MUMBAI: Malaysia's media heavyweight Media Prima Berhad has jumped into bed with French tech firm Broadpeak to revolutionise advertising on its streaming platform Tonton. The partnership, announced yesterday, unleashes server-side ad insertion (SSAI) technology to seamlessly inject commercials into live streams without viewers batting an eyelid.

Tonton, Malaysia's homegrown streaming darling that carries the nation's popular TV3 channel, now benefits from smoother transitions between programmes and adverts. The platform is banking on Broadpeak's cloud-based broadpeak.io service to boost its revenue potential while delivering a slicker viewing experience across multiple devices.

"We were looking for a trusted partner to help us future-proof our OTT monetisation capabilities," says Tonton head of product Gregory Eu. “Broadpeak’s dynamic ad insertion service helps us increase revenue potential while giving us the scale and flexibility we need as a nimble organisation.”  

The broadcaster hopes to extract maximum value from its advertising inventory while giving Malaysian viewers the seamless experience they increasingly demand.

Supporting Tonton’s elevated subscriber experiences in bringing high-quality live content to multi-device audiences, the service harnesses a suite of Switch Media’s video player, content management, and application solutions — delivered via seamless technology ecosystem integration with Broadpeak. Media Prima also benefits from effortless ad server integration with Springserve, a long-term Broadpeak technology partner.  

Switch Media played a key role in enhancing Tonton’s OTT service by providing its advanced MediaHQ platform, which powers seamless content management, high-performance video playback, and a superior user experience across multiple devices. With MediaHQ’s flexible modular architecture, Tonton benefits from streamlined video workflows—from ingest and media management to content distribution and analytics—ensuring high-quality delivery of both live and on-demand content. This integration allows Media Prima to efficiently manage and scale its OTT offering while delivering engaging viewing experiences to Malaysian audiences. 

"We've enabled a scalable and efficient content workflow that enhances the viewing experience while seamlessly supporting ad integration," exclaims  Switch Media chief executive Mark Johns.

For Media Prima, the technology offers blessed relief from the headache of unpredictable traffic spikes, with Broadpeak's software-as-a-service solution scaling automatically without requiring additional servers. The broadcaster needn't break a sweat during peak viewing times, letting it focus on cementing Tonton's position as Malaysia's streaming sweetheart.

 Broadpeak president & chief executive Jacques Le Mancq couldn't resist a bit of back-patting: “It’s fantastic to work with market leaders like Media Prima Berhad with a clear vision for growth. Media Prima Berhad is powering a new OTT trajectory and cementing Tonton’s position as a national-favourite streaming service with future-ready monetization and agile SaaS technologies. We’re also delighted to see our technology partnership with Switch Media enabling seamless market deployment and fast results for our joint customer base across the region.” 

As streaming wars heat up across South-east Asia, Media Prima's tech-savvy move might just give it the ammunition to fight off international rivals with deeper pockets.