Roland Berger’s Ahmad Ridhwan Azizan highlights emerging role of AI, data in broadcasting strategy

He shared insights on how fragmentation, AI, and digital transformation are reshaping APAC broadcasting industry dynamics.

The broadcasting industry continues to evolve alongside streaming, artificial intelligence, and changing audience behaviour. Amidst this, companies in Asia-Pacific are facing increasing pressure to adapt quickly and stay commercially sustainable at the same time.

In such a fast-moving environment, recognising true innovation requires more than understanding technology trends. Strong insight into strategy, operations, audience engagement, and regional market realities is crucial.

Sharing valuable expertise is Ahmad Ridhwan Azizan, Partner Expert at Roland Berger in Southeast Asia, who has been part of the founding team of the firm’s Kuala Lumpur office since 2011. He has helped build the consultancy’s telecom, media, and technology practice in the region over the years by working closely with local and international players.

His experience covers consulting and industry work in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and the United States, which has given him a broad understanding of how media and technology businesses operate across different markets. Azizan also has deep knowledge of the challenges organisations face as they strive to balance innovation, profitability, and audience expectations.

As a judge for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards 2026, Azizan shared insights on how the industry is becoming increasingly competitive as audiences and advertising revenue spread across more platforms.

How would you describe the current state of the broadcasting industry in the Asia-Pacific region?

The current landscape of the broadcasting industry in Asia-Pacific is increasingly becoming a fight for attention and advertising dollars, with audiences (and advertising revenue) increasingly becoming more fragmented (i.e., between linear TV, local OTT platforms, and global streaming players). We are also seeing the continued growth and importance of local and regional IPs within industry, with regional storytelling beyond the usual suspects (i.e., K-Drama’s) such Thai content finding success internationally. Players continue to face significant pressure and financial strain, with many moving into automation, especially given cost constraints.

How can legacy broadcasters leverage data and technology to remain competitive in an increasingly fragmented media landscape?

To remain competitive in Asia-Pacific’s fragmented landscape, legacy broadcasters must pivot from broad-demographic programming to data-driven personalisation. First, unifying viewer interactions into a single Customer Data Platform (CDP) bridges linear and digital audiences, allowing for targeted advertising. Second, deploying AI-driven localisation tools — such as automated regional dubbing and contextual subtitling — enables content to scale across linguistically diverse markets at a fraction of traditional costs. Finally, migrating workflows to a hybrid cloud infrastructure reduces legacy operational overhead, freeing capital to invest in premium local intellectual property and agile digital-first distribution networks.

With telecom and media increasingly converging, how do you see partnerships between telcos and broadcasters evolving?

Telco-broadcaster partnerships are evolving from simple billing packages into deep, everyday alliances that change how we get our entertainment. Instead of just selling subscriptions together, they are blending their businesses completely. They now co-design service packages, combine their distribution networks, and merge their underlying technologies. Telcos bring fast networks and smart user data, whilst broadcasters provide the popular local shows people love to watch. By sticking together so closely, they ensure that high-quality videos stream smoothly to your phone or TV without buffering, whilst creating a combined platform that keeps local entertainment alive against global streaming giants.

What role should governments play in supporting the growth and sustainability of the broadcasting industry?

Governments must transform from strict regulators into market modernisers to ensure a level playing field. First, authorities must enforce equal local content quotas, licensing fees, and corporate taxes on global streaming giants, correcting decades of market asymmetry. Second, they must fund vibrant local media ecosystems by backing specialised digital media schools and tech incubators, especially for ethical AI production tools. Finally, to fuel sustainable growth, regional policymakers should subsidise international co-productions and establish automated, cross-border content-export pipelines. This dual strategy protects native cultural heritage whilst allowing local broadcasters to confidently scale, compete, and thrive globally.

What emerging technologies do you believe will significantly disrupt the industry in the near future, and how should companies adapt to these?

Generative AI is a massive industry disruptor, offering unparalleled efficiency alongside existential risks. On the upside, it revolutionises operations by automating hyper-localised dubbing, real-time multilingual subtitling, and archival tagging, allowing local media to scale across diverse markets at a fraction of traditional costs. However, it threatens creative intellectual property. Unregulated AI models scrape premium regional content without consent, cannibalising original IP and devaluing local storytelling talent. To survive, broadcasters must embed AI into their production pipelines to slash costs, whilst fiercely protecting their digital assets.

As a judge at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards 2026, what qualities or innovations do you consider essential when evaluating nominees?

For me, the main qualities or innovations that I consider essential in evaluating nominees are flexible and pragmatic solutions that address constraints cost-effectively and meet specific local conditions; solutions that centre on building ongoing differentiation for local and regional players, especially centred on enabling exceptional storytelling; and solutions/innovations that embrace or allow for a more holistic and deep engagement of the audience.