[Satellite News 11-28-12] Social network integration with satellite video services has reached Thailand as a result of the platform’s rapidly increasing strength over cable rivals in the region. Satellite TV has been gaining in popularity over the past few years in Thailand, as its share has risen from 15 percent in January to 19.2 percent today, according to AGB Nielsen Media Research Managing Director Petrarat Sin.

   Speaking at the Nation Landscape seminar on Nov. 27, Sin said that improvements in infrastructure, an increase in producers and greater affordability of hardware, especially flat-screen television sets and satellite dishes, were contributing to the growth in the number of satellite television viewers in Thailand compared to cable. He added that digital television is experiencing similar growth and expects it will maintain its growth rate alongside satellite.

   “There has been a noticeable change in video consumer behavior in Thailand. Digital and satellite broadcasting are expected to continue growing healthily for years to come thanks to evolving media platforms,” Petrarat told National Landscape seminar attendees. “New media platforms prompted up to adjust our television-audience monitor to meet the present platform.”

Group M Thailand’s former president Dechaburanon Supranee said that digital media spending has been rapidly accelerating in the market, with the value of digital-display advertisements expected to climb to between $66 million and $132 million in the near future.

   “The digital-display segment will expand by 17 percent, surpassing overall industry growth,” said Supranee. “That said, the media should not overlook the importance of purchase networks, where consumers no longer purchase or make decisions without influence from their social networks. The change will be more prominent when Thailand gets improved infrastructure such as third- or fourth-generation wireless broadband technology.”

   Also speaking during the event, Nation Broadcasting Corp. President Limprungpatanakij Adisak was even more confident about satellite’s strength in Thailand and said his company was more than ready to compete in the cable TV and non-subscription TV sectors.

   “In 2007, satellite TV reception accounted for only 2 percent of the market share in Thailand, while it is at 40 percent now,” said Adisak. “We have strived to be a pioneer in maximizing the potential of social TV, in which viewers and even non-viewers can get actively engaged before, during and after each program. The public’s participation will also result in a surge in program ratings. Social media will play a greater role in shaping the broadcasting-media landscape. Every phenomenon and opportunity forms our key strategy in battling in the industry.”

If Sin, Petrarat and Adisak’s numbers are correct, they would validate an ambitious study that was conducted by research firm Media Partners Asia (MPA) earlier this year that predicted exponential growth in Asia’s satellite TV market during next 10 years.

   “Our forecast right now has DTH at more than 11 percent market share. It goes to about 30 percent over the next decade. That is driven by China, but it is (coming from a) utility platform — it’s not a Sky or DirecTV in the making,” Executive Director and Co-owner of the company, Vivek Couto, told Satellite News. “There is massive growth in China where they have launched this free platform in rural areas. There are now tens of millions of subscribers. But the main story is India, where you will have four platforms emerging as very powerful and profitable gate-keepers; one in Indonesia; one in the Philippines; maybe one in Thailand; maybe one in Vietnam.”

   During the last few years there has been highly significant growth in DTH services across the region. India has been a particularly vibrant market, with DTH players such as DishTV, Tata Sky, Airtel and D2H gaining huge numbers of subscribers. Couto believes the active DTH subscriber base in India is now just fewer 30 million households, however, DTH players don’t necessarily need a strategy in this area just yet. He adds, “In India, they (DTH players) don’t have to look at broadband because fixed broadband is not a big thing in India. Mobile broadband will be the biggest thing in India. But, that will only take off in 2015.”

   The resurgence of DTH is lessening cable’s stranglehold in the region. According to the latest MPA research, cable, which accounted for 86 percent of pay-TV subscriptions in 2010, will drop to below 60 percent by 2020. In addition IPTV, which had a 4 percent share in the market in 2010, will increase to 10 percent, still a relatively low figure by 2020.