Buyer profile: Pálmi Guðmundsson, executive VP, programming, 365 Media (Iceland)

What is 365’s international acquisition strategy?
We air about 70 to 80% programming from the United States and the UK with the rest being local productions.

Do you have any studio output deals?
Yes, we have output deals with Warner Bros, Fox and HBO. We are in the final stages of negotiations with Warner Bros to renew that deal and we’ll probably sign it in LA

One problem at the moment in Iceland, though, is that because high speed internet is so widely available, we’re in the middle of a downloading craze. It’s a problem for us and the studios. Day and date is what we have to do.

Do you enjoy the LA Screenings?
It’s my favourite part of the year. I really like going there to meet all the studios and other Scandinavian buyers. The screening process is also very important.

What shows have worked recently?
Game of Thrones was a big hit and it was filmed partly in Iceland. New Girl was also good and the US version of The Killing did well. Homeland was a sweet success but Grey’s Anatomy is by far the biggest show we air.

We’re looking forward to airing Dallas from Warner Bros; the original used to be a huge hit so it’ll be good to market that show. Drama works best, generally.

What are you looking forward to seeing in LA?
I’m looking forward to seeing a couple of episodes of The Newsroom.