L.A. Screenings 2014: new programming roads are open

What can be said after the show? The perception at Prensario is that, as never before, the programming needs of free TV, pay TV and the new digital platforms are diverging. New identity, differentiation, monetization options are required. There are good opportunities for providers on feeding and enriching these needs.

A huge amount of product has been exhibited at these screenings ; most of them lasted from 9am to 7pm, or so… the buyers have not been not happy about this. On the other hand, from some regions, less buyers attended. Yet, most main broadcasters around the world attended the L.A. Screenings.

Regarding genres, there were many political dramas, lawyer and medical stories offered. On the other had, less comedies, less super natural and dysfunctional stories have been unveiled, after these two being the trend at the show last year. Now, Hollywood has returned to more traditional issues. If Modern Family (Warner) influenced the 2013-2014 season, The Black List (Sony) has been the driver to the 2014-2015 crop.

Let's check: according to Nielsen, after 10 years, the U.S. TV season 2013-2014 was led in adult ratings 18-49 and 25-54 by NBC, with The Black List, The Voice (Talpa) and sport events. It averaged 2.7 points and 8% market share (+13%) followed by Fox (2.5 and 7%), CBS (2.4 and 7%), ABC (2.1 and 6%), Univision (1.2 and 3%) and The CW (0.8 and 2%). For the sixth year in a row, CBS won in total spectators, with an average of 10,73 million people.

Beyond titles and genres, there’s a trend towards rolling out event TV series, with fewer episodes (10-12) but a quest for impact. The plots tend to be more complex, featuring many twists. This has resulted in unhappy comments from free TV buyers, who need simpler stories aiming at general big audiences. 
This leads us to the major issue: as the pay TV channels are becoming stronger buyers than free TV and digital platforms keep growing, the Hollywood production as a whole is aiming more to a premium cable series appeal, with strong production, hot levels of sex and violence. But free TV needs to evolve, too; it should not be left behind.

If until now the distributors have provided general audiences product, appealing more to the mass media or cable but keeping elements of interest for anyone, from now on the differences can become larger; the industry may start to produce specifically for each group, specializing the output. This is not fully new but may result in a new environment from now on, creating opportunities for providers. The new multi-platform market is being shaped.

Free TV needs a new entity, retaining massive audiences but evolving according to the new digital era and the new programming trends. Pay TV needs to make a difference against the new digital platforms, with original, premium, possessive content. This sector is doing a good job nowadays about the matter, but many channels are just starting on this. 

The online players must draw their own way in content, different from the pay TV-oriented fare, following the Internet way of being. And they must develop new ways of monetizing business, some of them through the products by themselves. The three groups of content output face lots of homework ahead. 
Prensario conducted a survey among come 150 buyers from different regions, regarding what major Hollywood studios product they liked most. Chasing Life (comedy) was the preferred TV series at Lionsgate; Rush (about a cynic doctor taking care of millionaires) at Fox; Jane, The Virgin (an adaptation of a Venezuelan telenovela) was the top product in CBS; Satisfaction, about sexual twists, headed the NBCUniversal slate.

Gotham, about the beginning of the Batman city and its characters, was the preferred at Warner; Battle Creek, a police countryside thriller, headed Sony; Secrets & Lies, about a father accused of killing his son, was the preferred Disney new product. 

It can be seen these these best-preferred titles are not following a single pattern; the TV series explore different concepts. After all, achieving a good product on its own remains the most important goal, beyond any trend.

Nicolás Smirnoff and Fabricio Ferrara