This story appears in the March-April 2021 issue of Television Asia Plus.

Mumbai-based GoQuest Media has grown exponentially since its inception in 2013. Beginning with the distribution of local content, the independent distributor has evolved as one of the leaders in the global entertainment landscape, specialising in the distribution of international dramas and scripted formats.

Apart from Mumbai, GoQuest Media has established its footprint in the United Kingdom, Vietnam, and a local sales presence in Istanbul and Tel Aviv. The company is also aggressively expanding its reach in Southeast Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and European markets. 

Most recently, GoQuest Media struck a deal with Serbian telecommunications and cable TV operator Telekom Serbija in January 2021 for a distribution deal for Serbian spy thriller Civil Servant and mystery drama Debt to the Sea. 

In Asia, GoQuest Media has enjoyed great success with its Ruby Ring series, and the company has noticed a strong appetite for its catalogue content that fits more into the European premium content space. Meanwhile, the critically-acclaimed Rats has been well-received in Europe and the US. The series, which is based on a true story and made in collaboration with the Anti-Drug Centre of the Czech Republic, has piqued the interest of the company’s clients in Asia. 

Jimmy George, the Vice President of Sales and Acquisitions at GoQust Media tells Television Asia Plus that the company’s strategy has been focused on genres such as crime, thriller and romance. In the latter part of the year, GoQuest Media’s slate will expand to the comedy and family genres. Meanwhile, for unscripted formats, GoQuest Media plans to continue its strategy of cherry-picking the best from the game show and entertainment genres.  

rats goquest media
the critically-acclaimed ‘Rats’ has been well-received in Europe and the US. Courtesy of GoQuest Media.

Expansion into international markets

GoQuest Media has established its presence in Turkey for handling Turkish and Middle Eastern activities, as well as its Tel Aviv office handling business development in Europe and the United States, with plans of expansion to Latin America. 

Jimmy said, “We believe that much of our content will resonate with the Latin American TV audience, and the growth of digital platforms there makes it a perfect region for our territory-wide content strategy.”

For instance, in December 2020, GoQuest Media concluded a package deal in the Hispanic television and media space with Olympusat. Part of the deal includes three Ukrainian drama series produced by Media Group Ukraine for romance dramas Eclipse, Secrets, and Rainflower.

Apart from GoQuest Media’s expansion plans to Latin America, the content distributor is also planning to add the best-scripted dramas from local markets in Europe, allowing the company to give the best-licensed content from the world to its clients, along with remake titles. 

Moving forward, Jimmy said that GoQuest Media is working with some of its long-term content partners on co-production and co-development opportunities to bring some interesting concepts to the screen. In addition to this, Jimmy revealed plans of investing in the adaptation of their existing IP for local markets in Asia.

Jimmy shared, “With our expanding catalogue, we see great opportunities for deals in markets like Japan, Korea, and Australia, especially within the developing streaming market.”