HONG KONG--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With record traffic to the www.casbaa.com website over the Lunar New Year, the Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) has today released the full version of an insightful documentary video examination of Online Video in China, Japan & Korea (click here). CASBAA also released an additional in-depth Data Pack related to the video, available exclusively to its members. The high-value information package highlights the dramatic impact of authorized (and unauthorized!) streaming video services across Asian markets.

The Data Pack contains essential supporting documentation for the CASBAA video, featuring in-depth insights from 16 media market innovators and includes an executive summary. The full package is now available to CASBAA Members from the Members Zone at www.casbaa.com.

According to CASBAA, China, Japan and Korea will drive the next wave of online video development. China will draw further attention as it emerges as the largest wired broadband market in the world with 190 million connections in 2012.

The CASBAA Data Pack to members shows that home access accounts for 74.1% of all connections in China, whilst Internet Cafés are the source of access for almost 40% of the youth market. Some 75% of respondents to a survey conducted by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) indicate that they share the network video of all kinds with other netizens.

Meanwhile, 33.2% of South Koreans are watching movies online in some form and, according to a recent survey by the Korean Film Council, this is having a devastating effect on the domestic DVD and movie industries. Some 47% of the all respondents had illegally downloaded feature movies without paying, or paid less than 50 cents per title during the past year.

“Although movie piracy has become rampant in both China and Korea, Japan remains a relatively strong copyright protected regime. Traditional sources of paid content are still popular in Japan,” said Simon Twiston Davies, CEO of CASBAA.

Nevertheless, according to the CASBAA Data Pack, online video advertising represents a strong growth opportunity as audiences migrate to the web. Tudou, a popular video sharing site in China, claimed that advertising revenue reached CNY11.296 million (US$1.65 million) in the first half of 2008. Other sites drawing big audiences include Nico Nico Douga (Smiley Smiley video) in Japan, and Pandora TV in Korea.

Ultimately China’s online population will surpass Korea’s more developed digital advertising market, but the sophistication and maturity of the Japanese market will support its continued growth.

Overall, online advertising for China, Japan and Korea is forecasted to grow from US$10.3 billion in 2009 to US$15.1 billion in 2012.

Despite the current uncertainties over rights, regulation and business models of online video services, the emerging online video landscape offers opportunities for content owners, broadcasters, advertisers and subscription television players. “It is time for the TV industry to review new strategies to provide offerings to this new breed of customers,” added Twiston Davies.

The report was prepared for CASBAA by Mike Walsh, CEO of research agency Tomorrow.

Members of the media can access the CASBAA documentary video by clicking here. The short-form Executive Summary of CASBAA’s report Online Video in China, Japan & Korea can be accessed by clicking here.

About CASBAA – www.casbaa.com

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) is an industry-based advocacy group dedicated to the promotion of multi-channel TV via cable, satellite, broadband and wireless video networks across the Asia-Pacific. CASBAA represents some 130 member organisations in the pay-TV business, which in turn serve more than three billion people. Patron members include Al Jazeera International, Asia Broadcast Satellite, AsiaSat, ASTRO, Australia Network, Bloomberg Television, Chunghwa Telecom, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Disney-ABC International Television, HBO Asia, Intelsat, Irdeto, ITV Global Entertainment Ltd., Macquarie Group, Motorola, MTV Networks Asia, NBC Universal Networks Asia Pacific, NDS, Nokia, now TV, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Qualcomm MediaFLO Technologies, SES NEW SKIES, SingTel, Sony Pictures Television International, STAR Group, Tiger Gate Entertainment, Tom Group, TrueVisions, Turner International Asia Pacific and VOOM HD Networks Asia. To view the full list of CASBAA members, please visit here.