Both pay-TV platforms and broadcasters are embracing new strategies in Asia, with the key metric for conversations with consumers moving from household subscriptions to users thanks to the explosive growth of mobile broadband.

This was one of the key themes emphasized by Media Partners Asia (MPA) executive director Vivek Couto (pictured) in his opening presentation at this year’s Asia Pacific Pay-TV Operators Summit, recently staged in Bali.

Total broadband subscriptions in Asia-Pacific reached 575 million last year, with that number set to swell to almost a billion by 2018, according to projections from MPA. Mobile is expected to have more than 50% of broadband subs by 2018.

The big opportunity to leverage mobile broadband networks for video distribution will likely emerge in India over the next three to five years, with Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand not that far behind.

Focus on VOD and TVE

Meanwhile, the growth of video-on-demand (VOD) is starting to take shape in the pay-TV universe, driven by return-path technology and non-linear consumption.

MPA data suggests that VOD revenues across pay-TV will expand by a 15% CAGR over the next five years to reach US$4 billion, driven by China, Korea and Japan.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysia is the clear market leader. New offerings in Indonesia and expanded services in India and Taiwan will also help grow VOD in the future.

Authenticated over-the-top TV Everywhere (TVE) type services have also been deployed across the region, helping boost multiscreen viewing. 

According to MPA, TVE subscribers should grow from 4 million to almost 15 million over the next five years, although the revenue pie from these authenticated services are expected to amount to only US$200 million by 2018.

“Encouragingly, over the past year or two, user interfaces adopted by pay-TV platforms have undergone vast changes – thanks to some prodding from the OTT and third-party device world,” Couto said.

Astro and Foxtel are some of the more notable and successful examples, he added.

“Next up are ways to integrate OTT to services through set-top boxes and the rollout of branded SVOD services, which operators are looking at in almost every market across the region.”

Intuitive user interfaces, combined with the ability to segment customers and learn their content consumption preferences through data analytics, will be vital for media distribution platforms, Couto noted.

In addition, operators must revamp the way their customers view set-top boxes and the services they offer. In the end, the way customers perceive devices is key to retaining pay-TV subscriptions.