In the next two months, CBS legal drama "So Help Me Todd" and sitcom "Lopez vs Lopez" will premiere on Singapore-based regional channels operator Rewind Networks’ new linear channel, Hits Now. 

The acquisitions underscore the five-month-old channel’s commitment to U.S. network drama along with an unflagging resolve to keep other high-impact properties – including Dick Wolf true crime series "Murder for Hire", "America’s Got Talent" season 18 and "Project Runway" season 20 – on air in Asia.

On the eve of the 2023 L.A. Screenings at the end of this week, U.S. studio series remain a cornerstone of a determined group channel operators standing firm behind regional linear entertainment services in Asia. 

Also out of Singapore, Rock Entertainment adds U.S. crime series, "Poker Face", to its Asia line up on 24 May. "Poker Face", a 10-episode direct-to-streaming original for Peacock in the U.S., will air first & exclusive on Wednesdays at 9.45pm (Jakarta). The series premiered in the U.S. in January this year. 

Rock Entertainment is among a handful of Southeast Asia’s pay-TV entertainment services, including KC Global Media’s AXN and Rewind Networks’ Hits Now, with continued faith in Asia’s linear pay-TV environment, with a strong role for current U.S. drama and high-profile reality/talent properties. 

All stepped up to fill the void left 18 months ago with the exit of the Fox channels under Disney leadership.

At the same time, subscription platforms across the region continue to reshape their offerings, reworking their linear offerings and picking up streaming apps in a bid to provide one-stop entertainment environments. 

No channel operators pretend the current environment is easy. But they remain convinced that there’s runway yet for linear services in many parts of Asia. 

Rewind Networks rolled out the Hits Now channel in February this year with carriage deals on three platforms – Singtel in Singapore, and First Media and Telkom Indonesia’s IndiHome TV/IndiHome TV OTT in Indonesia. 

Hits Now debuted with live/exclusive rights to this year’s Grammy Awards – the 10-year-old Rewind’s first-ever live broadcast. This has been followed by, to mention just a few, the new season of American Idol within 36 hours of the U.S. broadcast, day-and-date telecasts of "Entertainment Tonight", as well as "Fire Country", "Alert: Missing Persons Unit", "Young Rock", "The Goldbergs" and "Ghosts". 

The new season of "America’s Got Talent" starts in June together with the new season of "Project Runway"; both air on Hits Now express from the U.S. New game shows "$100,000 Pyramid" and "Celebrity Wheel of Fortune" start in June as well as "Murder For Hire". "So Help Me Todd" premieres in July.

Also out of Singapore, KC Global Media’s flagship entertainment channel AXN remains an active buyer of action/adventure-skewed U.S. studio titles, including Paramount’s "CSI" and "NCIS", "Seal Team", and "FBI: International" season two, which premiered first and exclusive this month. "NCIS: Los Angeles" season 14 premieres on 30 May, followed by the new season of "Blue Bloods" on 7 June.

KC Global has signed new carriage deals for other channels in its bouquet, including Animax and Gem.

Another 2023 gainer is kids programmer, Moonbug, operating out of a new and expanded Asia HQ in Singapore. 

Moonbug’s linear channel has so far been picked up by Cignal in the Philippines, Astro and Telekom Malaysia/Unifi TV in Malaysia, and Telkom Indonesia/Indihome in Indonesia. 

The linear channel wins are part of a bigger Moonbug Entertainment story in the region. In February, Moonbug kicked off its partnership with Emtek platforms Vidio, Horee and Mentari TV in its broadest-ever streaming/free-to-air/pay-TV deal in Indonesia. 

Our list of 2023 losses so far is led by radical changes in Hong Kong, where one of Asia’s oldest pay-TV platforms – Hong Kong’s i-Cable – is exiting the pay-TV business from 1 June this year after 30 years. 

Last week (8 May), Singapore’s StarHub dropped indie movie service CinemaWorld after more than 10 years. 

Our list of losses also includes esports channel eGG, which Malaysia’s Astro quietly shuttered in January this year, shifting live broadcasts of select esports events to Astro Arena. 

Another loss of sorts is Disney-owned Indian streamer, Hotstar, which came off StarHub two weeks ago, at midnight on 30 April. Hotstar is now offered direct to subscribers.