Line Thailand and Workpoint Entertainment Plc have collaborated to introduce the "combined reach rating", a measure that combines user viewership of both online and offline platforms for advertising agencies to maximise ad spending and increase revenue sources for content owners.
Kawin Tanguytaisak, content business director at Line Thailand, said the tool is the first of its kind in the business.
The new rating format will help increase advertising value, he said, as brands can access viewers via both traditional media and digital platforms.
Mr Kawin expects the rating tool to facilitate advertisers in reaching target audiences via a wider variety of media and to create added value for content producers that generate revenue from traditional and online channels.
He said there is no standard rating for the online platform today, even as advertising on digital TV is declining and shifting to the digital content platform.
Mr Kawin said Line TV co-produced Line TV Originals content with Workpoint Plc for the Infinite Challenge Thailand variety TV programme, licensed from South Korea.
Line TV users can view the programme before its broadcast on Workpoint TV Channel 23.
Mr Kawin said this is the first time Line TV will stream content to users that will air on prime time, 8pm every Friday, with reruns one hour later on Workpoint Channel. Normally, Line TV reruns programmes already broadcast on TV.
Moreover, Infinite Challenge Thailand could reach viewers upcountry and capture more male viewers.
Meanwhile, Mr Kawin said the return of digital TV licences by several operators will help increase advertising budgets for online media.
In developed countries, online media accounts for up to 60% of total ad spending. In Thailand, just 15% of ad spending goes to online media. The figure is expected to rise to 30% by 2023, Mr Kawin said.
Chalakorn Panyashom, chief operating officer of Workpoint Entertainment Plc, said the new combined reach rating is expected to become the de facto standard after discussions with Nielsen.
Mr Chalakorn said that after several digital TV operators return their licences, existing digital TV operators will invest more in online and this will create intense competition in the market.
He said the collaboration with Line TV will enable Workpoint to reach more youngsters who live in cities and help increase online revenue to 15% in 2019 from 10% last year.
Workpoint has a few hundred million views a month via the online platform, in particular on YouTube.
Global social media operators Facebook and Amazon are also moving to attract TV content production to broadcast on their platforms and find monetising models, Mr Chalakorn said.
