KPMG in Singapore’s Aseem Sharma: Investment decisions must prioritise long-term business outcomes, not technology trends

He shares his outlook on Asia’s evolving broadcasting landscape whilst also highlighting his approach to future-ready infrastructure and mentoring the next generation of TMT leaders.

Traditional broadcast models are undergoing profound transformations as they increasingly blend with streaming platforms, cloud-based distribution, and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered content strategies. Together, these shifts are reshaping a highly competitive landscape and enabling industry leaders to reimagine how content is produced, distributed, and consumed.

Offering key insights is Aseem Sharma, Seconded Partner, ASPAC Head of Telco, KPMG in Singapore. With over two decades of cross-regional experience, he brings a strong understanding of complex, multi-market ecosystems and how organisations can navigate disruption. He is also passionate about emerging technologies such as AI and cloud computing, whose extensive experience reflects the very convergence shaping the sector.

As one of the judges for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards 2026, he shares his insights on navigating Asia’s complex and rapidly evolving broadcasting landscape. He offers his perspectives on managing cross‑border expansion, avoiding common pitfalls in cloud transformation and responsibly leveraging emerging technologies, as well as building resilient, future‑ready infrastructure.

With the acceleration of cross-border content distribution, how can broadcasters effectively manage regulatory or commercial complexities in multi-jurisdictional expansion?

As cross-border expansion gets increasingly complex, broadcasters need to build regulatory considerations into their plans from the start. That means understanding local content rules, advertising standards, IP protections, and increasingly, requirements around digital sovereignty and data localisation. Many markets now expect not just data but also platforms and algorithms to meet national compliance requirements. Treating this as part of the operating model from the get-go helps to avoid costly redesign and compliance gaps down the road.

On the commercial side, adaptability matters. Local partnerships, adaptable licensing arrangements, and market-specific monetisation models allow broadcasters to respond to different pricing norms and consumer behaviour. Technology also supports this through enabling rights management and geo‑blocking, which protects territorial agreements whilst allowing distribution to scale. The most successful expansions balance a clear global strategy with disciplined local execution and governance.

What are the most common mistakes broadcasters make when migrating to cloud-based workflows?

One of the biggest mistakes is treating cloud migration as just a change in technological processes rather than re-examining operating models and ways of working. Without addressing skills, processes, and governance, platforms often remain underutilised and costs escalate.

Another common issue is insufficient cost and security discipline. Media workloads are data‑intensive, so spending can escalate quickly without active oversight. Security is also critical — ransomware threats and third‑party dependencies introduce new risks that must be designed into the architecture from the start. Successful migrations are phased, business‑led, and supported by strong financial and security governance.

With generative AI entering the content space, how should broadcasters approach governance, ethics, and monetisation of AI-generated content?

Broadcasters need a solid governance framework in place before scaling any use of generative AI. This begins with clear rules on where AI can be applied across editorial, production and distribution, as well as clear accountability for approving AI-generated or AI-assisted outputs.

Ethics must also be part of day-to-day workflows. Transparency, bias management, IP protection and audience trust all require active oversight. Broadcasters should disclose when AI is used, govern data and training inputs responsibly, and ensure that any content with reputational or regulatory risk goes through human review.

On monetisation, AI should amplify the value of content, not dilute it. When managed well, it accelerates localisation, expands catalogues, supports personalisation and frees creative teams to focus on higher-value storytelling. But without guardrails, quality can slip, misinformation risks rise, and regulatory attention increases — all of which can erode audience trust and undermine commercial gains.

How should broadcasters future-proof infrastructure investments amidst rapid technology cycles in the industry?

Future‑proofing is about flexibility rather than predicting what the next big technology is. Broadcasters should favour modular, interoperable architectures that can be easily modified without disrupting the entire value chain. Avoiding heavy customisation and vendor lock-in keeps options open as formats, platforms, and audience habits evolve.

Investment decisions should be guided by long‑term business outcomes rather than short‑term technology trends. Revisiting technology roadmaps regularly ensures that infrastructure stays aligned with how broadcasters plan to grow, monetise, and serve audiences.

As someone passionate about mentoring young professionals, what advice would you give emerging leaders entering the Asia Pacific broadcast and media sector?

My advice is to build strong fundamentals alongside digital fluency. Understanding content, audiences, and ethics is just as important as developing skills in AI, data, cloud, and digital platforms. The most effective leaders will be able to harness technology well to augment commercial and creative outcomes.

In a region as diverse as Asia Pacific, great leadership also comes from being able to work across different cultures, markets, and ways of thinking. Cultural awareness and adaptability will be essential leadership traits. I also encourage continuous learning and mentorship — roles will keep changing, but those who stay curious and collaborative will continue to grow.

Having evaluated the entries for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards 2026, what excites you the most about the future of the telecom, media, and technology sector in the region?

What excites me most is the pace and breadth of innovation across Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific is moving confidently from traditional television to streaming, mobile-first viewing and new forms of ad-supported content, with local content playing an increasingly global role.

The convergence of the media and technology sector with telecom is also powerful. Strong connectivity, rapidly improving infrastructure, and a culture of experimentation are creating the conditions for entirely new formats and business models. This combination of scale, connectivity, and content innovation positions Asia Pacific not just as a fast‑growing market but as a global leader shaping the future of media and technology.