Izzet Pinto & Andrew Sime

April 3, 2010 World Screen

Global Agency’s crop of controversial formats has brought the company a flurry of attention, leaving it ripe for expansion. 

Fulfilling its mantra of "Formats that create buzz," Global Agency has brought forth a number of contentious projects that have had the international market chattering. "We represent probably the most controversial formats in the TV industry," acknowledges Izzet Pinto, the CEO of the Turkish outfit. "In order to stand out, you have to be different."

Global Agency received a lot of attention at MIPCOM with its Choosing My Religion format. "That show generated an enormous buzz very quickly indeed, and was promptly snapped up in several major territories," notes Andrew Sime, the head of acquisitions at Global Agency. "We’re expecting it to be ready to launch in the near future, and that’s something that is very important to us: it’s easy to come up with a controversial format, but it takes a lot of hard work to get a show on air."
From the same creator as Choosing My Religion comes yet another edgy format, Rent-a-Mama. The show features five couples who are searching for surrogate mothers and get to live under the same roof as 12 potential candidates. Over the course of 13 weeks, the couples battle it out to win a free surrogacy service, while the chosen surrogacy candidate stands to win 250,000 euros. "Surrogacy is a big issue around the world right now, so as well as being a hugely entertaining format, Rent-a-Mama is also a timely look at a fascinating and increasingly relevant subject," Sime adds.
Further titles in Global Agency’s format portfolio include The Perfect Bride, My Wedding Witness is My EX!, Super Talented and The Big Challenge.
Pinto notes that the company has also been building out its catalogue. "We recently opened two new divisions in our company focusing on the sale of telenovelas and movies. When we first stepped into the entertainment business three and a half years ago at MIPCOM, we just had one format. We were not even sure if we would be able to attend a second market. So far we have attended 13 markets. We’ll be here for good!"
Today, Global Agency has 18 titles to offer, eight of which are formats, three are telenovelas and seven are movies. "Formats distribution is our main business," says Pinto, "but we are planning to grow in the movie industry as well. We acquired the rights to the multi-award-winning movie Love in a Different Language. It’s a compelling love story about a deaf mute. We are hoping to release it in 40 territories and also license the TV rights during MIPTV." He adds, "We’ll be attending the Cannes film festival as a buyer for the first time."
Telenovelas are another area where Global Agency is making fast progress. "Last year we started representing 1,001 Nights, a telenovela that had been making a big splash in its native Turkey," says Sime. "We recognized its quality, and were soon able to sell it into neighboring Bulgaria, where its massive popularity—audience shares frequently topped 50 percent—ensured that it quickly spread throughout Central and Eastern Europe, and in the process sparked a trend in the region for Turkish telenovelas. The show has now been sold throughout Central and Eastern Europe, as well as into other key territories such as the Middle East."
Sime continues, "We’re currently building on this success, and have spent a lot of time looking for equally well-made telenovelas and dramas that we think deserve a wider audience. It’s a difficult process, but one we think will reap big dividends, and we’re hoping to be able to announce some exciting new partnerships in this genre at MIPTV."
Global agency also recently picked up the format rights to the telenovela Forbidden Love. "It’s probably one of the best telenovelas I have ever watched," says Pinto. "Millions of viewers stay at home each Thursday evening in order to not miss a single episode. We have confidence in this project and are passionate about turning it into a global franchise."
Though its eye is toward expansion, Global Agency is quite selective about what it adds to its slate. "When we decide to represent a new project, we make sure that it fits every region," says Pinto. "We are not interested in selling our titles to only neighboring countries. When we first set up the company, our goal was to be a global company, and that’s why we picked the name Global Agency."
Pinto expects brisk business with these international buyers as MIPTV because, he says, "Everybody is looking for unique projects. People are tired of walking around the Palais and watching the trailers of simple formats. When we pitch our projects to clients, we see surprise or laughter on their faces."

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