By Jonathan Easton

OTT revenues in the Asia Pacific region are set to almost double in the next five years.

According to Digital TV Research, OTT TV episodes and movies revenues for 22 countries in the region will reach US$54 billion in 2026. This total is up by 90 per cent from the US$29 billion generated in 2020.

China will continue to be the largest country in the region, increasing from US$15.5 billion in 2020 to US$23.8 billion in 2026. It will be the only country to surpass US$10 billion in OTT revenues, with Japan in second – increasing from US$4.7 billion to US$9.2 billion during the period.

India is set to continue its surging presence as a key battleground for OTT players, overtaking South Korea and Australia to firmly establish itself as the third-largest OTT market. Its revenues will increase from US$2 billion in 2020 to US$6.7 billion, even eclipsing the rate of growth in Japan.

South Korea and Australia are set for more limited growth, reflecting their position as more mature OTT markets. South Korea will grow from US$2.2 billion to US$4.9 billion while Australia will see less growth from US$2 billion to US$3.7 billion.com

Overall, the APAC region has followed Western trends with SVOD overtaking AVOD for revenue in 2019. Both categories are set to double between 2020 and 2026 to US$22 billion and US$28 billion respectively.

Principal analyst at Digital TV Research, Simon Murray said: “China will account for 44 per cent of the region’s revenues by 2026, down from 54 per cent in 2020 as other countries catch up. China will add US$5 billion in AVOD revenues between 2020 and 2026, with SVOD bringing in an extra US$3 billion.”