Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) April 2017 Volume 34, Issue 3 | Page 10

10 April 2017
NEWS & VIEWS

Expect more thrills and spills from CTE in 2017

Operating one of the largest bouquets of pan-Asian channels dedicated to Asian entertainment , Celestial Tiger Entertainment ( CTE ) offerings include pay-TV channels such as Celestial Movies , a premier 24-hour first-run Chinese movie service in Asia ; KIX , an action entertainment channel ; and Thrill , said to be Asia ’ s only regional horror and suspense movie channel . With a clear strategy to also produce original programming , CTE is undaunted by the challenge presented by video streaming services such as Amazon Prime Video in Asia . Shawn Liew prompts Todd Miller , CEO of CTE , for more insights .
❝ We see OTT as an opportunity to extend our reach into new markets , and to serve new customers
in existing markets .❞
— Todd Miller ,
CEO , Celestial Tiger Entertainment
First of all , can you share with us CTE ’ s content and distribution strategies for 2017 ? What can viewers expect from CTE this year ? Todd Miller : Our content strategy is focused on acquiring premium , first-run programming from leading producers in Asia and Hollywood . For Celestial Movies , we offer a slate of the biggest blockbusters , such as Jackie Chan ’ s latest hit , Kung Fu Yoga and Railroad Tigers .
For KIX , we have planned more live broadcast events for major MMA fights from Bellator MMA Fighting Championships and Glory World Series . For Thrill , we will air a highly anticipated Japanese horror suspense drama , Crow ’ s Blood , which stars J-pop AKB 48 ’ s Mayu Watanabe and Sakura Miyawaki .
In addition , it ’ s also important that we build more connections with our viewers , and original programming is an opportunity for us to create content that is onbrand , highly engaging , and connects with our viewers , such as The Ultimate BROcation . This show , for example , features celebrities from five Asian territories , which helps us locally in each market to engage and excite our viewers — which is
our core mission .
We have several exciting projects in the development pipeline , covering a number of genres . These original shows are great for a number of strategic reasons — ratings , viewer engagement and having proprietary content , which help to define our channel brands .
Another example of increased original content production is Miao Mi Classroom , which runs every half hour on our Mandarin edutainment channel created for pre-school kids .
Because we know that kids love the cute , fun and educational animated series regardless of the language , we created this show by us-
ing animated flash cards and catchy songs to help kids learn Man darin in a fun and engaging way .
In terms of CTE ’ s distribution strategy , our channels are widely distributed on the leading pay-TV platforms in Asia . In addition , all of our channels have robust overthe-top ( OTT ) rights , and we ’ re populating OTT services in Asia and beyond with our various channel brands . Miao Mi ’ s recent launch in the US is one such expansion and there will be more to come .
The latest entrant into the Asian video-on-demand market is Amazon Prime Video , putting
CTE believes that original programming — such as The Ultimate BROcation — is an opportunity to create content that is on-brand , highly-engaging , and connects with its viewers .
into the spotlight once again the issue of cord-cutting . Is this a development that concerns CTE , and how can you counteract the threat of these new players with your own OTT offerings ? Miller : Our business is concentrated in Asia , which is still a growth market . We see OTT as an opportunity to extend our reach into new markets , and to serve new customers in existing markets .
We will continue to make available our premium content on-demand and on-the-go to subscribers of our channels through their pay-TV provider . Giving viewers the option of watching our great programming where they want , when they want , is an important element of our business model , in addition to our scheduled channel service .
While it is still early days , the overwhelming feedback from pay-TV providers suggests that many viewers still prefer the leanback convenience of watching a scheduled channel , so we find that “ cord-cutting ” is less of an issue in Asia , though piracy continues to be a challenge .
The bigger picture is perhaps also how viewing habits have
changed irrevocably , with traditional TV losing its dominance . What do broadcasters and pay- TV operators like CTE need to do in order to stay relevant to viewers in the long term ? Miller : Traditional TV still reaches a mass audience . We believe that it is carefully curated content and a branded experience that are key to successfully staying relevant .
Again , we will continue to buy premium , first-run programming from leading producers in Asia and Hollywood . We will also continue to build more connections with our viewers by creating content that is on-brand and highly engaging .
Arguably , technologies will be some of the key enablers to enable you to do this . How is CTE taking advantages of technologies such as IP , 4K / Ultra HD , HDR and cloud , to name but a few ? Miller : While these technologies enable high-quality and possibly more efficient viewing for audiences , they are still just enablers . Most importantly , delivering premium content and bringing a branded experience to our viewers are the key to keep us competitive .
n APRIL
April 22 - 27 2017 NAB SHOW Las Vegas , Nevada , USA www . nabshow . com
April 25 - 27 ASIA PACIFIC VIDEO OPERATORS SUMMIT ( APOS ) 2017 Ayana Resort , Bali , Indonesia www . visitapos . com
April 25 - 27 VIETNAM INT ' L BROADCAST & AV SHOW 2017 SECC , Ho Chi Minh City www . vibashow . com . vn /
n MAY
May 16 - 19 KOBA 2017 COEX Exhibition Centre , Seoul , South Korea www . kobashow . com
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n AUGUST
Date to be announced BIRTV 2017 CIEC , Beijing , China www . birtv . com
n SEPTEMBER
September 15 - 19 IBC 2017 RAI Amsterdam , The Netherlands www . ibc . org
n OCTOBER
October 10 - 12 APSCC 2017 Tokyo , Japan www . apscc . or . kr / sub3 . asp
October 10 - 12 IEEE BROADCAST SYMPOSIUM ( BTS ) Keybridge Marriott Arlington , VA , USA bts . ieee . org /
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October 26 - 29 CASBAA CONVENTION 2017 www . casbaa . com Venue to be announced
n NOVEMBER
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n DECEMBER
IABM ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE & AWARDS 2017 UK www . theiabm . org Date and venue to be announced
White Paper @ www . apb-news . com
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