Apos

• Video-on-Demand (VOD) users in Southeast Asia spend only 8% of their digital time on premium content, with the vast majority dedicated to social media, messaging, gaming, and short-form video. • In markets with significant content investment, such as Indonesia and Thailand, local stories are currently outperforming popular Korean dramas. • Conversely, Korean content and other international imports continue to hold a larger market share in the Philippines and Malaysia.

• Amazon regional entertainment leaders presented their strategy to transform Prime Video into a comprehensive "Entertainment Hub" for the Asia-Pacific region during the APOS 2026 conference in Bali. • The company highlighted its aggressive localization efforts and the establishment of over 600 distribution partnerships to expand its market reach. • A key development is the launch of a new ad-supported tier in India, integrated through Amazon MX Player to attract a broader user base.

• The APOS 2026 media summit has commenced, bringing together top executives from global streaming giants including Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO Max. • Key agenda items include the impact of AI on human creativity, featuring insights from Andy Serkis, and the economic viability of the emerging microdrama format. • The event will focus heavily on the Indian media landscape, specifically the operations of industry giant JioStar and startups aiming to reduce production costs and timelines.

Victorian and federal Labor governments greenlight Otway basin drilling project with potential to supply one-third of state’s gasFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcasA new gas drilling project approved for Victoria’s Otway basin will make “the path to a safe climate harder” and put a “pristine ocean environment” at risk, environment groups have warned.The federal and Victorian governments on Thursday announced they had greenlit the production licence for Amplitude Energy’s Annie gasfield project in the Otway basin, which expects to start producing gas by 2028. Continue reading...

Tectonic plate movements over millions of years have lifted and tilted the layers, with records of ancient earthquakes in the rocksGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMicroscopic fossils embedded in limestone have helped reveal the true age of Victoria’s Twelve Apostles, as 8.6 to 14m years old.The conclave of giant golden pillars is visited by 2.8 million tourists each year, a highlight for those travelling along the Great Ocean Road south-west of Melbourne. Continue reading...