Rising Profile of International Drama Takes Center Stage at MIPCOM

Endemol Shine’s Cathy Payne, ITV Studios’ Maria Kyriacou, Beta Film’s Moritz von Kruedener and A+E Networks’ Patrick Vien took part in a panel discussion at MIPCOM on Monday, moderated by World Screen’s Anna Carugati, about the shifting dynamics in the international drama business.

The panel, titled “Power Shifts: Who Will Take the Throne of Drama,” looked at the rising success of non-U.S. original dramas on the global market.

“Even 10, 15 years ago, the vast majority of what was being sold in the scripted realm was English-language, and a lot of it American,” said Carugati, group editorial director of World Screen, in opening the panel discussion. “We all know how much that has changed in the last ten years.”

The discussion began with a look at how the volume of drama in the market has impacted the panelists’ strategies.

“In the last ten years, the most commercially successful trend has been in the sales of our British content, which reaches a much more global audience,” said Payne, the CEO of Endemol Shine International, who also noted that there are far more buyers for the company’s scripted product today.

“We are attempting to become more of a global business,” noted Kyriacou, the president of international at ITV Studios, referencing the creation of an indie studio in the U.S., the expansion into non-English-speaking shows and investments in creative talent around the world.

For von Kruedener, managing director of Beta Film, the key issue today is managing risk and gaining access to content. “Getting access to the right things means investing very early and taking a completely different risk than years ago.”

Vien, executive managing director of international at A+E Networks, said the company is excited to be a “meaningful player in the premium space of scripted television for the global market.” He added that the TV industry had “staged a successful coup on the motion picture business.” He went on to note that “even though consumers may feel sometimes overwhelmed” by the volume on air, he suspects the number of scripted commissions will keep rising. “There might be some shifts in how capital gets shared so that risk can be a bit more managed. I think the volume of scripted is here to stay. It is so rich in terms of offering.”

Endemol Shine’s Payne highlighted the role of streaming services in broadening the audience for non-English content. ITV Studios’ Kyriacou noted that “superfans” will find a show, and “where that show is based and the language they’re speaking matters so much less than the quality of it.” This new interest in non-English-language content has been a boon for Beta Film, which has focused on European scripted, von Kruedener said. A+E Networks’ Vien added that Europeans are producing more for Europe, while U.S. shows have a smaller role in prime-time schedules. “I think you’ll see Americans potentially co-producing with Europeans for those European audiences,” Vien said. “Everyone is going to have to find a way to mitigate that financial risk.”

Carugati asked the panelists about finding the right homes for their shows and helping their clients market series to drive audiences.

“It is important to find the right home for those projects,” Payne said. “We’ve had shows where we may have gone for what might have been the best deal at the time, but not always the best deal for success. So it’s thinking about long-term success.”

ITV Studios’ Kyriacou added, “We’re not there just to sell a show and walk away. We try and help the broadcasters or platforms get the essence of the show across.”

Beta Film’s von Kruedener mentioned the importance of bringing partners on board early, so they are part of the development process.

The panel then moved to OTT platforms. “Netflix and Amazon and Hulu can be fantastic partners,” Vien said. “Now you see Apple is here and YouTube and Facebook. All that influx of capital is a great thing. We’re all part of one ecosystem, and there’s plenty of room to collaborate.”