The Asia-Pacific screen economy is set for substantial growth, with total revenues expected to rise from approximately $171 billion in 2025 to around $196 billion by 2030. This surge will largely be driven by streaming services and creator-led video content, as traditional television continues to decline. These insights come from the latest report by consultancy firm Media Partners Asia (MPA), released on October 3, 2023.
Shifting Dynamics in the Video Market
According to MPA’s annual Asia-Pacific Video & Broadband report, online video will account for all net gains in the region over the forecast period. Premium video on demand, which includes subscription platforms and branded ad-supported services, is projected to contribute an additional $12.5 billion, bringing its total to $52 billion by 2030. Meanwhile, revenues from user-generated and social video are expected to increase by $11.4 billion, reaching $44.5 billion.
In stark contrast, traditional television is predicted to face a cumulative decline of $8 billion due to the ongoing erosion of linear advertising and pay-TV subscriptions. Vivek Couto, CEO and executive director of MPA, emphasized that the shift signifies a fundamental reordering of value in the screen economy. He stated, “Value is shifting decisively toward streaming, social platforms and CTV-led monetization,” indicating that markets with robust local content ecosystems and pricing power are likely to outperform others.
Key Growth Markets and Trends
Japan and India are identified as the top contributors to incremental video and streaming growth outside China, albeit for different reasons. In Japan, the market is seeing gains driven by higher-priced tiers, premium local content, and sports differentiation. In contrast, India’s growth is primarily volume-driven but increasingly supported by improved monetization strategies and the rapid adoption of connected TV (CTV).
The report notes that there are currently close to 160 million CTV households across the Asia-Pacific region, excluding China, with an expected increase of nearly 100 million by 2030. The largest CTV markets are Japan, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Australia. This transition to big-screen streaming is enhancing engagement, pricing power, and advertising yields.
User-generated and social video platforms, including YouTube, Meta, and TikTok, are poised to benefit most from the growth in online video advertising. In China, platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou lead this market. Short-form video platforms are evolving towards episodic content, with micro-dramas emerging as a new revenue category, particularly in China and expected to gain traction in markets like India, Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand.
As household penetration matures in developed markets like Australia, Japan, and South Korea, premium streaming growth is becoming increasingly driven by average revenue per user (ARPU). Platforms are raising prices, introducing higher-tier products, and bundling premium sports and local content.
The report forecasts that premium ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) revenue will rise from $8 billion in 2025 to over $12 billion by 2030, with significant contributions from India, Japan, and Australia, followed by South Korea and Indonesia.
MPA also highlights the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence tools across various aspects of video production, including development, localization, postproduction, and marketing. These efficiencies are expected to lower costs and accelerate production timelines, reinforcing the competitive edge of platforms with extensive content libraries.
Overall, the Asia-Pacific screen revenues are projected to grow at a 2.8 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2025 to 2030. Online video is expected to rise at a much higher CAGR of 7 percent, with the top 15 online video platforms commanding 58 percent of total online video revenues by 2025. This trend underscores a growing concentration in the market, led by giants such as YouTube, Douyin/TikTok, and Netflix, alongside strong national players like JioHotstar in India and U-Next in Japan.
