Advanced Television

AVIA’s NE Asia Video Summit spotlights global content strategies

October 30, 2025

The Northeast Asia Video Summit 2025, hosted by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), brought together leading media executives, content creators, and technology innovators to explore the future of video in Japan and Korea. Held in Tokyo on October 28th, the summit showcased transformative strategies in global content production, streaming monetisation, and cross-border collaboration.

A central theme of the summit was the global ascent of Japanese and Korean content. In a compelling keynote, Katsuaki Setoguchi, Executive Officer at TBS Holdings and President and CEO of The Seven, emphasised that Japan’s ambition to go global is rooted not in profit, but in cultural promotion. “Storytelling is our foundation,” Setoguchi said, highlighting the success of Alice in Borderland (pictured) and upcoming co-productions with U-Next. He outlined a formula for global success: strategic IP selection, elevated production budgets, and partnerships with platforms like Netflix and Prime Video to reach a global audience. Setoguchi also stressed the importance of long-term regional collaboration, particularly in Southeast Asia, citing their strategic alliance with Vietnam TV.

Yu Sasamoto, CEO of DAZN Japan and APAC Business Development, shared insights into Japan’s evolving sports streaming landscape. With partnerships like Docomo and Meta, DAZN is redefining how fans engage with live sports. Sasamoto revealed that DAZN is set to triple its subscriber base in Japan and is leveraging social media to convert engagement into subscriptions. Sasamoto also shared his ambitions to expand Japanese sports globally by building an ecosystem that blends content, technology, and partnerships to scale across Asia.

Streaming monetisation was another hot topic. Joshua Sunghyun Cho, CBO of TVING, detailed the platform’s innovative ad strategies, including impression-guaranteed products and interactive formats like ‘Watch Together’. Partnering with Moloco, TVING doubled its ad revenue from KBO baseball broadcasts and is now targeting contextual and shopping ads. “Streaming is no longer just premium branding – it’s performance-driven,” Cho said. Nick Chuah, Managing Director APAC at INVIDI, added that addressable advertising is poised to reshape Japan’s TV ad market, with data-driven campaigns delivering measurable ROI and unlocking new value for brands.

Executives from Dentsu, FAST Corporation, and Integral Ad Science (IAS) also echoed the need for collaboration, standardisation and advocacy to accelerate CTV adoption in Japan. With new smart TVs and platforms like TVer and ABEMA entering the programmatic space, the market is poised for rapid growth.

The summit also addressed the future of anime as a global cultural force. Yuichiro Saito, CEO of Studio Chizu, and Hideki Henry Goto, President of Okutagon, discussed anime’s expanding international footprint. With over half of revenue now coming from global markets, speakers called for new business models, international co-productions, and talent development to sustain growth, with Saito advocating for creative integrity and global collaboration.

In the closing keynote, executives from Warner Bros Discovery, SKY Perfect JSAT, and A+E Global Media debated the future of pay TV and streaming economics in Japan. While acknowledging the slow decline of linear TV, they emphasised the enduring value of local partnerships and bundling strategies. Japan’s rich history and vibrant culture continue to produce compelling stories, presenting vast opportunities for international partnerships to bring this content to global audiences. The speakers agreed that creative distribution models and co-productions will be key to unlocking Japan’s full potential on the global stage.

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