El Screening de Disney ayer fue como su fiesta del martes: más importante ha sido lo que se connota que lo que se dice. No hubo anuncios de aperturas de títulos ni saltos estratégicos, pero se le dio a la venta a terceros el lugar central que tenía antes, señalando que ‘nuestro producto pasa por ventanas primero de plataformas, a cable y TV abierta después’. Si bien seguirá habiendo contenido exclusivo en la Disney+/Star+ unificada, con el tiempo ya no se verá el material se suelta sino al revés, lo puntual que queda restringido. Disney y WBD pasan a tener similar esquema: luego de las ventanas, la gran mayoría pasa a distribuirse.

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Ayer estuvieron el screening de Sony durante el día y la fiesta de Disney a la noche, que detallamos en las notas anexas a este daily. Aquí del primero, vale destacar que tuvo mucho producto y con varios atractivos de peso, no se sintió la huelga. Dijo a PRENSARIO John Rossiter, SVP distribution: ‘Como trend vs. el 2023, tenemos un auge de procedurals y crime dramas, que están siendo muy demandados por los buyers. También una nueva serie de ‘Scandal’, la precuela de ‘Outlander’ y una primera animación para adultos, entre otras opciones. A nivel personal, todo lo que dimos me gustaría verlo en casa’.

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En notas aparte desplegamos el detalle de WBD y Amazon MGM. Aquí vale destacar que el primero presentó 4 series a la mañana y 4 a la tarde, siendo el sello con más material mostrado hasta ahora. Si bien hubo tiras icónicas globales como ‘The Penguin’ -el villano de Batman- y ‘Emperor of Ocean Park’ -thriller basado en el best seller de Stephen Carter- los +60 buyers entrevistados por PRENSARIO eligieron por lejos a ‘Ciudad de Dios’, el spin-off en formato de serie del famoso film brasileño, 20 años después, y ‘Como Agua para Chocolate’, la serie basada en la novela mexicana de Laura Esquivel que tuvo una exitosa película en 1992, donde pasiones y sabores culinarios se entremezclaban. Tomar films o libros regionales y volverlos serie, es buena veta.

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Señala Aurora Mohler, head of programming and acquisitions: ‘Paso a paso, nos hemos vuelto una de las compañías independientes más grandes en ownership, distribución, producción y servicios técnicos en networks tanto en inglés como castellano, de toda América. Estamos ubicados en una posición central del mercado que nos permite alianzas muy variadas, aprovechando las tendencias más nuevas del negocio. Primero que nada, somos un buen partner para confiar y apostar’.

Prueba de esto son los acuerdos con eOne y Banijay. Con el primero se pasan a manejar títulos top como Hell on Wheels I-VI, Nurses II, Ransom I-III y Deputy I. Son todas scripted series que se emitirán en los canales FAST en español del grupo, Tu Cine y Top Cine. En total, hoy Olympusat tiene 8 FAST channels en castellano y 6 Pay TV channels en inglés. También entre los primeros están Cine Real, Juntos, Saber Más, Chiquiline, Flash y MMC. Aparte, se distribuyen y producen contenidos sueltos, de gran potencial global’.

Sigue Aurora: ‘Así como crecemos para Norteamérica y América Latina, también buscamos expandir nuestra marca en territorios como Europa, Medio Oriente y Asia. Ya tenemos canales en España e Inglaterra, con los que nos va muy bien. Hay una oportunidad para nosotros con contenido americano en inglés, ya que las novedades suelen tardar en llegar por los circuitos tradicionales. Seguiremos ahondando esta veta, esperamos se hable mucho de nosotros de aquí en más’.

Más de 100 años de producción comprende la extensa oferta de WBD en una larga variedad de géneros y distintos valores de producción, además de la multiplicidad de negocios, son algunos de los puntos que la ejecutiva impulsa en el mercado: ‘WBD tiene sin duda la oferta más completa de la industria, tanto en cantidad, como en variedad de géneros y formatos. Con títulos estreno poderosos, franquicias reconocidas históricamente y una librería que reúne 100 años de producciones que han acompañado la vida de la gente a través de generaciones. La combinación de este catálogo con la multiplicidad de negocios que manejamos hace que las ventas sean en realidad verdaderas sinergias y nuestros clientes se conviertan en socios comerciales’, resalta la ejecutiva.

Entre los principales títulos que la ejecutiva estará impulsado en el mercado están los filmes taquilleros Elvis, Dune, Fantastic Beast, Wonder Woman 1984, Space Jam, The Witches. Mientras que en series, precisó que estarán afincado en los clásicos de siempre: Friends, Big Bag Theory, Supernatural, mientras que en novedades resaltó East New York, Night Court y Found.

‘Asimismo, estaremos llevando la colección increíble de títulos clásicos como Casablanca, The Notebook, Collateral Beauty, The Mask, The Hangover, Miss Congeniality. En materia de animaciones estrenos como Bathwheels  y Bugs Bunny The Builder. También todos los títulos de nuestras franquicias como DC, Letal Weapon, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, entre otras’, agrega.

En cuanto a factuales, el catálogo asociado a Discovery estará presentándose también, con títulos estrellas como: Naked and Afraid, Property Brothers, Kilos Mortales y una selección de documentales que la ejecutiva asegura son novedades para el mercado.

‘Es una etapa de altísimo consumo de contenido y nuestro catálogo permite un balance perfecto de estrenos y material relevante de librería. Pero además, como WBD, tenemos una combinación de negocios exitosos en sí mismos. Esta es una fórmula imbatible a la hora de salir a enfrentar los retos que presenta la industria en la actualidad. Va a ser un gran año durante el cual estamos muy bien preparados para generar buenos acuerdos, finaliza Jasín.

‘Ahora no solamente ofrecemos contenido para modelos lineales por suscripción sino también para modelos FAST/AVOD, SVOD y VOD, entre otros’.

El ejecutivo destacó: ‘Actualmente representamos a más de 12 grupos de programación y nuestro portafolio cuenta con más de 30 marcas, todas de distintos géneros convirtiéndonos en un One Stop Shop y socio estratégico para cualquier operador y/o plataforma en la región’.

‘Continuamos siempre buscando nuevos contenidos que no compitan con los ya incluidos en nuestro portafolio. Serán los que sigan agregando un valor real a nuestros clientes tradicionales y nuevas plataformas digitales; esto acompañado de la creación de modelos de negocio flexibles que se acomodan a la evolución de la industria y a los grandes cambios que han llegado con la digitalización’.

Gran crecimiento digital
‘Hace 4 años empezamos a trabajar en la digitalización de nuestra oferta de señales lineales y contenidos para lograr la distribución y entrega vía streaming, con la gran ventaja de no representar un costo adicional para el cliente’.

Boshell destaca que esta evolución la han logrado ‘a través de un gran partnership con la empresa Mediastream, líder en la región por su gran capacidad y eficiencia en materia OTT y streaming’.

Este proceso de digitalización también incluye la comercialización de ofertas SVOD como Atresplayer de Atresmedia, ‘y esperamos sumar otras aplicaciones relevantes a nuestro portafolio, contribuyendo al proceso de súper agregación y disponibilidad de los contenidos que representamos en la mayor cantidad posible de plataformas y ecosistemas’.

‘Hoy nuestra área digital es una realidad y actualmente entregamos un promedio de 5 señales por cliente vía streaming con crecimientos muy satisfactorios en esta unidad de negocio; como por ejemplo un 62.5% de crecimiento en la facturación YoY y un 27.6% en la facturación mensual promedio por Señal YoY’.

Boshell aseguró: ‘Estamos muy contentos por haber logrado nuevos acuerdos para 6 productos FAST de nuestro portafolio con dos plataformas AVOD de gran relevancia a nivel regional. De esta manera estamos expandiendo nuestras opciones de distribución, implementando nuevos modelos de negocio y generando nuevos revenue streams para nuestros socios de contenido’.

Por último, el ejecutivo de MBA Networks indicó: ‘Ofrecemos la entrega de cualquier señal lineal de nuestro portafolio, sin costo de delivery para cualquier operación o plataforma, bajo distintos protocolos como HLS, SRT, UDP, entre otros. Así mismo, brindamos una solución OTT Marca Blanca robusta y muy fácil de implementar para clientes que quieran lanzar su oferta digital sin tener que hacer grandes inversiones’.

‘Estamos preparados para ofrecer cualquier señal de nuestro portafolio a cualquier operador o plataforma de manera digital, en streaming y en cualquier protocolo que el cliente lo requiera. Nuestra plataforma lo que hace es facilitar la entrega de señales lineales y contenidos VOD’.

‘Nuestro foco sigue siendo el contenido y la generación de valor a través de la mejor oferta de contenidos independientes, sin importar cómo se entregan a los operadores o plataformas. Nuestros contenidos deben estar en todas partes y en la mayor cantidad de formatos y plataformas posibles, siempre buscando la mayor rentabilidad y distribución a largo plazo para nuestros socios de contenido y por supuesto para nuestros clientes. Esto nos permite mirar con buenas perspectivas el 2023’, concluyó.

‘Es clave la producción de libretos locales’, dijeron. ‘Estas se basan en buscar una buena historia cercana y llevarla a la vida de las personas, generando identificación y empatía. Estamos en una era ‘platino’ de las producciones locales, porque se produce mucho en casi cualquier territorio y la demanda se sostiene más allá del volumen de productos disponibles’.

‘Los principales mercados latinoamericanos para producir ficción son Argentina, Brasil y Colombia. Hay buenos ejemplos recientes como “Limbo”, “El encargado” o “Santarrita”, que son superadores y grandes éxitos de audiencia’, señalaron, para luego destacar algunos proyectos de especial potencial que vienen, como: “Horario Estelar”, “Santo Maldito”, “El Mantequilla”, “El Grito de las Mariposas”. Incluso fue mostrado un avance muy prometedor del título “Nada”, con la especial participación de Robert De Niro.

En exclusiva con PRENSARIO, Aranguibel agregó que se dio un gran salto de producción durante la pandemia, y desde ahí se están acomodando las cosas. ‘Al principio se producía a granel, ahora hay una actitud más cuidadosa, pero esto es mejor para que todo lo que se haga llegue más seguro a buen puerto’.

Respecto a proyectos, Aranguibel destacó que no se vieron obligados a cancelar ningún proyecto como tal, pero que sí fue necesario aplazarlos para nivelar costos y en encontrar mejores momentos de estreno. Fue el caso por ejemplo de “Santa Evita”, que fue pospuesta casi un año y al ser lanzada resultó un éxito especial.

‘Es impresionante ver cómo creció el número de producciones locales cada país y su diversificación por todo el mundo. Vale ver siempre el caso de “El Juego del Calamar”, dónde una serie coreana llegó a ser tendencia en todas las regiones, algo impensado en años anteriores. ‘Hay que desestructurarse para producir grandes éxitos, todo puede ser de aquí en más’, remató Aranguibel.

Están “Tuzak”, sobre tres hermanos desamparados que se alían para hacer justicia y vengarse de aquellos quienes los dañaron en el pasado. “Life is today” es un remake de “New Amsterdam”, dónde un doctor desinteresado entra a una clínica dónde se relaciona con sus pacientes y sus colegas con historias más que conmovedoras, y donde incluso formará una familia.

“Another Chance” envuelve a 5 chicos salidos de un reformatorio por su historial delictivo por un lado, y a un ex mafioso por el otro, que quiere empezar de . Ambos van a chocar en un aula para una historia de re descubrimiento y drama. “Poison Ivy” trata sobre una chica que se encuentra enlazada entre dos hermanos, uno obsesionado con ella y el otro, enamorado, busca alejarla de la familia para protegerla. Esta una historia de drama y amor, donde todo puede pasar.

Y “Deception”, en tanto, cuenta sobre un abogado con doble vida que se ve forzado a enfrentar las consecuencias de sus accione,s cuando una de sus hijas es puesta en juicio y corre peligro su libertad. Este suceso genera un efecto mariposa que va a terminar con el enfrentamiento de sus dos familias.

Señala Alvarado: ‘Tenemos estudios de producción en Quito y Guayaquil, que tienen geografías muy diferentes. Y sobre todo contamos con una estructura muy flexible que puede adaptarse a cualquier tipo de proyecto y modelo de negocios. Lo primero es atraer a Ecuador, por eso la frase ‘Take Ecuador’, que utilizamos’.

‘Quienes quieran venir a los Ecuavisa Studios, tienen la ventaja hoy que estamos dispuestos a invertir y ser partners en los proyectos, por lo que ya se tendrá varios de los principales problemas resueltos. Después, ya se está tramitando una ley de incentivos a la producción, que se espera se concrete en unos meses. Los dos beneficios sumados, más las bondades naturales de nuestra tierra, harán una gran diferencia. Trabajaremos con fuerza y a conciencia para lograr la mejor de las realidades’.

El estudio es un gran referente en España y busca lograr algo similar en el mercado latinoamericano, esperando que se la reconozca y busque a través del continente. Una buena chance es realizar coproducciones, como una forma de fortalecer relaciones y quedar en firme trato con players principales que luego sigan sumando proyectos de distinta índole.

Además, se destacó la importancia del streaming como herramienta de difusión de muchos contenidos que tal vez se aislarín. Sobre la inclusión de advertising en el streaming, si bien es cierta la incomodidad de los consumidores, por otro lado los avisos abrirían a estudios menores, la posibilidad de aparecer en la pantalla. Debe trabajarse al respecto también aquí para un punto intermedio eficaz.

Se destacó mucho la integridad, generar un producto buscando que la plataforma cliente no condicione su razón de ser y se pueda desarrollar el contenido en base a las prerrogativas de los desarrolladores.

Luego se mencionó la longevidad para los contenidos, expresando Fremantle que se puede volver a títulos más longevos, incluso series de hasta 150 capítulos, como es la tradición de Latinoamérica en muchos países.

Hay además distintos tipos de storytellings, diferenciando el estilo ‘gringo’ del latinoamericano, y que lo deseable es la fusión entre los dos, siendo el caso por ejemplo de “La Casa De Papel”, el cual fue un hit en todo el mundo.

The series is in a presale and development stage, same stage as “Swat Kats Revolution”, with Tremblay Brothers, leading Stem IP “Goldie and Friends”, with Scott Peterson as head writer, and “Phineas and Ferb, and The Last Kids on Earth”, to name a few.

‘Other highlight both at MIPJunior and MIPCOM is to introduce our new shows including “Harold and the Beasry Bears”, created and developed by Tremblay Brothers, while “PaddyPaws” from the desk of Keith and Emily Chapman is now under production”, highlights Bruno Zarka, President Distribution and Feature Films.

And completes the executive: “Toonz is bringing specific character-driven shows that are created and developed by some of the leading talents in the world. For us, there is always a quest for authenticity which leads us to engagement with such top class creators so as to keep this unique DNA of creator-crafted shows”.

With his track record in creating global hit formats and his drive to take on-screen content to new heights, John de Mol has once more started a new creation, production and distribution company.

With new leadership Talpa is building a new strategy on the basis of years of experience on creativity and creation. Constantly looking for new ideas, trends and innovations, using the latest technologies to enrich our connected formats.

Part of this strategy is, in answer to the growing demand of the market for original content, teaming up with creative parties throughout the industry to develop with Talpa Creative Partnerships. Proven successful examples are “Million Dollar Island” with Monday Media, “I want your song” with Rochford Productions, “Let love rule” with ITV and “The big balance” with SPEKTR.

“We are proud to say that over a third of our portfolio consist of TCP projects. And the new catalogue already exists of over 30 formats like Marble Mania and Hunting Season. New formats that we are bringing to Mipcom are The Floor and Sing in the name of love”, summarized Sebastian Van Barneveld, Director International Distribution.

Set in the world of gastronomy and fine wines, it tells the story of Alexandre Léger, creator of the famous Léger Wine Guide, who has just passed away at his home in Tokyo at the age of 60. When his daughter flies to Tokyo and Léger’s will is read, she discovers that her father has left her an extraordinary wine collection – but to claim the inheritance, she must compete with a brilliant young oenologist whom her father took under his wing.

Interviewed by Prensario, Anne Thomopoulos, Partner, Legendary, said it’s a natural and fresh story about two countries that have cultural tights, as France and Japan. ‘It has a global appeal and we got great feedback from our clients at MIPCOM. We are looking forward to bring original voices to the global market place, which must be authentic and of interest to our clients’.  

In that line, the executive also highlighted You Would Do It Too or Tú También Lo Harías, a very ‘stimulating’ project as it is the first series produced through its Madrid-based joint venture, ESpotlight for Disney+. ‘Anxo Rodriguez is an agent and producer and his relationships have helped us jump into the Spanish market with terrific talents like writer Jordi Vallejo (The Innocent) and writer/directorDavid Victori (Sky Rojo) behind the camera and the talent they attract in front of the camera’, she added. 

Lastly, Thomopoulos confirmed that the goal is to ‘continue growing our business by working with strong, distinctive in-territory talent’. Other projects promoted in Cannes were Vanda (8x’60), a Portuguese and Spanish co-pro that it is a thrilling character piece based on an incredible true story and has sold well to premium streamers. In Mexico, Legendary is working with talents like Leopoldo and Everardo Gout and companies like Talipot, while it also has a mini-series set up with Globo in Brazil.

MBC Group, the largest and leading media company in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), has announced a brand-new partnership with the leading Turkish production companies, Medyapim and Ay Yapim. The five-year partnership unveiled will see a host of Turkish content shared exclusively with the Arabic group via “First Look” and volume deal agreements, along with original Arabic-language content being produced for the MENA market.

Sam Barnett, CEO of MBC, commented: ‘It’s no secret that Turkish content is extremely popular with MENA audiences – it’s a genre that has been rising in popularity in this region since the early noughties. With two fantastic Turkish production houses coming on board and collaborating with us, not only are audiences going to receive first access to upcoming Turkish TV hits, but we’re also going to focus on exchanging expertise and knowledge to produce some exciting Arabic-language dramas and other programs, shot in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and rest of the MENA region’. 

Fatih Aksoy, President of Medyapim, added: “We are very happy to announce a new and very exciting cooperation with MBC. It is our most sincere wish that this will be a most delightful endeavour for both parties, and also the beginning of a long-standing partnership.”

Kerem Çatay, CEO of Ay Yapim, stated: ‘Fifteen years ago, MBC was home to the first foreign network to broadcast an Ay Yapim series. They were leaders then, and they are leaders now. That’s why I’m so happy to be teaming up with them to create this new chapter in drama.  I know we will do great things together’.

Focusing on Turkish content, upcoming titles produced by Medyapim and Ay Yapim will appear exclusively as “First Look” titles in MENA or as part of a volume deal agreement via MBC’s TV channels, as well as Shahid, the world’s leading Arabic streaming platform by MBC GROUP. 

The “First Look” yet-to-be-announced titles, all dubbed in Arabic, will broadcast in MENA concurrently with their airing dates in Turkey. Furthermore, selected Turkish titles are set to be made available on Shahid’s wider network worldwide. Secondly, shifting to locally-produced content, MBC will work with Medyapim and Ay Yapim to co-develop and commission a number of Arabic-language productions, scheduled to begin filming in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and surrounding territories in the region in the coming years.

Cattleya Killer is the first serial from The Philippines to be screened at MIPCOM, and it was presented by Asian Academy Creative Awards 2020 “Best Actor”, Arjo Atayde, Ría Atayde, co-star and coproducer, which was also executive produced by ABS-CBN International head, Ruel S. Bayani, and directed by Dan Villegas. 

The company presented the pilot of the six-part series to industry decision makers, in anticipation of securing a global distribution partner. The production, which has not been broadcast in the Philippines, follows the intriguing investigation of a slew of cryptic murders by a copycat of an infamous serial killer who terrorized Manila two decades ago. The son of the cop who cracked this legendary case becomes the prime suspect when past traumas and long-buried secrets are brought to light. This project is filmed in Filipino with English subtitles and overdubs.

‘It is our vision that our content will be known as innovative, compelling, and meaningful; and that as we become an integral part of the beautiful tapestry of global storytellers, we will find our permanent place in the hearts of the international audience’, said Bayani.

Cattleya Killer was filmed in part of the 2021 Full Circle Series Lab, a Southeast Asian talent development initiative by the Film Development Council and French film company Tatino Films, with creative development guided by International mentors from South Africa, Israel, and Germany. The series also stars Jake Cuenca, Christopher De Leon, and Zsa Zsa Padilla.

ABS-CBN’s track record as a storyteller and content creator has been the main draw of the media company as a partner in international co-productions, as seen in its growing slate of global titles. The company has been a pioneer and leader in globalizing Filipino content. 

Recently, ABS-CBN co-produced Diane Paragas’ feature film Yellow Rose, which was acquired by Sony Pictures and was the first Filipino film to have wide theatrical release. Other ABS-CBN international co-productions include Concepcion, a crime family series centering on a Filipino kingpin in Los Angeles, and Sellblock, a New Bilibid Prison-set drama that involves an American agent, were both announced earlier this year.

The first season of La Mujer del Diablo is available exclusively on ViX+ in the United States and throughout Spanish-speaking Latin America, whereas Travesuras de la Niña Mala will premiere on ViX+ later this year; both series will be shown in Brazil on Globoplay. Todas as Flores, which premieres on October 19 on Globoplay, will be available on ViX+ before any other platform in the Americas. Also as part of the deal, for outside of the Americas, both companies will coordinate distribution efforts to the rest of the world.

‘These are two companies that are internationally renowned for their high quality and prolific production engines, both being responsible for some of the most beloved and iconic telenovelas, movies and series. It’s really a great opportunity for us to be able to take this content to our massive audiences, who are used to enjoying the great storytelling and production quality from both Globo TV and TelevisaUnivision’, said Pierluigi Gazzolo, President and Chief Transformation Officer of TelevisaUnivision. 
Erick Brêtas, Globo’s Chief Digital & Pay TV Channels Officer, added: Both Globoplay and ViX+ have the ambition to show that regional players are important contenders in the streaming scenario and that their relevance will scale up in the coming years. By joining forces, Globo and TelevisaUnivision will foster the reach and the popularity of these high potential productions and strengthen their content offering. We believe that this is only a first step towards a long term collaboration between our companies’.

In the UK and France, TikTok does not enjoy the same level of popularity, being the fifth most watched video services overall, falling below iPlayer, Netflix, and Amazon in the UK, and TF1 services, Netflix and 6Play in France. Overall, YouTube remains the most watched platform in these markets while for the over 35s TikTok does not feature in the top ten.

According to OMDIA Senior Director Maria Rua Aguete, ‘For broadcasters, commercial or otherwise keen to engage younger viewers, the increasing importance of TikTok to reach and grow new audiences should not be understated’.

On social media platforms, the time spent viewing video content increased by 9 minutes in 2021 to an average of 60 minutes per-person per-day across nine markets analyzed by Omdia which included: UK, USA, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Australia.

Facebook was the leading platform for social media video viewing time in 2021, with average viewing reaching 18.7 minutes across all nine combined countries; this was a drop on the previous year though as Facebook saw its MAU’s (monthly active users) stall through most of the year. 

Its competitor TikTok in contrast recorded the fastest growth rate for a social media platform in 2021, increasing by 6.4 minutes to reach 18.1 minutes, and as such is almost certain to overtake Facebook for video viewing in 2022.

To counteract the threat from TikTok, Facebook launched its short video feature “Reels” globally in February 2022, catering to a demographic group –teenagers to young adults– that have drifted steadily away from the service since 2012, before leaving in far greater numbers following the launch of TikTok in 2017. 

ATV, the leading Turkish broadcaster in the last six years, is again in Cannes with promoting its two new titles: A Little Sunshine and The Father, bringing along with them the leading cast. The Turkish company has also announced its first deal at MIPCOM, with Mediaset España for its brand-new Turkish Drama title A Little Sunchinem, which is being launched in Cannes.

It is a unique series that has recently debuted in Turkey with high ratings and expected to become the new hit of the channel. ‘Turkish drama series has seen a great interest by the Spanish audience and I am thrilled to continue our partnership with Mediaset España. I am sure the series will be a great success and welcomed warmly by the Spanish viewers’, remarked Müge Akar, Head of Sales- Europe, Asia and Africa.Ghislain Barrois, Acquisition Director expressed: ‘We are delighted to carry on with our collaboration with ATV, with the acquisition’. Produced by NGM for ATV, the series is a very strong female-led drama with an abandoned child at the center of a story that questions motherhood, family bonds and marriage.

LOVE by A.I., brand new dating show being launched at MIPCOM

Japanese broadcaster launched its brand new format Love by AI, presented by Goshu Segawa, Manager, Global Business Department, Media Business Division, with the partner Craig Plentis from Smart Dog Media. 

It is a reality dating show they spent over a year developing with Craig Plestis, producer of The Masked Singer, now in its S8 on Fox. ‘In our new format, a state-of-the-art AI app matches couples and dictates everything from where they go on dates to what they talk about. Will this smooth the path to true love? To find out, keep your eyes peeled for this daring new experiment in dating’, described Segawa.

‘We’ve developed the format during a full year with cutting edge technology: the aim of the program is that participants can find love with the support of AI’, completed Smart Dog Media’s Craig Plentis.

As the leading TV manufacturer’s FAST and VOD service, Samsung TV Plus is taking its next step in a series of new content initiatives, delivering over 1,600 channels across 24 countries, and spanning news, sports, entertainment and more worldwide.

Feeding the hunger for more content in the UK, Samsung TV Plus has exclusively launched The Jamie Oliver Channel. Available from 12th October, the channel is dedicated to the most well-known titles from the British chef, catering to Samsung TV Plus watchers with cooking content for any occasion.

The channel includes hours’ worth of shows, featuring some of the most popular content from the British chef such as Jamie’s Quick & Easy, Jamie Together, Jamie & Jimmy’s Food Fight Club, Jamie’s Super Food and many others. Meanwhile in France, Destination Nature is the first owned and operated FAST Channel. Exclusively available on France and Switzerland to French speaking audiences, it is fully dedicated to natural histories and wild animals. With its partner Off The Fence, we are bringing the best of wildlife documentaries, in French language, to our growing community of viewers.

El País, part of the top-ranking Spanish-language media outlet Prisa Group, will be the latest channel launching exclusively on Samsung TV Plus Spain. As the most influential online publication across Spanish-speaking countries, with more than 20 million followers on social media and 94 million unique digital users per month, El País is the most influential online medium across Spanish-speaking countries. Choosing to partner exclusively with Samsung TV Plus, this will be the group’s first FAST channel, brought to viewers by Tivify.

In Germany, the AVOD has partnered with ZDF Studios to bring TerraX, the leading documentary brand in the region to the FAST audience. The new channel represents the first owned and operated single IP channel for Samsung TV Plus Germany, and caters to many audience types with videos and documentaries on nature, history, archaeology and adventures in distant lands.

Youlook Movies and Series has also been announced as the latest channel to reach viewers in Sweden, furthering Samsung’s ambition to show the best content via its exclusive TV streaming platform. Viewers in Italy will soon welcome eight new movie channels including Velvet, Grandi nomi, Alta Tensione, Smile, Cinema Segreto, Bizzarro Movies, WP and Full Moon. Hosted across both Chili Group which specialises in first-window film releases, and Minerva, the biggest and oldest independent Italian Film production and distribution company.

Richard Jakeman, European Head of Business Development – Smart TV, Mobile & Gaming, said: ‘In the last 12 months, we have seen 100% growth in consumer viewing globally. Launched in Europe in 2019, the service now has more than 1000 channels across 16 countries in this region across news, entertainment, sports and movies. We are proud of this rapid rate of progression and are thrilled to welcome amazing fresh content for our captivated audiences to enjoy’. 

 According to internal research, Samsung TV Plus ranks third among the over-the-top (OTT) apps used by owners of Samsung Smart TVs. In the last 12 months, if has seen a nearly twofold growth in consumer viewing, including nearly 3 billion hours streamed by highly engaged users worldwide.

As one of the most ambitious projects ever shot in Spain, the period series has a big comeback on television almost two decades after its last live-action adaptation. Secuoya Studios revisits the adventures of the famous masked vigilante for Prime Video (USA, Latin America and Spain). 

Set in the 1830’s in Los Angeles, the internationally renowned production, the series is a modern adaptation of the adventures of one of the greatest heroes of all time, adapting it for a new generation. Actor Miguel Bernardeau, known for his role in the Spanish series Elite, will play the lead role, Don Diego de la Vega, joined on screen by Mexican actress Renata Notni, in the role of Lolita Marquez, Dalia Xiucoatl (Nah Lin), Emiliano Zurita (Monasterio) and Joel Bosqued (Samael).

The series is divided into 10 episodes, directed by Javier Quintas (La Casa de Papel) and José Luis Alegría, and written by Carlos Portela (Velvet Collection). Valérie Vleeschhouwer, Mediawan Rights MD, commented: ‘We are proud to be the

international distributor of this powerful and original new version of “Zorro”, an iconic and timeless hero. It clearly points out our ambition to support strong and high-end

productions worldwide’. 

Charles Touboul, Head of Content – Scripted, Mediawan Rigths, added: ‘All the team immediately supported the editorial approach on this series. It is an origin story around this emblematic hero that not only respects the codes of the franchise but also adds elements that global audiences expect nowadays: elaborated storylines with a contemporary relevance, strong female characters, pop culture references… Not to

mention spectacular scenes in each episode! We are convinced that many of our clients will embrace this vision.»

Sergio Pizzolante, President Secuoya Studios Commercial & Distribution, remarked: ‘Throughout our creative development process for Zorro, our intention has been to create a best-inclass story of this global superhero, a premium production meant to be enjoyed by audiences around the world. To that end, we could not have asked for a better distribution partner than Mediawan Rights, a fast-growing player with a proven track record in the global distribution space who understands and values the powerful IP that is Zorro’.

Zorro is a production of Secuoya Studios with John Gertz (Zorro Productions, Inc.), Andy Kaplan (KC Global Media), Sergio Pizzolante (C&T Mobs), Jesús Torres and Glenda Pacanins (NoStatusQuo Studios) as executives’ producers. 

Writer and Director Hugo Blick described: “The English is an epic and intimate love story. We wanted to engage and entertain, and beyond that, show a female character in a role that usually is represented by male actors. In western stories, women usually work in bars or need to be rescued, here, our leading character starts with its ‘pink suite’, but then she picks an arrow and knows how to use it, and it’s not usual to see too”. 

Regarding the format and the choice of one hour episodes, Blick highlighted the importance of focus on the story organically and don’t think if it should be longer or shorter. We want the audience to not know where the story is going and be constantly surprised, and the format responds to that journey. It was organic hand in hand with Amazon and BBC, understanding that the format serves the story and not the other way around. The choice is great creativity and good partners. If the format becomes more important than the voice, you will surely end up losing yourself.”Last but not least, producer Greg Brenman completed: ‘The series makes a commitment with audience and concludes as limited series. Many times when you leave the doors open, you lose the power and exaltation that knowing that everything is going to happen on a canvas and frame can have”.

Based in Los Angeles on the FOX Studios lot, FOX Entertainment Global is being launched in Cannes to internationally represent the domestic production of the Studio and its growing portfolio of in-house production studios, as well as premium content acquired from outside producers. The division is overseen by Fernando Szew, who has been named CEO and report to Stefan Reinhardt, President, Production Strategy and Operations, of FOX Entertainment.

The distributor is introducing to the global marketplace the animated series Krapopolis, created by Emmy Award-winner Dan Harmon, and Grimsburg, starring and executive produced by Jon Hamm; and single-camera mid-season comedy Animal Control. Both are produced by FOX Entertainment’s Emmy-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment, while Animal Control is produced by the scripted production unit, FOX Entertainment Studios.

FOX Entertainment Global also manages content sales on behalf of MarVista Entertainment, which continue being run by Szew and operate under the Studio umbrella as an independent production studio. Tony Vassiliadis, Chief Operating Officer of MarVista, is serving as EVP of FOX Entertainment Global, reporting to Szew. Moreover, FOX Entertainment Global collaborates with FOX’s current international distribution partners, Propagate Content, Incendo for opportunities in Canada and Sony Pictures Television (Monarch).

‘For more than three decades, FOX has displayed a commanding ability to seize unforeseen opportunities and, in doing so, scale its business interests alongside the evolution of the entertainment industry. Now, with an impressive, growing slate of in-house content, this expansion and formation of FOX Entertainment Global is a clear representation of our building on FOX’s undeniable entrepreneurial spirit and absolute independence to bring value to our creative and platform partners’, concluded Szew.

‘We found dramas full of humor and very originals, but the production values are some of the main highlights of the projects received’, highlighted Virginia Mouseler, CEO, The Wit and one of the 12 juries.

And she added: ‘Japanese dramas are more adapted to the international market, and they are more accessible in terms of topics, characters, and with a universal tone that doen’t lose culture and local identity’. This year’s winner was the drama ‘Truth’ (WoWow) while ‘Don’t call it mystery’ (Fuji TV) received the ‘Honorable Mention’.

UK based company Avalon highlighted on Sunday 16^th the success of Taskmaster, an entertaining and irreverent show hosted by Greg Davies alongside Alex Horne as his loyal assistant that mixes comedy with game show, setting out to test the wiles, wit and wisdom of five hyper competitive comedians through a series of strange and surreal challenges. 

The event gathered buyers from the 10 countries where the show has been sold, including Croatia, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Portugal –which confirmed its second season-, Spain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The UK drama specialist has added strategic live action titles to Banijay Kids & Family portfolio, while the Italian leading producer has brought animation series, feature films and short form content. 

Based in London, female-led Kindle Entertainment was established in 2007. Under the stewardship of MDs Melanie Stokes and Anne Brogan, the company is behind premium young adults and family dramas such as Little Darlings (Sky), teen mystery, The A List (Netflix) and just launched trilogy of family films, Ivy & Bean (Netflix). 

Established in 2004 by CEO, Giorgio Scorza, and with bases in Milan, Florence and Rome, Movimenti Production has created and produced Topo Gigio (Rai), one of the big Banijay Kids & Family launches at MIPJunior, and Tear Along the Dotted Line (Netflix). Along with iconic Studio Bozzetto, the label also created ForFun Media – The Animation Network (including 2D studio DogHead Animation and 3D production studio MoBo), an Italian industry first. 

Benoît Di Sabatino commented: ‘The labels perfectly complement our family, both bringing their own unique expertise, with consistent track records in delivering premium shows. This is a pivotal moment for us, as we continue to grow our footprint and remain a key player in this competitive market’. 

Stokes added: ‘It’s a hugely exciting time to be in this space, and we can’t think of a better partner to help us realize our ambitions to create ever better, bigger hit shows’. And Scorza concluded: ‘Local first remains key, and we will continue to bet on the extraordinary professionals we work with now, and hope to in the future, in order to bring the excellence of Italian talent in animation to an increasingly global level’.

The deal is part of a wider agreement that also includes all three seasons of The A Word, the BBC One drama inspired the eponymous spin-off series starring Leon Harrop and Sarah Gordy as newlyweds Ralph and Katie. Disney+ has licensed multiple rights for both titles across all of Europe (excluding the UK), the Middle East and Africa.   

The A Word is available on Disney+ across the Nordics and Belgium, with staggered launches slated for Portugal, Italy, Spain and France from November, and Germany, Austria and Switzerland following suit in the New Year. Ralph & Katie will debut in early 2023. 

Keren Shahar, KI’s COO and President of Distribution, said: ‘Being part of the team which has helped Keren Margalit’s Yellow Peppers develop from a beautiful family drama here in Israel into a returning primetime BBC One drama that has sold in more than 80 territories and spawned its own spin-off is incredibly satisfying. We are so thrilled that buyers are as captivated with Leon and Sarah’s performances as we are’. 

Co-produced by ITV Studios and Keshet UK in association with Tiger Aspect for BBC One, Ralph & Katie is a feel-good comedy-drama that follows our couple during their first year of marriage, as they take on many of the challenges faced by all newlyweds… but with the added blessing or complication that they both have Down’s syndrome.  The series has been generating positive media headlines in the UK – not just for its performances, but for its progressive approach to inclusivity and representation in TV production.   

The A Word is a Fifty Fathoms/Tiger Aspect and Keshet UK production for BBC One. The ground-breaking family drama is based on Yellow Peppers, an Israeli series written and created by Keren Margalit for Keshet Broadcasting.    

Yesterday, before MIPCOM 2022 started, Shahar and its sales and marketing team celebrated the company’s 10^th anniversary with an event on its department, gathering more than 50 people including key buyers, producers and distributors from the international market. 

With a new stand located in Riviera 7 (K22), KI is returning to Cannes with its biggest delegation since 2019 and a slate brimming with fresh new content to match. New titles include the colorful biopic miniseries Cuba Libre (RTP), Summer of Sorrow (Elisa), Too Much Love (Bell Media’s Noovo), Stockholm Sweden (SVT), How To Dad (ARD), and Pørni S3 (Viaplay) and Roomies S2 (CMore and MTV Finland) on its scripted slate; the true crime docuseries My Name is Reeva: I was Murdered by Oscar Pistorius Mnet), Finding the Cornish Dream (Ch4), Billionaires’ Resorts (Ch5), Emergency Nurses: A&E Stories (ITV2), and Dirty Home Rescue (Ch5) on its factual slate; and I Do, But with Who and Mother’s Date (Keshet 12) on its format slate. 

‘Reputation and relevance are key for us while we fight against the gap created by fragmentation’, says Milano. Live action series to address hot topics regarding adolescence is a trend for the executive, and a genre in full growth. ‘We started producing live dramas 4 years ago and now it represents one third of our investment’. 

Regarding international content, the space for non-European projects is limited, and the model is clear: ‘We acquire the media rights for 7 years and started to ask not only linear rights but also digital. Last but not least, we started to produce more TV specials and short films when contemporary issues are the main topics’.

Media executive and entrepreneur Nesim Hason arrived to Cannes with his new proposal for the global market: Library Kingdom Cooperation (USA), a company that presents leading independent companies catalogues all around the world for digital platform or TV channel, with an easier commercial model and strategy, creating tailor-made libraries and packaging.

‘Nowadays we have close to 17,000 titles, with 7,000 movies and +10,000 hours of TV series, cartoons, and documentaries’, explained the CEO & Founder and highlighted that they already work with close to 220 platforms worldwide. ‘We also help in the digital delivery, which is a very usual problem and offer an advice and insurance service which helps especially when there’s an overlap of rights with a show’, concluded.