Latin America is a region accustomed to transformation. Pandemic has obligated to some of its most important players to adapt to the new context by creating new business models. Distributors, producers and platforms debated about them in two key panels at VS Next.
With topics focused on the production of live programs and adapted work schemes during the Covid-19 crisis, top executives from ViacomCBS/Telefe (Argentina), Latina(Peru) and Canal 10(Uruguay) spoke with Michelle Wasserman, SVP Latin America, USH & Brazil at Banijay Rights, who moderated “Adapting to Covid-19: business twists to evolved”.
During the panel, the speakers described the strategies on their leading local networks and how they customizedtheir productions to the new context. ViacomCBS’ Guillermo Pendino, VP Bran Head South Cone, commented: ‘We generated very strict protocols that allowed us to carry out various informational spaces ahead, in the midst of the pandemic. Thanks to this we managed to position ourselves as the first in informative content in the country ‘. The executive also stressed that after the shutdown they suffered, they returned with live programming, and many entertainment spaces for the family’.
Meanwhile, Susana Umbert, Entertainment Production Manager, Latina, added: ‘When we had to stop all live programming, we were in the middle of the recording of La Mascara, so we turned to the news spaces until the teams were restructured. Latin America has a great capacity for resilience, and the truth is that we are a reflection of that, we overcome adversity and come back with more live programs, with all guaranteed health protocols’.
Patricia Daujotas, Content Director of Canal 10,concluded: ‘We had quite a few recorded programs, so we were able to fill gaps in the spaces of our grid, which allowed us to draw up health strategies to return to the recordings’. The company is a leading format adapted in Uruguay, having launched successful local versions of MasterChef, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Got Talent and The Money Drop, among others.
On the distribution side, Globo, Televisa and RCN, three historical drama powerhouses from Latin America, debated with Nicolas Smirnoff, managing director at Prensario International about the moment the telenovela is living in this region and worldwide, and how this genre keeps working in many global markets.
Angela Colla, head of sales at Globo, said: ‘The shutdown we had in terms of production made usrethinking our drama strategy. We recovered our classic jewels of drama and were promoted in markets where there were needs for programming, likewise, we considered our narratives for our next productions, with fresher themes’.
Mario Castro, Sales Director Asia and Africa, Televisa International, underlined: ‘Although our production strategy has continued to advance, even with the pandemic, we did notice last year that revenues from advertising concepts fell. But today we are one of the main providers of drama in the region and on other continents’.
María Lucia Hernandez, Head of Sales at RCN, finished: ‘I agree with my colleagues when I say that we relaunch our classic stories, both in our signal and in the international market and the truth is that we understood the narrative gems that we have. On the other hand, for the past year we have been working on the pre-production of our next dramas, some of these are reboots of our classic stories like Coffee with scent of a woman’.
