TBI Weekly: All eyes on the buyers

The Marlow Murder Club (Source: UKTV)

We might only be in early February but it already feels as if 2024 will go down as a year of marketplace contraction, with fewer originals being commissioned worldwide and reduced spends.

Despite this, there are still deals being done and specific content being sought. New acquisition opportunities are opening as many companies return to third-party licensing and with squeezed budgets all round, it’s vital for producers and distributors to know exactly what buyers want.

TBI’s ongoing Buyers Profile series provides valuable intel on what broadcasters and streamers are looking for, with recent weeks covering the requirements of companies ranging from US networks to European streamers.

Richard Watsham (Source: UKTV)

Richard Watsham, chief creative officer at UKTV & global director of acquisitions, BBCS/UKTV

UKTV originals are ambitious, with strong talent and originality, irrespective of genre. We are currently looking for new projects across a number of genres including crime drama, male-skewing comedy entertainment and fact-ent for both male and female 30-40 somethings.

As always, given the breadth of what we commission, it’s best to start a conversation with the relevant commissioners and get a detailed brief.

What financing models can UKTV offer & how much can you contribute towards productions?

We cashflow originations, fully funding or co-funding alongside other broadcasters and distributers across a wide range of genres.

What is on UKTV’s acquisitions wishlist at the moment?

First run, English-language drama, especially female-skewing crime procedurals. Archive drama boxsets, both famous titles and lesser-known gems that our audience may have missed, and we’re always in the market for fact-ent for both male and female audiences.

Which rights is UKTV be looking to acquire? How flexible can you be?

We’re generally looking for VOD and linear rights for our seven channel brands across UK and Eire (Alibi, Dave, Drama, Eden, Gold, W, Yesterday), however, we can be very flexible, and the rights we seek will depend on the title and value we think it will bring to UKTV.

What upcoming shows are you most looking forward to? What is it about those projects that makes them a good fit for UKTV?

We have a new comedy entertainment format from an original Korean show, called Battle In The Box. In it, two pairs of comedians compete against each other in ridiculous challenges. The catch though is that the two teams are confined to a rectangular box for 24 hours and every time they win a challenge, they steal space off their opponents and get to fill their side of the box with luxury items. It’s a brilliant combination of comedy and reality with a mechanic that encourages just enough competition to give the whole show a wonderful energy.

We also have a brand-new crime drama, The Marlow Murder Club, from the creator of Death In Paradise, Robert Thorogood. Unsurprisingly, the scripts are excellent and the casting is top notch, with Samantha Bond in the central role as one of three ordinary women who come together to solve a murder. It’s perfect for UKTV Play and our linear channel Drama because of the strong female leads, the twisty plot and the gorgeous world of Marlow nestled on the River Thames.

To read more about UKTV’s programming needs, click here.

Sean Henry (Source: Warner Bros. Discovery)

Sean Henry, VP of EMEA Kids, Warner Bros. Discovery

As a kids and family team our mission is to inspire and entertain 2–12-year-olds with our iconic brands, with authentic and relatable characters, and heartfelt and hilarious stories.

We commission and co-produce animated content for our world-famous brands, Cartoon Network and Cartoonito.

The content reaches 220 million households, in 20 languages across our portfolio of network TV channels, video on demand, social and digital platforms including HBO Max across EMEA.

What financing models can WBD offer & how much can you contribute towards productions?

We are seeking projects that have a clear financing plan. We can make a significant financial and editorial contribution to the production of a series, but often do so alongside one or two other broadcasters.

What is on WBD’s kids acquisitions wishlist at the moment?

We currently have slots open from 2026 onwards and are looking for ages 4-6 targeted animated series for Cartoonito, and ages 7-9 targeted animated series for Cartoon Network.

How do you approach balancing acquisitions vs original commissions?

Both our Cartoonito and Cartoon Network slates are split 50/50 between original commissions from WBD’s animation studios, and co-productions with third party EMEA based studios. We believe this gives our slate a great balance between the world-famous characters Warner Bros. Discovery is well known for, and original and relatable stories from our own region.

Which rights is WBD looking to acquire? How flexible can you be?

We’re looking for EMEA wide pay-TV, SVOD and promotional FVOD/AVOD, plus FTA in Spain, Italy, and MENA. We’re very happy to discuss windowing strategies between investment partners to get a project greenlit.

To read more about WBD’s kids programming needs, click here.

Selina Nederhand

Selina Nederhand, SVP & co-networks, head of content strategy, Sony Pictures Television

I’m acquiring for Latin America (including Brazil) for Sony Pictures Television’s networks business (pay-TV & digital companion rights), as well as Latin America & the USH market for TV distribution purposes (generally all windows, all rights).

Each deal is different and the needs for the networks and for TV distribution are completely different, so flexibility is determined on a case by case basis.

What types of shows are working best for SPT?

Procedural TV series and blockbuster movie titles work best for our networks.

To read more about SPT’s programming needs, click here.

Marcos MIlanez (Source: Rakuten TV)

Marcos Milanez, chief content officer, Rakuten TV

When Rakuten TV launched its originals back in 2019, our ambition was to showcase remarkable and inspirational stories of optimism, empowerment, diversity and resilience that reflects the company’s DNA. It’s upon this foundation that we continue to build on.

We have a broad editorial scope, from high-end feature sports documentaries, having successfully launched titles such as Sadio Mané: Made In Senegal, Andrés Iniesta: The Unexpected Hero and Ona Carbonell: Starting Over and inspirational documentaries such as Rumeysa: Walking Tall, to exciting reality and talent shows including Hairstyle: The Talent Show and Make Up Stars.

Most recently, we brought back our hit reality challenge show Discovering Canary Islands for a second season, which was in collaboration with the Canary Islands Tourist Board, which worked very well for us.

Our remit is very focused – we look for uplifting and positive stories that have the ability to inspire, educate and entertain. We will continue to champion inspiring and remarkable people from the worlds of sport and entertainment, and to create fast-paced and fun reality and talent formats.

Is Rakuten open to pitches & at what stage do you want to join a project?

Yes, absolutely. We have a fantastic originals team led by Daniel Gilgado, and we are open to pitches at various stages of the project; we can look at developing a project with a producer or refining an already well-developed project to meet our remit for our originals.

A continued key focus for Rakuten TV is around the growth of our FAST offering and we are always open to collaboration with partners for third-party content and channels to acquire to the platform. Here we have a far larger remit and can look at both broad and niche acquired content.

What financing models can you offer & how much can you contribute towards productions?

We are flexible towards different models, which can be accommodated case by case.

What is on Rakuten’s acquisitions wishlist at the moment?

We have approximately 100 branded Rakuten TV FAST channels across Europe, and it continues to grow.

The Rakuten TV Movies channels are our cornerstone, which we’ve successfully led in the market with an ample offering of Hollywood and European titles, but we’re always open to new partners that contribute to improving quality and local relevance. In addition to movies, we are also in search of true crime, reality and factual entertainment content for Western Europe.

To read more about Rakuten’s kids programming needs, click here.