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LA Screenings 2014: Jacinto Roca, Wuaki.tv
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As buyers flock to Los Angeles for the May Screenings, TBI speaks with key players about what’s on their 2014 shopping list.
Jacinto Roca, CEO and co-founder, Wuaki.tv
Which channel or channels or service are you buying for?
We are attending on behalf of Wuaki.tv, a video-on-demand movie and TV streaming service currently available to Spanish and UK audiences.
How much US programming is there on your service?
Our catalogue is split with roughly 60% US content and 40% European content.
Who do you have existing programming/output deals with?
Wuaki.tv’s extensive catalogue includes productions from most Hollywood studios, such as Warner Bros., Disney, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount, CBS, Miramax and Lionsgate.
What are your expectations for the 2014 Screenings?
The LA Screenings are a great opportunity to see what some of the biggest studios will have on offer this year.
Shows from the US tend to be very popular with both our UK and Spanish users as they get so much attention and ‘hype’ online globally when first airing in the US. We are excited to see what shows will become the next big hit, and will look to partner with those studios to bring the shows to our European markets.
How closely do you track series in advance?
We visit most relevant TV screening events in Europe and the USA as our business aim is to identify three to four new shows per year.
What types of US show resonate with your viewers/subscribers?
In terms of what resonates best with our audience, comedy and drama tend to be most watched by our users.
We actually have a ‘most popular’ TV Series section and US content usually dominates a high proportion of this section, with the likes of Grey’s Anatomy, Dexter and The Vampire Diaries all included.
Does it change the acquisitions process when many shows are going straight to series and getting announced early?
We monitor announcements around shows going straight to series and take it into consideration when looking to commit to certain series. We also review and consider our own internal analysis in other ways as part of our acquisition progress, such as genres we know perform well on our service and amongst our user base.
How soon to the US air date can you show series?
Individual air dates vary by market, it is usually controlled and determined by the studio agreement in each country. We try to air the shows as close as ‘day-and-date’ with the USA as possible.
LA SCREENINGS 2014 BUYER PROFILES
Brian Walsh, director of programmes, Foxtel
Marcus Ammon, senior VP, programming, Sky Deutschland
Catherine Mackin, director of programme acquisitions, UKTV
Chrystele Fremaux, vice president, programming, emerging markets, Universal Networks International
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