Middle East & North Africa

Theatrical Windows Holding Back MENA Streaming, Say Dubai Film Market Speakers

Speakers said VOD platforms have the potential to expand audiences for Arabic-language content, but traditional business models are preventing growth.

Middle East & North Africa

MENA Region Set For Streaming Boost - PwC Report

Spending on OTT services is estimated to grow by 98% in the MENA region between 2015 and 2019.

News

Netflix To Stream Anurag Kashyap's 'Gangs Of Wasseypur' As Miniseries

US distributor Cinelicious is working with Film Karavan and Kashyap to present the two-part movie as an eight-episode mini-eries.

Korea & Japan

Netflix Japan Vice President David Lee Talks Local Content Strategy

Lee gave a candid on-stage interview at TIFFCOM where he discussed early audience reaction to Netflix and the streamer's local content strategy.

Chinese-Speaking Markets

Will Global Streamers Win Over Local Audiences Across Asia Pacific?

Western streaming giants are making their first forays into Asia, but will they be able to negotiate different cultural tastes, piracy and local competitors to win over audiences?

Australia & New Zealand

Is Netflix Serving Australia Sizzle Or Sausage?

A recent Presto ad starring Naomi Watts claims US streaming services are "all sizzle and no sausage"; but how are local services holding up against the competition?

Chinese-Speaking Markets

Heyi Pictures President Matthew Liu Talks Youku Film Production Plans

Youku's film production arm is producing a slate of features for both theatrical and online distribution.

Chinese-Speaking Markets

Tencent Pictures Draws On IP For Production Plans

Production arm of Chinese tech giant has vast IP resources at its disposal, including comic books, gaming and internet literature.

Chinese-Speaking Markets

Netflix Set To Launch In Four Asian Tiger Economies

Streamer plans to enter South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan after launching in Australia and Japan earlier this year.

Korea & Japan

Netflix & Amazon Prime Video Prepare To Do Battle In Japan

As Netflix and Amazon Prime Video launch their assault on Japan, they may find their biggest battle is not with each other, but with domestic competitors and the idiosyncrasies of the Japanese market.

Australia & New Zealand

EzyFlix Becomes First Netflix Casualty In Australia

Access Digital Entertainment announced the decision to close its TVOD streaming service leaving Presto, Stan and Quickflix as the major local offerings.

Korea & Japan

Rakuten's Viki Acquires Korean Fan Site Soompi

Viki has reportedly acquired the K-content fan community site from Crunchyroll for just under $10m.

Chinese-Speaking Markets

Who’s Afraid Of The Big, Bad B.A.T.?: China's Film Biz Debates Tech Giant Impact

A panel at Shanghai film festival asked whether China's trio of tech giants will engulf the local film industry before it's had a chance to mature.

News

Iflix & HOOQ Jostle For Share In Southeast Asia's Nascent Streaming Market

Southeast Asia now has two streaming platforms attempting to introduce a paid subscriptions model in the region.

Europe

View From MIPTV 2015: Mr Sarandos Goes To Cannes

Speaking at Cannes film festival's NEXT conference, Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos claimed that streaming does not pose a threat to European cinema's fragile ecosystem.

Middle East & North Africa

Starz Launches SVOD Service Across Middle East & North Africa

US cable and satellite network is launching Starz Play Arabia across 17 markets in the Middle East and North Africa.

News

Drishyam Films' Manish Mundra On Why He's Financing Indian Indie Cinema

Former oil industry executive has backed Indian indie films including Rajat Kapoor's 'Ankhon Dekhi' and Prashant Nair's 'Umrika'.

News

Singtel, Warner & Sony Join Forces To Launch HOOQ Streaming Service

Beating Netflix into the Asian market, the service will stream 10,000 Hollywood movies and TV shows at launch.