Ad-funded programming on the rise : ATF

Fremantle Media Asia CEO, Patrick Schult says that the fundamental reason for the shift is due to a few success stories in the AFP arena.

“When these are disseminated, then all of a sudden there are people asking: ‘Why aren’t we doing more of this?’, and companies asking their agencies: ‘Why are you not proposing these types of solutions?’

Fremantle Media is working with Group M division ESP on the Unilever-sponsored Thailand’s got talent. Schult says that they are looking to create a blueprint with this series to extend their relationship with ESP into other markets with other shows.

Ben Heyhoe Flint, head of Asia-Pacific at Fuse, said he was meeting a number of  content owners and advertising clients to discuss branded content opportunities.

Exhibiting for the first time at ATF are Ice-TV, producers of HP Space and The Ad Break.

An executive at Endemol Asia said that in Vietnam, they are looking to team with advertisers before approaching broadcasters. “Formats like Extreme home makeover lend themselves perfectly to advertisers.”

Televisa’s Arturo Casares Cortina says advertiser interest has rocketed following the success of Ugly Betty, which was sponsored by Unilever.

Hong Kong-based Mateo Eaton, partner at Group M Entertainment, adds that Ugly Betty was a contributor but not the catalyst. “There has been a massive rise in interest in China this year, especially given the success of (P&G sponsored) China’s got talent,” he concludes.