Media & Entertainment

BTS has made K-pop history by becoming the first Korean act to be nominated for a Grammy Award.
Media & Entertainment

BTS gets Grammy nod for 'Dynamite' in K-pop first

Band up against Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga for best duo or group performance

25 November 2020
A livestream event based in southern China: Internet celebrities and employees tout a company's products in a popular new format for reaching customers. 
Media & Entertainment

China bans spending by teens in new curbs on livestreaming

Hosts and gift givers must provide real name, after accusations of abuse

24 November 2020
JKT48's recent stage performance, streamed live online, was not attended by a loudly cheering audience like at its events before the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
Media & Entertainment

Indonesian idol group JKT48 wins fans via online acts

Strategy shift forced by COVID-19 proves fortuitous as fans flock to Zoom chats

21 November 2020
U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s campaign logos appeared on Nintendo’s popular game “Animal Crossing: New Horizons.”
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo restricts political use of Animal Crossing

Japanese company adopts the world's first universal terms of use

21 November 2020
One Championship's Facebook page says it has more than 25 million followers and 5 billion platform video views.
DealStreetAsia

Facebook partners with Singapore's One Championship

Custom shows, gaming channel and VR content planned for martial arts organization

21 November 2020
Artists such as Swedish electronic dance music duo Galantis have been holding virtual Wave concerts where avatars powered by motion capture technology represent the performers. (Courtesy Wave)
Media & Entertainment

Tencent Music invests in US 'avatar' concert company Wave

Tie-up marks rare technology deal amid tensions and heightened scrutiny

19 November 2020
Singapore e-commerce platform Shopee is is backed by China's Tencent Holdings.
Technology

Singapore tech group Sea's Q3 revenue doubles but loss widens

Southeast Asia's most valuable company rides e-commerce and gaming boom

17 November 2020
Nasdaq-listed JOYY operates livestreaming platform YY Live, which was launched in 2005 and had 41 million monthly active users as of September.
China tech

China's Baidu beefs up livestreaming with $3.6bn purchase of YY

Search engine operator returns to profit as advertising rebounds

17 November 2020
NCSoft reported strong sales of "Lineage" and other key video game titles in the third quarter. (Source photos by AP)
Technology

Game developer NCSoft's operating profit surges 70% in Q3

South Korean producer of 'Lineage' and 'Guild Wars' plans more frequent releases

16 November 2020
Line TV, a unit of the Japanese social media company, distributes more than 30 "Y Series" dramas in Thailand.
Media & Entertainment

Japanese-style 'boys love' dramas captivate Thai women

Line TV's 'Y Series' gains 20m viewers and fans across Southeast Asia

14 November 2020
The Disney+ online platform is where movie fans will catch the premiere of "Soul," an animated film initially slated for theatrical release. (Photo by Emi Sato)
Media & Entertainment

Disney shift to online premieres is a spoiler for Japanese cinemas

Business model threatens to dent box office revenues at home and abroad

14 November 2020
The PlayStation 5 is handed over Thursday to a customer who had reserved it ahead of the debut in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. (Photo by Kei Higuchi)
Media & Entertainment

Sony PlayStation 5 goes on sale, joining game console battle

Japanese company targets 'huge opportunity' in Southeast Asia

13 November 2020
Tencent's logo is seen in Beijing: The company's president, Martin Lau, says the tech sector faces a "new reality."
Media & Entertainment

Tencent president says Big Tech needs more regulation

Chinese group beats profit forecast on hit games and fintech

13 November 2020
Netflix is focusing on Japan, South Korea and India -- "the big markets" -- as it builds its subscriber base in Asia, co-founder and co-CEO Reed Hastings said.
Business trends

Netflix to ramp up original content in Asia

Co-CEO says US streaming giant's expansion is only beginning

11 November 2020
Entertainment giant Nintendo announced record profits as millions turned to its games in quarantine. The pandemic ending, according to one analyst, would be a "horror story" for the company.
The Big Story

Exclusive: Nintendo chief plots post-Animal Crossing future

Pandemic gaming boom lifts profits, but console wars are set to intensify

11 November 2020
Guests were socially distanced with plastic screens on the red carpet of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Arts

No Hollywood? No problem as Tokyo film festival ends on a high

Audiences turn out for Asian film premieres long delayed by COVID pandemic

10 November 2020
Kuaishou's number of daily active users in the first half of this year expanded to 257.7 million -- an increase of nearly 50% from the end of 2019.
Media & Entertainment

China's Kuaishou seeks Hong Kong IPO to fund costly viewer battle

Tencent-backed short-video app burned through $2bn for marketing in 6 months

6 November 2020
Nintendo's "Animal Crossing" game for the Switch has become a global phenomenon, with 26 million copies sold since its release in March. (Photo courtesy of Nintendo)
5 November 2020
Nintendo's hugely popular “Animal Crossing” game has also become a ground for political campaign, with U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden launching new headquarters in the game in October.
Media & Entertainment

Nintendo reports record 1H profit after COVID tailwind for gaming

Global hit game 'Animal Crossing' pushes Switch sales to new highs amid pandemic

5 November 2020
"Demon Slayer" raked in 10.7 billion yen in just 10 days after its release, shattering records as people rushed to theaters to see the popular anime.
Media & Entertainment

Japan anime 'Demon Slayer' gives Sony and Lawson a profit lift

Hit movie earns record $100m in 10 days, gaining global fans amid COVID

31 October 2020
Sony is close to making an acquisition that will make it a player in the global streaming industry. (Source photos by Nikkei and Crunchyroll website)
Business deals

Sony nears acquisition of US anime streaming service Crunchyroll

Entertainment giant could pay more than $950m as talks wind up with parent AT&T

30 October 2020
Ticket refunds for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be available but terms may differ in Japan and overseas. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Tokyo 2020 ticket refund applications in Japan to start Nov. 10

Holders overseas can also get money back 'in principle' but guidelines vary

30 October 2020
The 33rd Tokyo International Film festival will screen over 100 films, including 25 world premieres and 11 first directorial features. (Source photos by 2020 TIFF, 2020 UNDERDOG FILM PARTNERS, Lilies Films and Mochiru Hoshisato, Shogakukan/NagoyaTV)
Arts

Tokyo film festival opens against the odds

Japan's entertainment industry stirs back to life

30 October 2020
Sony Executive Deputy President and Chief Financial Officer Hiroki Totoki speaks at an online press conference on Oct. 28. (Screenshot from Sony's website) 
Media & Entertainment

Sony raises full-year forecast as gaming thrives under COVID

Japanese conglomerate expects net profit to grow 37% to $7.6bn

28 October 2020
She Kailun was born in China's Hunan Province, has Cambodian citizenship and is the chairman of Yatai International, which he registered in Hong Kong for $13. (Illustration by Dong Biqi)
Caixin

A fugitive Chinese businessman's high-profile bet in Myanmar

Yatai City development under investigation for illegal cross-border gambling

27 October 2020