SEÑAL NEWS 168 - MIPCOM 2019 by Señal News

50 A CHALLENGING MARKET

FOCUS ON THE CEE International executives who manage business in Central and Eastern Europe explain the trends and needs of a region that experienced a dramatic growth in the recent years. In a competitive and dynamic market environment,

the market opens an opportunity all around Central and Eastern Europe, where pay-TV subscribers are growing, together with revenue and viewing, plus an increasing subscription video-on-demand base.

MGM

INTER MEDYA

VIACOM

Chris Ottinger, President of Worldwide Television Distribution and Acquisitions at MGM, talks about the company’s strategy in terms of production and distribution, and explains how they combine both businesses.

Can Okan, Founder and CEO at Inter Medya, provides the details of the big highlights of the company for Mipcom: “Behzat Ç” and “Bitter Lands,” two well-established brands inside the Turkish drama international offer.

Federico Cuervo, Senior Vice President and Head of Viacom International Studios, explains the company’s production and distribution strategy and describes how their products seek to touch universal emotions.

A PERFECT MIX BETWEEN THE TV AND FILM BUSINESSES

THE POWER OF TWO GLOBAL TURKISH DRAMA SERIES’ BRANDS

THE SEARCH FOR TRULLY GLOBAL EMOTIONS

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2ble Click

APPLE TV+ WILL LAUNCH ON NOVEMBER 1ST AND WILL COST USD 5 A MONTH.

NEW ECOSYSTEM

BILLION DOLLARS APPLE INVESTED A USD 6 BILLION BUDGET TO ROPE IN SOME OF HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGEST STARS.

TITLES AT LAUNCH, APPLE TV+ WILL OFFER NINE ORIGINAL SHOWS, ADDING 20 MORE IN THE SHORT TERM.

THE SERVICE WILL BE AN AD-FREE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE FEATURING ON-DEMAND ONLINE AND OFFLINE CONTENT. IT WILL BE AVAILABLE IN MORE THAN 100 COUNTRIES.

ITV STUDIOS ACQUIRES ARMOZA FORMATS

ECCHO RIGHTS TO REPRESENT SIC PORTUGAL Eccho Rights has signed an exclusive worldwide representation agreement with Portugal’s leading broadcaster, SIC. The co-operation will include two hit series: “Heart & Soul” and “Water Mirror”, both produced by SP Televisão. “Portuguese TV dramas are very powerful productions with a strong global appeal. We are honored to represent SIC as they produce some of the country’s most successful series as the leader channel in the country,” said Fredrik af Malmborg, Managing Director at Eccho Rights. •

ITV Studios’ stable of global hit entertainment formats grows as the renowned Israeli format creator and distributor, Armoza Formats, joins the group. Founded by Avi Armoza, one of Israel’s leading television developers and distributors, Armoza’s catalogue numbers over 100 formats. This includes the prime-time singing show “The Four,” commissioned in over 15 territories and game show “Still Standing,” Israel’s most successful international non-scripted format with over 6,000 episodes globally. The deal will see Armoza Formats become part of the Global Creative Network, headed up by Mike Beale, for ITV Studios. ITV Studios labels will exclusively produce all newly developed Armoza formats in territories within which it has a presence. •

HUGE RATINGS FOR “LA USURPADORA” AT UNIVISION Univision’s premiere of “La Usurpadora” proved that true classics never die as the highly anticipated first series from the network’s “The Collection” anthology reached nearly three million Total Viewers 2+ who tuned in to all or part of the one-hour telecast. “La Usurpadora” averaged 1.8 million Total Viewers 2+, 783,000 Adults 18-49 and 303,000 Adults 18-34, making it the third most-watched program on broadcast television among Adults 18-49 and Adults 18-34. The debut of “La Usurpadora” delivered the network’s top-rated primetime series premiere since “Mi Marido Tiene Mas Familia” (2018) and highest-rated premiere since “Papa a Toda Madre” (2018). •

BBC STUDIOS CREATES GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION ROLE BBC Studios has brought its international sales and distribution business, encompassing content sales, branded services and ancillaries, together into a single global distribution group with Paul Dempsey taking the role of President, Global Distribution. He will relocate to New York and have responsibility for BBC Studios’ overall sales and distribution strategy, key customer management and the company’s international channels and services. BBC Studios’ successor to Ann Sarnoff as President of Americas, currently being recruited, joins the Managing Director of Australia & New Zealand, and the EVPs of Asia, Western Europe and CEMA, reporting to Dempsey. As now, the regional leads will have accountability for their respective regions, with Dempsey assuming overall accountability for the strategy for the expanded operation. •

HASBRO TO ACQUIRE ENTERTAINMENT ONE Hasbro, Inc. and Entertainment One Ltd. have entered into a definitive agreement under which Hasbro will acquire eOne in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately £3.3 billion or USD 4.0 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, eOne shareholders will receive £5.60 in cash for each common share of eOne. The acquisition will advance Hasbro’s position as a leading global play and entertainment company, adding beloved, global preschool brands with proven success and strong financial returns across platforms to Hasbro’s robust portfolio. eOne’s capabilities to bring high-quality content across platforms will strengthen Hasbro’s ability to monetize and bring to market its IP in increasingly attractive new formats, including digital platforms, music, location-based entertainment, AR and VR. •

MADD LAUNCHES A NEW TURKISH HIT: “A MIRACLE” The Turkish adaptation of the US drama “The Good Doctor,” “A Miracle,” was premiered on Fox Turkey and achieved to be the best premiere in the history of the channel. In September, the show doubled its performance with its second episode and reached 14,8% ratings and 35,5% share on local television. MF Yapım, the well-known producer of very successful adaptations of global stories like “Mother” and “Woman” coproduced “A Miracle” with Medyapım. The show is part of the Mipcom’s catalog of its affiliated distributor, MADD Entertainment. •

SONY BEGINS PRODUCTION ON “DE BRUTAS, NADA” Sony Pictures Television started production of its new dramedy “De Brutas, Nada”. The series is based on an original idea by best-selling author Isabella Santo Domingo. The 20 hour-long episodes star Tessa La and Cristian Vásqueza. The main director for the series is Ariel nominated Rafael Lara, joined by directors Rolando Ocampo and Oscar nominated Maria Gamboa. “We’re excited to bring to our audience such a young, edgy and relatable show, that revisits women’s roles in society with a splash of humor,” said Ana Bond, SVP and MD, International Production, Latin America, for Sony. “Is a story about human relations. We are taking advantage of our great IP with this project,” she added. •

2ble Click BANIJAY RIGHTS SELLS UK FACTUAL YOUTH PROGRAMMING

ATV’S “LIFELINE” RECEIVED VISITS IN TURKEY Before its local premiere at Kanal D Romania, authorities of the broadcaster and Romanian press visited “Lifeline” set in Trabzon, Turkey. The group also enjoyed a dinner with Sinegraf’s team and the show’s main cast.

Banijay Rights has closed a significant raft of international sales for a diverse range of its youth-skewed factual programming which comes as a result of its strong partnerships with UK producers. The recently sealed deals will see BBCcommissioned, factual programming from leading UK producers such as Zig Zag Productions, Wales & Co., Century Films and The Connected Set travel to territories worldwide, from Australasia to the Nordics to Eastern Europe. “This impressive raft of sales is evidence of the strong global appetite for high-quality, UK factual programming that increasingly resonates with a youth audience. It is without doubt our strong relationships with UK producers are critical to our success,” Tim Mutimer, CEO of Banijay Rights said. •

ENDEMOL SHINE BOOMDOG JOINS FORCES WITH KATE DEL CASTILLO The division of Endemol Shine North America has signed an overall development deal with award-winning actress and producer Kate Del Castillo and her Cholawood Productions team. Del Castillo will both produce and star in projects that will be jointly developed between Endemol Shine Boomdog and Cholawood Productions. Del Castillo, along with her partners, veteran Latin entertainment industry executive Carmen Cervantes and Daytime Emmy Award-winning journalist Jessica Maldonado, leads Cholawood Productions, which will be housed at Endemol Shine’s Los Angeles offices. The two sides are currently exploring scripted and unscripted development opportunities in both English and Spanish. Flavio Morales, Endemol Shine Latino’s Los Angeles-based Executive Vice President, U.S. Initiatives, will oversee all programming efforts with Del Castillo and the Cholawood team. •

“BROKEN PIECES” TAKES THE WORLD Global Agency announced new sales for “Broken Pieces” in Russia, Uzbekistan and Bangladesh. The latest sales for the drama were closed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Argentina, South Africa, Panama, Serbia, and Montenegro. With these countries the drama will be aired in 70 territories. The drama is produced by Endemol Shine Turkey and was aired on Star TV. It has 283 commercial hours in three seasons. It tells the story of two baby girls who have been swapped at birth and the truth emerges 15 years later. It is a story about difficult choices, tough decisions, entwined lives and parents spinning their children’s lives. •

2ble Click NBCUNIVERSAL TELEMUNDO ACQUIRES UNDERGROUND NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises acquired the internationally renowned production boutique Underground Producciones, based in Argentina. The new wholly owned subsidiary will become an extension of the successful Telemundo Global Studios, designed to create premium content for prime time and digital platforms. •

THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO TAPS JULIANA BARRERA

The Spanish media company has upgraded its stable highend content producers with the hiring of seasoned Colombian producer-showrunner Juliana Barrera as its head of content in Colombia. Barrera’s credits include hit reality show “La Voz Colombia,” “Always a Witch,” the first original Netflix series in Colombia; “The Secret Law,” the true story of an all-female special police unit; “The White Slave,” a mega-series about slavery in Colombia that sold to some 150 countries; “Perfect Lies,” the Colombian version of U.S. series “Nip/Tuck,” and “Lynch,” penned by her. •

“MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT” ORDERED FOR TWO MORE SEASONS Lifetime ordered two new supersized seasons of the hit series “Married and First Sight”, produced by Kinetic Content, a Red Arrow Studios company. Returning in 2020, the show’s milestone 10th season will be two hours each night, as will season 11. For the first time in history, each season will feature five new couples who take the leap into matrimony without so much as knowing who they are to be wedded to. Ranking as Lifetime’s top series for each of the past two years, the season 9 finale was the best performing episode on a single network ever. •

KESHET’S “OUR BOYS” SOLD TO CANAL+ Keshet International closed the sale of Keshet Studios’ and HBO’s 10-part limited drama series “Our Boys” to Canal+, the leading pay TV operator in France. In addition to this sale, Keshet closed a number of pre-sales deals for this drama which allowed “Our Boys” to simulcast in Spain, Portugal, Nordic, Baltics and CEE on HBO Europe, in the Caribbean before rolling out throughout Latin America on HBO Latin America and in Israel all four major TV platforms, HOT, Yes, Cellcom TV, and Partner TV. •

15,000+ HOURS

NBCUniversal announced Peacock as the name for its new streaming service. Peacock rolls out in April of 2020 with over 15,000 hours of content and will be both advertising and subscription supported.

BOAT ROCKER ACQUIRES PLATFORM ONE MEDIA The acquisition of the Los Angelesbased television production studio will strengthen Boat Rocker’s foothold in US and global television production, with premium scripted series, where Platform One has quickly grown to become a market leader. Katie O’Connell Marsh, who launched Platform One in 2017, has been promoted to Founder and Chairman of Platform One and will be taking on a senior leadership role at Boat Rocker. •

OVERVIEW

THE NEXT STEP FOR THE CO-PRODUCTION BUSINESS EXECUTIVES FROM INTERNATIONAL LEADING COMPANIES EXPLAIN THE NEW TRENDS AND BUSINESS MODELS AROUND ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR EXPANSION APPROACHES OF THE CONTENT ENVIRONMENT.

ne of the most powerful trends in the global content production and distribution industry is not new or strange: coproduction. The business model has evolved to new ways of partnering up but remains as one of the most influential and powerful developing options. “The demand for local content has opened up many opportunities for content creators, especially to co-develop and produce. The key to making great local content is to embrace unique sensibilities and this is where partnering with local producers adds tremendous value,” Ana Langenberg, SVP, Format Sales & Production at NBCUniversal International Formats, explained. “You can never underestimate the power of creating new formats with local partners, especially formats with entertainment and universal themes at the core, which will perform well beyond the local market,” she added. “Creating, producing, and distributing content to multiple platforms is one of Globo’s greatest assets to remain relevant, both in the national and international markets. The diversification of business models

[ FOTO/S? ]

is a constant search that allows us to expand our content options even further, generating good opportunities to work on our own productions and co-productions with strategic partners around the world,” Raphael Correa Netto, Executive Director of International Business at Globo, said. The co-production business model is an established and successful way of financing a show, particularly a premium drama. “Many of the broadcasters are looking to feature new programming tailored to their market and audience but at a lower cost. Co-production has grown to meet this demand and distributors are able to play a key role in matching partners as well as co-investing and managing what may be more than one broadcaster partner’s interests’, allied with the international market expertise,” Nicky Davies Williams, CEO at DCD Rights, described. “We’ve found working with marketleading broadcasters to co-develop bespoke new formats together is a powerful first step towards creating internationally successful IP. Our new Networks division currently has six active non-scripted formats at various stages of development and

production with partners in Africa, Latin America, and Europe,” Revital Basel, MD of Networks at Keshet International, explained. The appearance of the new platforms and the growth of OTT distribution has opened the way for original productions, as these platforms look for options to acquire content that can differentiate them. “Streaming is becoming more popular among cordcutters and service-stackers. There are a lot of resources dedicated to production and lots of interesting stories to be told. The fact of ‘binging’ also makes it attractive, since the production of series has become an anchor for the digital platforms,” Luis Villanueva, President and CEO at Somos Distribution, stated. The co-production model tends to be the most likely way to get a TV series financed nowadays. “However, co-productions that are put together strictly for financial reasons can often have disparate points of view that then impact the final result in a negative way. Organic coproductions, with creatively aligned partners, can have amazing global impact. Not only do they benefit from having strong budgets which result in

BO STEHMEIER RED ARROW

fantastic production values; but also, from joint marketing campaigns, resulting in further reach. It’s fair to say that projects that attract at least two significant buyers are likely to appeal globally,” Carrie Stein, EVP Global Scripted at Kew Media Group supported. “Co-production projects become to solve the problems derived from the production costs increase. The traditional or standard broadcaster model, paying all the costs of its programming, has given pass to

other models as co-productions or pre-sales, where several partners share the production risks,” Rafael Bardem, Head of Programmes and Licensing Sales at RTVE, declared.

PROVEN RESULTS Over the past few years, several co-productions had travelled all over the world, but the approach, development, and monetization of each title is different. “At Mipcom, one of our key titles, ‘Dignity’, is a

CARRIE STEIN

KEW MEDIA

German-Chilean co-production. It is produced by German production company Story House Pictures and Chilean producer Invercine & Wood for Joyn (Germany) and Mega (Chile), in co-production with Chilean television fund CNTV and Mega,” Bo Stehmeier, President at Red Arrow Studios International, explained. “We co-developed ‘Singer Auction’ with Thailand’s Zense Entertainment. It’s a fresh take on a talent-show with great potential, especially across other territories in Asia. Not only has it has proven to be a primetime hit in Thailand, but Vietnam too,” Ana Langenberg said. Turner Latin America is currently working on the preproduction of three projects in Mexico. The first one is “Las Bravas”, its first co-production with Mediapro. The second show is “Amarres”, together with Dopamine, a 10-episode dramedy that has already started shooting and it is scheduled to

ANA LANGENBERT

NBCUNIVERSAL

DAVID HANONO EONE

premiere in 2020. “Turner’s third production in Mexico is with BTF and it is the Mexican version of ‘La Chica que Limpia’. We are also working with Plataforma and Comarex with the production ‘Bronco’, a biopic that will tell the story of the Mexican regional music band,” Marcelo Tamburri, VP of Scripted Content Development at Turner Latin America, said. Co-production continues to fuel new production opportunities. David Hanono, Vice-President of Sales, Latin America at eOne International Distribution, explains that depending on the type of finance model, negotiations can be leveraged for different windows in order to keep the rights and sell them in different territories. “The power of co-production allows international partnerships to produce more relevant and edgy content that can travel to other markets, like in the case of ‘Designated Survivor’ on Netflix. The series was so well-received internationally that it resulted in eOne’s first format co-production in Asia for the Korean adaptation, which recently concluded a record-breaking season finale in the region,” he added. Keshet International has recently co-developed “Drive Master” with Russia’s biggest broadcaster, NTV. “We knew that the channel was looking for a standout primetime entertainment format. After received a detailed brief, our initial approach had 16 ideas. We entered into a creative process involving teams from both teams. The series already premiered in Russia and will be one of our highlights for Mipcom,” Revital Basel pointed out. “We now have a model that really allows us to work fast and efficiently, and to share risk and profit. We already have a 31

OVERVIEW huge amount of experience tailoring formats for local audiences with broadcasters all over the world,” she indicated. Another company with a huge coproduction background is Pol-ka Producciones. The production house has already worked together with pan-regional programmers, pay-TV operators, OTT players, and European broadcasters. “We’ve just bought the rights of Jorge Franco’s latest book, ‘El Cielo a Tiros’. The plan is to shoot the series in Colombia, since it is a show that may not have a window in Argentina,” Manuel Marti, Head of Development and International Business at Pol-Ka Producciones, described. “We believe that good partners

LUIS VILLANUEVA SOMOS

creative in our deal-making that enables us to have a mixed economy of projects and financing models. For titles like ‘Sharp Objects’ and ‘Run’, eOne partnered with HBO to produce those series which in turn delivered incredible halo value. Contrarily, for the ABC/eOne produced network series ‘The Rookie’, eOne engaged early local market presales to reduce the deficit on this internationally appealing procedural drama,” David Hanono added.

Austrian TV Fund, Vienna Film Fund and Austrian Culture Fund, alongside investment from Red Arrow Studios International,” Bo Stehmeier described. “It is all about content and developing flexible key partnerships in order to develop the best show and distribute it all around the globe. To be able to develop a massive quantity of content with the highest level of quality we found that coproduction’s are the best choice. In recent years, we developed great relationships with world-class partners such as Rainbow, Claro Video, Amazon,

MANUEL MARTI POL-KA

FEDERICO CUERVO VIACOM

fuel the creative process and adds dynamism to the process. We’ve had some successful coproductions cases, such as ‘Aruanas’, a co-production with Maria Farinha Filmes; ‘Under Pressure,’ a project with Conspiração Filmes; and ‘Jugar con Fuego’, in partnership with Telemundo,” Raphael Correa Netto described. There has been a certain evolution of the co-production and codevelopment business models. “With eOne being a producer/distributor, we have the advantage to get

NEW MODELS The co-production business has evolved and new offers new ways of partner up and developing content. New and different business models are being embraced due to the

NICKY DAVIES DCD

numerous changes and trends within the industry, like the emergence of several SVOD platforms. “For us, the most important thing is developing new ideas and tapping into the different creative pockets across the world. Especially in territories where we’re looking to build on our presence and footprint,” Ana Langenberg stated. “There is definitely a pressure to find new ways in which to finance content in today’s market and to make use of myriad funding sources. We are noticing that TV funds and tax credits are playing a larger part in financing shows. For instance, our premium drama, ‘Vienna Blood’, is part financed using a combination of UK tax credits, plus money from the

Netflix, Cablevision, Mega, Atresmedia, The Mediapro Studios, and Ay Yapim. We created Viacom International Studios to continue developing all types of content and to co-produce and monetize with different types of partners,” Federico Cuervo, SVP, Head of Viacom International Studios, said. “The model of finding a base coproduction broadcaster that can join with our investment to trigger production is a model that has developed and grown strongly in the last two years. We have co-produced over 70 hours of programming in this way in factual programming and have moved this model over into our dramas where we are currently working on two projects in this way,” Nicky Davies Williams said. One of the main important concepts is “to share risks”. “That means, share rights, territories, and windows, with partners focused in complementary business of yours. The model selected is secondary, coproduction or pre-sales are good ways to reach the same goal: share risks,” Rafael Bardem declared. As a way to find new appealing

OVERVIEW IP and business models, Keshet International is using its knowledge and expertise to co-develop bespoke formats with local broadcasters. “It is a super-fair model that we like to call ‘Sharing is Caring’, because together we share the risks; Keshet assumes the development costs and the broadcaster the production budgets. Later, we share the benefits. Keshet retains the rights in Israel, the broadcaster owns them in their local

RAFAEL BARDEN RTVE

territory, and together we share the rest of the world,” Revital Basel described.

MAXIMIZING IP RIGHTS With the emergence of new SVOD platforms, maximizing IP and holding onto rights has brought new opportunities and challenges in almost equal measure. “We get involved with and advance money at a much earlier stage of a show’s lifecycle; build the business model, and financing package, and then come up with a bespoke distribution strategy to ensure the maximum value is generated for Red Arrow Studios International and our production partners,” Bo Stehmeier defined. “Every piece of IP lends itself to different buyers and it’s important to have a plan right from the start about which buyers you’re developing for. Having said that, TV Series are fluid and as they develop, it tends to become apparent what the ideal platform is for that particular show.

MARCELO TAMBURRI TURNER

What started as a premium cable police drama could wind up as a network, procedural cop drama given a certain writer. A terrific series on the wrong platform won’t likely be successful. Landing on the right spot is key. Most shows which are successful over time will find the right platform globally,” Carrie Stein indicated. “Negotiating rights has certainly become more challenging, but there is a demand for content like we’ve never seen before. We are no longer restricted to linear broadcasters and traditional schedules. SVOD recognize the value in a great format, with global appeal and are willing to take more risk. This is a great time for content creators. But the most important thing is getting the utmost value out of what you’re licensing and if needed, recompense,” Ana Langenberg emphasized. “It’s our job to ensure the formats we license, co-develop, and co-produce go to the perfect homes, whether that’s a network, traditional broadcaster or SVOD platform. The business models may differ, but as long as we’re

REVITAL BASEL KESHET

getting the most value out of the show and it’s adapted with the same high production values, it stands the best chance for success,” she added. “We must be careful in assigning exclusivities and dates for licensing. If the objective is to maximize distribution then the more flexibility in the handling of the rights the faster the product can travel from platform to platform, to channels and territories. This is a new and exciting business and we are all learning. Fortunately, there’s experience and collaboration among producers and clients, knowing that this is best to increase revenues for everybody,”

Luis Villanueva clarified. Nicky Davies Williams from DCD affirms that the benefits of this model, from the producer’s point of view, is that it combines the expertise of a broadcaster partner with a distribution partner, both of whom know their markets and are able to work together to meet both demands rather than a potentially more parochial single country production. “Quality story-telling

RAPHAEL CORREA GLOBO

remains universally relevant, but key to international as well as individual country success is the depiction of high profile or universal subject matter,” she observed. “Each project is different and business models have evolved into many, so there is not one model that fits all. It is all about having a good story to tell, the right talent, and the best partner to do it with. Producers and networks have a need to coproduce more to be able to sustain the cost of this increase in demand by sharing the risks with other partners,” Federico Cuervo added. The relation between IP and great storytelling is critical to every project. “At eOne we embrace a platform agnostic strategy and content-first approach, which is why we combined our TV/film/ digital divisions to tap into our diverse business across all media and licensing in order to fully maximize opportunities and global reach,” David Hanono clarified. “We approach each strategy differently depending on what’s best for the project whether it be partnering with a global platform or negotiating windows with linear broadcasters,” he concluded. By Diego Alfagemez

OVERVIEW

SMARTPHONES VIDEO IS EVERYWHERE IHS MARKIT | TECHNOLOGY FINDINGS REVEAL THAT SMARTPHONES ARE UNIQUELY UBIQUITOUS DEVICES, WITH THEIR GLOBAL ACTIVE INSTALLED BASE GROWING TO MORE THAN 5 BILLION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2018.

USAGE TRENDS Consumers are already using their smartphones to access video services both in and out of the home. More than half of survey respondents claimed they watch video content on their smartphones monthly. On average, 3.5 video services are accessed via smartphones each month, with YouTube being the most accessed across all countries surveyed. Differences emerge not only between different countries but also when looking at gender, age, smartphone brand, mobile carrier, and geographic location. Data plans and content partnerships have been vital in driving out-of-home video viewing during the past few years. Nearly two-thirds of consumers who stream content out of the home every month select long-form videos. SMARTPHONE USERS ACCESSING VIDEO CONTENT MONTHLY Smartphone household penetration Use smartphones for video (monthly) 100% 80% % of respondents

martphones are uniquely ubiquitous devices, with their global active installed base growing to more than 5 billion for the first time in 2018. As smartphones have become pervasive, so has smartphone video, with more than half of owners now employing their phones as video viewing devices every month. The trend is just one of the findings revealed by a consumer survey across the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and India conducted by Fateha Begum, Associate Director at IHS Markit | Technology, now a part of Informa Tech. Smartphones increasingly are serving many purposes and needs, moving away from voice-oriented devices to become more media-centric systems. Video has become a key component of mobile strategies, as smartphones adopt larger screens, faster processors, and better picture quality. The launch of 4G data plans spurred mobile carriers to partner with content providers in a bid to highlight the capability to stream video content out-of-home. Device manufacturers and mobile carriers are now shifting their focus toward 5G for consumers, although use cases are yet to be proven, and adoption will be heavily reliant on mobile and handset plans. The key consumer benefits of 5G smartphones include increased speed and low latency, providing greater mobility, particularly when accessing and consuming real-time content out of the home.

60% 40% 20% 10% 0%

Brazil Germany India

Japan

Source: IHS Markit

Trends within geographic locations were also evident from the consumer surveys. Out-of-home video users across India are most likely to select the full TV program category, followed by films. Films are the most-watched content type only in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southern areas, where Tamil and Telugu are widely spoken. In the UK, respondents in the suburban areas of Greater London are more likely to view live content daily than those in urban areas of the city and are more likely to select long-form content types as their mostwatched category. MARKET FACTS In 2019, monthly video users on smartphones overtook PC for the first time across the six markets surveyed. Video services, OTT, and traditional pay-TV are increasingly recognizing the importance of smartphones in driving video. Smartphones are a particularly vital device in Asia Pacific, where they account for more than half of connected devices capable of online video streaming and therefore are key to expanding user reach in the region. Social media platforms are also shifting their focus to video, as consumers are spending more time viewing video content. In 2018, consumers in the US and the big five European markets spent an average of 29 minutes a day watching social video. Social media sites, as well as user-generated platforms like YouTube, are moving toward longerform content. Facebook launched IGTV on its Instagram platform in 2018 while competing platform Snap launched its mobile-first original programming. By IHS Markit | Technology

MIPCOM 2019

DRAMA ∙ SERIES ∙ NON SCRIPTED ∙ FACTUAL ∙ ENTERTAINMENT ∙ FILMS

DRAMA

PERPETUAL GRACE LTD MGM 10 x 60’

Young grifter James (Simpson) attempts to prey upon Pastor Brown (Sir Ben Kingsley) and his wife (Jacki Weaver) who turns out to be far more dangerous than he suspects.

www.mgm.com

VAN DER VALK ALL3MEDIA INTERNATIONAL 3 x 120’

Produced by Company Pictures, co-produced by NL Film, ARD Degeto, All3Media International, and Masterpiece. This sleek well-paced detective procedural filmed in Amsterdam stars Marc Warren as the eponymous Commissaris Van der Valk.

THE GULF BANIJAY RIGHTS 6 x 60’

www.all3mediainternational.com

BEHZAT Ç. INTER MEDYA Action

Behzat Ç. was suspended by an organization that had been structured within the police force seven years ago. After turning in his badge, he jumped into his red Beetle and headed for the unknown.

www.intermedya.tv

VICTORIA SMALL

CRADLE OF WOLVES

VIACOM INTERNATIONAL STUDIOS 55 x 60’

TELEVISA INTERNATIONAL 25 x 60’

www.viacominternationalstudios.com

www.televisainternacional.com

An innovative comedy drama, developed in partnership with The Mediapro Studio, is a daily scripted series about the story of four women with strong motherly instincts, intertwined in raising little Victoria in a modern family.

Justice isn’t always right. And some crimes aren’t wrong. But where does that leave us? And the people caught between the two? “The Gulf” is about the moral disintegration of Detective Jess Savage, who finds herself in exactly that place as she investigates crimes on her home patch of Waiheke Island, New Zealand.

www.banijayrights.com

Evil, ambition and treachery take center stage in this story about the mother of all telenovela female villains, Catalina Creel. After causing the death of her wealthy husband Carlos, Catalina, whose beauty is surpassed only by her cold-hearted cruelty, will go to any and all lengths, no matter how despicable, to secure her fortune and her bloodline.

NON-SCRIPTED & ENTERTAINMENT

SOKKURI SWEETS NIPPON TV Game Show - 60’

THE BOX CHALLENGE DON’T BANIJAY RIGHTS 8 x 60’ + Format

Banijay Studios North America for ABC Network. From Hollywood superstar and executive producer Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, X-Men Origins: Wolverine), and host Adam Scott (Big Little Lies, Step Brothers) comes a new show where families can win money by following one simple rule: Don’t.

www.banijayrights.com

INTER MEDYA Format – 60’

It is a format with luck and tactics at its core. There are thirty randomly allocated boxes and three contestants. Each contestant begins the show with USD 200.000 in their pocket and they choose the amount they wish to allocate to the boxes. Each box is a surprise.

Hilarious gameshow in which celebrities try to spot sweets/ pastries that look identical to objects in real life. Top notch pastry chefs will create masterpieces, challenging the eyes of the celebrities. Whether it’s a shoe, a plant, or a doorknob, they must distinguish if it’s real or fake while only being able to view the object from a distance.

www.ntv.co.jp

www.intermedya.tv

HONEY YOU KNOW ME! ALL3MEDIA INTERNATIONAL Format – 60’

Originally produced by POS Video/Rob&Joep Productions for RTL, Netherlands. This feel-good format about love and relationships delves deep to find out how well happy couples really know each other through a series of challenges.

www.all3mediainternational.com

SECRET FOR A MILLION NTV Game Show – 119 x 90’

This is NTV’s most successful entertainment quiz show. The most intriguing part is that celebrities speak for themselves. The program is sensational and addictive, investigative and entertaining. It reveals very personal, deep secrets celebrities have been hiding. Every correct answer is rewarded with a cash prize.

www.ntv.ru

QUEENS OF LOVE ARMOZA FORMATS Dating Show – 60’

Show that brings a fresh take to the popular genre by introducing the best advisors for troubled singles – three outrageous drag queens – who, with their insights from both worlds, will guide each single in choosing the best match. Three fabulous queens will come to the rescue of a hopeless single who has been looking for love in all the wrong places.

www.armozaformats.com

FILMS & TV EVENTS

DEADPOOL 2 DISNEY MEDIA DISTRIBUTION Action

HUSTLERS TELEFILMS Thriller

Bond has left active service, but his old CIA friend Felix Leiter asks for help on a rescue mission that leads him to a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Starring Daniel Craig.

Directed by Lorene Scafaria, with Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles. The film is based on the viral New York Magazine article and follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.

www.mgm.com

www.telefilms.com.ar

NO TIME TO DIE MGM Feature Film/Action

Wisecracking anti-hero Deadpool must pin forces with a motley collection of mutants in order to save a rebellious teenage mutant from the grip of a powerful enemy; a genetically enhanced super-soldier from the future known as Cable. Ryan Reynolds reprises his role as Deadpool in this slam-bang sequel.

www.disneymediadistribution.tv

KIDS & ANIMATION

ROBOT TRAINS MONDO TV Season 3 – 52 x 11’

The successful completion of the second season of “Robot Trains”, which is now rolling out across multiple markets – was quickly followed by an agreement between Mondo TV and CJ E&M, one of South Korea’s largest content and marketing companies, for the production of a third season of the series.

100% WOLF – THE SERIES

www.mondotv.it

STUDIO 100 MEDIA CGI Animation - 26 x 22’

Freddy Lupin, heir to a proud family line of werewolves was in shock when on his 13th birthday his first “warfing” went awry, turning him into a ferocious… poodle. Now enrolled in the prestigious Howlington Academy, Freddy must prove that he still has the heart of a werewolf!

www.studio100media.com

YU-GI-OH! VRAINS KONAMI CROSS MEDIA NY Season 2 - Animation, 46 x 30’

Where virtual reality, artificial intelligence and high-speed dueling merge into a fighting extravaganza! With advances in cutting-edge technology, duelists worldwide plug into Link Vrains to compete in fast-paced competition. But this cyberspace is under attack by a team of nefarious hackers determined to destroy the virtual realm!

www.konami.com/crossmedia

THE STAR OF ANDRA AND TATI FEDERATION KIDS & FAMILY 2D Animation – 26’ TV Special

Tells the breath-taking true story of two sisters, Andra and Tatiana, who as children were deported to Auschwitz during World War II. Separated from their family, they were sent to a “Kinderblok” with their cousin Sergio. Their perseverance and vigilance coupled with the care of another sympathetic prisoner enabled the sisters to survive and were ultimately reunited with their parents in Italy.

www.fedent.com/kids-and-family/ 40

MIDWAY TELEFILMS History/War

THE ADDAMS FAMILY MGM Feature Film/Animation

“The Addams Family” is the first animated comedy about the kookiest family on the block. Funny and completely iconic, the Addams Family redefines what it means to be a good neighbor.

Epic, real-life saga about an undermanned American fleet and the brave Navy leaders and pilots who triumphed, against the odds, over a powerful adversary. With democracy and freedom at stake, these U.S. brothers-in-arms conquered the Imperial Japanese Navy at the Battle of Midway, a most stunning clash by air and sea which marked a heroic feat of naval warfare and pivoted the Allies toward victory in the Pacific Theater during WWII.

www.telefilms.com.ar

www.mgm.com

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES DISNEY MEDIA DISTRIBUTION Sci-Fi/Action

Caesar and his apes are forced into war with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins a mythic quest to avenge his kind and will confront the Colonel in an epic battle to determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.

www.disneymediadistribution.tv

FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT

DISASTERS ENGINEERED DCD RIGHTS 10 x 60’

Scientists study the world as it is, politicians debate the world they want, but engineers create the world that has never been. Industrialization, water distribution, electrification, automation, and communications are all engineering revolutions that have transformed our world and changed every detail of our lives.

ENSLAVED FREMANTLE 6 x 60’

World’s Strongest Man winner, Eddie ‘The Beast’ Hall, takes on the most calorific country on earth: can Eddie conquer America, one meal at a time?

An Associated Producers and Cornelia Street production produced and hosted by Academy Award nominated actor and human rights activist Samuel L. Jackson. Retraces the harrowing sea voyage that brought millions of Africans to a life of slavery in the New World. The series tracks the efforts of a group of elite divers, as they search for and find six ships that went down with their human “cargo”.

www.all3mediainternational.com

www.fremantle.com

www.dcdrights.com

EDDIE EATS AMERICA ALL3MEDIA INTERNATIONAL 12 x 30’

ARTIST TO ICON BANIJAY RIGHTS 10 x 60’

In this fascinating new series, we go beyond the constraints of the velvet rope to reveal how the biggest names in entertainment reached the very top. An engrossing mix of biography, artistry, glitz, and glamour combine, as we lift the lid on the blood, sweat and tears that go into reaching the very top.

www.banijayrights.com

DISTRIBUTION

NO TIME TO DIE

A PERFECT MIX BETWEEN

THE TV AND FILM BUSINESSES CHRIS OTTINGER, PRESIDENT OF WORLDWIDE TELEVISION DISTRIBUTION AND ACQUISITIONS AT MGM, TALKS ABOUT THE COMPANY’S STRATEGY IN TERMS OF PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION, AND EXPLAINS HOW THEY COMBINE BOTH BUSINESSES.

TKO

n times where the content seems to be found everywhere, MGM Studios has a significant competitive advanCHRIS OTTINGER tage: a stable TV business and also an active film division. “We are generating a ton of content. Our core studio businesses are production and distribution. That is really what we are focusing on,” said Chris Ottinger, President of Worldwide Television Distribution and Acquisitions at MGM. For this year’s Mipcom, television highlights include the romantic comedy “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” from executive producer Mindy Kaling. This American miniseries is based on the 1994 British film of the same name written by Richard Curtis. The show premiered on July 31, 2019, on Hulu and MGM has been actively selling it since then. “We have concluded quite a few deals, but not everything is finished, so there is definitely still some availability,” Ottinger mentioned. On the production side, MGM also counts with a large unscripted business. “Five different units are working right now in unscripted production. There is the main MGM unit that produces shows like ‘The Voice,’ ‘Survivor,’ and ‘Shark Tank’ in the United States. Then we have two cable production companies:

Evolution Studios, which made a ton of shows for Bravo; and Big Fish Entertainment, the authors of the ‘Live PD’ franchise. Those are three domestic production entities. On top of that, we have MGM Global Formats & Unscripted Content, Concept Street, and Orion Television,” the executive explained. RISKY BUSINESS The President of Worldwide Television Distribution and Acquisitions of MGM sees an incredibly competitive market where the barriers for a series are relatively low compared to films. “There are heavy costs in films, and it is very risky. Studios can do that, but independent players can’t. As a studio, that is one of our great advantages,” he declared. Regarding that area, the executive analyzed the current market and said that “a decade ago there were probably 450 films being made by the studios each year, and this year the number will be around 160 and 180. Maybe 40% of those shows are being made by Disney-Fox. Those companies are soon going to pull that content out of the market and make them available only on their services”. However, MGM still has his own films slate available for buyers, and that is fundamental in the company’s strategy. When it comes to TV series, Ottinger believes it is all about execution. “There is so much competition in the drama market. We are super focused

FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL

on execution and creating the best quality product on the market,” he indicated. “Series really need to be strong to stand out. We have made such high-quality series,” he added. The group is also focused on bringing its shows to platforms where they know they are going to perform well. “It is super critical to find the right home for the shows. That is the key focus of our drama division. In terms of distribution, we are very sensitive about where we place our shows because we want them to be in an environment where they can succeed. We do not want them to be lost on a schedule or in a multitude of offerings,” he pointed. In terms of strategy, MGM works very much across all types of products and offers different opportunities for any media. “We are a very collaborative partner. That is the right approach, rather than stepping in and out of deals,” Ottinger concluded. By Federico Marzullo

INTERVIEW

“WE LIKE CONTENT THAT CUTS THROUGH THE CLUTTER”

y the beginning of 2019, Paramount Pictures promoted Dan Cohen to President of Worldwide Home Entertainment & TV Licensing for Paramount Pictures. Cohen used to serve as President of Worldwide Television Licensing, and now manages the international business of the company. Señal News interviewed Cohen in order to find out the new launches for Mipcom, what is the company’s current strategy in terms of production and distribution, and how do they look for the best opportunity for each production.

DAN COHEN, PRESIDENT OF WORLDWIDE HOME ENTERTAINMENT & TV LICENSING FOR PARAMOUNT PICTURES, REVEALS THE COMPANY’S SLATE FOR MIPCOM AND DISCUSS ITS CURRENT STRATEGY IN TERMS OF PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION.

How do you look for the best opportunity for each production in terms of partners and windows? “Our approach is to canvas the global marketplace on each series so that we can determine the right approach for each individual show. We have done global all-rights deals, co-production deals, pre-buys, and even waited to go to the market with a finished product in some cases. We collaborate with the respective producers and jointly determine the best approach”. How do you mix the OTT, free TV, and pay-TV sales strategy? “We evaluate each title individually, with the goal being to find the best outcome for the specific series, while also allowing us to work with a range of potential clients, from premium services to streamers, or cable and broadcasters. We have series on (or coming to) Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Apple, Quibi, and HBO Max, as well as TNT, Paramount Network, Epix, Showtime, and more”.

“THE GREAT” & “PEN15” ”EMILY IN PARIS”

Which shows is Paramount presenting at Mipcom? “We have a very exciting slate of series, including shows like ‘Looking For Alaska,’ the upcoming Hulu series based on the award-winning novel by international best-selling author John Green; ‘The Great,’ from MRC, which will be on Hulu next year and stars Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult in a new interpretation of the life of Catherine the Great of Russia. We will also launch ‘Emily In Paris,’ a new series from ‘Sex and the City’ creator Darren Star, which stars Lily Collins and will debut on Paramount

DAN COHEN

Network; and ‘Pen15,’ the critically acclaimed and hilarious Hulu series from AwesomenessTV. Another highlight will be ‘When Hope Calls,’ which is a new Hallmark series that expands on the ‘When Calls The Heart’ franchise”. What is the company’s strategy in terms of production and distribution? “We distribute our movies and series internationally and work with a wide range of business models. We do not have a rule book or a one-size-fitsall approach”.

What does it take to earn a place in the increasingly competitive content market? “We like content that cuts through the clutter. That can be our terrific movie slate, a series based on wellknown IP, something brand new and fresh that taps into the zeitgeist, or a show with great talent attached. When we have several of these elements in place, as in the case of ‘Catch-22,’ which was produced by George Clooney and had source material with an exceptional pedigree, we find demand is consistently high”. By Federico Marzullo

INTERVIEW

“WE HAD A

POSITIVE START

OF OUR PRODUCTION BUSINESS” CAN OKAN

CAN OKAN, FOUNDER AND CEO AT INTER MEDYA, PROVIDES THE DETAILS OF THE BIG HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COMPANY FOR MIPCOM: “BEHZAT Ç” AND “BITTER LANDS,” TWO WELL-ESTABLISHED BRANDS INSIDE THE TURKISH DRAMA INTERNATIONAL OFFER.

ipcom 2019 will have two huge drama launches for Inter Medya. First, the comeback of one of the most popular Turkish dramas ever: “Behzat Ç”. An Inter Medya’s production, the show returns after a six-year break and with a massive base of fans worldwide. The second drama highlight for Mipcom will be the second season of “Bitter Lands,” a show that continues to expand its global footprint. In order to describe both launches, Señal News spoke with Can Okan, Founder and CEO at Inter Medya.

What is the potential of the return of “Behzat Ç”?

“In the Spring of 2019, we decided to produce nine new episodes of the beloved Turkish series ‘Behzat Ç’ for Turkey’s first SVOD platform, BluTV. A phenomenal novel, the series was previously aired in Turkey between 2010 and 2013. After a 6-year break, it returned to the screens and broke records as soon as it was online, becoming Twitter’s trending topic with each new episode. In addition to the original fan base of the show, 46

How important is for the company’s drama strategy to launch a new season of “Bitter Lands”?

“TAINTED LOVE”

“Bitter Lands” was without a doubt one of the most successful Turkish dramas of 2019 and we are happy that it was renewed for a second season. We have already sold the first season to 23 territories worldwide, 14 of them in Latin America. We can’t wait to see what the new season will bring ahead”.

What was the global performance of the show? “BITTER LANDS”

“BEHZAT Ç”

the new season caught the attention of many new viewers. The footprint of the show has increased daily. It has been an incredibly positive start for our production business, and we do not doubt that it will do great in the international market”.

What are the new and returning features of the show?

“In order to keep the series’ originality, we decided to continue the story from it finished seven years ago. We worked with the same characters and cast. With that, we made sure to create an updated version of ‘Behzat Ç’ in 2019”.

“‘Bitter Lands’ has become a local and international hit. In Turkey, the series increased its ratings with each new episode. It is now a Thursday’s night tradition among viewers. The series’ success continued in the international arena, where it was also nominated for ‘Best Drama’ at the 14th Seoul Drama Awards, while Uğur Güneş was selected for ‘Best Actor’ award for his role as Yılmaz”.

What will be the drama highlights of Inter Medya for Mipcom?

“Mipcom is one of the most important global television and film markets and, as always, we are excited to showcase our newest titles. In addition to ‘Behzat Ç’ and the second season of ‘Bitter Lands,’ we will present ‘Tainted Love,’ a title produced by TIMS&B Productions. The drama talks about the challenges of life, family secrets, love, and self-sacrifice”. By Diego Alfagemez

PRODUCTION

THE SEARCH FOR GLOBAL EMOTIONS FEDERICO CUERVO, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF VIACOM INTERNATIONAL STUDIOS, EXPLAINS THE COMPANY’S PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION STRATEGY AND DESCRIBES HOW THEIR PRODUCTS SEEK TO TOUCH UNIVERSAL EMOTIONS.

iacom International Studios is the division of Viacom responsible for generating and distributing content all over the world. When it comes to making business, the area certainly does not have only one strategy. “The studio’s FEDERICO CUERVO strategy is super wide. We do not have a single line of business or a single way of doing business,” said Federico Cuervo, Senior Vice President and Head of Viacom International Studios. The company is an independent brand that provides services to all Viacom brands across the world, like the Argentinian free-to-air channel Telefe, the SVOD platform Paramount+, and all the pan-regional pay-TV networks from Viacom’s portfolio. “One business goal is to continue producing independently for our brands, whether as a finished product or a format. Then, that product is sold by us to the rest of the world,” Cuervo explained. One great example of that business model is “100 Días para Enamorarse,” a sitcom that has been nominated for the last International Emmys. The series is a co-production with Underground, and its format was sold to Mega in Chile and Telemundo in the United States. Also, Viacom International Studios has sold the format to Paramount Television, which will adapt it into a series for Showtime. Moreover, the finished product is available to be sold globally. Viacom International Studios is also open and capable of producing in different locations. “In Brazil, we have the know-how, and we can offer a production service there, as well as we do in Mexico or the United States,” Cuervo stated. However, he also said that “these days the most common type of deal is just to sell the format and do a follow-up”.

GROWING STRATEGY Another successful way of doing business for Viacom International Studios is the presales strategy. “We have an idea; we develop it, and we start producing. At that moment, maybe one company wants to partner with us before we start producing or even while we are doing it. It is something we have been doing a lot with partners such as Amazon,” Cuervo pointed. The difference between that model and a typical co-production deal is that in the first case the partner enters just as an investor, but not as a co-producer because the IP rights remain as a Viacom’s property. When it comes to searching for new ideas, the company is also wide open. “Our team has a double function: to seek and to receive ideas. Sometimes producers come to us with new projects, and we choose which one we like, and we are keen to develop. Depending on how advanced the project is, we get more or less involved. We make modifications, but we will never change a story,” Cuervo assured. The company is also buying book rights to produce audiovisual content. Two clear examples were presented during the last LA Screenings: “38 Estrellas,” a journalistic account of the greatest escape of a women’s prison in the world; and “Entre Mi Hijo y Yo, la Luna,” a diary about a father searching for his lost son in the mountains, a survivors tale of the Andes’ accident. With such a wide range of possibilities, the focus of Viacom International Studios is mainly to have content that has universal appeal. “Beyond the particularities of each country, people will always identify with the shows. We are looking for emotions, and no matter where in the world you are, emotions are felt the same way”, Cuervo concluded. By Federico Marzullo & Fernando Calviño

“VICTORIA SMALL”

OVERVIEW

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN THE CEE REGION

INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVES WHO MANAGE BUSINESS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE EXPLAIN THE TRENDS AND NEEDS OF A REGION THAT HAD EXPERIENCED A DRAMATIC GROWTH IN THE RECENT YEARS.

he content distribution industry in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region had experienced a dramatic growth in recent years. Major shifts happened at almost every platform, from payTV to Internet Protocol TV (IPTV), together with Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) and Over-the-top TV (OTT). This new environment has created a competitive and dynamic market environment. Television markets in CEE are multiplying in terms of pay-TV subscribers, revenue, and viewing. The region is seeing an active transition of traditional cable and terrestrial propositions to IPTV services, particularly in markets with high penetration and more advanced pay-TV offerings. Telcos driving IPTV innovation through the integration of third-party premium video services, YouTube access, and transactional video offerings. Moreover, telcos are driving up TV subscriptions through multi-play (broadband and telephony) bundles. “Viacom operates a market thematic pay-TV portfolio on our four key markets across CEE: Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Romania. While we still see opportunities in further strengthening our linear content offering, the evolving digital transformation presents great opportunity to diversify our content distribution, expanding into the multiscreen and multiplatform environment,” Gábor Harsányi, VP and General Manager for Viacom International Media 50

GABOR HARSANYI VIACOM

Networks, Central Eastern Europe and Israel, stated. “We see growth potential in this region and are looking at partnership opportunities across all areas to achieve our goals,” he added. “We work with a variety of partners, for example, with Viasat World in every category of their Epic Drama channel are one of our ITV’s dramas. We work in the pay-TV space, with Pick Box; and for free TV business together with HRT, RTL. I’m constantly amazed by how many of the new players and channels you can find in the CEE region. Every time that you think you know everybody in the region, something new appears. There are endless possibilities in the CEE,” Jennifer Ebell, SVP Sales for EMEA at ITV Studios Global Entertainment, said.

JENNIFER EBELL

ITV STUDIOS

“Different clients have different needs; it just depends on the networks. Thankfully we have a sort of a lot of genres that help us with that, our female thrillers made for US Networks perform very well

in the CEE region, together with romantic movies and disaster action movies. Family movies are popular across the region as well. It is a very challenging region, with so many countries and channels,” Andrew Whiteman, Director, Distribution at MarVista Entertainment, explained.

ANDREW WHITEMAN MARVISTA

DIGITAL POTENTIAL Central and Eastern Europe is set to more than double its subscription video-on-demand base over the next five years, according to Digital TV Research. Recent data from the research outfit shows that the region will have 26.19 million SVOD subscriptions by 2024, up from 10.02 million recorded by end-2018. Russia will supply 8.77 million to the 2024 total, with Poland bringing in another 6.32 million. Together, they will account for 58% of the region’s total. “The imminent launches of both Disney+ and Apple TV+ will further boost the sector. We forecast nearly three million subscribers for Disney+ by 2024. Apple TV+ will be more modest,” Simon Murray, principal analyst at Digital TV Research said. “It is an exciting time for CEE. The region has great potential to shift towards the OTT players, yet linear viewing is still powerful. Whatever

the future holds for the region we have always seen an appetite for good-quality content,” Nicky Wood, SVP and Head of EMEA International Sales at Lionsgate, described. “In CEE, we’re always looking at new opportunities, and we are interested in working with production companies and platforms that have projects that will fit our diverse catalog. We are also interested in series that are

NICKY WOOD LIONSGATE

open to coproduce,” she added. Futuresource have recently identified Ukraine as a bright spot for growth, according to its latest market report, covering eight key countries in the CEE region. Across these critical markets, consumer spend increased by 3% last year, reaching €3.85 billion annually. “There is a greater movement in the region, with a growing presence of buyers. In the CEE region, television still has an important share, despite the entry of new media. However, it is a highly competitive market, where the main global players are present. There has always been a great interest in new scripts and entertainment formats,” Paloma García, International Sales Director

at Banijay Rights, described. “The challenge of the CEE region is its quantity of countries and clients. We have a lot of people to work with, and the two core markets are Russia

SIMON SUBREVILLE

BANIJAY RIGHTS

and Poland, which are leading the business in the region”, he stated. Digital TV Research estimates that Russia became the SVOD subscription market leader in 2018, overtaking Poland. However, Russian subscribers pay less for the services they sign up to, so it will take until 2023 for Russia to generate more significant SVOD revenues than Poland. “In the CEE region, the fiction content sales are remarkable. Audiences are accustomed to watching subtitled content, so the language has never been an obstacle for our series to have penetrated these territories,” Ana Bustamante, General Director at Mediterráneo, explained. “I could say that drama and thriller are the most

ANA BUSTAMANTE

MEDITERRANEO

popular contents in CEE countries,” she stated. GROWING AUDIENCE Netflix will have eight million subscribers across 22 Eastern European countries by 2024, doubling its 2018 result and representing 30% of the regional total. International players will grow despite not making much of an impact in Russia, where the local regulator has introduced a 20% foreign ownership equity limit on OTT platforms. SVOD providers can, however, do deals with local players, as HBO has done with Amediateka. “We are confident that locally produced shows form an essential and indispensable part of our core business. Local productions give true special character and local flavor to a TV brand, bringing them closer to the audience and creating real bonding with them. We are continuously producing

EASTERN EUROPE PAY TV REVENUES BY PLATFORM ($ M) 8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000

PALOMA GARCIA CARACOL

4,000 3,000 2,000

for Europe and Africa for Caracol International, explained. “We work with all the different players in the region, and we also have our own production company, called Mastiff. We also work with third-party producers to develop our formats. Buyers in the CEE region are looking for different genres,” Simon Subreville, Sales Manager

1,000 0

Analog cable TV Digital cable TV IPTV Pay DTT Satellite TV

2018

2019

2024

877 1,768 1,182 103 3,003

712 1,885 1,265 103 2,988

33 2,197 1,420 107 2,833

Source: Digital TV Research Ltd.

OVERVIEW local content for our key markets in CEE, including reality shows for MTV in Poland; stand-up specials for Comedy Central in Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, evening show for Comedy Central in Romania; and Hungary and so forth,” Gábor Harsányi from Viacom said. “Although the region is fairly fragmented, with many different languages, cultures, and consumer interests, we still see reasonable business potential in content production and have experienced openness for partnerships and new ideas across the board on most markets,” he evaluated. Poland will remain Netflix’s top country in the region, with nearly two million subscribers, a quarter of its regional total, by 2024. Poland, Romania, and Russia will account for half its subscriber base by 2024, according to Digital TV Research. “One of our goals in the CEE region

HOLLY COWDERY TCB RIGHTS

is to build more relationships with VOD platforms. The CEE region represents a huge sales potential for TCB Media Rights. Many countries make up the region, and each one has its channels, so the growth potential is enormous. It is a region that we value,” Holly Cowdery, Sales Manager at TCB Media Rights, commented. “We are well established in the region, working with all the main buyers. We now have several series on air at the major channels all over the Balcans. The next step would be to produce more formats in the CEE region,” Senay Tas, Sales Director for Central and Eastern Europe at

SENAY TAS

GLOBAL AGENCY

Global Agency, defined. “Our focus for the CEE region is the sale of dramas shows. We already closed deals in Finland, Russia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Albania, and Slovenia. We also want to expand our documentaries and formats around the region,” Tony Pérez Bonilla, International Content Sales

EASTERN EUROPE

SVOD SUBS FORECASTS BY PLATFORM (000)

30,000

TONY BONILLA RTVE

Manager & Business Development at RTVE, indicated. Established pan-European operators continue to cement their position with Digi TV acquiring local competitors in Hungary. Vodafone is widening its presence across CEE through acquiring Liberty Global’s UPC services in the region as part of its strategy to become the top operator across all of Europe.

HAYMI BEHAR SPI

“We launched Timeless Drama Channel already in ten operators, including Romania, and it is available in all the languages in the Balkans. We will launch it in Croatia, both in English and Arabic,” Haymi Behar, Chief Marketing Officer at SPI International, highlighted.

25,000 20,000

BEN PACKWOOD ALL3MEDIA

14,000 10,000 5,000 0

Others Apple TV+ Disney+ HBO Amazon Netflix

2018

2019

2024

5,712 0 0 130 122 4,051

7,204 0 0 231 211 5,263

13,713 479 2,794 572 646 7,983

“In the CEE region, we offer at least ten channels. Film Box Channel and Film Box Premium are active in multiples operators in all the countries of the region. We want to double our reach in terms of subscribers penetration,” he said. By Romina Rodríguez & Diego Alfagemez

PROGRAMMERS

THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEDIASET ITALIA

MEDIASET’S TEAM

ipcom 2019 will be part of a historic year for Mediaset Italia since the channel is celebrating its 10th Anniversary. Mediaset Italia was launched in 2009 by Mediaset Group and now is available through all the major operators in dozens of countries around the world. The channel expanded its footprint to France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Israel, Australia, and the United States, where it signed a deal with AT&T in 2017, reaching over 17 million Italian Americans residents. “Mediaset Italia’s 10th Anniversary is certainly an important milestone. We are extremely proud of our work, which confirms that our commitment to the ongoing improvement of our service is worldwide appreciated,” Giorgio Giovetti, Head of Sales at Mediaset Distribution, stated. “The channel was initially created specifically for Italians abroad, but it is now much more than that. The

“VERISSIMO” 54

GIORGIO GIOVETTI, HEAD OF SALES AT MEDIASET DISTRIBUTION, DESCRIBES THE MASSIVE MILESTONE THAT THE COMPANY IS CELEBRATING IN 2019. EXPANSION PLANS AND THE STRATEGY AHEAD FOR THE NEXT DECADE.

“ROSY ABATE”

“L’ISOLA DI PIETRO”

Italian-language channel is aimed to reach anyone feeling nostalgic for their country, but it is also for those who want to know more about Italy. The first ten years have seen us grow steadily and we are now operating in 20 countries,” Giovetti added. Mediaset Italia has dealt with major satellite, IPTV, cable, and OTT platforms all around the world. “It has been a rapid and constant evolution of the global pay-TV market, both in terms of content and accessibility. We are ready to face new challenges and meet all the new demands of the market, investing in new technologies, and enriching our programming offer. Our channel boasts a wide range of programs, from news to entertainment, together with highly successful dramas and Italian cult movies. We also added popular cooking shows and documentaries,” Giovetti said.

GLOBAL APPEAL Mediaset Italia broadcasts the best general entertainment programming from the main Mediaset’s local channels: Canale 5, Italia1, Rete4, and La5. The second channel of the company is TGCOM24, an all-news alternative. “We are delighted to share our anniversary with our clients in Cannes. We have been working hard to spread about our culture and beauties through our TV shows. Our offer is wide, from entertainment to factual and documentaries, plus news 24/7, current affairs, and sports. We are also featuring the best drama series produced in house, shortly after the Italian premiere,” Giovetti said. Mediaset Italia has the aim of offering an authentic taste of the Italian living, with shows such as “Striscia la Notizia,” “Caduta Libera,” “C’è Posta Per Te” or “Amici”. “Our goal is to continue creating and distributing our exciting TV experience abroad, showing a piece of Italy to the world,” Giovetti emphasized. “Our main objective now is undoubtedly to be able to reach the territories where we do not have a presence yet. We will continue to seek out for new opportunities to make our country, our language, and our content known everywhere in the world. We want to celebrate another important anniversary like this again,” he added. By Diego Alfagemez

PRODUCTION

LILIAM HERNÁNDEZ AND GEMA LÓPEZ

UNIVERSAL CINERGIA

n a new international expansion step, Universal Cinergia Dubbing opened the company’s new studios in Mexico City. Cristina Littin, an industry veteran, has been named Theatrical Artistic Director of the new facilities. Universal Cinergia already has 17 studios in Cuernavaca, Mexico, working nonstop on Spanish language projects. “We are truly excited about the new studios! We have been expanding in the past few years, and the last move is a response to the growing demand for Spanish dubbing. We will be strategically located in Mexico City, which will allow us to tap into more premium content and increase the current dubbing capacity of 800 hours monthly, adding about 300 hours monthly to our overall dubbing capacity for Spanish,” Liliam Hernandez, President and CEO of Universal Cinergia, stated. “Moreover,

MEXICO NEW STUDIOS’ OFFICAL OPENING 56

INAGURATES NEW STUDIOS IN MEXICO THE GLOBAL DUBBING COMPANY OPENED ITS NEW STUDIOS IN MEXICO CITY. THE FACILITIES WILL ALLOW THE COMPANY TO INCREASE ITS CURRENT CAPACITY, ADDING ABOUT 300 HOURS MONTHLY TO THE OVERALL SPANISH DUBBING POWER. our company is member of the TPN, and all our processes follow the MPAA Guidelines,” she added. Producing over 600 hours of dubbed content per month, Cinergia manages a vast network of local and international studios, together with a group of dubbing actors, directors, translators, and audio engineers who are committed to achieving the

highest quality of work in Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, and Castilian. With the new studios in Mexico City, and the additions to the Brazil facilities, Universal Cinergia reaches an impressive number of 40 fully owned recording studios, becoming into a worldwide dubbing powerhouse. GLOBAL APPEAL Universal Cinergia is one of the industry’s top content localization companies with a clients portfolio that includes names like Amazon, Lionsgate, Netflix, Hulu, and the biggest Turkish distributors and producers, together with companies all over Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Turkish companies have chosen Universal Cinergia studios for most of their content dubbing into Spanish for the past five years. Over 6,000 hours of drama content has been dubbed at the first Mexico studios. Localized language is one of the factors for the major success of Turkish dramas in Latin America. The brand-new facilities will be the second studio in Mexico to be certified by Dolby Atmos System. A major advance from stereo and surround, Dolby Atmos revolutionizes sound. Rather than being constrained to channels, sounds can be precisely placed and moved in three-dimensional space. By Diego Alfagemez

DISTRIBUTION

BETWEEN HISTORICAL DRAMAS AND MODERN TIME STORIES

AYSEGUL TUZUN

MIPCOM WILL BE A MASSIVE SPOTLIGHT FOR MISTCO, WHERE THE COMPANY WILL LAUNCH TWO NEW DRAMAS: “MELEK” AND “MY CHAMPION”. AYSEGUL TUZUN, VP OF SALES AND MARKETING, EXPLAINS THE INTERNATIONAL APPEAL OF THE SHOWS AND DESCRIBES THE RECENT EXPANSION DEALS OF THE DISTRIBUTOR.

istco will launch two new dramas at Mipcom: “Melek” and “My Champion”, together with the new seasons of its successful titles. “Melek” tells the story of a powerful mother that returns to her father’s house after years with her children. “It’s an awe-inspiring drama,” said Aysegul Tuzun, VP Sales and Marketing of Mistco. The second highlight for Mipcom is “My Champion,” the story of a boxer that needs to return to professional boxing for the last time and fight for his son. The world-famous actor Turgus Tolgahan Sayışman plays the lead role. “Both dramas appeal to a universal audience. That’s why we’re so excited. We are confident that they will make an impact, like what happened with ‘Hold My Hand’,” Tuzun anticipated. “MELEKE”

“MY CHAMPION”

Since it was launched at Mipcom last year, “Hold my Hand” had a huge international success. The show is a “modern Cinderella story,” that tells the life of Azra. She was left with her autistic brother in the street by her stepmother, without any shelter or money. While she is struggling to survive, destiny brought her and Cenk together unexpectedly. “We are glad about the success of the show. It is a heartbreaking story and a well-matched cast, which lead the show to be so popular in many different countries. The thrill of the story will overgrow, with more love and drama”, Tuzun stated.

YOUNG AUDIENCES Global media-consuming is changing fast, and that trend is not strange to Mistco. “New generations prefer to consume faster, like a whole season in a day. That audience is not looking for a traditional drama story, and they won’t consume linear TV. That makes digital platforms very important. We offer genres that can be well-received by new generations, such as ‘The Circle’, ‘Resurrection Ertugrul’ or ‘Filinta’”.

UNSTOPPABLE SALES Mistco is very active in all regions. Many of the company’s shows are now worldwide available on Netflix, and its central dramas will continue to be broadcasted internationally. One new territory for Mistco is Spain, where it has just sold “Hold My Hand,” which will be on air soon. Hungary will be another footprint for the show. “We are very proud to extend the expansion of the title,” Tuzun said. “Beloved” is also driving the international attention. Mistco has already closed several deals, with new confirmations in Angola and Mozambique. TRT will air the second season on Monday’s primetime. “We believe that it will grow more internationally with its new season,” Tuzun predicted. Regarding “The Circle,” the show had an impressive international attention. The drama reached several digital deals around the CIS region. “It was not our first deal in CIS. We already made a package deal including ‘Resurrection Ertugrul,’ ‘Filinta,’ ‘Love Me as I Am,’ and other titles with a Russian company for all digital rights,” Tuzun stated. Another show that has made a tremendous international impact is “The Last Emperor,” with new deals in Bosnia and Kazakhstan. “We also sold the title in Albania, to our long-term partner TV Klan, that is investing in the series from day one. Now they licensed the third season as well. The same thing happens with ‘Prisoner of Love,’ which is now on air in Kosovo and Macedonia. ‘Resurrection Ertugrul’ just finished in Turkey, but there are channels that just started to air season one. Moreover, our animation content is now available in regions such as Bosnia, Albania, and China,” Tuzun concluded. By Romina Rodríguez

PRODUCTION

RECORD TV OPENS NEW STUDIOS IN FLORIDA

Record’s Florida new studios official opening.

TOGETHER WITH ITS 66 ANNIVERSARY, RECORD TV INAUGURATED NEW STUDIOS AND LOCAL OFFICES SOUTH FLORIDA, USA. DISTINGUISHED NAMES IN THE US AND BRAZILIAN PUBLIC LIFE PARTICIPATED IN THE EVENT, TOGETHER WITH RECORD’S TALENT AND INTERNATIONAL GUESTS.

ecord TV celebrated its 66 Anniversary with a red-carpet gala in South Florida, USA, where it also inaugurated the new company’s local studios and offices. The event took place at the new Record TV Americas’ facilities and featured the presence of hundreds of guests, plus national and international journalists. Distinguished names in the US and Brazilian public life were part of the event, such as diplomats, politicians, and celebrities. The gala opening was hosted by the model and Record’s “Today’s Day” show host Ana Hickmann. Several guests made a speech and highlighted the value of Record’s new investment in the United States. The President of the Brazilian Tourism Institute (Embratur), Gilson Machado, highlighted how the institute is working to promote Brazil abroad; and João Mendes Pereira, General Consul of Brazil in Miami, stressed the importance of television for the Brazilian community residing outside the country. Among the celebrities present in the event, Kadu Moliterno, Rayanne Morais, and Felipe Cunha attended the stage to talk about the great success of the

Marcelo Cardoso, CEO at Record TV Iinternational 60

Felipe Cunha, Ana Hickmann, Rayanne Morais, Buddy Valastro, Kadu Moliterno Christine Moliterno, and Marcelo Cardoso.

soap opera “Topíssima,” which premiered at Record TV Americas on October 8th. The Portuguese basketball star Ticha Penicheiro; mixed martial arts fighters, Fabrício Werdum, Renzo Gracie, and Vitor Belfort; and “Cake Boss” chef Buddy Valastro, have also spoken about the value of the new Record’s Florida studios. NEW VENUE Florida’s Lighthouse Point Mayor, Glenn Troast, cut the ribbon for the opening of the new building. “We are very proud to have Record TV here in our city. We have worked with them for the past years to choose the right building and see how it turned out is wonderful. With the vibrant Brazilian community we have in South Florida, the building will be a true icon to our city,” he said. Wilon Cardoso, Executive Director at Record TV Americas, thanked the US authorities as well as all partners and guests. “This is just the beginning of a series of growing steps and investments that Record TV will implement in the US in the coming years,” he stated. Moreover, Marcelo Cardoso, CEO at Record TV International, recalled the cultural and business history between Brazil and the United States. “Brazil shares great stories with the United States. It was Brazil that hosted the first US diplomatic representation in the southern hemisphere, and the United States was also officially the first country in the world to recognize Brazil’s independence in 1824, two years after its proclamation,” he explained. “Our priority is our audience. At Record TV, viewers have a voice. They have a channel with entertainment, news, and culture,” he added. By Diego Alfagemez

INTERVIEW ALEXANDRA HEIDRICH

“WE ARE SHIFTING INTO AN INTEGRATED MEDIA HOUSE”

he new Chilean thriller series “Berko” will be one of the main highlights from Global Screen for Mipcom 2019, and it will be surely one of the trending titles in the market. The German company is increasing its focus over Latin and North America, both for acquisitions and sales. Alexandra Heidrich, Head of TV Sales and Acquisitions at Global Screen, spoke with Señal News to describe the strategy.

ALEXANDRA HEIDRICH, HEAD OF TV SALES AND ACQUISITIONS AT GLOBAL SCREEN, PORTRAYS THE GLOBAL POTENTIAL OF THE CHILEAN THRILLER “BERKO” AND FOCUSES ON THE STRATEGY OF THE COMPANY AROUND LATIN AND NORTH AMERICA.

What will be the launches of Global Screen for Mipcom? “We will come to Cannes with a great line-up. We are very excited to present the brand-new Chilean thriller series ‘Berko’. It is a highly gripping political thriller based on true events that lead us into the murky world of weapons and drug trafficking. The show proves why the Chilean market is more and more known for producing great thriller in Scandi noir style”.

Best Swiss series ever made,’ the new season of the political series, is a ‘Fargo’ style look at the dark underbelly of our modern society. We are positively surprised that the TV movie sector has also shown courage for breathtaking thrillers. Our ‘Wicked Game’ title puts an exciting investigator story into the world of voodoo and black magic. He succeeds with much courage in play, which is a rare feature in the German movie business. ‘Wicked Game’ perfectly complements our extensive TV movie catalog to all possible genres”.

Are you reinforcing your drama slate for the last quarter of the year? “Back to our gripping series, we are also presenting a new season of the Swiss success series ‘Buried Truth’. Hailed by the press as ‘The

What is the focus of Global Screen’s acquisition strategy? “As our Chilean series ‘Berko’ shows, a lot is going on in the Latin American market. We have been watching the whole territory with great intereset and the Chilean market in particular. We are also looking forward to MipCancun, where we will also be presenting our broad portfolio”.

Do you have a pipeline of projects throughout North America? “We also see a great deal of potential in the US market due to our close ties with our shareholders. A development agreement just concluded between Telepool and Will and Jada Pinkett Smiths Westbrook Inc. It was initiated with three premium film and TV projects that will cover action, thriller, and global sports. It will be just the first project that Westbrook will bring to the market. Having preferential access to this kind of premium content and the close relationship we have with our shareholders gives us a unique position in the German and international markets. It shows how Telepool, a diversified media group for which Global Screen is responsible for worldwide sales, is facing up to the new market conditions”. Will the new partnerships with the US market reinforce Global Screen’s catalog? “It’s about getting involved in projects as early as possible and not just being a distributor. It is much more about participating in the development process already, as we have done with the Dutch series ‘Turbulent Skies’ as well as with a series for a Finnish private broadcaster. If we believe in an idea, we will support it financially if necessary or co-produce the entire project. Seen in this light, we are currently experiencing a metamorphosis from a trading company to an integrated media house”. By Diego Alfagemez

INTERVIEW

ANA BUSTAMANTE

“OUR STRATEGY FOCUSES ON CO-PRODUCTION AGREEMENTS”

ANA BUSTAMENTE, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT MEDITERRÁNEO, DESCRIBES THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF OPERATION FOR THE NEW DISTRIBUTION ARM OF MEDIASET SPAIN. GLOBAL DEALS AND A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE ACQUISITION SIDE

uring the last MIPTV, Mediaset Spain launched its new distribution arm, Mediterráneo. The new corporate structure advances in its adaptation to the original content environment, marked by the international market’s growing interest in Spanish content and the expansion of new distribution platforms. Señal News spoke with Ana Bustamante, Managing Director of the company, to describe its first six months in the global arena.

How do you analyze the local and international positioning of Mediterráneo?

“Mediterraneo Mediaset Spain Group is currently present in 190 territories, is a new company created earlier in 2019 in order to distribute Mediaset drama and entertainment content. Thanks to Mediterraneo, a great synergy has been created with the ten producers that are part of the company. Now we are permanently connected with their teams, reinforcing the distribution both nationally and internationally, while trying to reach new clients. Also, we have positioned ourselves as potential partners to develop new productions for third parties”.

How do you maximize the global trend of Spanish Fiction?

“Spanish content has a high qualitative level of production and, together with globalization that characterizes the current content industry, cause stories to cross borders in an unstoppable way. That 64

environment is encouraging because it increases the consumption of Mediaset’s offer. We believe that geographical and cultural boundaries are increasingly disappearing, and it is the audience that always makes the decision regardless of where they are”.

What are the recent international deals of the company?

“Despite our recent rebranding as Mediterraneo, we are obtaining great results in the new content environment. With Mediterraneo’s launch, our possibilities have increased with new operating formulas. We have closed agreements for the preview of series, as the case of ‘The Countryside’ with Amazon. We have also shared previews, such as ‘Dangerous Moms’, or deals just after the original broadcast in Mediaset España, such as the case of ‘Unauthorized Living’ with Netflix or ‘Our Guys’ with HBO. Our next goals are many, but we certainly can’t forget about the co-production part. Our strategy focuses on co-production agreements, both internationally and nationally. The strategy is not only for drama but also for entertainment since the genre is part of the DNA of our company”. “DANGEROUS MOMS”

What is the company’s distribution focus?

“Nowadays, opportunities are everywhere, from traditional broadcasters, pay-tv channels, or OTT platforms, which gives cavity to interest in the acquisition of a myriad of genres. Mediterraneo’s main advantage is being linked to 10 producers, specialized in a different type of genre with an unquestionable experience. We approach factual, documentary, or entertainment, but our most successful genre in terms of sales is drama. Mediterraneo distributes Mediaset España catalog, which produces an average of 70 episodes of 70 minutes annually, in series and miniseries”.

What is the current production pipeline of Mediterraneo?

“We are currently producing ‘Mothers’ (Mediaset España and Alea Media); “Disappeared” (Mediaset España and Plano a Plano); ‘Caronte’ (Mediaset España and Big Bang Media), the second season of ‘The Countryside’ (Mediaset España and Contubernio); and ‘Dangerous Moms’ (Mediaset España and Mandarina). In addition, we have several series ready for broadcast: ‘Far From You’ (Mediaset España, Mediaset Italia, and Cross Productions); ‘The Countryside’ and ‘La Que Se Avecina’ Season 12 (Mediaset España and Contubernio); and ‘Unauthorized Living’ Season 2 (Mediaset España and Alea Media). By Federico Marzullo & Diego Alfagemez

QUICKIES

ABS-CBN TO SHOWCASE THE HIGHEST-GROSSING FILIPINO MOVIE AT MIPCOM

he film “Hello, Love, Goodbye,” a romantic drama that holds the record of being the highest-grossing Filipino film, is heading to Cannes for Mipcom 2019. ABSCBN aims to showcase the title among producers and film industry players from all over the world. The Filipino blockbuster, which earned a worldwide gross of P 880.60 million, or roughly around USD 16 million, follows the story of two young overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong, who fall in love with each other,

while trying to hurdle personal challenges in the bustling metropolitan city. Critics have praised the movie for being relatable and for putting the spotlight on the plight of Filipino workers abroad. The performances of the film’s cast, lead by Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards, also collected glowing reviews. ABS-CBN will also showcase a lineup with three of its network’s most watched TV series: “The Killer Bride,” “Mea Culpa,” and “The Heiress”. •

NBCUNIVERSAL PARTNERS WITH GLOBO TO BRING “MY KID WOULD NEVER DO THAT” TO BRAZIL

uilding on its footprint across Latin America, NBCUniversal International Formats has signed a deal with leading TV network Globo, to bring the first international version of “My Kid Would Never Do That” to Brazil. Hosted by renowned journalist and presenter Renata Ceribelli, the local version of the show entitled “Meu Filho Nunca Faria Isso” will be produced in house and air as a segment on Globo’s Emmy award-winning news programme, “Fantástico”. Since its launch in 1973, “Fantástico” remains the most watched show on Brazilian television on Sunday. The weekly magazine show covers the latest news and features a number of segments on topics such as healthcare and entertainment. “My Kid Would Never Do That” was originally produced by NBC News’ “Dateline,” the longest-running series in NBC primetime history, which is now in its 28th season. “Dateline” has also been the #1 Friday newsmagazine show for Q3. • 66 66

ALL3MEDIA DELIVERS MORE THAN 50 HOURS OF FACTUAL CONTENT TO HONG KONG

he idependent distributor has concluded two significant package deals in Asia, as more than 50 hours of factual content heads to Hong Kong. Free-to-air broadcaster TVB has acquired rights to five series and specials. Raw’s award-winning two-parter “Drowning in Plastic” is included in the deal. TVB has also signed up for Gordon, Gino and Fred’s “Road Trip” (3 x 60’) and “Festive Feast” (1 x 75’), two culinary-themed Studio Lambert productions for ITV featuring star chefs Gordon Ramsay and Gino D’Acampo, and master maître d’ Fred Sirieix. Ramsay features in the second factual package deal signed in Hong Kong, this time with PCCW. Free TV broadcaster ViuTVsix will debut “Gordon Ramsay: 24 Hours to Hell and Back” (8 x 60’ for FOX, US). Also included from Studio Ramsay is “Born Famous”. PCCW has selected multiple seasons of long-running factual entertainment titles by UK producer betty for air on ViuTVsix. These include seasons one to three of “Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners” (21 x 60’) and seasons five and six of “The Undateables” (10 x 60’), both produced for Channel 4. Finally, Optomen Television’s “When I Grow Up” also heads to ViuTVsix. •

“WHEN I GROW UP”

A+E NETWORKS PARTNERS WITH JTBC TO DISTRIBUTE DATING FORMAT “SOLO WARS”

+E Networks International and Korean broadcaster JTBC have joined forces to distribute unscripted format “Solo Wars”. The large-scale, in-studio dating format is the first project to come out of the companies’ recently announced expanded partnership and broadens A+E Network’s global format partnerships, and JTBC’s reach in the US. “Solo Wars” will be launched by A+E Networks at Mipcom, following successful outings on JTBC in Korea, and LeTV in China. A+E Networks and JTBC originally inked their expanded formats deal, which also includes plans to co-produce one Korean scripted drama and one docuseries, in May 2019, following a strategic objective announced by A+E in 2017 to create and aggregate premium Korean content for representation worldwide. A+E is also close to greenlighting a scripted format from JTBC, with more details to follow in the coming weeks. • •

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“ROAD TO CALVARY”

“SHADOW BEHIND”

DISTRIBUTION

RUSSIAN CONTENT, NTV BROADCASTING ARRIVES AT MIPCOM WITH MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED HOURS OF CONTENT. THE COMPANY EXPANDED ITS LIBRARY THANKS TO PARTNERSHIPS WITH GLOBAL KEY PLAYERS. TIMUR WEINSTEIN, GENERAL PRODUCER AT NTV, DESCRIBES THE STRATEGY.

THE NEXT GLOBAL HOT TOPIC

ussian production and distribution company NTV Broadcasting currently offers over two hundred hours of content, both scripted action-packed shows and non-scripted formats. “We believe this vast library can lead to mutually beneficial and successful partnerships with foreign markets. All it takes is to be discovered, and we hope that Mipcom will bring us the recognition and appreciation NTV content deserves,” Timur Weinstein, General Producer at NTV Broadcasting, said to Señal News. The presence of the Russian company at Mipcom is focused on expanding the reach of its global format distribution. The new titles for the international market include the motor show “Drive Master,” made in cooperation with Keshet International. “It will be premiered in Russia this fall, and more than ten countries expressed its interest as a format, even from its design stage,” Weinstein stated. On the scripted side, NTV 68

TIMUR WEINSTEIN

Broadcasting will focus its efforts on its new action-packed TV shows: “Shadow Behind,” “Reluctant Hero,” “Invisible Target,” and “Wolf Trap,” as well as the new seasons of the well established dramas: “Dr. Driver 2,” “Dinosaur 2,” and “Five Minutes of Silence 4”. Moreover, NTV offers live-shows such as “Secret for a Million” and the talent-show “Superyou!”. The slate comes after a very successful year for NTV in the local Russian market. “In the first six months of 2019, we increased our sales by 20%. Our main goal is to push Russian content to become the next hot topic in the international TV industry. Our original series are waiting for the right moment to be discovered,” Weinstein assured. BIG PARTNERSHIPS NTV Broadcasting reached new deals with key distribution companies such as Keshet International for “Drive Master” and Dori Media for “Road to Calvary”. “Since we now have a larger experience and recognized knowhow, we can develop better shows, with stunts that will be eye-catching, and involving celebrities as show

hosts and participants. We build ambitious production hubs like the one we created for ‘Drive Master’. It was a big step for us and the entire Russian TV industry,” Weinstein said. The executive also remembered that the partnership with Dori Media started in 2017 when the Israeli company bought the international rights for “Road to Calvary”. Since then, the show aired successfully in Greece, was added to Netflix’s global library, and it will be aired in Thailand. “Our distribution portfolio was expanded with ‘Shepherd,’ a crime drama that’s has been the prime-time leader for three seasons. We proved that we could create high-quality and long-running shows with characters that keep the audience involved,” Weinstein explained. “Dori Media Group is working proactively in Latin America, where the audiences loves projects like ‘Shepherd’. Negotiations are undergoing in the region, not only for ‘Shepherd’ but also for ‘Road to Calvary’,” he added. NTV original shows are available at the most significant global SVOD platforms, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Bilibili, and TenTime. Moreover, NTV content performs amazingly at its YouTube channel, with about 6.5 million subscribers. “At Mipcom, we will announce several deals with the largest VOD platforms in the Asia Pacific. We had huge success in the region with our WWII miniseries and thrillers,” Weinstein confirmed. By Romina Rodríguez

OVERVIEW

THE INTERNATIONAL APPEAL OF THE ITALIAN STORIES ITALIAN PRODUCTIONS ARE CATCHING THE EYEBALLS OF GLOBAL AUDIENCES AND GAINING THE INTEREST OF THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT. MAIN POTENTIAL AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF A NEW TRENDING SPOT IN EUROPE.

taly’s audiovisual industry is going through an expansion and growth period. The country has more than 7,240 audiovisual companies, and half of them are focused on the production of fiction content for television. The striking times of the country had caught the attention of the international environment. Two significative examples of that trend are the premiere of “Devils” that will take place at Mipcom, and Italy as the “Focus Country” at the last edition of Conecta Fiction.

LUCIA MILAZZOTTO

“The Italian creative industry is living a renewed golden age due to its production capacity and talent. In recent years, Italy has presented itself with creative force and innovative capacity in the global market. The country offers several high-end and cutting-edge products in a wide variety of genres; narrative innovation, and financial strength,” Lucia Milazzotto, Director of the MIA Market, stated. “Our companies had been able to capitalize its artistic and productive skills and twist it with renewed industrial strength. Italy has demonstrated its ability to create a new business environment, rethinking the 70

Suburra

regulatory agenda, and enhancing the promotion of its industry and territory. Everything has a common goal: bringing our country back to the center of major international projects,” she added.

TINA BIANCHI

To promote new partnerships, some organizations, such as the Roma Lazio Film Commission, offer fiscal incentives for cinematographic and television co-productions. “Our aim is to promote the locations of the Lazio region in Italy and abroad. We want to help national and international productions at all stages, from development to post-production phases,” Tina Bianchi, Marketing Coordinator Roma Lazio Film Commission stated. The Roma Lazio Film Commission also helps in the search for qualified film and audiovisual professionals; activates supply and service agreements in order to offer the best conditions for hotels, services, transportation, and rental. Also, the commission supports productions with an exact location search service through its website and has an online database of more than 2,500 public and private spots.

OVERVIEW

BUSSINESS OUTLOOK Regarding a Futuresource Consulting investigation, SVoD grew 65% in Italy, to €231 million in 2018, accounting for the majority of home video (DVD, Blu-ray, SVoD, TVoD, EST) spend for the first time. In 2019, Italian consumers are expected to spend €340 million on SVoD, up by 47%, with 5.3 million households subscribing to one or more services. “The country has a long-running tradition of high-quality content production and a natural flair for telling good stories. They also have an immense resource of creatives and screenwriters, that are keen to create topend content. As one of the most beautiful countries in the world, Italy benefit from having magnificent backdrops for its shows. The country record many productions in their territory,” Tatiana Hernaiz, Sales Manager for Iberia, Italy, and Turkey at all3media International, said.

TATIANA HERNAIZ

For Marco Rosi, Head of Business Development and Coproductions of Lux Vide, the Italian domestic market has a strong influence on the generalist local networks. “In recent years, we have witnessed a greater incursion of genres, mainly crime. For the international market, Italy, even in the television sector, is a strong and successful exporter of its cultural and historical heritage. The epic

MARCO ROSI

drama genre boasts a great number of productions, together with the mafia crime series,” Rosi explained. By the end of 2020, there will be more SVoD households than Pay-TV subscribing houses in Italy, following the example of Australia where that trend has already occurred. “One of the new highlights of the Italian production landscape is the arrival of the limited series, that replaces the model of the two-part miniseries or the average series. From the content point of view, there is a great consideration for original Italian productions. The country has innovative storytelling and beautiful localization, together with a huge mix of genres,” Ángelo Florio, Fiction Structure Responsible of Mediaset Italia, analyzes.

ANGELO FLORIO

For Maite Bulgari, Founder of Garbo Produzioni, Italian shows that are inspired by real events are widespread and has supernatural stories. “I hope to see more dys-

Medici Masters of Florence 72

OVERVIEW

MAITE BULGARI

topian series, something like the new Spanish series ‘La Valla’. It’s a genre that in Italy has not been produced yet,” Bulgari described. “The Italian market can be comparatively conservative in its choices of content, but the local production companies are always up for a challenge. They are open to invest in proven formats and scripted brands. Their content enjoys high production values across scripted, non-scripted, and formats,” Hernaiz highlighted. COPROD SPOT Italy has just launched high-quality co-productions such us as “Medici”, “The Young Pope”, “My Brilliant Friend” or “Lontano Da Te”. “Authors like Umberto Eco, Elena Ferrante, and Roberto Saviano are worldwide famous. The series based on their novels have obtained great success between the international audiences,” Bulgari explained. Florio and Bulgari agreed that Italian players prefer to develop international co-productions with European countries. “Any partnership with Europe is easier to carry out thanks to greater harmony and a more immediate reaction. There are no cultural barriers, and it is easier to find interesting projects,” Florio said. “The co-production with European countries easier to develop. I believe that Spain is the greatest market for Italy,” Bulgari added. Marco Rosi highlights that Lux Vide has co-produced together with European companies and participated in projects in the United States and Latin America. “Th scenario has deeply changed today. In South America, we are

The New Pope 74

My Brilliant Friend

witnessing a cultural and creative renaissance. Something similar happened in Spain. The opportunities to co-produce in the region will increase for us,” he added. “Italy is the best country to co-produce with. Our tax incentives can be combined and added to different regional funds. Besides, the productive and creative strength of our audiovisual industry is a unique cocktail in the European and international panorama,” Milazzotto stated. Regarding the potential of the country for global co-productions, Rosi declared that Italy has all technical and creative skills to compete with any other country. “Numerous foreign films and series shoot every year in Italy, although our costs are certainly not among the lowest in Europe. It is precisely in this equation between costs and benefits that the professional skills and the marvel of our locations still make our country so attractive for international investors,” he stated. “One of the main attractions of the Italian market is its low level of concentration. The country has cost effective structure and few barriers that limit the access of new players. Moreover, Italy has a regulatory outline that encourages foreign productions and recognized professionals. Above all, the brand ‘Italy’ is an invaluable treasure of art venues, history, and lovely landscapes,” Florio said. “Even though most of the content is created for Italian audiences and channels, Italian narrative is universal. We produce with high values, with the same stander of the best international markets. A great show is a great show, no matter where it has been made,” Hernaiz added. By Romina Rodríguez

PRODUCTION

“WE NOW HAVE

FULL-SERVICE STUDIOS IN 12 COUNTRIES”

DEENY KAPLAN

DEENY KAPLAN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE KITCHEN, EXPLAINS THE INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION STRATEGY USED BY THE COMPANY IN ORDER TO REACH NEW TERRITORIES WHILE MAINTAINING ALL CLIENT’S NEED FOR A LANGUAGE PROVIDER CONSOLIDATION.

ith offices and studios in twelve different global locations, The Kitchen has become in one of the market leaders for dubbing and subtitling services. In 2019 the company reinforced its presence in Europe and planned to add more international markets in the short term. To describe that strategy, Señal Internacional spoke with Deeny Kaplan, Executive Vice President of The Kitchen.

“

ALL OUR STUDIOS PASS OUR INSPECTIONS REGULARLY, ASSURING THE VERY BEST QUALITY AND RESULTS IN EVERYTHING WE DO”

How would you describe the achievements of The Kitchen in 2019?

“It is a fascinating time for The Kitchen internationally. We now have full-service ‘Kitchen’ studios in 12 countries, with more expected to be announced shortly. It is in direct response to our global client’s desire to have a consolidation of its preferred language providers. We have become very active in the European market thanks to the opening of our first European-based sales offices in Madrid. Centralizing our European sales efforts has given us the amazing opportunity to work hand in hand with our clients and our individual locations in Europe. Our goal is to stay ahead of the pack. We consolidated our efforts, and we are offering a great quality service, that The Kitchen is known for on a worldwide basis. Is what all clients are looking for”.

How is the current international positioning of the company?

“The most fulfilling benefit of being a truly international company is the knowledge of knowing that everyone at our company is working to reach an international level of satisfaction. For example, our Audio Production head in Miami will meet with all his counterparts via Skype regularly to share interests. Likewise, our Casting team will work with the Casting Director’s in all our studios, to discuss the best way to vet, train, and utilize the talent of all ages. Technically, all our studios pass our inspections regularly, assuring the very best quality and results in everything we do”. 76

The Kitchen has increased its international presence in global events. What’s the strategy behind that decision?

“The good news is that being a global company now, we know that The Kitchen Hungary will cover NATPE Budapest; The Kitchen Italy covers Annecy; The Kitchen Spain covered Conecta Fiction; The Kitchen Russia attends CSTB Moscow; and The Kitchen Germany covered MESA meetings in London. The MIP markets also allow us an opportunity to get together as a team. We take advantage of ‘Kitchen Family’ time, which yields even stronger bonds between all of our international studios”.

What are the current main challenges for the company?

“Our main challenge is to growth and doing it the right way. Locating the right studios, the most experienced team, and reaching clients in all territories. It is a tremendous challenge and an even a greater opportunity. The changes we’ve seen in our industry in the past two decades have been overwhelming. Security is a priority, and programming opportunities are everywhere. Keeping up with the industry for us is not enough; we are in front of the business. We are ahead of the pack; we lead the way”. By Romina Rodríguez

PRODUCTION

NEW GLOBAL APPEALING STORIES COMING FROM GALICIA

Hierro

he Spanish production company Portocabo continues to work at fast pace and with its productions and has reached high ratings on several international markets. At Mipcom 2019, the company will premiere “Dry Water”, its most recent show. “We will be present with our partner SPI from Portugal and representatives from RTP, TVG, AGADIC - Xunta de Galicia, as well as DCD Rights, our distributor for the title,” Alfonso Blanco Fosco, General Director of Portocabo said. “Hierro” is another successful Spanish drama from Portocabo. The show confirmed a second season for Movistar+. “We are currently writing the second season and it’ is still too early to give specific details,” Blanco stated. Portocabo is still waiting for new international sales for the first season. For “Hierro”, the global dist4ibution is managed by Banijay Rights. Alfonso Blanco Fosco explained that he will attend Mipcom with the goal of finding and creating new stories. “We have several projects under development that we will present to different international companies, looking for possible co-production partners, channels, and distribution. We are currently working in two main lines for co-productions: fiction and Kids/Teen live action,” he explained. Portocabo entered into the teenage world with “Miracle Tunes”, a very successful series in Italy. “We are interested in the teen target. 78

WITH HIGH-QUALITY DRAMAS SUCH AS “HIERRO” AND “DRY WATER”, PORTOCABO EXPANDS ITS PRODUCTION FOOTPRINT WITH MASSIVE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS. ALFONSO BLANCO FOSCO, GENERAL DIRECTOR OF PORTOCABO, DEFINES THE GROWTH OF THE COMPANY.

ALFONSO BLANCO

With ‘Miracle Tunes’ we launched our company in the live-action genre, an expansion business model for us, where we have a vast experience in Spain. We are now in full development of live-acton projects for both children and youth,” Blanco emphasized. The first teen series of the Spanish producer was “The Avatars” (52x25’) for RAI and Disney Channel Italy. It was shot in Madrid with an American cast, and it was sold to more than 15 territories. SPANISH POWER Blanco Fosco stated that the Spanish drama lives one of its best moments ever. “The quality of the local production is extremely high, and we are seeing how our stories connect with viewers from all over the world. ‘La Casa de Papel’ and

Dry Water

‘Fariña’ are two clear examples of that trend,” he said. The producer also mentioned the global value of “Hierro”, the first drama coproduction between Spain and France. “In terms of audience, it has been one of the best premieres of Movistar+ in Spain and Latin America, and it was recently premiered at Arte in France and Germany, with very good results in the super competitive primetime slot,” Blanco explained. For the last quarter of the year, Portocabo will launch “Auga Seca”, with the second season of “Hierro” entering into to production in 2020. “We will have a lot to do next year. We are developing three projects, including a series set in the Canary Islands, ‘Weiss & Morales’, in co-production with Nadcon GmbH form Germany,” Blanco Fosco anticipated. “We will also enter into to production with our first feature film, ‘Cuñado’. It will be a thrilling criminal comedy, starring a cast of great and renowned comedy actors in Galicia,” he added. Regarding the expansion objectives, the Blanco assured that he would like to co-produce with Latin America. “It is one of our objectives in the short and medium term. We are already exchanging material with great production companies in the region, but we need to find the right story that makes us fall in love with,” he finally portrayed. By Romina Rodríguez

PHOTOGALLERY

Beyza Nur & Aysegul Tuzun (MISTCO) Rodean A Aladin Hamizi (ARTMOTION KOSOVO)

Laura Burrell (VIACOM), Sumi Connock (BBC), Andrew Sime (BANIJAY) & Crispin Clover (A+E) Rosario Cosentino & Agata Ziomek (VIACOM)

Handan Ozkubat, Petra Larsson & Berkin Nalbanti (ECCHO RIGHTS)

Margherita Zocaro (RAI)

Deniz Cantutan & Alaa Elabasy (MADD ENTERTAINMENT)

Xavier AristimuÃ±o (HBO), Esperanza Garay (MEGA), Paloma Garcia (CARACOL), Claudia Sahab (TELEVISA) & Junior Volpato (GLOBO)

Paul Liniewicz & Katya Udut (MEDIA RESOURCES MANAGEMENT)

Muge Akar (ATV)

Umay Ayaz (GLOBAL AGENCY)

Tony Saab (INTIGRAL), Eric Lapointe (AND NOW GLOBAL) & Nick Grande (MENA TV)

Pelin Koray, Ahmet Ziyalar & Sinem Aliskan (INTER MEDYA)

Laarni Lu (ABC CBN)

Asli Serim Guliyev & Goryana Vasileva (CALINOS)

NATPE BUDAPEST 2019

Maria Kivinen (YLE)

Chris Knight (GUSTO TV)

Luminita Boerescu (MALUSA MEDIA CONSULTING) & Paloma Garcia (CARACOL)

Paula Mcharg (YES STUDIOS)

Helge Kohnen (GLOBAL SCREEN)

Camila Premet (DORI MEDIA GROUP)

JP Bommel (NATPE)

DATA

INSIGHT STATS TO UNDERSTAND CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS

PROPORTION OF INTERNET USERS

GLOBAL DEMAND SHARE

BY ORIGINAL PLATFORM FOR ALL DIGITAL ORIGINALS

WITH AT LEAST ONE SVOD SUBSCRIPTION

Hulu

Saudi Arabia

86%

US Denmark

75%

Sweden

75%

Canada

74%

DC Universe

7.7%

80%

5.2%

GLOBAL PLATFORM DEMAND SHARE (Q1 2019)

71%

Australia

70%

Turkey

69%

Spain

68%

Italy

66%

South Africa

62%

Netherlands

61%

Germany 48%

Japan

7.8%

Other

64.6%

Netflix

• The 64.6% figure for 2019 Q1 is more than 6% lower than in our last report, where Netflix managed a 71% global share of demand for the 2018 calendar year.

59%

France

10.3% Amazon Prime Video

• Across all markets, the share of demand for digital original series is highest for Netflix series: 64.6% of the global demand for digital originaIs is expressed for a Netflix Original.

64%

Poland

CBS All Access

4.4%

• Amazon Prime Video and Hulu also lost more than 1% each.

38%

Based on 33,000 respondents in 16 markets. Q1 2019.

• lncreased demand for series from YouTube Premium and DC Universe is driving these changes.

Source: Ampere Consumer

Source: Parrot Analytics

MULTISERVICES

PROPORTION OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH PAY TV PLUS SVOD, PAY TV ONLY, OR SVOD ONLY

SVoD & Pay TV

Pay TV Only

SVoD only

55 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Turkey

USA

Denmark

Poland

Saudi Netherlands South Arabia Africa

Canada

Spain

Sweden

France

Based on 33,000 respondents in 16 markets. Q1 2019. All television services combinations may include free TV.

Germany Australia

Italy

Japan

Source: Ampere Consumer