SET-listed Workpoint Entertainment Plc has raised airtime advertising rates for its digital TV channel by 30% thanks to surging viewership, which accounts for 10% of the overall TV industry.
Workpoint TV took only a year to climb up to the third place among all free TV channels in Thailand. The company decided to jump into the satellite TV business in 2013 and transferred its channel to the digital TV system in May last year.
In May, Nielsen Thailand reported that Workpoint TV ranked third out of the 27 TV channels with a 10% share of viewership, after Channel 7, which had 36%, and Channel 3 at 26%.
Workpoint chief marketing officer Vichanee Srisawat said the new ad rate has been effective since early this month, charging 30,000-40,000 baht a minute on average, up from 20,000 baht previously.
The highest rate goes to its flagship TV show, Ching Roi Ching Larn, which was removed from Channel 3 in June and went to Workpoint TV. Its ad rate remains the same at 400,000 baht a minute.
The programme saw a slight drop in viewership during its first broadcast on Workpoint TV, but the company believes the situation will soon improve and viewing figures will reach the same level as when it was with Channel 3.
The variety show also helped other programmes gain more viewers as well. The folk song contest Ching Cha Sawan can charge 300,000 baht per minute.
Workpoint TV has various groups of viewers nationwide, comprising urban and rural residents at 50:50. This benefits advertisers who want to communicate with a mixed group of customers. Its digital TV channel is now widely accepted by advertisers, media agencies and the TV industry.
Ms Vichanee said the company considers it the right time to pull its programmes from other channels and broadcast them on Workpoint TV.
"It’s time to make our house stronger," she said.
The company is building 10 studios to support its growing business, bringing the total to 20 by next year.
WORK shares closed last Friday on the SET at 38.75 baht, up 1.25 baht, in trade worth 38 million baht.