{"id":505553,"date":"2026-06-22T14:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T14:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/505553\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T14:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T14:44:09","slug":"disneys-new-asia-streaming-boss-on-k-drama-sports-and-the-untapped-japan-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/505553\/","title":{"rendered":"Disney’s New Asia Streaming Boss on K-Drama, Sports and the Untapped Japan Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tTony Zameczkowski, one of the architects of Netflix\u2019s pioneering success in the Asia<\/a>-Pacific region, is now at Disney+<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tHe arrived last August as Disney\u2019s senior vice president and general manager of direct-to-consumer for Asia Pacific \u2014 a role broadly analogous to the one he left at Netflix. For most of Disney+\u2019s life in the region, the company has looked for content to build a steady business at its own pace and in its own style, while Netflix set the upper limits of what aggressive streaming growth in the region could look like. Recently, though, Disney has begun making moves \u2014 including the poaching of Zameczkowski \u2014 that suggest its pace of activity in APAC could be quickening. Its growing investments in K-drama have yielded some of Disney+\u2019s most welcome surprises of 2026: Perfect Crown, an alternate-reality romantic comedy, became the platform\u2019s biggest Korean series premiere to date and its most-watched Korean title yet, with more than 43 million watch hours; and the hit fortune-teller reality format Battle of Fates did so well that a slate of remakes is being planned across Asia. ESPN has arrived on Disney+ in Australia and New Zealand to fanfare, and the company has signaled it will spend more aggressively on content in Japan \u2014 the region\u2019s most valuable accessible market, and one it has been conspicuously slow to scale.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe push has come straight from the top: Josh D\u2019Amaro, in his first earnings call as Disney\u2019s chief executive, highlighted the \u201cmeaningful opportunity\u201d abroad and said there would be a deliberate increase in local-content spending, particularly in places like Korea. According to regional consultancy Media Partners Asia, Disney recently passed Prime Video as the second-largest investor in original content in Asia-Pacific.<\/p>\n

\n\tBefore joining Netflix in 2016, Zameczkowski was instrumental in building YouTube\u2019s business in Asia as the company\u2019s regional director for YouTube Music. That followed an early-career stint at Warner Bros. International<\/a> Television in Paris.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn his first trade interview in his new role, Zameczkowski sat down with The Hollywood Reporter on the sidelines of APOS<\/a>, Asia\u2019s leading media and entertainment summit, to give an overview of Disney\u2019s current strategy in the streaming sector\u2019s most diverse but fastest-growing major region.<\/p>\n

\n\tFor nearly a decade, you ran partnerships at Netflix in Asia-Pacific, which was an essential part of the playbook that helped the company become the region\u2019s streaming leader. Coming to Disney+, what have you brought with you, and what are you deliberately doing differently?<\/p>\n

\n\tWell, I joined Netflix in 2016, right after Reed Hastings announced the launch in 130 markets. And you\u2019re absolutely right, partnerships were a key part of the Netflix strategy, together with content. But that\u2019s obviously still super important for Disney+ as well. You have to get the right distribution, but also the right bundle with partners. You can count on your retail offer to get your super fans; but you usually target the casual fan with a bundle offer. We do it with telcos. We also sometimes do it with other streamers. A good example would be the bundle we have with Tving in Korea, where, for one price, you can basically get both Tving and Disney+ together. So that\u2019s also a core part of the strategy, and we want to continue looking for more ways to do that.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe other thing Netflix did better than most people expected was making local content a core part of the offer across markets. For Disney+, it\u2019s a combination of two things. One is our global IP \u2014 Disney has some of the biggest IP in the world \u2014 combined with local content. We invest in both Korean and Japanese content. Korean content has been a very interesting genre because it travels really well. A good example would be Perfect Crown, which is a romantic comedy and a big hit. It\u2019s a good demonstration of how Korean content on Disney+ can travel \u2014 it\u2019s been the number one series premiere for a Korean show on Disney+. It did something like 43 million watch hours, which is quite amazing. Another was Battle of Fates, an unscripted show about fortune tellers, which was a big hit, and we\u2019ll also remake it across territories.<\/p>\n

\n\tBut to your point, Netflix and Disney are two very different companies, and for us it\u2019s all about running our own race and recognizing the uniqueness of the Walt Disney Company and the uniqueness of Disney+. I mentioned the big franchises that we have, but there\u2019s also the ecosystem, and that\u2019s something quite amazing. It\u2019s not only Disney, but also ESPN, Hulu, the theme parks and the cruise line. This ecosystem around Disney+ makes the whole proposition really unique. Finally, it\u2019s also about fandom \u2014 and that\u2019s also very Disney. Our fan event, D23, brings together tens of thousands to celebrate the love for Disney IP. We\u2019ll be bringing D23 to Singapore in 2027. So, what\u2019s different? Well, only a company like Disney can do something like that.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tByeon Woo-seok and IU star in \u2018Perfect Crown.\u2019<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDisney+<\/p>\n

\n\tFor quite some time, it seemed that Disney+ was content to build a solid direct-to-consumer business in this region at its own pace. But recently, there\u2019s been a clear push to ramp up original content production and ink new partnerships. Disney also recently overtook Prime Video to become the second-biggest investor in local original content in Asia behind Netflix. So what\u2019s the ambition? Is Disney+ playing to win in the key markets of this region, or content to be a strong number two?<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat we want is sustainable growth. It\u2019s not growth at all costs; it\u2019s really about being very mindful of our investments. Obviously, we\u2019ve always invested a lot in content \u2014 the figure our new CEO Josh D\u2019Amaro recently mentioned was $24 billion invested in content across the world this year. And local content is an important component of that. We love APAC because it\u2019s a huge opportunity, but it\u2019s also fragmented \u2014 it\u2019s different. So while we can leverage the scale we have with our big IP and franchises, we\u2019ve always recognized the need for local content. So I don\u2019t think that\u2019s changed. But we are looking to be even more local while we continue to always benefit from our global scale. Part of that is our growing investments in Korean and Japanese content, another good example would be localizing the method of payment. You can\u2019t operate in this part of the world just offering credit cards \u2014 people like to use mobile wallets or direct carrier billing. About a year ago in Japan, we started accepting payment via PayPay, and it\u2019s been very helpful. So while you leverage a platform with some of the best global content in the world, you need to be localizing in all ways \u2014 for method of payment, pricing, partnerships, and local content. And all of that is ongoing.<\/p>\n

\n\tLet\u2019s turn to sports \u2014 still at a relatively early stage of development among the premium global streamers, with rights quite complicated and fragmented in this diverse region. What does a realistic Disney+ and ESPN sports footprint look like in Asia-Pacific, in, say, three or four years?<\/p>\n

\n\tIf you take a step back and look at ESPN \u2014 it\u2019s an amazing brand in the US and a few different markets, very well recognized, with decades of experience in the sports industry. Now, if you zoom in to APAC specifically, starting with Australia and New Zealand, we\u2019ve been operating ESPN there for decades, and of course it was the obvious market where we wanted to expand the distribution of ESPN to Disney+. So now, if you\u2019re a subscriber to Disney+ in Sydney or Auckland, ESPN is part of your offering \u2014 it\u2019s part of the bundle, together with Hulu and other brands. You can find pretty much the same content on ESPN on Disney+ as on the linear channels. That was well received by our customers. And of course, we had feedback from the rest of Asia: when is ESPN coming? Of course, we don\u2019t have the same effect outside of Australia and New Zealand, but we still have some legacy fan base. We have the ESPN website in the Philippines and Singapore that has a great following, so there\u2019s still some audience and awareness in those markets. We decided to do a soft launch of ESPN in other parts of APAC \u2014 Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, and Singapore \u2014 where we basically leveraged the existing offering, which is primarily U.S. sports. That\u2019s a good start; it gives us the opportunity to learn about the market, learn about customer behavior. We also did some local acquisition in terms of content. In Korea, we acquired the rights to KeSPA \u2014 it\u2019s a League of Legends esports championship. Esports is really big in Korea, and we\u2019ve been pleasantly surprised by the impact of KeSPA on Disney+. We believe esports is a very interesting category for us, and that it has a place on ESPN. We have the rights to the NBA in the Philippines as well \u2014 you probably know there are something like 60 million NBA fans in the Philippines; they\u2019re crazy about basketball. So we have that now on Disney+. Again, on the theme of sustainable growth, the same goes for sports. We\u2019re going to invest \u2014 we have expertise in sports, we understand sports \u2014 but we\u2019ll do it in a profitable, sustainable way, and try to learn as we go. We\u2019re making moves and we\u2019re learning, and there will certainly be more to come.<\/p>\n

\n\tSo far, ESPN is only available in English in the more valuable East Asian markets like Japan and Korea, right? Do you see investing in more local-language sports broadcasting and content soon?<\/p>\n

\n\tThat\u2019s what I was alluding to, and that\u2019s why I say it\u2019s a soft launch \u2014 we essentially didn\u2019t localize, we launched the offering as is. Right now, it resonates with expats and a specific segment of customers, as you can imagine. But as we grow, we\u2019ll start to see how we can localize a bit more, adding more local content and local rights. KeSPA is in Korean and fully localized, by the way \u2014 even though the rest of the ESPN offering isn\u2019t. So there\u2019s already some localization happening. For real success, you definitely need to localize \u2014 you just have to \u2014 and we see this as just the first iteration.<\/p>\n

\n\tWill the likely next steps be more akin to the KeSPA deal \u2014 a more niche sport where Disney+ can add value \u2014 or is it possible you\u2019ll go after some of the marquee sports that are more expensive but more powerful in those territories?<\/p>\n

\n\tAgain, we\u2019ll do it selectively and intentionally. The good news is that ESPN has relationships with all of the biggest leagues in the world, because we\u2019ve been a big player for the longest. So we always have a seat at the table. But we\u2019ll do it if it makes sense for us economically, and make sure we target rights that are relevant locally and at the same time on brand with ESPN. We\u2019re really trying to be selective in each of the markets.<\/p>\n

\n\tOne of the big themes at APOS this year is the explosive growth of vertical and short-form content. That boom is bigger in this region than anywhere. Is Disney+ going to play in short form in Asia in the months and years ahead, or is that a distraction from your core premium offering?<\/p>\n

\n\tIt\u2019s definitely an important trend, as you mentioned, and we\u2019ve actually been doing it already in the U.S. We launched Verts, which is vertical videos. Right now we use it as a discovery tool \u2014 typically we use our AI algorithm to take some scenes and put them in a vertical format, and then you can browse vertical videos. These are made from our existing content, because we recognize that people use their mobile device for discovery. If they\u2019re interested, they can watch the long-form version. We recognize the trend, and that\u2019s why we launched Verts on Disney+. If it\u2019s a success, we\u2019ll do it in more markets, but right now it\u2019s still a test.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhy has it taken Disney so long to invest more in Japanese live-action content, given that Japan is arguably the highest-value growth market for streaming services in the region?<\/p>\n

\n\tJapan is one of our biggest opportunities, and the amount of creativity and IP in the country is immense. Currently, we see Korean content exporting more than Japanese content, with the exception of anime. So, the live-action content you produce in Japan is essentially consumed in Japan. The market is big enough to sustain that. We had some solid success in the past with a show called Gannibal, and you\u2019re going to see more and more production coming from us in Japan. My hope is that it ultimately starts to travel the same way Korean content did. We recently did the deal with The Seven, [a Tokyo-based production banner], to co-produce some content with them. That\u2019s a great opportunity. We\u2019re also very excited about an upcoming show called Merry Berry Love \u2014 a romantic comedy that\u2019s a crossover between Korea and Japan, featuring both Korean and Japanese stars. I believe co-production between Japan and Korea is another trend you\u2019ll start to see more and more.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tSeason 2 of \u2018Gannibal\u2019<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDisney<\/p>\n

\n\tHow\u2019s the rollout of the ad-supported subscription tier for Disney+ going in this region?<\/p>\n

\n\tThe ad tier was launched in Australia and New Zealand in April. It was a natural next step for us, because we already have an ad sales team on the ground and that market is very mature. We\u2019re very pleased with the initial results. We\u2019ll see how it goes, and in success we might explore other markets. We\u2019ve actually already expanded significantly in Europe. We believe the ad tier helps with accessibility \u2014 some people don\u2019t mind watching a little bit of ads to pay a bit less, and we feel it\u2019s a great approach.<\/p>\n

\n\tIs it coming to South Korea and Japan soon? Netflix has had ads in those markets for some time, right?<\/p>\n

\n\tNetflix was one of the first to do it \u2014 in late 2022 in Japan, Korea, and Australia. We\u2019ve been taking our time, trying to really scale in the market first. You have to remember that Disney+ has been in APAC since 2020. In some markets, we launched even later \u2014 in the Philippines, it was only 2022. So the focus was launch, get the scale, then explore an ad tier. We\u2019re making a lot of progress, but we\u2019re still pretty new, to be clear.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs you\u2019ve mentioned here at APOS, your new CEO has talked a lot about aggressively trying to improve the Disney+ product and making it the gateway for everything Disney. What\u2019s your view on what that will look like, and what will it do for you in your Asian growth markets?<\/p>\n

\n\tHis vision is very clear, and I think it\u2019s already happening in a way. If you look at Disney+, you already see a collection of brands from the Walt Disney Company. We initially started with Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic and Marvel. And now we\u2019ve just added Hulu, which is now fully owned by the Walt Disney Company, and recently in APAC we added ESPN. So that\u2019s already kind of a one-Disney approach. The question is what else we want to do. We have Disney+ Perks, our loyalty program, which is a tactic to help engage our most loyal customers \u2014 we give them access to some amazing perks and promos from sister companies: the parks, the cruise line, Disney stores, and so on. So that gives a glimpse of what a one-Disney approach can be. It\u2019s already happening, and there is more to come.<\/p>\n

\n\tDisney has so many attractive assets and so many undeniable strengths. Yet Wall Street hasn\u2019t appreciated that for quite a long time. I know this is a chief executive question, but you must also think about this\u2026 Is the current valuation fair or unfair, and what will it take to change Wall Street\u2019s view? Where might a new, forward-looking narrative come from?<\/p>\n

\n\tI think it\u2019s a great motivation, because it pushes us to be really focused on what matters and to focus on the core. When you have so many assets, so many different businesses, it\u2019s of course more challenging to be really focused on the core and the execution, because you have so many temptations. It means we have to be mindful of our assets, but really focus on what matters. If you look at a streaming service, it all starts with your content \u2014 the magic of your storytelling \u2014 and you really have to get it right. As I said, this combination of global content and local content is critical. Then, having the right product, where you put the right content in front of the right audience \u2014 that\u2019s all your personalization, your recommendation algorithm \u2014 that\u2019s very critical. Having the right tone of voice with marketing, making sure we create moments of truth. And finally, collecting all that demand with the right monetization approach, the right pricing strategy, the right partnership approach. These are the core things we need to do really well. So it\u2019s all about execution. It feels like something very simple to say, but Disney is a large organization, and we need to make sure everyone is operating as one Disney, because that\u2019s our secret power \u2014 that\u2019s our X factor. If we do that really well, great things will happen. As I said when we started, we run our own race. Disney is Disney, a very different beast, and that\u2019s what we need to do \u2014 not be too distracted by competition. If not, it\u2019ll drive you crazy, because the competition is so large. Competition for attention isn\u2019t just Netflix; it\u2019s YouTube, it\u2019s TikTok, it\u2019s music \u2014 it can be many, many things. And it\u2019s always going to be changing. But what we can do is really focus on what we have to do, and do it well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tony Zameczkowski, one of the architects of Netflix\u2019s pioneering success in the Asia-Pacific region, is now at Disney+.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":505554,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[227910,337,4550,146,85,399,46],"class_list":["post-505553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-apos","tag-asia","tag-disney","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-international","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/505553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=505553"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/505553\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/505554"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=505553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=505553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=505553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}