APOS 2026: Vivek Couto Says Asia Media Industry Is Being Redefined
7 reported
Vivek Couto, CEO and executive director of Media Partners Asia, opened the APOS 2026 summit in Bali by stating that the Asia-Pacific media industry is not being reset but redefined. The conference, running June 16-18, features executives from major companies including JioStar, Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix, and Disney. Couto identified several forces driving this transformation: AI moving from discussion to operational reality, streaming producing real profits, sports becoming a pillar of entertainment, and microdramas emerging as a genuine consumption category. He noted that microdrama platforms DramaBox and ReelShort are generating combined annualized revenue of nearly $1.5 billion, with most users in the U.S. Couto also highlighted that for the first time, meaningful demand for ICC cricket emerged outside India, with Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand ranking as top markets. He emphasized that companies must embed AI into their operations to free capital for content investment, citing ABS-CBN International cutting operational costs by 50 to 60 percent through AI.
What’s reported
APOS 2026 runs June 16-18 at The Mulia, Nusa Dua, Bali.
Couto stated the industry is being redefined, not reset, in terms of possibilities, revenue streams, and cost structures.
Microdrama platforms DramaBox and ReelShort generate combined annualized revenue of nearly $1.5 billion, mostly from U.S. users.
Microdrama platforms have unlocked roughly $300 million in transactions in India over the past six months, with an annualized run rate projected at $800 million to $900 million.
For the first time, meaningful demand for ICC cricket emerged outside India: Japan ranked top-three, Indonesia fourth, Thailand fifth.
ABS-CBN International used AI to cut operational costs by 50 to 60 percent, redirecting savings into content investment.
Couto identified two persistent misconceptions: underestimation of local content as a transaction engine, and the pace of change in Asia.
Misconceptions
The article addresses two misconceptions Couto identified: underestimation of local content as a transaction engine, and the pace of change in Asia.
Key figures
Vivek Couto, CEO and executive director of Media Partners Asia
Joey Jia, CEO of ReelShort
Sanjog Gupta, ICC CEO
Javier Tebas, La Liga president
Ishan Chatterjee, JioStar sports and live experiences chief
Thomas Tull, TWG Global
Andy Serkis
Melody Hou, Kling AI
Jon Zepp, Google
Stephan Bugaj, JioStar
Todd Terrazas, FBRC.ai
Tom Thirlwall, Copa90
Simon Robinson, Warner Bros. Discovery
Cassandra Yang, RJ RisingJoy
Dabin Chung, Bamboo Network
Banjong Pisanthanakun, director
Deedee Pholthaweechai, TrueVisions NOW
James Gibbons, WBD APAC president
Minyoung Kim, Netflix
Gaurav Gandhi, Prime Video
Tony Zameczkowski, Disney
Sources: Variety
