8 December 2014: Programmers in Asia talk about 2014's most significant trends and what they think will be big in 2015.Asia's biggest trends in 2014...CONTENT "EVENTISING"BBC Worldwide Asia’s content VP, Ryan Shiotani, says 2014's big trend was the "eventising" of content. "Unmissable big event programming is increasingly important to cut through the clutter and keep fans engaged," Shiotani says. In Korea, for instance, tickets to the first Doctor Who tour sold out in less than five minutes.LOCALISATION "The localisation of content has become a norm in Asia," says Hyeonza Hong, ITV Studios Global Entertainment's SVP, sales, Asia. "We can no longer generalise that a big show that worked in Thailand will also work in Indonesia or Vietnam, although the countries are categorised as Southeast Asia," Hong says.FORMAT RIGHTS & COPRODUCTION Format rights and co-production opportunities were 2014's biggest content trends in Asia for Playboy Plus Entertainment Inc, says Asia Pacific GM, Lanny Huang. "The entire Asia is looking for the right format," she says, highlighting the importance attached to production bibles and branding. Caracol Television's international sales executive, Eastern Europe and Asia, Estefania Arteaga, notes rising demand for both scripted and non-scripted formats in markets such as China, Korea and Vietnam.EDU-TAINMENT Nippon TV's senior director, international business development, Shigeko Chino, says edutainment was one of 2014's biggest trends. Nippon TV formats are being remade in Asia as edutainment shows. This ties in with the localisation trend.ANIMATED COMEDY, GENDER NEUTRALITY, ACTION ADVENTURE In the kids' space, animated comedies continue to resonate with kids' buyers across Asia, says Breakthrough Entertainment's Kate Blank, adding that boys aged 6-11 seem to favour animated comedy while girls lean towards live-action comedy. Local programmers and producers have risen to the live-action demand, making content with local children for higher relevance to domestic audiences. Zodiak Kids sales exec, Irini Kylkilahti, note high demand for gender-neutral shows among pan-regional broadcasters, particularly those that appeal to broad target audiences and enable a family viewing experience. She adds that many free-TV channels are looking for strong comedies with action adventure.EXPLODING DEMAND Exploding programming demand from digital channels in certain key markets of Asia was a clear trend in 2014, says Bomanbridge Media’s chief executive, Sonia Fleck. She also points to Asian titles that have sealed landmark deals in Europe and the U.S. "Korea and China have been pioneers and are making real headway," Fleck says, adding: "I'm pleased to see this because frankly, the culture gap isn't as wide as one may assume. I am absolutely certain we will see more big-hitting formats come from Asia."NEW DISTRIBUTION OPPORTUNITIES Asia's rising demand has opened up first-time distribution opportunities and a new space for drama as channels seek creative ways to compete. Globo has licensed content to Indonesia's Kompas TV for the first time, for instance, and Brazilian telenovelas are also premiering in the Philippines, says Raphael Corre?a Netto, Globo's executive director, international business.Keshet International's sales director, Kelly Wright, says broadcasters are "more open to new genres, international ideas and formats" as a result of highly competitive markets. "More than ever, channels in markets like China, Indonesia, Thailand and Korea are trying to carve out their own niches and brands by offering consistent programming while staying on top of trends, which is a difficult balance," Wright says. "Where it might previously have been more difficult to enter these somewhat 'closed' markets, the playing field is certainly widening," she adds.LIFESTYLE Beyond Distribution says Southeast Asia's appetite for lifestyle content continues to grow, as do the channels to cater to this demand, says Joanne Azzopardi, international sales VP for Australia, New Zealand and Asia. Scripps Networks Interactive's VP, international programme licensing and distribution, Hud Woodle, agrees. "In 2014, we saw lifestyle emerge from a perceived niche genre into one that competes with general entertainment; general entertainment channels have started to debut lifestyle programming in prime time and those shows are out-rating the U.S. dramas and reality shows that were previously more popular," Woodle says. Nick Solowski, international sales/acquisitions director at Canada's Tricon Films & Television, also says the success of lifestyle-based programming was 2014's biggest trend.& the big issue for 2015...DIGITAL BOOM While Bomanbridge Media's Fleck notes digital's positive impact on programming demand, she also says "there is a real concern from producers on how to best maximise revenue on the digital services blooming all over Asia". She advocates a "pragmatic view on how we can support these digital media with content, and share in the staggering number of potential subscribers and therefore revenue".ONLINE DISTRIBUTION Beyond's Azzopardi expects the TV distribution landscape to continue to evolve "as we see more and more major VOD streaming platforms launch in this region. There is and will continue to be growing consumption of online video content across the board in Asia". Tricon's Solowski also notes the SVOD surge and emerging platforms and says "it feels like this trend will continue throughout 2015".REGULATION For Playboy Plus Entertainment, the big issue in Asia in 2015 will be the Chinese government's approach to online content. Huang says foreign content quotas and approval on over-the-top/online and other platforms in China in 2015 will be the biggest issue for global programme providers.CHANGING AUDIENCE HABITS The shift in audience habits continues to tear through the traditional content landscape, forcing changes in rights terms, licence fees and growth strategies. "In Asia as well... the traditional linear channels are having challenges in keeping viewers in the face of newer digital offerings, which can be consumed on more portable devices," Breakthrough Entertainment’s Blank says."In response to this transition and to stay competitive, linear channels have started opening up their own digital platforms or at least attempting to put a holdback on these rights by increasing their licence fees. Producers and distributors of programming have similar challenges in meeting these content demands while also seeing great new opportunities," Blank adds. Caracol Television's Arteaga says digital rights are 2015's biggest issue. "It has become vital to have our programming in all of the multiple platforms available to remain competitive... Because of this growth it is important to make digital rights accessible," she adds.LOCALISATION & GLOBALISATION ITV Studios' Hong says the biggest trend will be continued localisation and customisation. "Our customers have diversified and the digital operators are now a significant proportion of our revenue in Asia. Digital operators' audiences want customised and personalised content that is relevant to them. So it is no surprise that one show no longer fits all," she says. Nippon TV's Chino also says localisation will be 2015's big content issue. At the same time, she talks about globalisation and the need for programmes to be produced on a global level. At the other end of the spectrum, formats will be localised to accommodate the cultures and needs of particular regions, she adds.INNOVATION Keshet International's Wright says the 2015 content search will be "for new twists on celebrity-driven shows, which will make them fresh as the audience becomes accustomed to well-established formats". MARKET GROWTH Globo's Corre?a Netto says 2015's challenge is to expand on the progress made in 2014. "Last year, our productions entered countries like Indonesia, the Philippines, Mongolia and Australia. There are still many possibilities in Southeast Asia, plus China and others," he says.FAST ACCESS BBC Worldwide's Shiotani expects 2015's big issue will be meeting the demand for quicker access to content and more time- and place-shifted viewing. "Fast turnaround premieres are quickly becoming the norm for popular premium content, allowing us to capitalise on social media buzz and helping to decrease piracy," he says. GREATER VARIETY While food will continue to be a big programming trend, Scripps' Woodle says demand for greater variety, including more diverse hosts and foods from different cultures, will increase in 2015, along with demand for rights across multiple formats.Nippon TV's Chino expands this, saying that programme genres are diversifying and that story-driven entertainment programmes are gaining popularity. "Recently, there has been a large success of turning documentary programmes into entertainment programmes in Japan. We believe this genre will grow in other countries throughout Asia as well," she says. EDUCATION Keshet's Wright says "the search is on for children's/family shows with an educational element".Zodiak Kids' Kylkilahti says the market "is currently saturated with a wide choice of educational content for pre-schoolers; however we have noticed that some broadcasters in the APAC region are also looking for educational content for older kids and tweens".ContentAsia Issue 6, 2014