ASIA-PACIFIC – MALAYSIA, MARCH 15, 2013 – Animax has delivered record gains in viewership in Malaysia from the second half of 2012 through February 2013, culminating in the channel topping ratings of Astro’s popular ‘Variety Pack’ pay-TV channels for the last seven months.
In 2013, Animax’s full day ratings average is five times that of the next best rated channel in the pack.
The months of January and February 2013 also saw Animax deliver four times the average full day ratings recorded in the first six months of 2012.
Prior to that, Animax’s average full day ratings in the second half of 2012 grew to 2.5 times that of the first half of the year.
Animax’s ratings growth has been driven by a steady increase in average viewing duration of each viewer from 21 minutes to almost two hours per day.
The viewership success is a result of the channel’s continued investment into acquiring some of the freshest and most exciting anime titles including K, which was simulcast at the same time as Japan; HunterXHunter and Sket Dance in 2012; as well as Chihayafuru, Hayate the Combat Butler: Heaven is a Place on Earth, and Shakugan no Shana III Final this year. The channel is also home to evergreen franchises with wide fan bases such as Naruto, City Hunter and Azumanga Daioh that keep viewers returning.
In scheduling, Animax introduced ‘marathon reruns’ on weekends to recap all episodes of selected programs aired daily over the week, in a single stretch. These ‘marathon reruns’ have contributed to keeping viewers watching the channel for longer durations.
Another factor has been Animax’s switch to broadcasting all of its anime programs in the original Japanese audio track with English subtitling. In the past year, the channel acted on audience’s feedback to provide the desired content in the most preferred language configuration to reap the viewership rewards.
“Animax’s sustained viewership gains reaffirm our audiences’ appetite for anime is healthier than ever. With Animax’s success and ONE among the top two rated HD channels on Astro, I am proud that SPT Networks, Asia’s Asian Content channels are the two must-have entertainment destinations for Malaysian viewers,” said Ricky Ow, executive vice president and general manager, Networks, Asia, Sony Pictures Television.
To continue driving viewership, Animax is set to roll out a line-up of popular new and returning anime titles for the rest of 2013 including Sket Dance 2, Blue Dragon, Naruto Shippuden, Little Busters and HunterXHunter Season 2.
In February 2013, Animax unveiled a new look inspired by the classic channel logo to reflect its focus on anime programming. The new identity package, which extends on-air, online and across marketing collateral, realigns with Animax Japan, which kept the original channel logo.
16 – 17 March will see ‘Animax Carnival’, the channel’s annual event return to Kuala Lumpur to offer subscribers and the general public a weekend of fun and games. This year, Animax has invited Japanese pop singer and ‘Ani-song’ (anime theme songs) diva May’n as the guest star of the event. Information of Animax Carnival Malaysia 2013 is available at www.animax-asia.com/carnival2013my.
