CINDIE was one of the firts players that acquired the licensed for Parasite film across Latin America
With a great focus on independent cinema, CINDIE offers an extensive catalog of more than 200 titles in more than a dozen territories in Latin America, a market that Jorge Hernandez Barba, Content Delivery Manager, defines as ‘a potential market to be exploited’.
In an interview with Prensario, the executive talked about CINDIE‘s distribution strategies, content, and next steps.
Making a careful curation of international content with an independent profile, CINDIE is one of the newest platforms in the region that covers this profile, without being art cinema. The service had its debut and in other Latin American countries in 2021, allying with different distribution partners, it is considering its arrival in more markets with different business models.
‘We have been signing different alliances with content distribution players, with friendly alliances that both parties seek to win’, said Hernández Barba. ‘We usually travel to festivals and content fairs to see what is new and different that is moving. Our focus tends to be content that is not in other services and that intends to find a platform in CINDIE to travel further’.
The executive explained that part of the careful curation of his catalog is based on the expertise of each acquisition exec at the company, who has to observe the piece, be it a series, feature film, or short film, and evaluates if it has the personality and spirit of CINDIE: ‘We brought back to the manual labor of buying content. And usually, we share our impressions about the selected piece. Therefore, beyond the data that we obtain from users through the platform, there is a very personal work related to the eye and the link that we manage to have with the content,’ he assured.
The platform, although it has a similar profile to other niche platforms, has the differentiator of offering independent content beyond art cinema. Likewise, it seeks to acquire the digital rights of the titles for as long as possible, a slight difference compared to other platforms that make content available with a shorter window, but trying to offer new content periodically.
As part of its expansion in LatAm and to strengthen its catalogue, the company recently signed an agreement with Viaplay, through which it obtained broadcast rights for a huge 200-hour package of European content including series, films and documentaries. It also pursues alliances with strong or growing distribution players that have a presence in Latin America, such as Cinepolis in Mexico, with whom they have a close relationship; or with Cinemex and Totalplay.
CINDIE is available in Mexico, Brazil, some Central American countries, Argentina and Chile, in all these countries through different distribution models such as TVOD, AVOD, SVOD: In Argentina with Flow; in Mexico with Total Play; also with other cable companies; and they have distribution alliances with companies such as Disney+, Huawei; as AVOD integrated in some smart TVs; Likewise, they are part of the VIDA platform.
Likewise, the executive anticipates that he is fine-tuning the details of the launch of CINDIE as an independent platform throughout the region, which will be available in 10 LatAm countries, and will be available as DTC, at a price of $3.99 per month. month.
‘We are very excited to introduce the new CINDIE. For more than a year we have brought the best independent film and TV stories to Latin America. And now, with this new and renewed platform, we will be providing a unique, easy and fast experience to users’, said Maurice van Sabben, Chief Content Officer of DMD.
‘Today our strategy is to reach the largest number of users possible, in any business model, which allows us to make CINDIE known as the place that recovers the way of watching independent cinema within everyone’s reach’, concluded Hernández Barba.
