Media & Entertainment

Netflix had 23.5 million paid memberships in the Asia-Pacific region as of the end of September.
Media & Entertainment

Netflix puts more anime in queue with 4 new studio deals

First South Korean production house joins Japanese peers in growing partnerships

24 October 2020
Chinese moviegoers take in a film while wearing face masks in a Beijing theater in July.
Media & Entertainment

China surpasses the US as Hollywood loses its box office mojo

Moviegoers return to cinemas as world's most populous nation contains COVID-19

22 October 2020
Netflix's third-quarter financial results reveal a slowdown in paid subscriber growth.
Technology

Netflix to offer free trial in India as sign-ups slow

Asia-Pacific contributes most quarterly subscriptions as revenue jumps 66%

21 October 2020
Oasis Management says the Tokyo Dome is ripe for major overhauls in operating management.
Media & Entertainment

Hong Kong activist investor calls on Tokyo Dome to dump chief

Oasis fund also seeks to fire two other directors, citing lack of progress on reform

20 October 2020
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Haas' Kevin Magnussen in action during the F1 Eifel Grand Prix in Germany on Oct. 11
Automobiles

Vietnam's auto dreams dented as F1 Hanoi race canceled

Event was supposed to showcase homegrown carmaker Vingroup's brand

16 October 2020
Malaysian broadcaster Astro is eyeing a streaming service to challenge rivals such as Netflix and Amazon. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Business trends

Malaysia's Astro targets Netflix and Amazon with streaming launch

CEO says local content and market knowledge offer edge over rivals

8 October 2020
Lang Ping, the "iron hammer," now coaches the Chinese national volleyball team.
Comment

China's film censors and their bosses are becoming more demanding

Exaggerated patriotism increasingly a theme in sports and other subjects

8 October 2020
Two cosplayers dressed as Bilibili mascots. The company, founded in 2009, is one of the largest video-sharing platforms in China, with a monthly active user base of more than 170 million.
Media & Entertainment

Chinese video site Bilibili prepares Hong Kong IPO of up to $1.5bn

Nasdaq-listed streaming platform hires banks as it plans for secondary listing

6 October 2020
Macao's economic fortunes depend on a recovery in the flow of tourists from mainland China.
Media & Entertainment

Macao casino operators swimming in red ink due to COVID

Customers dried up but operation costs remain high; six companies all have net losses

6 October 2020
South Korea's Big Hit is on the verge of an explosive stock market debut thanks to its biggest act, BTS.
Market Spotlight

South Korea gets BTS fever as Big Hit IPO pulls in funds and fans

Retail investors are powering the revival of the Kospi index

5 October 2020
The chat app operator's Line TV service reportedly had more than 40 million users last year.
Media & Entertainment

Japan's Line takes Thai streaming content global to 19 markets

Chat app provider expands popular platform to US, India and Southeast Asia

1 October 2020
Baidu's Xiaodu robot has facial and voice recognition features. 
China tech

Baidu fundraising puts $3bn value on smart device business

Chinese search leader enlists IDG and CITIC arm as investors

30 September 2020
Stream article image
Announcements

Nikkei to rename flagship English publication 'Nikkei Asia'

New brand will expand on achievements of the Nikkei Asian Review

29 September 2020
Capcom streamed the opening game of an esports league competition, due to run through November, at the Tokyo Game Show 2020 on Sept. 25. (Photo by Ryosuke Arasawa)
Media & Entertainment

NTT and other big Japanese companies see promise in esports

Interest boosted by efforts to adapt to constraints embedded in amusement law

28 September 2020
Hello Kitty greets visitors at the reopening of Puroland in July.
Companies

Sanrio's 31-year-old CEO looks beyond Hello Kitty

Japanese company wants to revamp overseas business and boost IT

26 September 2020
Visitors welcome the reopening of Hong Kong Disneyland on Sept. 25. The theme park operator this week lost its option to purchase an adjacent 60-hectare patch of land for expansion.
Travel & Leisure

Hong Kong Disneyland reopens amid uncertainty over expansion plans

Resort loses government land for second park amid pressure to develop housing

26 September 2020
Amazon's new Luna gaming service will have an early access price of $5.99 a month in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of Amazon) 
Media & Entertainment

Amazon's new Luna service heats up cloud gaming competition

Sony and Tencent have also been making bets on the growing market

25 September 2020
The Xbox Series X and the Series S will both go on sale in November. (Photo courtesy of Microsoft)
25 September 2020
Tencent Holdings is a big investor in gaming developers across the world. 
Media & Entertainment

Tencent expands partnership with Japan's gaming developers

Observers waiting for further moves amid rising US-China friction

24 September 2020
Movie theaters in China are reopening, but underlying issues in the film industry are expected to weigh on growth..
Media & Entertainment

China's movie industry won't surpass US in 2020 after all: report

Financial woes and censorship means coronavirus hit Chinese cinema harder

23 September 2020
Playco says its technology will allow it to build games faster, understand players better and develop new software more rapidly than the biggest game companies in the world.
DealStreetAsia

Japan's mobile gaming Playco raises $100m, led by Sequoia

New startup is already unicorn; plans to partner with global platforms

23 September 2020
The Tokyo Game Show expo drew over 260,000 visitors last year. (Photo by Kai Fujii)
Media & Entertainment

Tokyo gaming expo goes virtual with Amazon's help

Online venue features streamed presentations and dedicated marketplace

23 September 2020
South Korean newspapers have struggled to make the transition from print to digital.
Media & Entertainment

South Korea's news outlets chase the digital dream

Studying global peers and leveraging COVID credibility could spur online growth

18 September 2020
Beijing-based Kuaishou began as a GIF generator tool in 2011 and has become the second-largest short-video app in China after ByteDance's Douyin. (Source photos by AP) 
China tech

Tencent-backed Kuaishou prepares for $5bn Hong Kong IPO

Top short video rival of TikTok's Chinese sister app seeks $50bn valuation

17 September 2020
Sony has prepared a strong lineup of game titles for its PS5 console launch, including Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. (Photo courtesy of Sony)
Media & Entertainment

Sony to launch PS5 for $499, teeing up fight with Microsoft

New console to debut on Nov 12 as coronavirus drives demand for home gaming

17 September 2020