Leisure & Entertainment sector review: 2023 roundup of top industry insights for APAC
As we head into 2024, we review our top insights on the leisure and entertainment sector over the past year. From video gaming to video streaming, esports viewership to social commerce, here’s what brands in APAC should know.
Asia leads globe in video and mobile gaming, as well as esports viewership
Three in ten (29%) mainland Chinese consumers spend more time on gaming than any other media activity (such as watching live and cable TV, social media, listening to the radio, streaming music and podcasts, reading online or print publications) – the highest globally – followed by consumers in Hong Kong (23%), Indonesia (19%), and Singapore (18%).
Gamers in APAC markets also report the highest average number of hours played each week: from 11.3 hours in mainland China, 9.8 hours in Singapore, 9.7 hours in Hong Kong and 9.3 hours in Australia – all above the global average of 8.9 hours/week.
In terms of gaming devices, smartphones are most popular regionally – ahead of desktop/laptop computers and game consoles – with Indonesia reporting the highest proportion of smartphone gamers (86%), followed by India (80%), Hong Kong (79%), Singapore (79%), and China (75%).
Read More: APAC gamers lead the globe on most time spent gaming per week: YouGov
With competitive video gaming rapidly gaining global popularity – from the rise of esports tournaments and the first ever Olympics esports week in 2023 – esports fandom is becoming big business.
APAC is home to the vast majority of esports followers (80%): people who watch esports tournaments via TV broadcasts, online streaming or in person events. Regionally, esports viewership is highest in China, the Philippines (both 20%), Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan (all 16%) – also the markets with the largest proportion of esports followers worldwide.
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games League of Legends by Riot Games and Arena of Valor / Honor of Kings by Tencent Games’ Timi Studio Group are the first and second most popular titles among esports followers in APAC, followed by first-person shooter games Call of Duty by Activision and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) by Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment.
Read More: Charting the global landscape of esports viewership
Netflix dominates the OTT video streaming market across APAC
From consumer popularity to customer satisfaction, Netflix has emerged as the unrivalled star of the streaming wars. From Australia to Singapore to Thailand, the percentage of consumers currently subscribed to Netflix is more than double its major global competitors Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video.
Netflix also boasts the highest proportion of subscribers who identify as satisfied customers, well ahead of the next most enjoyed platforms in Singapore (Disney+) and Thailand (WeTV). In Australia, however, satisfaction levels among Netflix (78%), Disney+ (77%) and Amazon Prime Video (75%) are much closer.
Among consumers who are not currently customers of any OTT streaming service but are considering a subscription, price seems to be the main reason deterring them, rather than qualms about streaming quality or ease of using the service to find titles they want to watch.
Read More: OTT video streaming in APAC
How do the top streaming platforms compare in general popularity and customer satisfaction – and what are the top factors deterring prospective subscribers from signing up?
➤ OTT video streaming services in Australia: how do platforms compare in popularity vs satisfaction?
➤ OTT video streaming services in Singapore: how do platforms compare in popularity vs satisfaction?
➤ OTT video streaming services in Thailand: how do platforms compare in popularity vs satisfaction?
From socialising to shopping: the rise of social commerce
Social media platforms – from Bytedance’s TikTok, Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, to even Google’s YouTube – are no longer simply spaces for virtual interaction and user-generated entertainment, but also bustling marketplaces where products and services are showcased, reviewed and purchased.
Indeed, as of 2023, more than half of consumers across Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia say they at least occasionally shop for products and services directly from social media sites, without leaving the platform/app.
Facebook is the most popular social commerce platform among Millennials and Gen X in Hong Kong and Singapore; but among Gen Z social media shoppers, Instagram is most popular in Hong Kong while TikTok comes out tops in Singapore. Meanwhile, TikTok enjoys unmatched popularity in Indonesia across Gen Z, Millennial and Gen X social media shoppers.
When it comes to the most popular social media shopping products, groceries and packaged food/beverages are the top category in Hong Kong, and among the top three in Singapore and Indonesia. Meanwhile, fashion and jewellery are the most popular social media shopping category in Indonesia and Singapore, ahead of personal care and cosmetics/beauty products.
Download Now: The Boom in Social Commerce in Hong Kong, Indonesia and Singapore
Research Methodologies: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Learn more about Profiles here. YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced here.
Cover Photo by Yaroslav Kushta