André Renaud on WBITVP’s Format Strengths

As the group VP for format and finished sales at Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP), André Renaud took part in the TV Formats Festival to discuss how he is amplifying the division’s presence worldwide across scripted formats and entertainment properties.

Renaud joined WBITVP last year after long stints at BBC Studios and ITV Studios. In his wide-ranging keynote conversation, he weighed in on defining success in formats today, increased demand for reality fare and scaling scripted adaptation opportunities. You can watch it here.

On what appealed to him about the opportunity to join WBITVP, Renaud noted, “It’s 22 production businesses across 15 countries, including three in the U.K., several in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, the Nordics. The legacy of those companies can’t be overstated. The content that comes from these companies, the U.S. and our third-party partners is rich. It’s a real thrill to be able to represent them to global markets.”

While behemoths like The Bachelor continue to do well, Renaud highlighted interest in other areas of WBITVP’s slate. “One of the great opportunities of Warner Bros. Discovery coming together was being able to also make some of that great IP from Discovery available to international commissioners,” including House Hunters and Say Yes to the Dress.

Renaud then talked about maintaining the success of The Bachelor format, which has run for 29 seasons in the U.S. and spawned 46 international versions with a range of brand extensions.

“It makes sense to have the variety of those versions to keep viewers excited and entertained. The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise and The Golden Bachelor are really great ways to continue extending out into audiences and making sure that you’re delivering something that also still feels fresh. We want to keep supporting all the brands that are out there and then look at new opportunities too.”

Renaud said that risk aversion does exist, “but it hasn’t stopped creativity. It’s an interesting one when we talk about chasing global hits, because I guess the question is, How are we defining what a global hit is nowadays? You need 21 versions of a format to make the top 100 most-traveled formats globally. I only know of one format that’s reached that magic number in the last few years, and it’s The Traitors, which is nearly 5 years old. LOL is actually a 10-year-old format, and that growth has only been driven by one commissioning entity, Amazon. Maybe we should look at redefining what a global hit should be. We need to stop burdening ourselves by saying what a global hit feels and looks like. Success probably isn’t defined in the same way anymore.”

Renaud also handles tape sales at WBITVP, noting that those can “help commissioners assess the appetite of a local format. The opposite is also true. Sometimes it enhances a local version that already exists.”

The conversation then moved to what Renaud looks for when he’s assessing if a concept will have the ability to travel.

“A good format should be unique, adaptable, scalable, returnable and also have some sort of great entertainment or storytelling that audiences are looking for. That’s ultimately what it is that you look for to say, Does it deliver on these different types of ideas? It is still true that the world’s most traveled formats come from the U.K., the U.S. and the Netherlands. We have those strong, long-established bases in each of those countries. But ideas do travel from everywhere. You need to be able to see the trends and try and be ahead of them. Reality is one of the things that we’re looking at now. Entertainment is still high on the agenda too.”

Renaud is also looking for opportunities for scripted remakes, tapping into Warner Bros.’s deep well of dramas and comedies. “The catalog of scripted formats inside the WBD family is sweeping. It is not only these incredible U.S. titles like The Mentalist, Gossip Girl and ER, but there are series from our international production offices that also deliver impactful storytelling.”

He referenced as an example the Belgian drama The Twelve from Eyeworks Film & TV Drama, which has been successfully remade in Australia.

Renaud also weighed in on evolving business models, with shared windows across broadcast and streaming becoming more common. “The question is, where is the overlap in the genres that work for both traditional linear and for streamers? That’s where people are starting to share their windows. It also supports costs.”

The conversation then moved to the creator economy and format opportunities there. “Content creators have deep connections with their audiences by bringing their passions and their personalities to the world. A global production powerhouse and that can combine together.”

He referenced as an example Glow Up, which has had seven seasons in the U.K. “Makeup artistry is one of the biggest things on social media now. The makeup artist industry wants to engage in that show. It’s a clever way to be able to bring in a makeup artist, a content creator, into television and cross over and also find a way to engage television back into that industry. What a great way to stimulate the creator economy and also traditional television together. I’m a big fan of the format.”

The conversation then segued to branded entertainment opportunities within the formats space.

“Budgets continue to be squeezed, and there [have] got to be ways to try and balance that out and cooperate in other ways. Glow Up is a great way to bring sponsorships in, not only the actual makeup itself but you’re also able to tap into the influencers piece. Those influencers are also being sponsored by brands now. It’s a great way to create a strong ecosystem.”

As the session wrapped, Renaud set out his priorities for the year ahead. “We’re committed to work closely with our partners around the world to support longevity of brands. What is the reality that we’re facing right now, and how do we support each other to create longevity? The other thing is to find new opportunities to explore the catalog. And making sure that we continue to have a steady stream of the type of content that we’re known for. And I think flexibility is really important nowadays.”