Lagardère Studios plots expansion

A subsidiary of Lagardère Studios since last May, Spanish prodco Boomerang TV (Grupo BTV) is set to open new operations in Peru and Colombia next year.

According to Lagardère Studios CEO Takis Candilis, who was talking at MIPCOM, Boomerang will pursue its Latin American expansion into the two other countries.

Boomerang, which already owns offices in Chile and is the top producer in Spain, produces entertainment shows including key formats like Top Chef and The Voice, and a raft of drama series.

It also makes daily soaps including El Secreto de Puente Viejo for Antena 3 and Acacias 38 for TVE, the latter of which has already been sold in Italy to Mediaset’s Cinco, as well as primetime dramas Merlí for TV3 and Mar Del Plástico, another show for Antena 3.

For its daily soaps, Boomerang has set up an industrial production system based on the use of two shooting sets, which allows it to produce 230 hours for €70,000 (US$78,650) per hour, Candilis said. This system is now being used by the wider Lagardère Studios in the production of two new drama pilots.

Both primetime series and Boomerang formats are distributed by Lagardère Studios Distribution, which is the new brand of LE Rights, Candilis added.

At MIPTV in April Boomerang TV will be located on Lagardère’s booth. On the international field, Lagardère also owns African production company Keewu and will announce shortly the integration of another prodco in Europe, according to Candillis.