Spanish Scripted Indie Insights: Suma Content (Movistar’s ‘La Mesías’)

La Mesias (Source: Suma Content)

Spanish drama is reaching new shores around the world but what do the producers behind these shows make of the industry & its prospects for the future?

In this new strand of articles, TBI hears from the owners of four major Spanish indies to get their takes on the business. Today, we hear from Beltrán Gortázar, CEO at Suma Content.

Are you expecting the coming year to offer more opportunities than 2023 or fewer?

We are looking forward to the coming year, as we are confident that we will still uncover very exciting business opportunities. Our proactive and ever-evolving approach will enable us to seize these opportunities, innovate and stay at the forefront in a dynamic and competitive market, where our unique product vision allows us to transform the way stories are showcased.

What do you foresee as the biggest challenge for your business in 2024?

Suma Content, as many other audiovisual leaders in Spain, will face complex challenges in the coming year, from adapting to changes in the industry and client landscape to efficiently managing limited resources and satisfying a diverse and demanding audience.

Beltran Gortazar (Source: Suma Content)

The ability to innovate, stay abreast of trends and respond in an agile way to changes in the business environment will be crucial for success, while always bearing in mind the most important aspect of our organisation: making great content.

Budgets seem to be stagnating in Spain but also globally. How are you planning to navigate this?

The competitive advantage of our business model, along with a highly recognisable and well-crafted creative proposal, is a small and flexible structure that allows us to work either on very ambitious or more modest budgetary models without causing strain on the business and our daily activities. Our goal has always been to create great stories with the best possible resources, and we believe that a unique creative point of view, always ends up having sufficient sources of funding.

Where is the biggest opportunity for growth for your business this year?

We are still in a growth phase, both from a business and creative standpoint. 2024 will be a year focused on consolidating our business model, with the confirmed production of two new series for different platforms, as well as the initiation of the development of new audiovisual products, such as our first movie and first non-scripted show.

What are the key events for your business this year?

2023 has been a unique year at Suma Content, with the release of three shows: Cardo 2, Vestidas de Azul and La Mesías. All of them have contributed significantly to the growth and consolidation of the company, but due to its complexity and the tremendous impact on the audience and industry, La Mesías is a project that has certainly transformed the entire Suma team.