5 10 月, 2022

Society Pass (Nasdaq: SOPA)/Thoughtful Media Group’s Strategic Partnership with Onlive.Site Eyes the Surging Live Commerce Market across Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE, Oct 5, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Thoughtful Media Group Inc ("Thoughtful Media" or "TMG"), the Thailand-based, digital advertising arm of Society Pass Incorporated (Nasdaq: SOPA) ("SoPa" or the "Company"), Southeast Asia's ("SEA") leading data-driven loyalty and e-commerce ecosystem, today announces the establishment of a strategic partnership with Onlive.Site, a premium live streaming and digital content channel platform based in Spain. This strategic partnership enables TMG to host interactive live streaming and live shopping shows on its websites and even on external platforms including those of Creator's or Marketer's landing pages. SoPa endeavours to offer enhanced value to its consumers through novel partnerships with technology-enabled companies located across the SEA countries of Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, and complementary services that support the offerings of its entire ecosystem.Founded in 2020, Onlive.Site is a technology software company develops livestreaming, live video shopping, interactive video and online TV channel platform tools for global e-commerce companies. Onlive.Site's technology tools allow partners to create and curate live streaming and live shopping shows for consumers to shop for e-commerce goods and services with specific placement and effect. Research from Accenture shows that the social commerce market is poised to grow to US$1.2 trillion by 2025, representing a CAGR of 26%. Live streaming as a medium of sales on social commerce platforms is expected to show a CAGR of 11.77%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$45.07 billion by 2027.The TMG digital advertising platform amplifies the reach and engagement of its +200 influencer network throughout SEA to market and sell advertising inventory on behalf of international and regional brands. Onlive.Site's partnership further supports SoPa's plans to expand TMG's database of KOLs and influencers across SEA. The growing impact of social media on influencing consumers' purchase decisions is driving more and more brands to shift their advertising focus to this emerging marketing outlet. "Live commerce" emerges as live streaming and e-commerce converge so that consumers and brands experience real-time engagement and an instantaneous feedback loop. SoPa increases customer engagement while also focusing on the quality of relationships through a campaign-based approach enabled by this latest partnership.Alfredo Ouro, Co-founder & CEO @ Onlive.Site, emphatically explains, "We are delighted to enter into this win-win partnership with SOPA and TMG to bring our cutting-edge live commerce technology to one of the fastest growing digital areas in the world. With its large base of users, associated brands and content creators in SEA, TMG is ideally positioned as the perfect partner for Onlive.Site in a region that brings together everything necessary for live shopping to be a success: pervasive shopping culture, internet tech-savvy population and favourable social demographic profile".Dennis Nguyen, TMG Chairman, comments, "We are thrilled to partner with Onlive.Site as we onboard meaningful partnerships with brands and e-stores in Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. This partnership allows TMG to bundle Onlive.Site subscription model with influencer marketing services to swiftly engage brands and create live streaming sales campaigns. New revenue models are being developed with this innovative partnership. Our mission is to provide media owners with dedicated technology services that build and monetise their brands' audience on social video platforms".Alfredo Ouro adds, "With video accounting for more than 80% of all consumed internet traffic this year, no single company should ignore this audio-visual format as the most engaging and effective way to sell and communicate with their customers and stakeholders through live shopping, video- shoppable, and exclusive branded video-channels. Our one-stop live commerce studio possibilities for integrating all forms of interactive video on any website or digital platform are now endless and we want to make them available to every brand in SEA, thanks to our partnership with TMG and SOPA".About Thoughtful Media Group IncFounded in 2010 and acquired by SoPa in 2022 as a wholly-owned subsidiary, TMG is a Bangkok-headquartered social commerce-focused, premium digital video Multi-Platform Network ("MPN")/social media influencer advertising platform servicing the SEA countries of Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.About Society Pass IncFounded in 2018 as a digitally-focused loyalty and data marketing ecosystem in the fast-growing markets of Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, which account for more than 80% of the SEA population, and with offices located in Angeles, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila, and Singapore, SoPa is an acquisition-focused e-commerce holding company operating 6 interconnected verticals (loyalty, digital media, travel, telecoms, lifestyle, and F&B), which seamlessly connects millions of registered consumers and hundreds of thousands of registered merchants/brands across multiple product and service categories throughout SEA.Society Pass completed an initial public offering and began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker SOPA in November 2021. SOPA shares were added to the Russell 2000 index in December 2021.SoPa acquires fast growing e-commerce companies and expands its user base across a robust product and service ecosystem. SoPa integrates these complementary businesses through its Society Pass loyalty platform and circulation of its universal loyalty points or Society Points, which has entered beta testing and is expected to launch broadly at the beginning of 2023. Society Pass loyalty program members earn and redeem Society Points and receive personalised promotions based on SoPa's data capabilities and understanding of consumer shopping behaviour. SoPa has amassed more than 3.3 million registered consumers and over 205,000 registered merchants and brands. It has invested 2+ years building proprietary IT architecture to effectively scale and support its consumers, merchants, and acquisitions.Society Pass leverages technology to tailor a more personalised experience for customers in the purchase journey and to transform the entire retail value chain in SEA. SoPa operates Thoughtful Media Group, a Thailand-based, a social commerce-focused, premium digital video multi-platform network; NusaTrip, a leading Indonesia-based Online Travel Agency; Gorilla Networks, a Singapore-based, web3-enabled mobile blockchain network operator; Leflair.com, Vietnam's leading lifestyle e-commerce platform; Pushkart.ph, a popular grocery delivery company in Philippines; Handycart.vn, a leading online restaurant delivery service based in Vietnam; and Mangan, a leading local restaurant delivery service in Philippines. For more information, please check out: http://thesocietypass.com/.About Onlive.SiteHeadquartered in Barcelona, ONLIVE.SITE is the fastest growing SAAS for live commerce and video-sales enablement in Europe & LATAM. In less than 1 year since launching Onlive.Site already works with +150 all-size brands operating from 25 countries and making live commerce available to customers from 95 countries worldwide. Thanks to this partnership with SOPA, Onlive.Site is extending its presence to South East Asia that together with LATAM are two of the three fastest growing e-commerce markets in the world according to Insider Intelligence.Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release may include "forward-looking statements," within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, words such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to us or our management team, identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company's management. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors detailed in the Company's filings with the SEC. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by this paragraph. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company's registration statement and prospectus relating to the Company's initial public offering filed with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.Media contactPRecious Communications for SoPasopa@preciouscomms.com Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

1 9 月, 2022

Korean Content Powerhouse Shaping the Entire Asian Video Landscape

Singapore, Sep 1, 2022 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) welcomed over 200 delegates from across the region for its first ever Korean focused conference and its first in market event since 2019, with Korea in View, which took place on 30 August at the Westin Josun, Seoul. To set the scene, AVIA CEO Louis Boswell presented key highlights from AVIA's Korea in View 2022 Report. Ranking 10th among the world's largest economies and 4th in Asia, South Korea had risen from one of the poorest countries in the world to a developed, high-income country in just one generation. The pay TV market continued to show growth of 2.7% per year, now dominated by IPTV, while streaming services were accelerating at breakneck speed, seeing paid subscribers increasing from 20.4% of the population in 2020 to 34.8% in 2021. In his opening speech, keynote speaker, Vice Chairman Ahn Hyoung-hwan of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) shared that while OTT growth was an opportunity for the content industry to grow, it was also resulting in a sense of crisis for existing legacy media. Hence the KCC was preparing the Audio-Visual Media Service Act and was pushing for innovative deregulation of the existing regulations on advertising and programming.The day spanned multiple conversations about the strength of Korean content and how that was fuelling the success of both Korean streaming platforms as well as international, with Marianne Lee, Chief of Content Acquisition and Development, Viu and Junbeom Jeon, Chief Leader, Wavve, both agreeing that this investment in local content was the key to survival. Such demand, however, was also clearly fuelling a rapid escalation in content costs and while Hyun Park, Senior Vice President, Global Division of Studio Dragon commented that from a Hollywood perspective Korea still presented great value for money, there needed to be a cap on costs before they got out of hand. He also noted, "We are definitely not at the peak of production, we are only at the beginning." The roles of international and Korean streaming platforms were also examined with Esther Ahn, Vice President, Streaming, Korea, Paramount, explaining the recent introduction of Paramount+ to the market in partnership with CJ-backed TVING. The partnership spanned making Paramount content available within the TVING service in Korea as well as co-producing Korean content with a view to Korean and international audiences. TVING CEO Jay Yang also talked about the desire to be able to take the best Korean content overseas and deliver it through a Korean streaming platform, although he did not believe Korean content should only be on Korean platforms. But as in the same way Korean content was on international platforms, the Paramount+ deal also saw international content on a Korean platform. Ultimately streaming platforms wanted the best content no matter its origin. The advertising market was also seeing the traditional markets of TV, Print and Radio declining but there has been significant growth in digital. This was an opportunity that both Bong-Su Kim, Addressable TV Ad Team Leader, SK Broadband and Vijay Kunduri, Regional Vice President, OTT/CTV, APAC, PubMatic, felt needed to be exploited with the growth of ad supported VOD or streaming services, with both being confident that this space would evolve quickly in the next two years in Korea.Rounding up the day's sentiments, Louis Boswell highlighted the importance of the Korean market not just because of the impressive growth it had seen for video content, but because of the influence Korean content has had across the region, and also the early stages of Korean streaming platforms looking to enter other Asian markets. "It is not possible to look at the Asian video industry without looking at Korea," added Boswell. Korea in View is generously sponsored by Brightcove, BytePlus, Conviva, Google Cloud, Irdeto, NAGRA, Paramount and TV5Monde.About the Asia Video Industry Association:The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and satellite ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. The AVIA is the interlocutor for these industries with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry. For media enquiries and additional background, contact: Charmaine KwanHead of Marketing and CommunicationsEmail: charmaine@avia.orgWebsite: www.avia.orgLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoiaTwitter: @AsiaVideoIA Copyright 2022 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

1 3 月, 2022

Singapore Court Orders Largest Block of Illegal Streaming Sites in Singapore

The Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) welcomes the ongoing ability and willingness of Courts in Singapore to take action against illegal streaming sites that recent studies have shown pose significant malware and security risks to consumers Singapore, Mar 1, 2022 – (ACN Newswire) – The Asia Video Industry Association’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) commends the Singapore High Court for granting an Order to block 30 illegal streaming sites and almost 150 associated domains responsible for the distribution of considerable quantities of illegally streamed content in Singapore. The Order was obtained by CAP members, BBC Studios, Discovery Communications, LaLiga, the Premier League and TVB International against illegal streaming sites that were offering access to some of the most sought-after content including premium sports, drama and entertainment. The Order covered the greatest number of sites and domains yet sought by CAP members. Under the Order Internet Service Providers must disable access to these illegal sites and their associated domains. The Order is part of CAP’s ongoing campaign in Singapore and around the region against illegal streaming sites. “Illegal streaming sites are simply illegal,” said CAP’s General Manager, Matthew Cheetham. “Piracy is not a victimless crime and hurts not only content providers but also consumers who can be exposed to viruses and malware when accessing illegal sites, including malware that can access a user’s sensitive data such as banking details.” The Order comes shortly after the release of a new study commissioned by CAP, “Time to Compromise”. The study showed that a typical user visiting illegal streaming sites could be infected by ransomware, several trojan horses, and other Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) within 42 seconds on a Windows machine, and 78 seconds for an Android device. The results support the hypothesis that there is a nexus between illegal streaming sites and malware infections, where site operators generate significant revenue from allowing malicious ads to be placed on their sites. Malware authors can in turn gain access to consumer PCs and mobile devices, and all of the data held in storage, including access to banking login details and other sensitive logins. A study on the online content viewing behaviour in Singapore, commissioned by CAP and conducted by YouGov shows that blocking sites is effective with the percentage of Singaporean consumers accessing illegal streaming sites and using Illicit Streaming Devices (ISDs) dropping in recent years. “Enforcement is key but so is consumer education,” said Cheetham. “This Order carries a dual purpose in not only blocking access to illegal content but also informing consumers that the sites are illegal.” About the Asia Video Industry Association The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry. For media enquiries and additional background please contact: Charmaine KwanHead of Marketing and CommunicationsEmail: charmaine@avia.orgWebsite: www.avia.orgLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoiaTwitter: @AsiaVideoIA

31 5 月, 2021

The inaugural edition of World OTT Show by Trescon set to strengthen the inevitable future of video streaming in Asia

Singapore, May 31, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - Having hosted some of the industry's biggest tech conferences and high-level summits all over the world, Trescon is now venturing into the OTT space. World OTT Show will congregate renowned thought-leaders, subject matter experts, and technology innovators from Asia on 17 June 2021, in a constructive, open-dialogue, virtual environment. More than 400 million people now use OTT video streaming services across the Asia Pacific region, with over 69 per cent of video viewers in the region watch streaming videos at least once a week. "In 2021, the streaming providers in Asia have a massive opportunity to take their services to a global audience. Many of the conversations we have with some of the providers in this region are precisely about how we can scale their services offering beyond a regional play into a global one and I think we'll start seeing a lot more of these regional Asian OTT services go global and build significant businesses for themselves outside their own borders," said Paolo Cuttorelli, VP and GM at Evergent.As many consumers are forced to stay confined in their homes and on their electronic devices due to the Covid-19, OTT consumption across Asia has witnessed a surge like never before. It has become one of the fastest-growing media channels in the region grabbing the advertiser's attention."Southeast Asia's video streaming market continues to experience massive growth and platform owners across verticals are placing huge investment bets. World OTT Show offers a platform to exchange varied perspectives between media, telecoms, and broadcast to explore this avenue of business in the new normal," said Mithun Shetty, CEO of Trescon. The conference is designed to explore the endless possibilities of OTT products that are streamlined to focus on user interfaces, user behavior; enhanced streaming and storage technologies, and generating revenue through streamlined subscriptions.Some of the powerful voices in the industry to share their expertise on OTT Monetization, Content OTT planning, Audio OTT, CX for OTT, and much more, include: - Andreas Von Maltzahn, Co-Founder, iwonder, Singapore - Adam Ware, VP, and GM - National Networks and Platforms, Sinclair Broadcast Group/STIRR, US- Zubin Jimmy Dubash, COO Digital Businesses, Shemaroo, India- Siddhartha Roy, Chief Operating Officer, Hungama Digital Media, India- Anna Ysabel F. Driz, Director of Advertising Sales and Brand Solutions, WeTV iflix, Philippines- Dushyantt Kohli, Chief Operating Officer, Khabri Audio platform, IndiaThe conference will be hosted on the virtual events platform Vmeets to help participants network and conduct business in an interactive and immersive virtual environment. Participants can also engage with speakers in Q&A sessions and network with solution providers in virtual exhibition booths, private consultation rooms, and private networking rooms.World OTT Show is officially sponsored by Lead Sponsor - Setplex; Platinum Sponsor - Brightcove; Gold Sponsor - Evergent; Silver Sponsor - Limelight Networks; Bronze Sponsor - SmartlabsTo attend the show, register here: https://tresconglobal.com/conferences/ott/asia/free-pass-registrationAbout World OTT ShowWorld OTT Show is a thought-leadership driven, business-focused initiative that provides a platform for CxOs, OTT heads, and OTT directors among others, looking to explore the latest services and devices powered by OTT to transforms business functions.The show is virtually hosting business leaders across industry sectors from ASIA who will meet, network, learn and engage with some of the world?s renowned technology thought-leaders, subject matter experts, and technology innovators in a constructive, open-dialogue environment.For further details about the announcement, please contact:Aishwarya G BhandaryCorporate Communications Executive marketing@tresconglobal.com Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

19 5 月, 2021

BeLive seals partnership deal with 1Ecommerce to offer interactive live solutions to merchants in Latin America

Singapore - May 19, 2021 - (ACN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) -BeLive Technology (BeLive) has completed a partnership deal with 1Ecommerce, the Digital Sales Ecosystem for merchants in Latin America, to launch one of the fastest-growing technologies in the eCommerce world: Live Shopping.BeLive partnered 1Ecommerce, a market leader in Digital Sales Ecosystem, to offer live interactive streaming solutions to LATAM companies in the eCommerce and retail sector."e-Commerce is continually transforming to meet consumers' demand for faster and more interactive service deliverables. Technology companies with the capabilities to support trends shaping the future of online shopping are good stead to seize opportunities in the global e-Commerce industry. Enterprise Singapore will continue to work with partners across markets to match them with companies such as BeLive to make online shopping easier, faster, and more secure," says John Lu, Director of Enterprise Singapore, ICM, and Digitalisation.The partnership was facilitated by Latin Leap VC Studio and Enterprise Singapore in promoting Asia to LATAM technology connection. The partnership is a result of Latin Leap's soft-landing program. This VC Studio specializes in building the conditions for Asian tech scale-ups to expand to Latin American markets.How does Live Shopping work?Live Shopping platforms changed the way brands and businesses interact in the eCommerce space. The technology allows brands to re-create similar customer retail experiences virtually and transact in eCommerce stores. Users can watch the live stream and interact with the seller in real-time. Inquiries can be addressed in real-time, and viewers of the stream can buy products promoted in a live stream effortlessly."We are proud to pioneer the region in innovative ways of buying online. Live shopping has multiplied in recent years, particularly in Asia, and we are glad to offer this innovative technology through our partner, BeLive. We are seeing the high potential for brands and online marketplaces in LATAM to utilize their presence in social media for new shopping experiences," according to Juliana Lucena, Co-founder of 1Ecommerce."The partnership with 1Ecommerce will trailblaze live shopping adoption in Latin America through our robust technology as we power some of Asia's largest eCommerce giants," says Kenneth Tan, Founder of BeLive."Latin America offers abundant opportunities for tech companies to disrupt the retail sector. Live shopping is showing promising results in Asia in terms of engagement and sales, and we are glad to ease the introduction of this next-generation digital sales channel to Latin America," adds Stefan Krautwald, Managing Director of Latin Leap.About BeLiveBeLive Technology (BeLive) is one of Asia's leading live streaming technology companies. To date, BeLive has powered over 55 million live streaming hours to global brands such as Rakuten, Bukalapak, Samsung, L'Oreal, M1 Ltd, and Suntec City. The company's products help businesses easily integrate live streaming features in any website or app, enabling them to drive conversions and engagement with live streaming - the fastest growing video medium in the world.Their current solutions include live commerce functionalities and interactive live video features such as live trivia and live polling. BeLive also offers a fully customized platform and white labeling solutions.About 1Ecommerce Live1Ecommerce Live enables eCommerce platforms, online marketplaces, and retail brands to have their own white-label and transactional platform, from where users will acquire their products in real-time. Brands can also use 1Ecommerce Live to generate leads and make live polls and trivia during the transmission.Media Linkswww.1ecommerce.iowww.belive.sgwww.latinleap.vcMedia ContactContact: Jason Lee Byung Jun, Head of Business DevelopmentE-mail: jun@belive.sgTitle: Phone: +65 8753 9987Address: 71 Ayer Rajah Crescent, #07-12/14, Singapore 139951 Copyright 2021 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)

4 1 月, 2021

Parliament to be live-streamed for the first time on Monday

SINGAPORE - Parliamentary proceedings will be live-streamed for the first time on Monday (Jan 4), said the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) in a statement. The live streaming will commence during Monday's sitting, which starts at 1.30pm. It will be available to members of the public via MCI's YouTube channel, in both the original language and English-translated versions. The public can also access parliamentary proceedings via video clips of all speeches and exchanges, which are recorded and uploaded online within hours of each sitting. They can also choose to read the Hansard - a written record of all parliamentary proceedings - online, or attend sittings in person. The Government had in September 2020 first agreed in principle to live-stream the proceedings. Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran said then that the Government has so far been reluctant to implement live streaming due to both practical and policy reasons, including the risk of MPs playing to the gallery instead of seriously debating national issues. But he acknowledged that global trends have made online streaming commonplace, with legislatures in other countries also live-streaming proceedings. The Government would thus study how to implement live streaming, in the spirit of engaging with Singaporeans, he said. Mr Iswaran's announcement came months after previous Leader of the House Grace Fu said no to calls from former nominated MP Anthea Ong and Workers' Party MP Leon Perera for Parliament to be live-streamed. Mr Perera had also raised the matter back in 2017, with then Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Chee Hong Tat saying in response that there was low demand for a live feed of parliamentary proceedings. More on this topic Related Story Parliament: Constitution amended to allow House to meet in multiple locations amid Covid-19 pandemic Related Story Good for S'pore to have adequate opposition MPs, but disagreement must not lead to polarisation, paralysis: PM Lee