Taking A View: Distributors Break Down Regional Trends And Highlights Ahead Of NEM Dubrovnik
A ‘market with a view’ is how NEM Dubrovnik pitches itself. In a literal sense, the view is of the Adriatic Sea, but in a business sense, the ambition is to create a relaxed setting for execs to meet and do deals, a marked switch-up from the hubbub of many TV markets.
Launching in 2013, Nem Dubrovnik has carved out its calendar moment in June. Over a decade, it has established itself as a key buying and selling confab for the CEE region and beyond, with all of the notable buyers in attendance. The market organizers will grow the space for distributors by 40% this year.
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Amazon MGM, Disney, IDTV and Lionsgate will have screenings or showcases. Beta Film, Newen Studios, Rai, and Warner Bros. Discovery are among the big European and international players that will be selling programming at NEM.
The CEE region remains a huge buyer of telenovelas and Turkish drama. Global Agency, Inter Medya, TRT and Kanal D form part of a strong Turkish contingent. Spanish companies on the ground will include Atresmedia, Mediaset, Movistar Plus+ and Mediapro.
Deadline did the rounds of some of the distributors heading to Dubrovnik to get their take on programming trends in the region and get a heads up on the shows they hope to close deals on.
Cosy Crime, Classic Formats… And The Traitors
‘Cosy crime’ is popular. British shows such as Death in Paradise have struck a chord with viewers and buyers in the CEE region are getting involved. “It remains a genre that clients across the region are interested in and its popularity leads to some very interesting windowing situations,” says All3Media International’s Ben Packwood, VP Sales, CEE. “We’re seeing broadcasters that might typically have requested edgier content now looking for any opportunity to license family-friendly, daytime-playable, highly repeatable series such as Midsomer Murders and Brokenwood Mysteries.”
All3Media also shops The Traitors which, in format terms, is a pretty new offering. It has sold into Hungary and Poland and more CEE news is expected during NEM Dubrovnik. Packwood also observes renewed interest in evergreen formats as buyers look for tried and true ideas. Cash Cab has been rebooted in Serbia with another CEE commission in the offing and Kitchen Nightmares is coming back in Czechia after a long hiatus.
In terms of format trends, Senay Tas, Sales Director for CEE and Greece at Global Agency adds: “The region has shown more interest in quiz shows lately.” Global Agency will be looking for more sales on its quiz show Joker, which started on TRT in Turkey, was recently picked up in Croatia, and is on air in Poland and Slovenia.
Telenovela Tales From Spain & Turkey
Atresmedia is one several Spain-based distributors in town. It has fared well in the CEE region with shows including Alba, the Spanish adaptation of the successful Turkish series Fatmagül.
Sales Manager, Laura Sampredo, says buyer interest in quality drama remains strong: “Additionally, buyers are looking for powerful stories that can captivate and resonate with diverse audiences. Another significant trend is the growing interest in strong and complex female character-driven stories.”
With that in mind, Atresmedia heads into NEM Dubrovnik with high hopes for Sueños de Libertad (Dreams of Freedom), which has been hyped by market-watchers after becoming the most-watched drama in Spain.
Turkish series are a drama staple in the region and continue to sell well. Kanal D has had success with shows including Forbidden Love and comes to market with BKM-produced drama Secret of Pearls, which Sales Exec Canan Koca says has “potential to resonate strongly with buyers and audiences in the CEE region due to its compelling narrative, high production values, and the universal themes of justice, redemption, and familial bonds.”
Béatrice Nouh, Head of Sales at Onza Distribution, also has a new telenovela for buyers at NEM. Cacao was shot in Brazil and Portugal and has topped primetime ratings on TVI in Portugal. Onza has already shopped it to Mediaset Espana and hopes to cut its first CEE deals come June. Onza also has Spanish thriller Heartless, which has proved popular on Prime Video in Spain. It follows an investigator, Judge Lucía Vergara, who must work with a convicted criminal, Haro, to catch a serial killer. ‘The relationship between Haro and Lucía can remind us of the profound and dangerous bond between Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Starling from The Silence of the Lambs,” says Nouh.
“Dramas with historical and cultural elements are gaining traction as they provide content that touches on local cultural motifs,” says Mustafa İlbeyli, Director of Advertising at TRT. Hold My Hand, The Innocents and Resurrection Ertuğrul are TRT’s notable drama successes regionally. It heads to Dubrovnik with a pair of period pieces for Dubrovnik: Saladin: Conqueror of Jerusalem and Fatih: Sultan of Conquests.
The market kicks off at NEM Dubrovnik, which runs June 10 to June 13.
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