Hyeonza Hong, Senior Vice President, Sales at ITV Studios Global Entertainment

What are your top three priorities for distribution of your content in Asia in 2020?

"We are currently operating in a very changeable market for a number of reasons – so rather than name three top priorities I would say our overarching, key approach will be to bring creativity to our deal-making, keeping ourselves open to new ideas/conversations and business models.  The slowdown of the global/Asian economy, disruptions in the media industry, political instability and growing government control over the media sector means a “one-size-fits-all” approach to any market or genre will not be effective, nor will a simplistic way of carving out media rights to ensure 2nd or 3rd window sales - so in 2020 our approach will be agile and innovative."  

Did the Asia market live up to expectations in terms of acquisitions in 2019?

"We had a really strong catalogue this year with non-scripted shows like Judi Dench’s Wild Borneo Adventure from Atlantic Productions and Planet Child from The Garden Productions received really well throughout Asia. We have also seen a high demand for brand-defining drama like World Productions Bodyguard, which continues to make second window sales. Additionally, the finished versions of Love Island from the UK, Australia and US have worked really well for our Asian VOD partners. 2019 was not an easy year for anyone, but I am proud to say that ITV Asia is on track to end it with some great results."

What do you think will have the biggest influence on acquisition of your content in Asia in 2020?

"The biggest influence on the mood of the media market will be the Asia’s overall political, economic, and social environment, which we don't have any control over. However, high quality content will always be sought after and we have some world-leading drama and non-scripted titles in our 2020 pipeline: Singapore Grip, Flesh and Blood, Noughts + Crosses, Little Birds, Wild Tokyo and India’s Wild Karnataka to name a few. The opportunities will lie in hearing each players' needs and I am confident that we will find creative ways to work together, even against the backdrop of a challenging bigger picture."