London TV Screenings Insights: Guillaume Pommier & Monica Levy, Federation Studios

Samber (Source: Federation)

As buyers flock to the UK for London TV Screenings and BBC Studios Showcase this week, TBI talks to the bosses of more than 25 distribution companies to test the temperature of the global content industry and to find out how the next 12 months are shaping up.

Here, Guillaume Pommier (GP) & Monica Levy (ML), co-heads of distribution at Paris-based producer-distributor Federation Studios, talk bidding wars, less exclusivity and pre-financing.

What three words would you use to describe the state of the TV/streaming industry as a whole right now?

(ML): Pragmatic, local, library.

What three words would you use to describe the state of the distribution sector right now?

(ML): Pragmatic, windowing, library.

Guillaume Pommier (Source: Federation)

With fewer shows being commissioned, how are you securing your pipeline?

(GP): The production part of Federation is producing more and more, so our internal series line-up has significantly grown over the past two years. In the meantime, we continue to have a great acquisition pipeline, notably with English-language shows, so we can’t say right now that we are impacted by the ‘fewer shows commissioning’ effect.

What is the single biggest difference in the discussions you’re having with buyers today compared with 12 months ago?

(ML): The market is getting traction again and, surprisingly enough, over the last two months we had three bidding wars on different programmes (including the amazing Samber), which shows that the buyers are active when the content is good and well-marketed.

How do you expect global streamer demands for rights to change in 2024 compared with 2023?

(GP): We would say: 1) Even more local than ever, 2) More library, 3) Less exclusivity, 4) Less money, but… 5) more flexibility/co-exclusivity.

Where does opportunity lie for you in 2024?

(ML): In our catalogue across all genres and our new shows, notably our English-speaking shows.

Monica Levy

Tell us in no more than two sentences about the biggest problem facing the distribution industry and what needs to change so it can be overcome.

(GP): Managing to pre-finance as much as possible great series in a landscape where commissioners/buyers, private or public have less money to invest, but with a growing appetite of the audience for big budget productions (mainly driven by the first originals of the streamers like Netflix).

Tell us about your top show at London Screenings & why we should buy it

(ML): Rematch: first almost 100% English language series commissioned by Arte, pre-bought on scripts by both HBO & Disney (first time ever!) for a series that has an amazing echo today with the explosion of IA.

Samber: sadly a universal story with the profound and & humanity of Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, probably his masterpiece, that follows you for months after your screen it. We will also show images of our upcoming English speaking shows, super broad in terms of genre and marking a shift in our acquisition strategy and distribution ambition.