Caracol Looks Further Afield

Caracol TV Internacional is responsible for delivering some of the most successful Colombian series out to a global audience. While the company has sold a mix of telenovelas, series and entertainment formats widely across Latin America, the international distributor has recently been ramping up its business in territories far outside of its home turf.

“Caracol is constantly growing; our approach in creating a new production begins with our local and international audiences in mind,” says Lisette Osorio, the company’s VP of international sales. “The importance of elaborating strong and captivating products is always high in demand and our recent international success makes it possible to continue to offer this competitively in any market.

“Currently, we will continue this momentum by increasing our sales with a variety of productions that include telenovelas, series and both scripted and non-scripted formats,” Osorio continues. “It is safe to say that we are in a great position to continue our global expansion efforts with what is left of 2014.”

Telenovelas have been the stars of the Caracol TV Internacional catalogue for quite some time. Novelas continue to sell consistently in the Americas, according to Osorio. Recently, these classic love stories have also started to captivate audiences in Africa, and the Middle East is also opening up.

Eastern Europe has been a strong market for telenovelas as well, a trend that has been long running. “For our telenovelas, we’re still seeing a very big demand in different regions in Eastern Europe,” says Estefania Arteaga, the sales executive for Eastern Europe and Asia at Caracol TV Internacional. She points to Romania and Russia as key buyers, and says there is also interest coming from countries like Albania. “Eastern Europe still loves the romantic, classical program that has secrets, betrayal, intrigue—all of that is still very much in demand in this part of the world.”

This year in particular, Caracol has been leaving its mark when it comes to series. Among its newest series to launch is Fugitives, which premiered this week. “We have seen record-breaking ratings in key markets with productions such as Pablo Escobar in Argentina and The Dark Widow (a co-production with Televisa) in the U.S. and Puerto Rico,” says Osorio. “Our series have also premiered in non-traditional markets: The Cartel in Mongolia and The Voice of Freedom in Thailand. Such is the case for Pablo Escobar in the Netherlands, and in September it will premiere in Brazil. The Voice of Freedom has already premiered in over 15 countries, all with a stellar performance.”

A growing area for Caracol TV Internacional is formats. “Formats have been a great way to enter growing markets that are looking for new and original ideas,” says Osorio. “For non-scripted, we have focused our efforts on offering entertainment formats that will appeal to all audiences and can be enjoyed with the entire family. Such is the case with The Dance Floor, which premiered with overwhelming success in Italy and will continue to have versions in other European markets. In addition to this, our format The Challenge was just adapted for a third season by Azteca under the name of La Isla. Our scripted formats continue to do well in [places] like Mexico, Russia, North Africa, the Middle East and Vietnam; opening the door for other production powerhouses to take notice in markets like China, Korea and Turkey. These are all great signs that point to one common denominator: the importance of a great story.”

On the back of The Dance Floor’s success in Europe, the company is looking to place it in Asia now as well. “With Asian buyers, it’s important for them to be able to have access to formats,” says Arteaga. “They want to be able to localize a good story; we have found that a good story is going to have a place no matter what. We’ve been placing entertainment formats, along with some dramas and series, in places like Vietnam and China. It’s something that we’re excited about.” Looking ahead, Arteaga notes the importance of continuing to expand in more nontraditional markets.

From a sales perspective, the first half of the year has been strong for Caracol TV Internacional. Osorio says the company plans to finish off the year by “introducing new and shorter series, which are a growing demand in the international market.” This includes the 40×1-hour Fugitives, a series that explores the dark side of the justice system by portraying the life of a man who has been sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. The 60×1-hour Shot of Grace, a co-production with Televisa, tells the story of an actor who is hired as the double of the most wanted drug lord in the world. There’s also the 40×1-hour Men Cry Too, a tale about love and heartbreak that shows the vulnerable side of men when they lose the love of their lives.