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Bright future for Internet television

Internet protocol TV, or iPTV, will become a "substantial" business in Thailand as soon as this year, Anytime, an Asia-Pacific video-on-demand channel, has predicted.

Despite a slow start, Peter Lorimer, Anytime vice president of marketing and communications, said the company has realised many in Thailand are looking to launch an iPTV service.

"We have been talking with many firms in Thailand. Every one wants to do iPTV. Even if only half of them implement it, this is going to be a substantial business by the end of this year," he said.

With shareholders including Fox, Sony, Warner Bros, and Intel Capital, Anytime has existing carriage deals in Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, and the latest, India. The Singapore-based firm is providing Hollywood and Chinese movie video-on-demand (VoD) content to Buddy Broadband's iPTV channels.

"Video-on-demand is a growing industry. All telcom companies in the region are exploring iPTV and a critical element of iPTV is video-on-demand," he said.

"iPTV is growing phenomenonly in the region".

VoD is usually part of iPTV channels. Lorimer said in every market including Thailand, about 30-40 per cent of users who regularly access iPTV channels are watching his company's VoD content.

Lorimer said Thailand is a very exciting market and the firm is bullish on its prospects, even though there have been problems with the network.

However, Anytime expects network matters to be resolved in the coming years since operators have announced plans to invest in expansion.

"We have not yet launched our VoD in Singapore. We launched it in Thailand before Singapore. Thais are open to advancement. They look to the latest things, are willing to take more risks, to try new business models," he said.

A key driver for iPTV everywhere is declining fixed-line revenues of telecom firms which have expanded into the Internet broadband business only to find they become a "commodity" very soon afterward, due to fierce competition.

"So they look to the next revenue source which is the iPTV, but with its entertainment characteristics, iPTV can't be 'commoditised'," said Lorimer.

Anytime VoD content is accessible to nearly 300,000 people who subscribe to an iPTV service in the region, and this addressable user base is expected to increase to three million subscribers within the next several years now that the firm has launched its service in India. Anytime recently clinched a deal with Eros International which has agreed to take an undisclosed stake in the firm.

In addition to the Hollywood and Chinese movies Anytime already sells, the company will next year provide television content from US studios, Bollywood movies from India, Japanese animation and Korean content to its iPTV partners in the region including Buddy in Thailand.

Besides iPTV, the company is also gearing up to in many markets including Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Taiwan, Korea, China, and Thailand next year, a new service which will enable the streaming of content from the Internet for viewing on a normal television receiver, similar to Apple Computer's so-called iTV product.

With cash flow projected to turn positive early this year, Anytime plans to launch an initial public offering in Europe or Asia this year. The company has the rights to licences in 14 territories in Asia Pacific.

Its shareholders include CPE Holdings (Sony), Fox Media Services, Intel Capital, Warner Bros Entertainment, Singapore based multinational conglmerate YTC Group, Macquarie Bank group, Coote/Hayes Production, and Eros International.

Pichaya Changsorn

The Nation 09 Jan 2007