BEC, Line unite for digital TV
BEC World Plc, the operator of Channel 3, has collaborated with Line TV to stay competitive in the intense digital TV segment.
Prachum Maleenont, vice-chairman of the board and chief executive of BEC World, said the move will strengthen Channel 3’s positioning for mass media digital TV channels by reaching younger audiences.
Channel 3’s strength is its wide range of content, Thai soaps, news, variety, entertainment, and documentary programmes, he said.
The partnership with Line Thailand is a great opportunity to have its content reach a broader audience, said Mr Prachum.
In 2016, BEC World reported a net profit of 1.21 billion baht on consolidated revenue of 12.5 billion, down from 2.98 billion and 16 billion of profit and revenue in 2015.
This year the company plans to heavily focus on digital and online content to adapt to changing consumer preferences, he said. The collaboration with Line Thailand is expected to reflect increasing revenue by the end of the fourth quarter.
Mr Prachum said audience behaviour and the media landscape have completely changed because of the growth of digital devices and faster internet connections.
Line TV is one of the most popular media platforms for Thais, and this partnership is expected to help drive audience engagement with Channel 3, he said.
“First soap operas will be rerun on Line TV, then next will be variety and gameshow programmes,” Mr Prachum said.
According to Nielsen Thailand, Line TV is ranked first among many TV rerun platforms in Thailand thanks to its intensive and exclusive content from its own production and digital TV partnerships with GMM25, ONE31 and Channel 8.
Ariya Banomyong, managing director of Line Thailand, said the collaboration will draw more people to the Line TV platform.
He would not disclose details about revenue sharing, but said the deal is a win-win structure and both parties can drive their media exposure.
Mr Ariya said the Line TV app has been downloaded 20 million times, with each user spending 176 minutes per day on the app on average, or two-thirds the amount of time viewers spend watching free TV.
The Line messaging app has 41 million accounts in the country, according to Line Thailand’s latest survey.