APAC video market to hit $104bn by 2030, setting ‘blueprint for global streaming’

Asia Pacific (APAC)’s total video market is set to exceed US$104bn by 2030, with digital video climbing to nearly US$71bn and pay TV flattening out at just under US$33bn, according to research firm 3Vision.

The region is entering a new era of video growth, shaped by harsh price sensitivity, mobile-first viewing and the dominance of ad-supported streaming, according to Rafi Cohen, manager of 3Vision’s video markets tracker.

While the headline numbers signal a continued surge toward streaming, the underlying forces redefining the region are far more nuanced and revealing about the future of global video markets, according to Cohen.

Advertising-funded video is now the single biggest accelerator of digital revenue in APAC with AVoD forecast to grow 69% over the next five years and free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) revenues to more than double, together generating over US$25bn by 2030.

Cohen said uptake of AVoD and FAST is due to many consumers not being able to afford unsubsidised premium content while many markets are overcrowded with SVoD services, creating further downward pressure on pricing.

Ad-supported revenues are, therefore, set to grow from 23% to 30% over the next five years, as a proportion of total streaming revenue.

FAST, still in early roll-out across the region, is benefiting from the rapid expansion of smart TV hardware, original equipment manufacturer partnerships and broadcaster participation, echoing the pattern once seen in Europe and North America but with deeper telco integration, according to Cohen.

Meanwhile, SVoD surpassed pay TV households last year, establishing streaming as APAC’s dominant premium video model. By 2030, SVoD subscriptions are set to hit 1.2 billion, compared with 963 million pay TV households.

However, global platforms account for only a minority of subs, with domestic services such as iQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku, Viu and Jio Hotstar continuing to dominate the region.

Cohen said this is in large part down to the “Chinese firewall” that blocks international streamers from operating in China, but added that looking outside of China, local platforms are more deeply embedded in telco bundles, mobile billing and content consumption habits. Across the region, mobile operators are the “true power brokers” of streaming distribution, Cohen said.

Cohen also pointed to India, where Jio Hotstar attracted large numbers of subscribers following its acquisition of IPL cricket rights, making it the world’s second-largest subscription streaming platform behind Netflix.

“While we are sceptical that the reported 300 milion-plus subscribers to Jio Hotstar are sticking around for an entire year, rather than just hopping on to a plan during IPL season, its seismic impact on the market cannot be understated,” Cohen said.

‍Looking ahead, Cohen said by 2030 APAC’s video economy will see ad-funded models becoming central to digital scale, while telco bundles will remain the backbone of subscription growth.

Local content and rights will continue to dictate platform performance as global streaming platforms focus on value per subscriber, not raw scale. Furthermore, hybrid tiers will become the norm in premium markets.

Cohen said: “In short, APAC is not just a fast-growing region – it is the blueprint for the global streaming evolution. A market driven by mobile distribution, hybrid monetisation and culturally rooted content will set the tone for how streaming platforms worldwide rethink scale, revenue and competitive strategy.”