Define Asia

• The APOS 2026 conference identified eight key themes shaping Asia's entertainment landscape, with a primary focus on AI, sports, intellectual property, and vertical content. • Crunchyroll is expanding into Taiwan and South Korea, treating anime fandom as a primary economic engine rather than a secondary marketing tool. • JioStar Sports CEO Ishan Chatterjee reported massive growth in cricket viewership, projecting 1.2 billion viewers for the 2026 IPL season and a record 72.5 million concurrent digital viewers for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Final.

• The Asia-Pacific screen economy is rapidly expanding toward a $200 billion valuation, driven by the growth of streaming and digital media. • Media Partners Asia estimates that AI could provide a regional "dividend" of up to $15 billion annually, though a significant monetization gap compared to the U.S. remains a primary challenge. • To combat this gap, platforms are shifting toward bundling as a structural pillar to acquire millions of new users in India, Indonesia, and Thailand.

• The Asia-Pacific screen economy is rapidly expanding toward a $200 billion valuation, driven by a potential AI dividend of up to $15 billion annually according to Media Partners Asia. • Despite this growth, the region faces a significant "monetization gap" compared to the U.S., which is identified as the defining challenge for the decade. • Content bundling has evolved into a critical structural pillar to acquire millions of new users in India, Indonesia, and Thailand, while helping platforms in Japan, Korea, and Australia retain subscribers.