One of the 4th day session panels at Virtual Screenings Worldwide, it is starred by relevant channels and content providers from Asia: Nippon TV, MBC, ABC Commercial and GoQuest Media, who spoke about their current offerings and their business models.
Yuki Akehi, International Business Director at Nippon TV, singled out the company for producing close to 90% of the content on the Nippon TV programming grid, as well as the leading provider of scripted and non-scripted content for Hulu Japan and other TV players. the region. ‘We are recognized for our drama formats such as Mother or Anne, which are among the 10 most exported scripted formats in the season, conquering territories such as South Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, France, China, Spain, among others’. Also, according to data from K7 Media, the company is one of the most prolific exporters of formats in all of Asia, along with CJEMN and Fremantle. The executive took the moment to announce that her format Sokkuri Sweets, will have an adaptation on Roku Channel in the USA, and will be called Eye Candy.
Jean Hur, director of format sales & International Relations at MBC (South Korea), highlighted its production line, and its content subsidiaries, which represent a large part of the Asian content offering in the region. ‘Today we develop content in genres of drama, fiction, documentary, scripted and non-scripted, currently producing 70% of the programming of our linear channels’.
Katherine McMillan, sales manager – format, at ABC Commercial (Australia) commented that for over 40 years it has been at the forefront of content marketing and distribution, linked to the public broadcaster ABC in Australia. ‘Our full suite of digital services and traditional businesses including DVDs, CDs, books magazines and merchandise, to live events and international program sales, ABC Commercial provides indispensible services that extend the reach of high-quality content into every sector of Australian and international markets’. This season, the company highlights formats such as You Can Ask That, recently named by K7 Media as one of the «Top 100 Traveling Unscripted Formats» for 2020-2021; the third series of the popular Dream Gardens (HD 8×30 ‘) follows the transformation of exceptional outdoor spaces as they come to life in stories of beauty, regeneration and reward, and Restoration Australia Series 4 (HD 8×60’) charts the course as heritage ruins are restored into living homes.
Finally Jimmy George, VP Sales & Acquisitions at GoQuest Media (India), spoke about his recent sales, including a deal with Globoplay for the Serbian drama Civil Servan, produced by Telekom Srbija and Film Danas; and another deal with SBS in Australia for their hit drama Rats. ‘We are adding strategic agreements of great importance with digital players such as Globoplay or MX Player’ The executive referred to the importance of content in Asia and how these are gaining relevance in the western market: ‘In addition to the series of large studios in America and Europe, there is a bidding group of emerging market stocks in Asia that are attracting the attention of international buyers’.
