Central & Eastern Europe: new opportunities to take in mind

Though, the nations are progressively better, and considering what is happening at the international content market, now it is a very good time of opportunities, both inside the region and from CEE towards the world.

Just two months ago, MIPTV took place in Cannes and provided a rich picture of what must be considered. Last month, LA Screening, the event where Hollwyood major studios introduced their new TV series and films to the world, confirmed the trends. So, let’s see…

Busine ss gap bet ween America and Europe
The main announcement of MIPTV was an international co-production alliance between NBCUniversal International Television Productions (USA), RTL (Germany) and TF1 (France). They will produce 3 new original US style procedural dramas, in English language, over the next 2 years.

What does make this agreement special? ‘A gap in the market is open’, explains Chris Ottinger, president global distribution, MGM. ‘The U.S. domestic market has changed: with the competition of cable networks and Netflix, U.S. major dramas are more pay TV alike. Traditional series, as procedural ones, are not so produced. But in Europe, many broadcasters require them, they prefer more episodic than serialized TV series. So, with smart deals as NBC ones, there are U.S. series with European touch. More co-production trans-regional projects between big players are to come’.

The same was told during MIPTV by Tibor Forizs, head of program acquisitions, RTL Klub (Hungary): ‘We look for episodic series, which are very difficult to find. American series are not performing so well, the recent co production announcement between U.S. major studios and European big players is a proof that they need to evolve to keep their position in the market’. The other Hungarian broadcaster, Gabor Fisher, head of acquisitions, TV2, pushed also: ‘We want alternatives to American series, as Latin telenovelas in fiction and different formats as realities, game shows and constructed realities’.

Turkish series took many regions the last years. Formats from Israel, the same. The market is more open now to any origin, and this means opportunities for emergent regions as Central & Eastern Europe, which handles young industries about own production and fresh ideas.

An independent producer said: ‘We are fully focused on international co-production projects. In particular, there is a new trend in Europe: big players have new CEOs, sometimes from new productions poles as Israel or India, that tell their teams not to watch U.S. studios to set up trends. “Go everywhere to take fresh ideas, and partners”, it is said’.

A great time for fiction
The content market shows a double face about scripted vs. non scripted. On one side, when you talk with buyers, almost everybody buys entertainment formats. They are a direct answer to manage local production, they are quite fast and easy to produce. So, every TV station wants to produce in house this kind of formats.

But on the other side, fiction is in a great moment for big players that in the past were only dedicated to entertainment or factual, as format titans Fremantlemedia, ITV, Zodiak, Shine Endemol, etc., and factual pay TV channels as A+E, Discovery, etc. They say fiction is the new thing, the sector to grow further and better.

MIPTV organization said this at its closing press release: ‘Drama was a major conference strand, including a closed-door International Co-production Summit that was attended by more than 80 senior-level decision-makers’.

Mike Beale, EVP of Global Adaptations and Formats, ITV Studios (UK): ‘Our renewed bet on fiction is working very well. Fiction represents more money at the end, a different quality impact and viewer loyalty for a certain time’. Marc-Antoine D’Halluin, CEO, Zodiak Media (UK): ‘Trend is that scripted is growing faster market-wise: there are more opportunities to grow in that field’.

The big fiction move works better with coproduction projects. Joel Denton, managing director, international content partnerships, A+E Networks: ‘Vikings is a co-production with Ireland. Texas Rising is a co-production with ITV Studios (UK), The Return with Fremantlemedia. We are a traditional factual player, but we see a good opportunity to expand our international business through dramas’.

Digital platforms feed strongly fiction business, as they are basically dedicated on scripted products. An important digital executive commented: ‘Netflix has changed its business the last two years, now it is more focused on TV series than films. Both Amazon and Netflix are betting strongly on original dramas, digital titans will have a good portion of drama market in some time’.

During LA Screenings, Prensario checked new scripted opportunities for CEE companies in far, mainly producer regions as Latin America. Due to the huge success of Turkish series by late 2014 and 2015 in their countries, some Latin broadcasters are looking for options from ‘other CEE countries’, as Romania, Croatia, Greece, Russia.

Bigtitans as Fremantlemedia and Fox International Channels offered in LA Screenings for the first time, CEE TV series: Croatian ones the former, Turkish the latter.

Fresh & twists are searched everywhere
Cross genre, cross region, both broadcasters and producers look for fresh products, with twists to escape from the ‘lack of creativity’ which it is experienced in the market, especially in entertainment. Michael Schmidt, CCO, Red Arrow (Germany): ‘Our big challenge is to renew the realities to be authentic. They must have something different, or a twist, to be a new thing’.

This search takes entertainment players to genres not so used before. Lisette van Diepen, VP acquisitions, international production, Sony: ‘Today we are focused on Real time dating shows, ‘back in time’ shows, and especially big studio game shows’. More MIPTV buyer opinions: ‘There are more factual and cooking shows’. ‘We see very risky projects, expensive but with a twist in concepts’. ‘I see more exterior formats than studio ones, what it is good’. Anastasia Korchagina, head of acquisitions, Friday TV Russia: ‘I look for formats about realities, some travel and cooking shows. No game shows’.

A global market, now for sure
The trend that big central players are more open now to product from any origin, is a key factor but one more, within the progressive globalization of the content market.

During MIPFormats at MIPTV, it was stressed that Japanese companies have taken the lead in entertainment formats, with 6 titles strongly commented among the participants: ‘They are the ones that are thinking out of the box’, a big buyer said. At MIPDoc, 4K Full HD documentaries were the new big thing. Pubcasters as Austrian ORF and various Chinese companies were gaining market with this technology, especially with products focused on wildlife.

At MIPTV there was a strong focus on Nordic countries. Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway grouped together for the first time. ‘The Nordic countries are a breeding ground for some of the hottest dramas, border-breaking formats, cutting-edge web series and frontline mobile innovation’, said Laurine Garaude, director of TV división of Reed Midem.

Meanwhile, different emergent markets want to be a reference on certain market niches. Maurice Boucher, Canadian Media Found: ‘Canada is investing strongly to be an icon in digital content. This includes Government and funding supports and a unique pool of digital talents’. Marie Novakova, Ceska TV (Czech Republic): ‘We have good detective stories, with a good catalogue to promote output deals’. Maria Dorokhina, Russia TV: ‘We are strong in film adaptations of famous novels and historical TV series’. Spain was highlighted by The Wit as the #1 scripted format exporter in Europe.

Patrick Zuchowicki, CEO Basic Lead (Discop): ‘Africa is the region with fastest growth now in content business: 70 million TV households, 95,5% of digital reach, Pay TV revenues of USD 6.22 billion TV content wholesale revenues of USD 3 billion, annual GDP growth 5.5%. Everything is to be done’.

Something else about New media?
The new platforms are changing the market. Nadav Palti, CEO, Dorimedia (Israel): ‘In our country, we had two VOD platforms -Hot, cable, and Yes, satellite- and from this year we have four more, all OTT/IPTV: from Celcom, Gollan, Partner and one untold. We have to produce a lot of more content’.

Julián Rodríguez Montero, head of acquisitions Grupo Telefonica, Spain: ‘We are very pleased with Movistar Series, our new non linear TV series channel. The idea is to have the brand-new series launched in USA, but to see in VOD, both TV and mobile. It is the first strong twisted offer from extended SVOD model’.

Bernd Reichart, CEO, Vox (RTL Germany): ‘The DTT channels face a cross-roads: they need to be innovative to make a difference, but they need to be classical to get the massive audiences. So, till now, most of the successful ones have big brands behind…’.

Tarmo Kivikallio, head of programme acquisitions, at public broadcaster YLE Finland: ‘We look for good young targeted products. As we offer also Internet services, we want to generate synergy between free TV and online’.

On the other hand, 4K is taking place. Michel Chabrol, director of marketing, innovation and digital cinema, Eutelsat (France): ‘The leading countries at the technology are Japan, South Korea, USA and Europe. It is estimated that within the next 5-10 years, 4K will be consolidated with more content offering. Today, there are only two channels operating: our 4K1 and Fransat Ultra HD. But this will change in the near future’.

What is needed to survive in the new multiscreen era? Tim Pastore, president, original programming & production, National Geographic Channels, USA: ‘If content is the king, brand is the castle. Kings come and go, the castles stay. To survive, we need to actualize the power of our brand; brands play a huger role than ever before’.

A brief to think about
The different trends we’ve mentioned here are all good for CEE companies. The business gap opened between America and Europe, the great moment of fiction, the search for twists, a more global market… all of these are proper for any emergent territory, but especially for fresh creators. Latin American players, for instance, are expanding themselves again to deal with any top international project. The same can take place with CEE producers and distributors.

Both at Natpe Europe and Kiew Media Week, the main CEE regional events, it’d be important to go deeper about production and co-production alliances, to build new liasons with global players and format titans, and in particular with new regions, because at any place good business can be generated. Undoubtedly, the game is very open these days, with scored options for everybody. Don’t stay quiet.