The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) today released the first aggregated data endorsed on an industry-wide basis covering the size and value of the Asia Pacific pay-TV market with newly calibrated estimates of advertising revenues. The CASBAA-validated data has been derived from a six-month consultation process by the CASBAA Advertising & Research Committee with the region’s leading pay-TV channels, system operators, agencies and data providers on both a regional and local basis. Participants in the process included representatives from Discovery Networks Asia, STAR Group, Turner International Asia Pacific, Nielsen Media Research, TAM India and Media Partners Asia.
“This robust consensus provides the firmest platform yet to argue in favor of the pay-TV industry’s maturity and attractiveness as an advertising vehicle,” said Marcel Fenez, the Chairman of CASBAA. “With this data the industry can look forward to the future in terms of forecasting development from a solid and assured base.”
The CASBAA data shows that the Asian cable and satellite industry in 2003 accounted for almost 190 million multi-channel homes, 95% of which are pay homes. Pay-TV advertising revenues for 2002 were US$2.6 billion in 2002 compared to an estimated US$14.8 billion in overall TV ad spend. Previous estimates showed 150 million cable subscribers in 2002.
In 2003, there were 48 million multi-channel subscribers in India, 12 million in Korea, 8 million in Japan, 7.7 million in Taiwan and 100 million multi-channel subscribers in China, according to the new CASBAA data.
This assessment of the market conditions of just over 12 months ago show total multi-channel adspend at US$2.592 million for the industry but with just US$205 million for pan regional advertising buys. China leads with US$752 million; followed closely by India at US$739 million; and Taiwan at US$586 million.
However, in terms of the percentage of the total TV adspend, the numbers demonstrate considerable room for growth, in all representing just 17.5% of the US$14.79 billion on TV advertising in the Asia Pacific outside of Japan. The multi-channel total TV viewing share is now over 50% in multi-channel homes in many markets.
“This highlights the challenge the industry face in promoting itself to clients, agencies and the media community as a whole,” said Mr Fenez. “We need to address these issues through further engaging on a regular basis with the agency and client communities to articulate the value that multi-channel television brings to the advertising community and initiatives such as the launch of the CASBAA Media College for sales and marketing executives in Singapore on April 22nd. The CASBAA Council of Governors recognizes this issue and gives it the highest importance.”