Southeast Asians increasingly shifting to OTT

More than a third of TV viewers in Southeast Asia are now streaming OTT content.

According to The Trade Desk, the region added 20 million new OTT viewers in the past year, adding up to 200 million users who stream 9.7 billion hours’ worth of OTT content per month. This represents an increase of 22% in OTT consumption over the past year. 

Some 22% of OTT viewers in the region no longer watch traditional TV, a 29% year-over-year increase that is attributed to stay-at-home effect of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

More than half (56%) of surveyed consumers said their favourite shows are on OTT compared to 41% who said their favoured content is on traditional TV. 

As with the rest of the world, younger Asians are driving the region’s shift towards OTT. Some 44% of OTT viewers are aged 16-34. This demographic is also dictating the popular content trends, with Korean content particularly resonating with this group.

Mitch Waters, SVP for Southeast Asia, India, Australia and New Zealand, The Trade Desk, said: “Today’s consumers are moving towards a new model of TV consumption, one where they can watch their favourite shows anytime, anywhere, and on any device. For broadcasters and advertisers, it’s now about how quickly they can pivot to where the eyeballs are moving. Many traditional broadcasters are at the forefront of this as they have invested heavily in their own OTT offerings.”