Singapore’s IMDA and SBS Sign MOU for Global Co-Production and AI Media

Korean Wave strategy pivots from content export to offshore production infrastructure; deal framework to be finalized at ATF Singapore in December

The Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) and Korean terrestrial broadcaster SBS signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul on April 21 to jointly develop global content and AI media solutions — a deal that marks a decisive shift in Korean broadcasters’ international strategy from finished-content export toward offshore co-production infrastructure.

The move reflects three structural pressures converging on Korea’s terrestrial networks at once: a saturated domestic advertising market, rising production costs that single-market financing can no longer absorb, and intensifying AI-driven localization competition.

Singapore, having spent more than a decade building public-funded co-production incentives, ASEAN distribution reach, and an English-language market gateway, has emerged as the preferred partner for Korean broadcasters seeking a second regional production hub.

Because the agreement engages both sides at the project-origination stage rather than at the licensing stage, it stands out as a symbolic inflection point in a three-decade Hallyu history that has until now been defined by downstream distribution deals.

The Signing  |  Ministerial-Level Witness During Seoul Learning Trip

The MOU was signed in Seoul on April 21, with Tan Kiat How, Singapore’s Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, witnessing the ceremony. Bang Moon-shin, President and Chief Executive Officer of SBS, signed for the Korean side, while Yvonne Tang, Assistant Chief Executive of IMDA’s Media Industry Group, signed for Singapore. The ceremony was held during an IMDA-led industry learning trip to Seoul, underscoring that the partnership is policy-anchored rather than a stand-alone corporate transaction.

Scope  |  End-to-End Value Chain, from Long-Form Drama to Micro-Drama

The agreement covers the full content value chain — development, production, post-production, and cross-border distribution — and spans long-form dramas, variety shows, micro-dramas, and non-fiction formats. The language of the MOU signals an explicit move beyond per-title licensing toward joint development at the concept stage.

SBS brings a proven global IP catalogue that has reached an estimated 300 million viewers in more than 190 countries through Netflix, Disney+ and VIU, anchored by titles including Running Man, My Love from the Star, and Business Proposal. Singapore, through its Made-with-Singapore framework and co-funding instruments, has positioned itself as Asia’s most institutionalized co-production hub.

The partnership is designed to combine those assets at the point where the greatest financial risk and creative leverage reside — project origination.

AI Collaboration  |  Localization, Automated Post, and Creation Tools

A central technical pillar is joint development of AI-driven media solutions, with three areas flagged: multilingual localization (dubbing and subtitling), automated post-production workflows, and AI-enabled content creation tools. Joint pilot projects and training programs are envisioned to accelerate technology adoption on both sides.

SBS CEO Bang Moon-shin indicated that pairing SBS’s production capabilities with AI-based multilingual service delivery will extend the network’s reach and competitiveness across ASEAN and global markets. Yvonne Tang of IMDA framed the tie-up as a combination of the Korean Wave’s global pull with Singapore’s function as an international co-production and innovation hub.

Structural Context  |  Why IMDA–SBS, and Why Now

Industry analysts read the MOU as a structural pivot rather than a routine bilateral deal. Three pressures are working simultaneously on Korea’s terrestrial sector.

First, the Korean terrestrial advertising model has plateaued. Shrinking domestic ad revenue and rising production costs have together made dual monetization — pairing domestic ad income with international co-production and distribution revenue — an operational necessity rather than an option. Co-production redistributes upfront production risk while securing downstream international yield.

Second, Singapore’s IMDA has built the most institutionalized co-production stack in Asia, combining funding schemes, tax incentives, and a consistent Made-with-Singapore brand frame. For a Korean broadcaster, that stack provides simultaneous access to the ASEAN market of roughly 600 million people and the English-language premium content market — a combination no other Asian jurisdiction currently matches at equivalent institutional depth.

Third, AI dubbing and subtitling quality has crossed a threshold at which localization cost alone no longer differentiates competitors. The strategic variable has shifted from translation output to localization workflow — the integration of AI models, human review, and post-production pipelines. That is precisely the domain in which a single broadcaster cannot move efficiently on its own, and where a public authority like IMDA, with coordinating funding and R&D capacity, adds unique value.

Taken together, Korean terrestrials increasingly require a twin-track globalization strategy: a U.S. track built on ATSC 3.0 free-to-air and FAST infrastructure, and an Asia track built on OTT partnerships and co-production agreements. The IMDA–SBS MOU institutionalizes the Asia track.

Next Milestone  |  Execution Roadmap Due at ATF Singapore, December 2026

Concrete work streams under the MOU are scheduled to be finalized at the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), the flagship event within the IMDA-hosted Singapore Media Festival, in December 2026. ATF is one of Asia’s largest TV and video content markets, and is expected to be the primary platform on which the execution roadmap — specific titles, investment volumes, and AI pilot scopes — is announced.

Outlook  |  KBS and MBC in the Frame; ASEAN Format Remakes a Likely First Output

The agreement is likely to be closely watched by Korea’s other national broadcasters, particularly KBS and MBC, both of which have explored similar international partnerships. For Seoul, the MOU accelerates twin-track globalization; for Singapore, it reinforces the city-state’s position as an Asian narrative export hub.

Measurable deliverables — co-produced titles, committed investment, AI pilot outputs — are unlikely to materialize before one to two quarters of follow-up negotiation after the December ATF window.

SBS’s variety format IP is expected to be a strong early candidate for ASEAN-localized remakes, given both regional audience affinity and the comparatively lower production cost profile of variety over scripted drama.

Micro-drama co-production — with its low entry barrier for both creators and platforms — is likely to deliver some of the first tangible outputs of the partnership.