Game shows, drama series and reality singing-based formats made up 65% of format adaptations on-air or commissioned in the first half of 2024. Vietnam, Mongolia and Thailand were Asia’s top markets with a combined share of 43%, ContentAsia’s Formats Outlook for 1H 2024 shows.

Asia’s formats business continued to contract in the first half of this year as broadcasters and platforms region-wide battled with shrinking advertising revenues and, with some high-profile exceptions, lower production output. 

Overall, volume was down 32% to 91 adaptations on-air/newly commissioned in 16 markets from January to June 2024, compared to a total of 133 titles in the same period in 2023. 

The decline continues the downward trend tracked over seven years from a high of 285 in the first half of 2017.  

The ongoing ContentAsia’s Formats Outlook research tracks formats adaptations commissioned/on air in 18 countries and territories across the region, including Hong Kong, which reported no new adaptations in the first half of this year.  

For the first time since 2020, Vietnam topped Asia’s volume charts, beating frequent formats leader, India. 

Vietnam took 18% of the region’s share, followed by Mongolia at 13% and Thailand at 12%. India and the Philippines tied at fourth spot with 10% each. 

FORMATS BY GENRE.... Reality formats were the dominant category, representing 47% (43 titles) of the total 91 titles.

Delving deeper into the subcategories within reality formats, singing-based titles lead with the highest count, totaling 18 out of the 43 titles. 

ITV Studios was the key distributor of reality-singing based formats, accounting for 10 of the 18 titles. 

These were multiple versions/seasons of "The Voice" format in five countries: Mongolia ("The Voice Kids Mongolia" S1), Nepal ("The Voice Kids Nepal" S3, "The Voice of Nepal" S5), Philippines ("The Voice Kids Philippines" S6/S7, "The Voice Teens Philippines" S3), Sri Lanka ("The Voice Generations Sri Lanka" S2, "The Voice Kids Sri Lanka" S1, "The Voice of Sri Lanka" S3) and Vietnam ("The Voice Kids Vietnam" S8).

Reality sub-genres in the first half of the year involved six cooking shows, four social experiment titles and three dating formats.

Banijay Rights was responsible for three of the six cooking shows, featuring adaptations of the "MasterChef" format in Cambodia ("MasterChef Cambodia" season 3), Thailand ("MasterChef Junior Thailand" season 3), and Myanmar ("MasterChef Myanmar" season 4).

Game shows were the second-largest genre by volume, making up 30% of the total titles, with 27 entries. 

Fremantle played a significant role in this category, driving game show formats across six countries. 

These consisted of various versions of classic favourite, "Family Feud", with adaptations in Malaysia ("Family Feud Malaysia" in both Chinese and Malay), Mongolia ("Family Feud Mongolia"), the Philippines ("Family Feud Philippines" season 8), Indonesia ("Family 100" aka "Super Family 100"), and Thailand ("Family Feud Thailand").

By country, game show formats are most prevalent in Mongolia, Thailand and Vietnam, each of which featured four titles. 

This included three titles from All3Media International: "Cash At Your Door Mongolia" season 4, "Cash Cab Mongolia", and "Beat The Internet Vietnam".

Drama formats ranked third by volume, comprising 15% of the total 91 titles, highlighting a sustained interest in scripted content. This demand is particularly strong in India, the Philippines, and Thailand, each of which reported three scripted titles.

Korea’s KBS Media led the scripted format segment with three titles, including two versions of medical drama series, "Good Doctor", for the Philippines and Thailand: "Good Doctor Philippines", commissioned by CreaZion Studios, and "Good Doctor Thailand" ("หมอใจพิเศษ"), commissioned by Thai/Korean joint venture, True CJ Creations.

1H 2024 FORMATS IN VIETNAM For the first half of 2024, Vietnam surpassed its volume from the previous three years (1H 2021: 22, 1H 2022: 31, 1H 2023: 22) to lead this year’s 1H chart with 16 titles, accounting for 18% of the total 91. 

Vietnam previously ranked #1 twice: with 16 titles in 1H 2017 and 22 titles in 1H 2020, according to ContentAsia’s Formats Outlook reports.

Reality formats dominated Vietnam’s format landscape during the six months, with eight titles. 

Half of these were singing-based reality formats, including "The Voice Kids Vietnam" season 8 from ITV Studios, "Beautiful Sisters Riding Waves" ("Chị đẹp đạp gió rẽ sóng") from China’s Mango TV, and two versions of NBC Universal’s "Singer Auction", known locally as "Sàn Chiến Giọng Hát Mùa" 5/6.

All four were commissioned by government-backed national broadcaster, Vietnam Television (VTV).

Game shows ranked second in volume, with four titles. 

These included "My Boyfriend is Better", a CJ ENM Korea format where girlfriends showcase their boyfriends’ singing talents, commissioned by FPT Play; "Beat the Internet Vietnam" from All3Media International, commissioned by VTV; "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" season 12 from Sony Pictures Television, also commissioned by VTV; and "Lightning Quiz" season 4 from Thailand’s Workpoint TV, commissioned by Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV).

FORMATS IN MONGOLIA Mongolia was a rising formats market in the first half of the year. Traditionally ranked 4th-9th with an average of 12 formats over the past seven years, Mongolia secured second spot in the 1H 2024 rankings, albeit with the same number of titles.

Much like Vietnam, reality-singing formats are thriving in Mongolia, with six titles in the first half of this year. These included two formats from Banijay Rights: "Killer Karaoke Mongolia" season 1, commissioned by Central TV, and "Your Face Sounds Familiar Mongolia" season 7 ("Яг түүн шиг"), commissioned by Edu TV.

Mongolia also featured four game shows. Two of these were from All3Media International – "Cash At Your Door Mongolia" season 4 (commissioned by Edu TV) and "Cash Cab Mongolia" (commissioned by NTV). 

Other game shows were "Family Feud Mongolia" from Fremantle (commissioned by Star TV) and "That’s My Jam Mongolia" from NBCUniversal Format (commissioned by Central TV).

The other two titles were drama series – "Suits Mongolia", commissioned by Mongol TV, and the Japanese format, "Mother Mongolia" (Ээж), commissioned by Green Show Production for Mongol TV.

FORMATS IN THAILAND In the first half of this year, Thailand ranked third, following Vietnam and Mongolia, with 11 titles, representing 12% of the total 91 titles. This position is consistent with previous years: third in 1H 2023 with 16 titles, third in 1H 2022 with 18 titles, and also third in 1H 2021 with 15 titles.

Of Thailand’s 18 titles in the first half of this year, eight were split evenly between reality and game shows. 

Game shows included two seasons of Banijay Rights’ "First And Last Thailand" (seasons 7 & 8), where contestants must avoid finishing first or last to stay in the game, commissioned by free-TV station BBTV Channel 7. 

Reality-cooking formats included "MasterChef Junior Thailand" season 3, commissioned by Heliconia from Banijay Rights for BBTV Channel 7; and "Hell’s Kitchen Thailand" season 1, also commissioned by Heliconia from ITV Studios for BBTV Channel 7.

The remaining Thai format was dating show, "Take Me Out Thailand" season 18, commissioned by Creatist Media for BEC World’s free-TV Channel 3.

FORMATS BY DISTRIBUTOR Banijay Rights was a clear formats leader in the first half of this year, with 16 of the total 91 titles, representing 18% of the total. Fremantle followed with 13 titles, accounting for 14%.

India was Banijay’s strongest market, featuring five titles commissioned or on air, including several versions of the reality-social experiment format "Big Brother" for Viacom 18/Colors, Star Vijay, and JioCinema. Thailand also emerged as a key market for Banijay, with three titles, including cooking format "MasterChef Junior Thailand" season 3 for BBTV Channel 7.

Fremantle’s strongest market was Indonesia, with six titles commissioned or on air in the first half of 2024. This included big-budget reality singing format "Indonesian Idol" season 13 for RCTI, game show "Family Feud" for MNCTV, and improvised comedy format, "Thank God You’re Here", known locally as "Akhirnya Datang Juga" for GTV.

ITV Studios and NBCUniversal Formats tied for third place by volume, each with 11 titles. ITV Studios’ strongest markets were the Philippines and Sri Lanka, with three titles each. 

These included multiple versions/seasons of "The Voice", such as "The Voice Kids Philippines" seasons 6 and 7 for GMA Network and "The Voice Generations Sri Lanka" season 2 for Maharaj TV.

LOOKING TO THE REST OF 2024 The second half of 2024 started well. In Japan, TV Asahi premiered in July a local remake of Korean 2018 blockbuster, "Sky Castle" (JTBC/SLL) directed by Naomi Tamura, Yuji Nakamae and Kazunari Hoshino.

In August, Malaysia’s Astro premiered its first local adaptation of Japanese scripted format, "Daun Hijau Di Angin Lalu", a coming-of-age romcom based on a manga about social minorities. This is one of two Nippon TV formats acquired by Astro; the second, "Kelas Tahanan Cikgu Hiragi" (a remake of "Homeroom"), premieres on 25 September on Astro Ria/sooka.

In India, Disney+ renewed Paramount Global’s legal drama, "The Good Wife" ("The Trial: Pyaar, Kanoon, Dhoka"), for a second season. The eight-episode first season aired in July 2023.

▶ Published in ContentAsia September 2024 magazine