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57 Percent of Southeast Asian Viewers are Now Streaming More OTT Video Content Because of COVID-19, According to New Research from The Trade Desk

TTD | December 7, 2020

73 percent expect to maintain or increase streaming viewership after the Covid pandemic

89 percent of Southeast Asian viewers will watch ads in exchange for free programming

Today, The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) announced new, first-of-its-kind research in the Southeast Asia market, showing that 180 million consumers stream eight billion hours of over-the-top (OTT) content per month across Southeast Asia – making OTT one of the fastest growing media channels in the region. OTT services enable viewers to stream professionally-produced video content over the internet on demand, from any device including smart TVs, personal computers or mobile devices.

The study, which surveyed usage and viewing habits on OTT platforms in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, showed that COVID-19 has accelerated OTT adoption. More than half (57 percent) of OTT users say they’re streaming more OTT content during the pandemic. These habits are likely to continue even after COVID-19 with 73 percent planning to maintain or increase OTT consumption after the pandemic ends.

“The pandemic has ushered in an accelerated shift to OTT, and there’s no turning back. This is not surprising, given that many consumers have been spending more time at home, and OTT content is more convenient and more accessible than ever,” said Mitch Waters, SVP of Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, The Trade Desk. “Our research shows, however, that this shift is only going in one direction. Advertisers understand this. They want to move their campaigns to reach consumers where they are, and so they can apply data to video campaigns in ways that are simply not possible via traditional channels, such as linear TV.”

Underscoring this point, the study also showed that OTT has the potential to seriously disrupt traditional primetime TV. The majority of OTT viewers (70 percent) prefer to tune in between the hours of 8PM-12AM, bringing streaming into direct competition with traditional TV for valuable primetime audiences. Moreover, nearly one in five OTT viewers hadn’t watched any traditional TV at all in the three months prior to the survey. Southeast Asian viewers are also looking to OTT for their favorite content, with 58 percent tuning in to OTT to watch their favorite programming versus just 48 percent on traditional broadcast.

As part of this shift, Southeast Asian viewers are willing to embrace ads for free content. Regionally, more than 100 million people use ad-supported OTT platforms, with the vast majority of viewers (89 percent) willing to watch ads in exchange for free programming.

“As streaming services continue to provide more and richer streaming content to fulfill growing demand for OTT content, brands can create engaging advertising experiences that Southeast Asian viewers are willing to consume,” said Waters. “And with OTT, advertisers have the opportunity to invest in data-driven advertising approaches and platforms that will help them succeed in this new future of TV.”

Key findings from the research include:

180 million Southeast Asians use OTT streaming services.
Viewers stream eight billion hours of OTT per month across Southeast Asia, with three billion hours in Indonesia alone. Other top markets include the Philippines (2.2 billion hours streamed/month), Thailand (1.41 billion hours/month) and Vietnam (1 billion hours/month).
57 percent of OTT viewers have increased streaming during COVID and 73 percent plan to maintain or increase OTT consumption even after the pandemic. Streaming uptake during COVID has been fastest in Indonesia, with 66 percent streaming more, 59 percent in Vietnam and 58 percent in Malaysia.
Regionally, 17 percent of OTT viewers haven’t watched any traditional TV in the three months prior to responding to the survey. That number is higher in the Philippines (22 percent) and Malaysia (23 percent).
89 percent of Southeast Asian viewers will watch ads in exchange for free streaming content. Indonesia and Philippines are especially ad tolerant, with the number of viewers willing to watch four or more ads per hour of free content at 38 percent and 42 percent respectively.
Advertisers can reach more than 100 million consumers in Southeast Asia on ad-supported platforms. Ad-supported streaming is especially popular in Thailand, where advertisers can reach 7 out of 10 Thai OTT viewers.

Methodology

This report was commissioned by The Trade Desk and carried out by the world’s leading marketing data, insight, and consultancy, Kantar. Kantar conducted a survey among 4,500 consumers, ages 16+ in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia in September 2020.

About The Trade Desk

The Trade Desk™ is a technology company that empowers buyers of advertising. Through its self-service, cloud-based platform, ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and devices. Integrations with major data, inventory, and publisher partners ensure maximum reach and decisioning capabilities, and enterprise APIs enable custom development on top of the platform. Headquartered in Ventura, CA, The Trade Desk has offices across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. To learn more, visit thetradedesk.com or follow us on Facebook , Twitter , LinkedIn and YouTube .