Part II

When COVID crippled the world economy and changed the industry landscape with a swell in demand for content across global platforms, the scramble to acquire more content at the time rivalled only that of toilet paper.

Competition among the global platforms as well, allowed for genre-focused strategies, rather than compete against every other platform head on.  

Medialink took the COVID years as an opportunity to anticipate, prepare, renew licenses of existing titles, and invest in the acquisition of new hits. This also gave them leverage when cinemas across Asia started up post-COVID, with more than 10 movie titles already on hand.

Combating the trend of young eyeballs lost on traditional media screens in favour of social media, very early on, Medialink integrated social media into their distribution strategy, leveraging platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok for interactive posts. 

“This approach continues to allow us to capture the attention of the younger demographic where they spend most of their time,” explained Lovinia Chiu, Chairman, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer of Medialink Group Limited. “We are also focusing on creating shareable, bite-sized content that resonates with the social media culture. By doing so, we not only retain our relevance, but also serve as a gateway to our OTT offerings, where the full-length content is available.”

More than this, Medialink is currently exploring partnerships with popular social media influencers to promote their animated series, tapping into their established young audiences. 

“This strategy enhances our visibility and drives traffic to our streaming platforms, maintaining a balance between immediate social media engagement and long-term OTT viewership,” Lovinia highlighted.

Lovinia Chiu

Chairman, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer 

Medialink Group Limited

With the exploration of innovative collaborations, Medialink also entered into a further two new partnerships, one with S11 Partners, focusing on original content product, and one with Sunrise POPS, enhancing merchandising to maximise Medialink’s TV/VOD market presence.

"Medialink’s partnership with S11 Partners is a strategic move to develop and distribute original Chinese-language content for global audiences,” explained Lovinia. “Our equity investment in S11 Partners underscores our commitment to enhancing our content portfolio with high-concept, genre-driven narratives.”

S11 Partners, in an on-going quest to offer a dynamic platform for creative talents to unleash their creativity and craft compelling stories that enthral audiences throughout Asia and beyond, has already started to launch their Chinese slate with Imagine Entertainment Co. 

“This collaboration aligns with Medialink's vision to be a dynamic leader in Asia’s media content and IP management industry, leveraging our global distribution network to reach diverse audiences.”

Medialink has observed that while Asia’s VOD market is thriving, there are areas for improvement, with one major element being in the digital connectivity space, particularly in rural and remote areas. 

Despite advancement, better infrastructure is still a need, to ensure widespread access to VOD services. 

Another aspect, according to Medialink, is the production of diverse genres. “While certain genres like K-dramas and anime are well-established, there’s potential for growth in other categories like modern Chinese dramas and Southeast Asian content, such as Thai and Filipino dramas,” Lovinia noted.

Lovinia also remarked about the gap in content localization. “While some platforms are making strides, there’s still a need for more culturally relevant content that resonates with local audiences across different Asian regions. 

“Addressing these elements can enhance the region’s competitiveness and appeal in the global VOD landscape.”

In the months/years to come, Lovinia believes that Asia will offer enhanced connectivity, local content production, technological advancements, ad-supported models, and market diversification.

“The rise of homegrown content and internet penetration, especially in India, is boosting subscriptions. Market saturation and competition from new entrants are challenging giants like Disney, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video.

"Projected revenue of the VOD market and the user base in Asia is expected to keep growing, while video streaming will still dominate with market volume,” concluded Lovinia.

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Look out for Part III: Evolving Business Models to Stay Ahead of the Game, as Medialink remains a successful case study.