Wed Sep 25 04:43:53 UTC 2024: ## Global Streaming Giants Reshape Entertainment Landscape in Asia Pacific

**Jakarta, Indonesia -** Global streaming giants are flexing their muscle in the Asia Pacific region, increasing prices and profitability while outpacing local competitors in earnings, according to industry expert Vivek Couto. Speaking at the APOS conference in Indonesia, Couto, managing partner at Media Partners Asia, highlighted the stark disparity between the financial power of global streamers and their local counterparts.

While local companies enjoy significant revenue share, global players like Netflix, Disney, Amazon, and YouTube are projected to earn a combined $21.6 billion in video revenue from the Asia Pacific region this year, more than double the $9.6 billion earned by local leaders. However, the global players’ profit margin is staggering: $240 billion compared to the local leaders’ $1.5 billion, making them over 150 times more powerful.

This disparity is fueled by global streamers’ strategies, Couto explained. Netflix, initially a direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform, is now leaning more on partnerships, while Disney is increasing its D2C focus. Warner Bros. Discovery’s new streaming platform, Max, is seeking a balance, recently partnering with U-Next in Japan. Couto also noted an increase in price hikes and advertising across platforms, with Netflix adding ads, Prime Video, Tving, and YouTube raising ad loads, and YouTube Premium increasing its price.

Couto further pointed out that technology has “resized” the entertainment landscape. Amazon is now the world’s leading entertainment company with estimated 2024 revenues of $583 billion, surpassing even Google, which owns YouTube. Meta, the owner of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, ranks third with projected revenues of $150 billion. Interestingly, Meta is closely followed by ByteDance, the Chinese company behind TikTok and Douyin, which even surpasses Disney and Tencent in revenue.

Couto’s analysis underscores the significant shift in the entertainment industry, driven by the rise of global streaming giants. Their immense financial strength and strategic focus on monetization are reshaping the landscape, leaving local competitors struggling to keep pace. This dynamic is likely to have a profound impact on the future of entertainment in the Asia Pacific region.

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