Thais are watching less traditional TV, preferring to consume video content via streaming platforms, while younger people are willing to pay subscription fees to access premium content, according to data analytics firm Nielsen Thailand.
Speaking yesterday at the "One Decade of Thai Digital TV: Beyond the Next Step" conference, organised by the Association of Digital Television Broadcasting (Thailand) and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, Runchita Srivoravilai, Thailand vertical lead for advertiser and agency at Nielsen Thailand, said data showed that so far this year only 53% of Thais had watched TV content via offline platforms, which refers to digital TV, cable TV and satellite, down from 63% in 2023.
"47% of Thais consume TV-produced content via streaming platforms, up from 37% in the previous year," Ms Runchita said.
Nielsen found that TV dramas and sporting events have been the most watched programmes among Thais so far this year.
This trend aligns with the situation in several other Asian countries, namely South Korea, Indonesia, and Taiwan, where TV dramas and sporting events also attract the largest TV viewership.
Data on cross-platform consumption habits showed that 53% of Bangkok residents watch the "Dujapsorn" TV drama via offline TV, while 47% watch it via a streaming platform such as TrueID, AIS Play, or 3Plus.
"People still watch TV dramas, but the viewing pattern has changed as streaming platforms have gained a more significant role in terms of the consumption of video content," said Ms Runchita.
Nielsen Thailand also found that Thais are continuing to watch streamed content, with 67% having used video-on-demand (VOD) so far this year.
Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) accounts for 48% of total VOD consumption.
"Gen Y and Gen Z viewers are willing to pay a subscription fee to watch premium content," said Ms Runchita.
According to Nielsen, advertising expenditure in Thailand from January to July 2024 was worth 67 billion baht, an increase of 2% from the corresponding period last year.
For the Thai TV industry, advertising spending was worth 33 billion baht, down by 2%, while the advertainment spending on the internet was worth 18 billion baht, an increase of 8% compared to the same period last year.
"Although TV remains has the largest share of advertising spending at 50%, the current level represents a decline from 65% recorded a decade ago," Ms Runchita said.
Streaming platforms are growing at unprecedented levels across Asia and are poised to be the future of the industry.
Media companies must agilely adjust their strategic plans and their route through the fragmented media landscape, Ms Runchita added.
