Virtual Screenings Worldwide: covering programming needs

But above all, providing the event so many stats at every step, it is a good place to perceive genuine market trends and to empower buyer searches. In these three days, more than 3000 video reproductions were made, considering both contents and the panels of VS Next.

What do the buyers look for? For consulted APAC buyers, especially South East Asia, the priority keeps on traditional drama; with the OTT boom, more than in the past. For MENA digital players, the focus is on Family, Detective and Historical productions, even looking for different origins. VS Worldwide is just to be connected with other regions.

In the Americas, kids programming is one of the main goals for US Hispanic and Panregional players, while scripted formats are wanted to produce in Mexico, ready-made melodramas in Ecuador and unscripted formats in South America. In Europe, there is a lack of fresh ideas in entertainment, so buyers find in dramas a way to refresh their screens. In CEE, having more dramas and no budget for Big formats, docu-realities and scripted formats are good to provide something different.

Flashing concepts at VS Next panels? Newzoo (USA): ‘The global number of eSports viewers at live events and on streaming platforms will grow to 577 million-plus in 2024, at an average annual rate of 7.7%’. The Alliance (European pubcasters): ‘We are a flexible way to commit to projects, not necessarily having an obligation. It is a creative partnership that already holds 5 finished series and 15-20 in development’.

At this daily, we provide the Top 15 rankings of booths and contents considering just September 23, not the accumulated three days. It is interesting this way to check the variations of the demand. Yesterday was an ‘Asian day’, with better percent of this origin providers, and an ‘Unscripted day’, with the two top contents of the ranking resulting Talent shows. This is the first time that happens in the four VS editions.

We will see more variety of names in the rankings with the days, because VS buyers first look for brands and friends, and then take time to visit as many booths as they can. They also enter many days to continue their binge watching. With many buyers, few sellers and much time, the picture is just for generating new relationships.

Nicolás Smirnoff and Fabricio Ferrara