THE APEX TIMES
APOS presentation says Southeast Asia premium VOD viewing is a small share of users’ digital time, with second screens driving the shift
At a media conference, Media Partners Asia’s insights head cited usage data suggesting that, even among premium video consumers, most time is spent on other app-based activities as television viewing competes with phones and social platforms.
Streaming platforms targeting Southeast Asia’s premium video audience are increasingly competing with the small-screen attention patterns of viewers who are not devoting most of their digital time to premium content, according to remarks delivered at APOS on June 18.
In a presentation at the conference, Dhivya T., Head of Insights at Media Partners Asia, described viewing and app-usage behavior among premium VOD users. She said those users spend only about 8% of their digital life watching premium content, while the remaining time is spread across social activities, messaging, gaming, and short video.
The presentation framed the shift as a change in how viewers experience television and video when mobile devices and second screens are always available. Adding a TV screen to the viewing environment does not necessarily restore a classic “scheduled” viewing model, because users may continue to split time across multiple activities during the same period.
Dhivya T. said the idea of “primetime” is no longer the organizing principle for audience attention in the same way it once was, reflecting the way mobile-first engagement can keep viewers in other apps even when premium programs are playing.
The comments were delivered as APOS highlighted broader changes in the region’s media consumption environment, where streaming, social platforms, and interactive entertainment increasingly intersect. In that context, the premium video category is being measured against a wider set of behaviors beyond watch-time for long-form titles alone.
For studios and rights holders, the data points imply that audience measurement and marketing strategies may need to account for fragmented attention. If a large portion of the day is spent away from premium content, the effectiveness of campaigns, release timing, and viewer retention practices can be harder to evaluate using traditional television-centric assumptions.
The conference discussion also underscored the practical reality that second-screen viewing can reshape family and household viewing routines, since mobile and social use can accompany background or shared viewing rather than replacing it outright. That combination can affect how younger family members and others follow content, even when adults choose premium titles to watch at home.
Why It Matters
- If premium content occupies a small share of overall digital time, content marketing and audience measurement may need to address attention fragmentation rather than assuming sustained long-form focus.
- Second-screen behavior can influence household viewing routines, including family co-viewing dynamics, since mobile and social apps remain in use while video plays.
- Rights holders and platforms may face higher pressure to demonstrate engagement beyond traditional viewing windows as social and short-form compete in the same time periods.
- The shift described at APOS suggests that the region’s streaming ecosystem is increasingly shaped by competition for time and attention across multiple app categories, not only within video apps.
Key Facts
- Media Partners Asia’s Head of Insights Dhivya T. spoke at APOS on June 18 about Southeast Asia’s streaming viewing patterns.
- Dhivya T. said premium VOD users spend about 8% of their digital life watching premium content.
- She said the rest of users’ digital time is spent on social, messaging, gaming, and short video.
- The presentation described mobile and second-screen dynamics as part of why “primetime” is less relevant to attention allocation.
- The remarks tied TV viewing to the same attention environment where app-based engagement continues during video consumption.