter where they are viewing.

“Finecast will keep pushing the boundaries of TV innovation and is committed to leading the transformation of the industry. We are incredibly excited and proud to bring an addressable TV solution to the market for our clients,” she added.

During the launch event, some of the discussions put forth include the impact of the pandemic to the shift of a digital society, as well as the successful integration of addressable TV in the industry’s future.

Brett Poole, CEO for APAC at Finecast, also commented that as the media ecosystem continues to evolve, TV ads continue to wield the greatest influence in generating the most positive brand impressions.

“Historically, brands in Southeast Asia that have harnessed the power of storytelling through TV – either through a single advertisement or through a series of stories over a period of time – have enjoyed high performance and profitable gains. We look forward to continue helping brands in the Philippines unlock new and exciting opportunities to engage with their target audience and achieve sustainable growth,” Poole added.

Islamabad, Pakistan – Mobile digital communication company Telenor Pakistan and blockchain-based media and fintech BOLT Digital have joined forces in bringing access to premium live TV entertainment to viewers in Pakistan. 

This will be accessible for the telco’s subscribers via BOLT Global’s live-streaming service, BOLT+, a blockchain-based streaming service with over 600 live TV and radio channels from 28 countries.

BOLT+ streams a wide range of live TV channels, including breaking news and premium entertainment from France 24, Al Jazeera, and Deutsche Welle Group. In addition, through BOLT Global’s partnership with soccer app OneFootball, Telenor Pakistan customers are also able to enjoy direct access to exclusive football content from the top football clubs in the world. 

Areej Khan, vice president digital at Telenor Pakistan, said, “We are happy to be working with BOLT Global to launch BOLT+ Premium in Pakistan. At Telenor Pakistan, we strive to bring new and exciting entertainment experiences to our subscribers. With BOLT+, our subscribers can watch international live TV channels anytime, anywhere.”

She added, “Through our unique partnerships bringing enhanced value for our valued customers, we are confident that our users will continue to value us as their preferred service provider.”

Access to BOLT+ has 2 tiers: an ad-supported free tier called BOLT+ Free and a paid subscription known as BOLT+ Premium which includes premium features to enhance users’ live entertainment experience. Telenor users can easily subscribe to BOLT+ Premium via their mobile balance.

Jamal Hassim, co-founder and CEO of BOLT Global, commented, “We will be working with Telenor Pakistan to bring more exciting, immersive and rewarding content to our new users in the country. Already, users can access a huge array of international live channels bringing news, European club football and esports amongst other genres on BOLT+. We will also be working closely with Telenor Pakistan on the ground to uncover new content creators in the country, and to broadcast their content to an international audience on BOLT+.”

Singapore – As more and more people are stuck in lockdown during the pandemic, over-the-top (OTT) mobile streaming has garnered mainstream success, new study from mobile app analytics platform Adjust shows.

According to the recently published data, 52.5% of consumers worldwide have used smartphones to stream more video content, and 12% of consumers are streaming less — which means four times more consumers are mobile streaming. 

In terms of streaming frequency, China led the survey, with around 93.8%of users admitting to do mobile streaming at least once a day. This is then followed by South Korea (86.2%), Singapore (83.7%), Turkey (91.9%), United States (69.4%), Japan (57.2%) and the United Kingdom (45.7%).

South Korea led the study’s data on willingness to spend a sizable amount for streaming and on-demand entertainment services, averaging to US$42.68 a month, compared to its Western counterparts, the United States (US$33.58) and the United Kingdom (USD$34.82).

“This drastic shift to routine mobile streaming around the world and across generations has created massive advertising opportunities and a new role for mobile analytics. By understanding how and when consumers stream, as well as which channels and campaigns deliver the highest marketing impact, the potential to build a large, loyal user-base with high lifetime value is virtually limitless,” said Gijsbert Pols, lead product strategist at Adjust.

The study also found out that more than three quarters (76%) of all respondents use their mobile phone while watching television, viewed as ‘second-screeners’, with this viewing behavior most pronounced in Singapore and China (both 85%), closely followed by the U.S. (83%).

Furthermore, social apps are the number one choice for second-screeners — favored by 65.4% of respondents, on average, followed by banking (54.9%) and gaming (44.9%). Second-screeners in APAC have a healthy appetite for food delivery apps, with use strongest in China (65.2%), Korea (36.6%) and Singapore (48.2%). 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – As the COVID-19 pandemic pushed people into lockdown restrictions, making way for prolonged work-from-home setups and social distancing protocols, media consumption in Malaysians have seen some significant change, statistics from a recent study from marketing consultancy Entropia shows.

The report stated that radio, streaming media which includes audio and video, reading online news, watching television and checking social media are the ‘gainers’ from this newly-found media consumption, while out-of-home (OOH) media, cinemas, newspapers and physical events have downplayed to become the ‘losers’.

Spending more time on Facebook and Instagram ranked first in media activities to which respondents engaged in during the country’s movement control order (MCO) with 58.6% followed by listening to radio while at home and working (34.6%), watching YouTube while exercising (34.2%), and spending more time streaming on Netflix and watching with friends and family (26.7%). 

In terms of age profiles and media behavior, the study noted that there has been an overall marked increase across age segments for Facebook and Instagram, with over 25% of all segments between 21 to 55 years indicating increased time spent on these platforms. A higher increase in radio consumption has been also among those over 45 years, while young adults under 24 years showed higher consumption of YouTube and Netflix. Meanwhile, those over 55 years showed the greatest increase in time spent on news channels.

The report said that increase of media consumption across all age groups can be attributed to increased need for news where viewers turn to channels they perceive as credible. 

“As people around the world sought to remain updated on the rapidly changing crisis, consumers’ reliance on media also increased, resulting in a more captive audience. Here’s where media companies and advertisers can benefit most – the opportunity to leverage this enhanced engagement, grow their subscriber base, and expand their reach,” said Syahar Khalid, partner for integrated media at Entropia.

“Our clients’ universal objective is to make an impression on audiences and break through the clutter. Going forward, media strategy will require retaining consumers’ attention where they’re most likely to spend their time – be it for leisure, career, education or wellness,” added Khalid.

“The Malaysian government has just announced MCO 2.0 and with it, brands in some categories will again face challenges owing to adverse market forces. Some have already made significant moves towards continued investment in advertising, and we hope this study will provide some clarity on the media channels appealing to their specific target audiences,” Syahar concluded.