Event Review: NATPE

The 2018 edition of NATPE in Miami came to a close after a productive three days of deal-making, networking, insightful panels and more under the theme “A Changing Industry in a Changing World.”

NATPE’s president and CEO, JP Bommel, told members of the press that the number of buyers in attendance increased and called the 2018 edition “one of the best.” Andy Kaplan, chairman of the board at NATPE, said, “A lot of deals got done,” with attendees reporting to him that they were “doing and closing real business.”

The 2018 event drew digital and linear buyers from around the world to the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc resorts. Bommel noted that international attendance grew, especially from Turkey, which brought the largest contingent in NATPE Miami’s history, with companies such as Global Agency, ATV, Inter Medya, Calinos Entertainment and others presenting their programming to buyers at the market.

Among the highlights from the event was the news that Facebook Watch has three new original shows coming to the platform. Facebook’s Ricky Van Veen, who oversees the company’s approach to content as the head of global creative strategy, was at NATPE, as was the company’s head of market development, Matt Jacobson. Jacobson participated in a session with Lionsgate Television Group’s chairman, Kevin Beggs.

Additionally, A+E Networks announced at a press conference on Tuesday that the 14-day, 24/7 global TV event History of Football will air on HISTORY in more than 160 countries as soccer fans look forward to the 2018 World Cup. David Villa, a World Cup winner, is the global press spokesperson for the series and was at NATPE Miami to help introduce the program, along with Patrick Vien, A+E Networks International’s executive managing director, and Dan Korn, executive producer on History of Football and VP of programming for A+E UK.

The winners of the fourth annual Unscripted Breakthrough Awards were unveiled during a ceremony hosted by Dan Abrams, chief legal analyst for ABC News and host of Big Fish Entertainment’s hit series Live PD on A&E. The winner in the competition category was RuPaul’s Drag Race, while the documentary award went to The Defiant Ones. In the docusoap area, the Real Housewives franchise took home the prize, while Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and The Wall won for factual and game shows, respectively. Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath won for innovation, which was a new category this year.

The market schedule was chock-full of conferences. World Screen’s group editorial director, Anna Carugati, spoke with NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises’ chairman, Cesar Conde, about storytelling for the U.S. Hispanic audience and the strategies Telemundo has employed to drive ratings gains. Conde was also one of the recipients of the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award, alongside executive producer Greg Berlanti (Arrow, Flash), actress Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie), TBS and TNT President Kevin Reilly and actor Tom Selleck (Blue Bloods).

Carugati also moderated the main session of the Latin American Summit this morning. Eduardo Ruiz, the president and general manager of A+E Networks Latin America; Klaudia Bermudez-Key, the senior VP and general manager of NBCUniversal International Networks LatAm; and Francisco Smith, the president of distribution and media development at HBO Latin America, spoke about the challenges and opportunities linear channels are facing in the current television landscape.

In other news, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises revealed that it set up Telemundo Global Studios, a new division led by Marcos Santana. The unit brings together the company’s domestic and international scripted production segments under Santana, who will be responsible for Telemundo Studios, Telemundo International Studios, Telemundo International, as well as all of the company’s co-production partnerships.

Another headline involved a deal between Univision Communications and Grupo Televisa to launch a TV pilot initiative for the development of new original scripted and unscripted series by global independent producers, resulting in the production of Spanish-language programming for both Univision and Grupo Televisa. Also, Turner Latin America and Mediapro entered into a five-year co-production partnership to develop and produce cross-platform content that includes two complementary core concepts, with an overall investment of $10 million. National Geographic Partners and VICE Media agreed to a content partnership for the Latin American market that includes the commission of a multiplatform series exploring issues in the largest cities in the region. Explorer (working title) will investigate some of the contemporary issues that impact people across the largest cities of Latin America. National Geographic Partners also acquired a number of VICE’s original series for #NG PWR!, a new programming block created for and by millennials that will premiere in February.

In the drama space, Inter Medya inked a distribution deal with Tondero for the release of Turkish films at cinemas in Latin America, marking the first time Turkish movies will be released theatrically in the region. Inter Medya also licensed Mrs. Fazilet and Her Daughters, Broken Wings and In Between into LatAm.

Meanwhile, Nicky Jam: El Ganador, an authorized bio-series produced by Endemol Shine Boomdog and based on the life and career of the Latin music superstar, was acquired by Netflix to stream globally outside of the U.S., where it will be airing on Telemundo. Endemol Shine Boomdog had a busy market, also revealing an overall deal with award-winning film and music video director Jessy Terrero. Additionally, Raze, which was co-founded by Emiliano Calemzuk, Sofia Vergara and Luis Balaguer, unveiled three new original series heading into production, including an action drama for Netflix that stars Blanca Soto.

Javier Olivares (Isabel, The Ministry of Time), meanwhile, aligned with Mediapro Group’s Globomedia and will be working exclusively with the company to develop fiction projects. Dori Media Group sold the crime drama The Outsider (El Marginal) to NBCUniversal International Latin America. It will become the first Spanish-language series ever to air on Universal Channel in the region. In other drama-sales news, STUDIOCANAL licensed the Italian crime thriller La Porta Rossa and the comedic single drama Danny and the Human Zoo to AMC Networks International (AMCNI) for Latin America.

Kew Media Group inked deals totaling 350-plus hours across the LatAm region, the majority of which being dramas. Gaumont was at the market offering the linear rights for the hit Netflix series Narcos for the first time. The company recently hired new salespeople, including Ezequiel Olzanski, the VP of Latin American TV distribution and co-production, and Mathilde Rottier, the VP of U.S./Canada TV distribution.

Cisneros Media presented a slew of new original productions, with notable factual highlights, including ten new short series co-produced by Mobius.Lab Productions and Boat Rocker Rights as a result of a deal closed at NATPE 2017. Also in the unscripted space, all3media international licensed more than 130 hours of factual-entertainment programming to Discovery Networks Latin America, including Body Fixers, Tattoo Fixers, Worst Cooks in America and more.

In the kids’ programming arena, Nickelodeon Latin America teamed up with Mediapro’s 100Balas on a new scripted gaming series called N00Bees. Nick LatAm also ordered additional episodes of its hit musical series Kally’s MashUp, produced by 360 Powwow and Anders Media at Viacom International Media Networks Americas’ Telefe Studios in Buenos Aires, Argentina. VIMN licensed a number of Nickelodeon preschool shows in Mexico and Brazil, including the animated hit Rusty Rivets, Nella the Princess Knight and PAW Patrol, among others. Meanwhile, Univision lined up a sophomore season of Sabbatical Entertainment’s Kids’ Planet.

After a busy three days in Miami, Bommel and Kaplan have confirmed that NATPE will be returning to the sunny Florida city next year.