Natalie Lawley Sales Manager Asia, ABC Commercial Asia has been a region that has actually increased in sales and especially for our kids’ content. Sales for our newer premium titles – The WotWots, Bindi the Jungle Girl and The Wiggles, have been a factor towards the rise, along with growing our reach into further territories across Asia. We have also seen increased sales for our science series and current affairs titles. These blue chip ABC produced series have been so strong this past year with a number of output deals now in place. Our comedy titles such as Summer Heights High and The Lost Adventures of Laurence Leung have been very popular recently. The ABC is showcasing a range of kids’ titles at MIPCOM Junior. Our newest title, Figaro Pho, leads the way. This non-dialogue and beautifully animated series is highly original and perfect across so many different medias. We are also showcasing The WotWots, our premium top selling kid’s title. The title is a colourful HD animated series for pre-schoolers that features two aliens who land their spaceship in a zoo and discover all the exotic creatures that live there. We have seen consistent growth in sales from all Asian territories this year. Japan has always had a strong appetite for the ABC’s blue chip current affairs titles which are well suited to this market, along with a lot of our high profile documentaries and award winning children’s’ series. This territory has proved exceptionally strong in the face of the economic crisis. Thailand has really opened up in the past 18 months and free TV and DVD sales, being the more value-added entertainment choices in this uncertain environment, have increased greatly and we expect this market to continue to grow into 2010. Avi Armoza CEO, Armoza Formats Over the past year we’ve been working diligently to begin introducing our formats to the Asian market, beginning with India. India seems to be quite open to buying and adapting formats right now, and they’ve had quite a lot of success with reality TV this summer. Our hottest-selling shows reflect this trend to reality and factual TV formats. We’ve had much success with Overdraft Family, our family financial coaching program and The Inconceivable, our mentalist show in the vein of Uri Gellar and Criss Angel. Our reality competition formats in which kids compete against one another have also received a heavy amount of interest. These include Head of the Class, which challenges three kids to finish 12 school grades by answering trivia questions, and Revenge of the Geeks, an elimination competition that seeks to find the nation’s next genius kid. We’re bringing six new shows with us – game shows, dating reality shows, dramas, in-studio comedy panels. Our new drama Loving Anna, is about a simple farmer, 50, a widower with four kids, and how he falls in love with a Ukrainian woman named Anna on a dating site. The Incompetents is our in-studio comedy panel that takes irreverent comedy to a new level. Heaven or Else and Buzz Off are reality competition shows – the first is a game show, the second a dating show. Our sales have remained strong in the wake of the economic crisis. We closed 15 deals on one format alone (Upgrade) in the past few months. We’re now in a period of recession, and we’re seeing many broadcasters and production companies search for alternative programming. Cost-effective and versatile formats, two qualities that we always seek in our formats, are proving to be the big winner in the recession. Because we do maintain a catalogue comprised of carefully selected and cost-effective programs, we have found that we’re able to provide broadcasters with a unique solution during this troubling period. Alejandro Toro Sales Executive Asia & Africa, Caracol TV Our latest sale was the scripted format of our 2008 hit series Roman x 2 in Vietnam. It will be adapted and is going to be launched in 2010. This year we also had the adaptation of our reality show Telenovela Star in Malaysia by Astro Entertainment, the local show was called Anak Wayang and towards the end of the year The Cartel is going to be launched in various countries. We have two new releases at MIPCOM. The Swindler is a 40 episode series about how a young good looking guy enchants thousands of families to invest money in his businesses, and Gabriela, spins of fate, a 120 episode telenovela about a young promising skater. Vietnam is a country that is demanding both formats and finished products from us so we find that market promising. The crisis has affected the industry itself in one way or another and some markets have been more affected than others by lowering prices or acquiring less content. Companies are also taking their time to take decisions in order to buy specific and successful programming. At Caracol, despite the crisis, we have fulfilled our mission of having our products in Asian screens. Richard Henson Regional Director, Programme Sales Asia-Pacific, Discovery Enterprises International Discovery is securing interest on a great range of titles. Our global hit series such as American Chopper, Man Vs Wild and Deadliest Catch, in particular, continue to rank as favourites along with exciting new series from other networks including TLC, Investigation Discovery, Discovery Science and Animal Planet. Shows we will be bringing to MIPCOM include Last Days Of The Dinosaur (1 x 90, available in HD), and Time Warp (20 x 30, available in HD). We will continue to present to market, the very best blue-chip documentaries along with a growing library of exciting genres such as shoc-doc, natural history and science. Australia in particular, has a rapidly evolving broadcast landscape so we anticipate continued growth in the television market especially with the launch of DTT multi-channeling. Consumers demonstrate a robust appetite for factual entertainment, regardless of economic climate. As a result, we’re seeing continued interest from broadcasters across the region in high quality, well produced factual programming. Rob Gilby VP & MD, Disney, ABC International Television We’ve been thrilled by the reception and interest that FlashForward, one of the buzz shows of the new US TV season, has had across the region. This epic drama follows the aftermath of an event that causes the entire world to blackout for two minutes and 17 seconds. During this time, everyone sees a snapshot of their life on a specific date six months into the future. Other shows with strong demand include Legend of the Seeker, as well as hit returning series such as Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and the final season of Lost. In addition to FlashForward, we’re excited to bring a roster of new shows ranging from our new comedic series Cougar Town, to a preschool animated TV series Special Agent Oso that follows Oso a special-agent-in-training stuffed panda bear along with a bevy of tween-hit series that premiered over the summer on ABC Family (10 Things I Hate About You, Ruby and the Rockits and Make It or Break It). Additionally, we are very excited to have guest attendance at MIPCOM by Gary Marsh, President, Entertainment, Disney Channels Worldwide; Paul Lee, President, ABC Family; Barry Jossen, Executive Vice President, Studio Creative and Production, ABC Entertainment Group; as well as Jessika Goyer, Executive Producer of FlashForward. Across the region, we see amazing growth potential and new business opportunities fuelled by the rapid evolution of digital technologies. As digitally delivered media in Asia continues to grow in size and significance in people’s lives, so does the demand for high-quality content. With DAIT’s unparalleled library of award winning content and stories, we are working closer than ever with existing and new partners to tap into these exciting emerging technologies to deliver the best entertainment experience on whatever platform consumers want. No one is immune from the current challenging economic conditions. But when consumers tighten their belts, they gravitate towards brands that they know and trust. As a company, Disney is committed to producing the highest quality creative content while continuing to invest in the great brands and assets that are Disney’s strengths and key to ours’ and our partners’ long-term success. We see tremendous growth potential in Asia Pacific, and will continue to grow our presence across the region by expanding our relationships with existing broadcasters and new media business across all platforms to reach new and more consumers. Daniel Edwards Sales Director Asia and Middle East, Endemol The hit property for Endemol in Asia around the globe has been Wipeout, pan regionally airing on Sony AXN throughout South East Asia and negotiations currently in progress in a raft of territories for free to air placements. With a vast catalogue derived from all over the world, broadcasters can look to Endemol Worldwide Distribution for any given genre and some of our top performers in Asia include Extreme Makeover Home Edition, action drama Rush and hit preschool series Hi-5. At MIPCOM, Endemol Worldwide Distribution will be launching over 750 hours of programming across all genres and among the titles to headline this year will be The Marriage Ref , tween series a gURLs wURLd and our new telenovella out of Argentina Nini starring Florencia Bertotti. In terms of current trends, programmes that present universal themes like action and romance will always prove successful despite various culture barriers. Another apparent trend is broadcasters looking for high end scripted shows which in most cases are simply too costly to produce locally. Many of the dramas in the Endemol Worldwide Distribution catalogue are successful both domestically and internationally. These include Rush, City Homicide, Packed To The Rafters, Home And Away. Throughout the first half of 2009 broadcasters watched their currencies devalue and advertisers pull back on spending at unprecedented rates which resulted in a noticeable dip in confidence. However the resourceful nature of broadcasters had them looking for alternatives, away from their traditional sources, for shows that contained first class production values which could bring something new and exciting to their schedules. In conjunction with the seemingly unaffected pay TV growth throughout this period, sales were strong throughout an otherwise dark period for many others. Raphael Corrêa Netto Head of International Sales, Globo TV Asia is turning into an increasingly important market for business at Globo TV International. Our best example is a recent five years volume deal with EPG group in South Korea. At present, we have the opportunity to broadcast 1440 hours a year from our diversified catalogue of telenovelas, series, documentaries and others. We’re even investing in the customization of our products such as, subtitled productions in Korean (a trend in this market) for EPG, in addition to offering our programming in a variety of platforms, like VOD, internet, satellite transmission and by cable. With business deals in important markets like Macau, India, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Japan, among others, this deal reinforces Globo’s growth in Asia. For this edition of MIPCOM, we’re taking a new product to market, together with Telemundo. We’ll present the new version of The Clone, a telenovela produced by TV Globo at the start of 2000, and now it´s being co-produced by the two companies. The Favorite, as well as Pure Beauty are other titles present at the event. Globo Doc is also a product that has historically penetrated the Asian market successfully, mainly in Japan. It deals with a series of documentaries produced especially by Globo TV International for the international market. For MIPCOM, we’re taking The Celebration of Samba – Samba, Sweat and Tears and The Greatest Spectacle on Earth; a three part documentary, 45 minutes each episode. In the segment formats, we’re highlighting game show, The Spelling Game. In addition to HD content, digitalization of TV in Asia is already a reality in the region, especially in countries like Japan and South Korea. Another trend that Globo TV International is very aware of is co-production, not just drama productions, but also the format sales. Asia produces and consumes a large volume of local content, and one of Globo’s biggest objectives, is to offer a winning format for local co-production. Currently, we’re carrying out large-scale co-production projects, as is the case of El Clone with Telemundo Studios, and the title Loco Amor with the Mexican company TV Azteca. Augustus Dulgaro SVP Distribution, Japan, Australia and New Zealand at ITV Studios, Global Entertainment We’re doing strong business with our long running primetime dramas, such as the critically acclaimed Miss Marple and Poirot franchises and a recent addition to our drama catalogue, The Murdoch Mysteries. Other dramas which have been well received in the market include Bonekickers, Lost in Austen and The 39 Steps. While our one-off factual programs always get a welcome reception from Japanese buyers, we’re also gaining traction in the market with our entertainment shows such as the USA’s number one rating Hell’s Kitchen with Gordon Ramsay which was commissioned by FOX, Trinny & Susannah and Nanny 911. These are great examples of entertainment with universal appeal, proven for delivering across the 18-49 adults in territories spanning Europe, US and Asia Pacific. We’re incredibly excited about our two new dramas, The Prisoner and Identity. The Prisoner is a six-part television drama reinterpretation of the iconic cult classic, which has been co-produced by ITV with AMC and stars Ian McKellen and Jim Caviezel. Joining The Prisoner is our all new drama Identity, a fast-paced and contemporary primetime drama starring Keeley Hawes (Ashes to Ashes) and Aidan Gillen (The Wire), as an elite police unit formed to combat the explosion of identity theft. Both are already creating a huge buzz on both sides of the Atlantic. High value genre such as drama and entertainment will always lead the trends. However, I’m particularly interested about how those trends are reaching our audiences. Japan’s fast growing and diversifying multiplatform TV proposition is incredibly exciting, which I believe is pioneering the global market. These propositions are incredibly thrilling for both viewers and programme makers, giving us new and greater opportunities to both deepen viewer relationships and reach our audiences through new and compelling technologies. ITV is doing incredibly well internationally, recently announcing significant year on year growth. Our success is attributed to our vast portfolio of proven ‘high genre’ brands, I believe, in a time when buyers are taking less risks, we’re able to supply our partners with comprehensive overviews, research and analysis of how our finished and formatted shows have performed across multiple territories to targeted audiences, priceless information in a hyper competitive market. Jean Hur Senior Sales Manager, MBC Currently, an epic drama on the first queen of Korea, The Great Queen Seundeuk, is the highest rated drama on air in Korea. This drama is being sold to various countries in Asia and beyond. At MIPCOM, we will present The Great Queen Seundeuk (60’x 60), and our new documentary titles, Tears in the Arctic (60’x 3) and Land of Dinosaurs (60’x1). Tears in the Arctic is about environmental change in the Arctic area, while Land of Dinosaurs is about an international team of paleontologists going on their expedition to the Goby desert in search of dinosaur fossils. We feel that many Asian countries are gearing up on their own drama production. The production quality in Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand has improved immensely over the past three to four years. Many buyers are asking for lower pricing and change of payment terms. However, their need for new programming continues, and a majority of our buyers are still eager to know more about our upcoming drama productions. Yun Leung Vice President, Content Distribution, MediaCorp TV Singapore Pte Ltd Our best selling programmes this year are The Little Nyonya and The Ultimatum. These two Chinese dramas have been snapped up by various Asian markets since their release. With our forte in Chinese programming, especially dramas, we have a large staple for the markets’ selection, and these proved to be popular with our Asian partners. This year, we will be showcasing five titles from The Asian Pitch project. These titles are produced by MediaCorp’s Caldecott Productions International, in collaboration with NHK, and features original stories from Asia. This new wave of story-telling of Asian issues has proven to appeal strongly to an international audience. The titles include A Farmer’s Struggle, A Weaver’s Tale, For the Love of Shakespeare, Life after Death and The Icemen – Angadias of India. Also on the plate are programmes selected from the Channel News Asia library of business and info-ed titles. Some of the exciting titles to look out for include our third season of Saving Gaia, which looks at Asia’s environmental superlatives from the most innovative solutions to the simplest initiatives. Others include Asian Diaspora – The Chinese, which takes an intimate look at the global Chinese community. Gary Marenzi Co-President, Worldwide Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. We have sold American Gladiators well into the region and this is further evidence that reality programming continues to be a proven ratings winner and an effective counter programming vehicle in many countries around the world. MGM is in the process of rebuilding its series business and is planning to come back in a big way. One of our first projects that we are excited about is the new Stargate Universe. This features an all-star cast of Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) Lou Diamond Phillips (Che, La Bamba) and Justin Louis (Hidden Hills, The Fighting Fitzgeralds), among other talented newcomers. Asia buyers will be interested in this series since it also features two actors of Asian descent, Lou Diamond Phillips and Ming-Na (ER, Vanished). The Asian market has not been immune to the global economic crisis. Overall, we see clients still buying programming, but in reduced volume and visibility. We expect fiscal year 2010 to show improved trading conditions. That said, there continues to be a strong demand in Japan for the MGM feature film library. Indonesia is always an interesting market and can be lucrative if you approach it in a smart way. Lanny Huang General Manager, Playboy TV Asia and Japan Playboy TV’s recent hottest-selling shows into Asia include reality based series such as Naked Happy Girls, Tour Girls and Around the World in 80 Babes. There is also demand for Playboy HD titles in countries such as Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan. We will be bringing to MIPCOM new series such as Search of the Perfect Girlfriend, 69 Sexy Things To Do Before You Die and Show Us Your Wits. Right now, HD programming is in need, especially HD that is shot in true HD format. Also, IPTV operators are acquiring alternative programmes/channels. The acquisition budget from the TV operators are cut so sales for larger package of titles will be harder. But proven and good previous titles will be renewed or extended. Angel Orengo Senior Vice President, Distribution Asia, Sony Pictures Television Drop Dead Diva is our hot property right now. The show is currently the #1 drama on Lifetime this season and has been generating a lot of buzz especially because of the performance of its star, Brooke Elliot. Shows targeting female PMEBs are quite popular these days in Asia and this show definitely fits the bill. There are a few new shows we’ll be bringing to MIPCOM, but one which we are particularly excited about is the feature film Michael Jackson’s This Is It, a music event chronicling the rehearsals for what could have been his most amazing concert. Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment will be releasing the film worldwide starting October 28. ‘On demand’ and new media rights continue to be an area we are getting more and more inquiries about. Whether it’s pay or free TV, terrestrial or satellite, platforms of all kinds are thinking about how they will incorporate an element of on demand to their service. 2009 has been a challenging year. However, Asia is rebounding from the global recession faster than other regions so we are very optimistic about the future. Pay TV subs continue to increase, new media platforms are growing and even theatrical box office is growing in some markets so there are many encouraging signs. With that said, we continue to be mindful of our costs while working very hard to maintain our high standards for service and support to our clients. Michelle Wasserman Head of International Distribution Programming, Formats & Production Services, Telefe International Trick or Treat with the Magic Hands have been one of the best sellers of 2008 in the Asian continent, almost a rage that has stirred up a lot of interest. Countries we have been unable to enter in the past such as China, Singapore, Korea or Japan have taken this programme for their prime time slots. Telenovelas is still the star of every continent, including Asia. Shows we will be bringing to MIPCOM include children’s telenovela, Nini; game show, Just in Time; telenovela, Legacy of Passion; and the romantic comedy, The Successful Mr and Mrs Pells. The opening of certain Eastern countries to adaptation of Latin fiction programs has been a trend in the last few years. Indonesia is a clear example because there is not one single Latin content on the air, whereas several adaptations have been done during 2008/9, one of them being the most widely seen TV program of that country. In economic terms at a global level, content demand has not decreased, but the conditions and ways of negotiation have. The industry is still on its feet and very active. Xavier Aristimuño VP of Sales and International Business in Asia, Telemundo Internacional We continue to promote and sell our entertainment format Teen Dream following its success in Indonesia where its third run is airing. Recently, it was adapted in India on Star TV. In terms of telenovelas, Analia and Victoria were recently sold in Vietnam and Cambodia. This MIPCOM will represent a milestone for Telemundo Internacional since we will be launching four new telenovelas: Beautiful, but unlucky, Generation Y, Falling Angel and Victorinos. We continue to witness last year’s trend of local production of telenovela formats and a decrease in slot times for ready-made telenovelas. However, novellas that have outperformed in Latin American and European markets will have a space and excellent ratings in Asian television. In our opinion, the current economic climate hasn’t been such a relevant factor as the fact that choosing a successful novella has not always been an easy task for buyers. Arturo Casares Cortina Advisor for Asian Countries, Televisa Internacional The format of the Mexican version of Ugly Betty, and the format of Dumb Girls Don’t Go to Heaven have done very well in the Chinese market and the local productions are being sold also in other regions like Hong Kong and Taiwan with good results. The productions we are bringing to MIPCOM include Chameleons, Dare to Dream, For Love or Money and Love Spell. Asia is an ever-changing market. The use of manga stories is becoming very popular in this region. Our stories have been very well accepted, especially in China and we hope we can convert that appeal into a trend. Asia was affected by the financial crises but started to recover before the rest of the world. This has created the interest of international players in the region, thus raising competition in the TV and entertainment industry. Grace Chan Executive Director, Syndication, Asia Pacific, Turner International Asia Pacific Ltd. Turner International Asia Pacific recently established a syndication team in the region to promote the rich variety of shows we own. We are launching our online catalog ‘Turner Content Solutions‘ from October 5 this year , where users can search through a diverse range of programming and preview them online from across our different brands – truTV, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim amongst others. The online catalog will be featuring entertainment programs such as our weekly show Hollywood Express as well as some of the hottest, more popular shows from truTV. Turner will be bringing a variety of unique programming to the market from across our news and entertainment brands, from truTV’s actuality shows and documentaries to CNN’s feature shows and world affairs strands to Adult Swim’s programming block that appeal to a grown-up sense of humor. From truTV, formerly Court TV, which brings viewers a wide variety of real-life stories told from an exciting and dramatic first-person perspective, we have more than 600 hours of programming including World Wildest Vacation Videos, Speeders Fight Back and Smoking Gun Presents. From AdultSwim, programs include bestsellers like Robot Chicken, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law and Morel Orel. From CNN, these will include our world affairs strand World’s Untold Stories and feature shows including Inside the Middle East and our award-winning weekly chat show Talk Asia, produced in Hong Kong. In Asia, there is a high demand from terrestrial TV to regional broadcast networks for high quality lifestyle programs such as EcoSolutions and My City_My Life. The team plans to bring a wider range of lifestyle programs from all over the world to meet this growing demand in the region.
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