Asia’s TV & video economy is entering a decisive new phase, and the numbers are hard to ignore. Asia content investment is set to cross $15 billion in 2026, driven by streaming growth and a powerful resurgence in local film across the region’s biggest markets.
According to new research from Media Partners Asia, spending on content across India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam is expected to rise from $14.8 billion in 2025 to $15.1 billion this year. The broader story, however, is not just about bigger budgets. It is about where the money is moving: away from legacy television and toward premium online video and locally produced films that are winning both audience attention and box office share.
Why Asia content investment is shifting fast
The headline figure matters, but the underlying shift matters more. Television still accounts for the largest share of spending at around 60%, with online video at 30% and film at 10%. Yet most of the new growth in Asia content investment is now coming from streaming platforms and local cinema, while traditional TV budgets continue to soften.
This reflects a broader market correction across the region:
- Streaming services are capturing more premium viewing time
- Sports rights are boosting subscriber acquisition and retention
- Local-language films are proving their commercial value
- TV advertising pressure is making old broadcast models harder to sustain
In short, media companies are reallocating capital toward formats and platforms that show clearer audience momentum and stronger long-term return potential.
India and Korea dominate regional spending
Two markets still carry outsized weight in Asia content investment: Korea and India. Together, they account for roughly 80% of the total measured spend.
India: streaming moves ahead of television
India is now one of the clearest examples of the region’s digital pivot. Online video represented 46% of content investment in 2025, ahead of television at 42%. That crossover is a major milestone for the Indian media market and signals how fast viewer behavior is evolving.
Audience demand is also massive. Indian viewers streamed an estimated 420 billion hours last year, with JioHotstar emerging as the standout player in premium VOD. Sports remains the key engine, especially during the IPL cricket season, when reach and engagement accelerate sharply.
For investors and media executives, India shows how Asia content investment is increasingly tied to platforms that can combine scale, local relevance and live-event magnetism.
Korea: scale, premium streaming and export strength
Korea remains the single largest market in the seven-country study, with content spend at $6.9 billion in 2025. Netflix continues to lead, while domestic platform TVING holds a strong second-place position.
One notable factor in Korea’s streaming race is sports. TVING’s baseball rights reportedly helped grow its subscriber base from 5.3 million to 6.5 million. That reinforces a trend seen across Asia: premium sports are not just programming assets, they are strategic subscription tools.
Korea also benefits from a strong local production ecosystem and global demand for Korean storytelling, giving it a structural advantage as Asia content investment becomes more selective.
Local film is becoming the region’s growth engine
If streaming is one side of the growth story, local film is the other. Media Partners Asia describes domestic cinema as one of the clearest opportunities in the region, and recent box office performance supports that view.
Key indicators include:
- Vietnam’s box office climbed 20% to $213 million in 2025
- Local films captured 69% of Vietnam’s theatrical market
- Indonesia posted similarly strong local title performance
- India reached a record box office total of $1.41 billion
- Korea saw meaningful theatrical recovery supported by local releases
This trend matters because local titles are doing more than filling screens. They are proving that culturally specific stories can outperform imported content when they connect with home audiences. That gives producers, distributors and exhibitors more confidence to back domestic IP.
As a result, Asia content investment is increasingly following the performance of local storytelling at the cinema as well as on streaming services.
The business challenge: bigger audiences, weaker returns
Despite healthy demand, not every company is thriving. One of the most important takeaways from the report is that strong audiences do not automatically translate into strong financial performance.
Several established media businesses across Asia are struggling with valuation pressure and legacy cost structures. Traditional TV is facing ad declines, and in some markets broadcasters still operate with more capacity than current economics can justify.
This creates a sharper divide between companies that can adapt and those that cannot. The likely winners in the next stage of Asia content investment will be businesses that:
- Rationalize outdated operating costs
- Invest more selectively in premium content
- Use AI and new technologies to improve efficiency
- Collaborate when solo investment no longer makes financial sense
- Protect the franchises and formats that genuinely retain viewers
That means management quality may become just as important as creative quality in the years ahead.
What this means for the future of TV & video in Asia
The regional outlook is not a story of decline. It is a story of redistribution. Money is moving toward the formats that better reflect how audiences actually watch: on-demand, mobile-first, event-driven and locally resonant.
For platforms, studios and broadcasters, the lesson is clear. Future growth in Asia content investment will depend less on scale alone and more on precision. The companies that win will be the ones that back the right content, in the right language, on the right platform, with a sustainable cost base behind it.
Streaming still has room to grow, especially where premium VOD engagement continues to rise. Local film also looks increasingly attractive as domestic audiences reward familiar stories and national stars. Meanwhile, television’s role is not disappearing overnight, but its budget dominance is likely to erode further as advertising pressure persists.
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Conclusion
The big takeaway is simple: Asia content investment is still growing, but the growth is no longer flowing evenly across the media landscape. Streaming and local film are attracting the new money, while traditional TV faces tougher economics. For companies across Asia’s TV & video sector, success will come from disciplined spending, stronger local storytelling and smarter platform strategy.
In a market now topping $15 billion, audience demand is not the problem. Turning that demand into durable returns is the real test.
