Walter Presents & Discovery Align for Italian Launch

Walter Presents, which is dedicated to foreign-language dramas, is teaming up with Discovery Italia to bring its programming to audiences in Italy from September 2018.

Discovery Italia will deliver exclusive, award-winning and original first-run drama series with subtitles to a wide Italian audience, tapping into its digital Dplay service. Dedicated slots for Walter Presents titles will also be aired on its Nove and Giallo channels.

Marinella Soldi, chief strategy officer for Discovery EMEA and managing director of Discovery Networks Southern Europe, said: “Partnering with Walter Presents is another bold move which is typical of our success in this business: anticipating consumer trends and applying successful and creative models from other countries. Our aim is to replicate and build upon the phenomenal success the service has enjoyed in the U.K. with Channel 4. It’s an innovative model which perfectly converges linear and VOD to create a sweet spot for viewers and broadcasters alike.”

Walter Iuzzolino, co-founder and curator of Walter Presents, added: “Discovery Italia has an impressive track record and has proven to be an astute, decisive and successful group of channels—I couldn’t hope for a better partner to embark on this drama adventure together. As an Italian, this is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time—it’s a personal dream come true for me and I can’t wait to get started.”

Laura Carafoli, senior VP, chief content officer for Discovery Southern Europe, said: “We know our audiences are curious and hungry for quality content and Walter Presents brings an entirely new element to the Discovery entertainment experience. We are delighted to be able to showcase these compelling and addictive hit thrillers from countries as diverse as Brazil, Norway and Chile, further broadening the scope of our Discovery Italia offerings.”