Part III

In this final part special that offers noteworthy perceptions, meaningful lessons, and bold manoeuvring, industry veteran Lovinia Chiu, Chairman, Executive Director, and Chief Executive Officer of Medialink, listed pillars that successfully balances pure acquisitions and commissioning to sustain success.

“The balance will reflect content strategy, market dynamics, cost, audience demand, and competition, with a dynamic approach to acquisitions and commissioning,” explained Lovinia.

In the evolving TV/VOD market, the balance between acquisitions and commissioning will likely be influenced by several factors:

Content Strategy

The balance will depend on a company’s strategy. If the focus is on unique, branded content, commissioning may take precedence. For a diverse library, acquisitions might be more prominent.

Market Dynamics

As the market grows, there might be a shift towards more commissioning to stand out with original content, especially with the rise of SVOD platforms as new commissioners.

Cost Considerations

Acquisitions can be cost-effective for filling content libraries quickly, but commissioning can lead to long-term intellectual property benefits.

Audience Demand

Viewer preferences for original content could push companies towards commissioning their own shows and films.

Competition

With intense competition, companies might lean towards commissioning to offer exclusive content that can’t be found elsewhere.

But what about the actual financing segment of commissioning? Streamers are experiencing some real challenges—deep pockets are a thing of the past. Have relationships changed with streamers today, and are deals very different from the recent past?

“Relationships with streamers are now more strategic, with deals focusing on long-term engagement and monetization,” Lovinia said.

The landscape for streamers has indeed shifted significantly. With the maturation of the streaming market, the era of ‘deep pockets’—where significant investments were made upfront—is evolving.

Relationships with streamers have become more strategic and data driven. Deals with the streamers nowadays are very much different 2—3 years ago, illuminated Lovinia. 

“Key components in any business right now are how you recoup your investment and how you sustain. Having only one business model will not make you successful in this industry. 

Today, partnerships with streamers often involve more collaborative efforts, where both parties work together to create content that resonates with audiences and aligns with the platform’s brand,” continued Lovinia, noting that there’s a greater emphasis on building communities and fostering direct relationships with viewers through interactive and engaging content. 
 

Lovinia Chiu
Chairman, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer 
Medialink Group Limited

Currently, the kinds of projects that work for Medialink in the efforts to sustain local and international interest are those that have a complete ecosystem traveling across the region and projects that blend local and global appeal, leveraging technology, and innovative distribution.

The projects that blend local and global appeal are those that combine local cultural elements with universal themes tend to resonate widely. Those which focus on storytelling have strong narratives with compelling characters that attract diverse audiences and drive engagement. Finally, projects that innovate distribution by exploring new ways to distribute content, such as through social media or hybrid models, can expand reach of the content. 

In the end, with the scope of regional/international business interests, Medialink’s KPIs at the forefront of 2024 and beyond include the expansion of business beyond Asia; further developing its market and business presence in the Indian subcontinent territories; continuously acquiring big hit anime TV series and movies that drive high viewership and outstanding box office respectively; the expansion on licensing business to cover game license globally; the continuous M&A and joint venture initiatives; and the expansion of self-produced products along with their product sales network and channels to generate more revenue streams.

Lots to do still, as Medialink looks to a bright future after decades of success.

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Look out for Medialink Group Limited at ATF 2024!