Natpe is one of the most important fairs to buy and sell productions. The interest in Latin American productions is focused on novels and series. The markets of Asia and Africa are the challenges for the commercialization of content from the channels of the region.
By Adriana Ramírez
In Colombia it was tradition that the two private TV channels, Caracol and RCN, had Colombian productions in their prime time. But the low rating of RCN's own productions in recent years led programmers to present a successful Brazilian novel at eight o'clock in the evening.
This fact has set off alerts between the different segments involved in a production and ask that it not become a common practice. Although the economic benefits for the canals are evident, because an own production can cost between fifty thousand and one hundred thousand dollars per chapter and passing a foreign production is between three thousand and five thousand dollars, what is certain is that it would generate unemployment for the local industry.
But beyond the controversy, we wanted to find out how the market of selling productions works. That is why we visited between January 27 and 29 the Natpe fair, which is undoubtedly the epicenter of business in supply and demand of productions from anywhere in the world.
The 2014 version was held with a strong presence of Latin Americans and a 10% growth in the number of attendees, reaching 5,500. Among them, the nearly 1,000 buyers who filled the suites, the special rooms and even the lobby of the Fountain Bleue Miami hotel stood out, looking for the novelties in contents.
Novels, the most sought after
The Latin American content that is most offered, and that generates the most interest to buyers, is still novels. This can be negotiated by buying the libretto and making a local production, as happened with the Colombian "Bety la fea" that became one of the most produced novels in other countries and adapted to their culture. In fact, in the suite of the RCN channel in Natpe this year this novel was still being promoted.
Another way to do business is by selling the original production and doing language dubbing, if necessary. And although novels are still the most desired, other types of productions such as series, entertainment and children's programs have also been gaining ground.
In the specific case of the Colombian channel Caracol In each fair three or four products are taken according to the target market. Of the productions he exhibited at the fair, three were new novels, they have not been presented in Colombia.
Mónica Ramón, representative of the channel in Miami, explained that "the interest in Colombian productions are novels, but with the touch of humor that differentiates us from traditional productions. In addition, in recent years the stories of drug trafficking have gained a lot of interest, in the case of our "Escobar the pattern of evil", the story of drug trafficker Pablo Escobar is one of the best-selling productions in recent years.
For its part, the Argentine public channel Telefé, its content offer is basically novels, since they are specialized in fiction. Its trading partners, for the most part, are the channels of the region.
With eyes on Africa
Because of the proximity and similar culture, the natural partner of the Latin channels are the partners of the same region. Trade between them can be between 60 and 70% of content sales. But there is also interest in opening and growing the market with other countries, such as those in Europe and Asia, where they have been increasingly interested in Latin American productions.
One of the channels that has been able to take advantage of this market is Azteca, from Mexico, which for 15 years has had commercial relations with its Asian partners and its main products, novels and series.
His representative says that in Africa the interest in Latin American productions has been growing. But in total, there are 90 countries in which Azteca sells its content and most of it is sold to dub the language of the country where it is going to be broadcast.
Caracol is also taking advantage of this moment. According to Mónica Ramón, "Asia and Africa are a difficult territory to reach but we are working very hard. Today our content is being presented in countries such as Angola and Nigeria. For the African market, the product doubles. In Europe and Asia they are looking to buy the format, especially in entertainment programs."
To market its content, Caracol has offices in Miami and Spain, from which they cover the markets of Asia, Africa, Eurpoa and, of course, Latin America. As part of the promotion of the products, they attend 11 fairs each year in different parts covering the aforementioned markets.
On the costs of marketing productions, the channels are very reserved because the prices of the same production can vary according to a series of variables such as market and customer, among others.
The representative of Azteca assured that they depend on the negotiation, but they can be for the complete production or for the chapter issued, thus guaranteeing that if it is not successful it can be taken out. At the fair, the Mexican channel was exhibiting three new productions, plus the rest of the catalog. All content is on the air in Mexico and is supported by an audience.
In the case of Caracol, Mónica Ramón explained that "The costs are pre-established for each of the contents and although they are different, they depend on each territory and the production in particular. There are many variables that are taken into account when defining the price".
Not only productions
While Natpe is a fair with a significant presence of Latin channels, you can find channels from Asian countries offering their content. Mostly, they were offering anime and children's shows. There were also Indian channels and independent documentary and film production companies.
Little, but increasingly, you see companies in Natpe that not only offer productions. There are also companies that sell transmission equipment or complementary systems for the sale of content, such as systems for dubbing, subtitling and platforms for the exchange of content.
The channels present at Natpe 2014 with which we could talk, maintained that the interest of buyers, for the most part, is to look for content to complement the programming grid in the schedules they have under ratting. Only in the cases of series or novels with proven success are they acquired to present them in prime time.
Some final issues
At the end of the fair, Rod Perth, CEO of Natpe, gave a successful report on the 2014 version of the fair and some of the novelties it will have in 2015. In addition to the aforementioned growth, he indicated that the channels present manifested the increase in appointments with businesses ready to sign.
According to the official figures of the organizers of the fair, 64% of the attendees were from the United States and Canada, 17% from Latin America and Mexico, 11% from Europe, 5% from Asia, 2% from Africa and 1% from the Middle East.
In the conference program, it was possible to know all the trends that will be seen in the industry during this year. But without a doubt, for Latinos the most important was the conference that had as its main guest Emilio Azcárraga Jean, president and CEO of Televisa and who was awarded the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award for his career in front of the channel.
For next year, Natpe will be reunited again at the Fontaine Bleau Hotel in Miami, between December 20 and 22, 2015.
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