WorldScreenings: HBO Latin America Offers Innovative Content

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Xavier Aristimuño, VP of licensing at HBO Latin America, talks about innovation, taking risks and developing powerful narratives that explore new, challenging formats and engage global audiences.

For more than 17 years, HBO Latin America has been a pioneer in the production of high-quality original content in the LatAm region. And the programming roster is continuing to grow, “telling stories about unique and relevant topics through diverse points of view,” says Aristimuño. “We offer content that awakens global interest in the Latin American audiovisual industry, proudly positioning our productions to new audiences around the world. We guide our future through innovation, taking risks and developing powerful narratives that explore new, challenging formats and engage global audiences.”

HBO Latin America’s international distribution and licensing department has seen gains each year, Aristimuño adds, “assuring our international clients a unique service in our industry, supporting all of the relevant areas in the distribution process. Our global customers not only enjoy the quality of our award-winning content, but they also count on all of our branding, digital and marketing resources that characterize the HBO brand.”

Its original productions have aired all across Latin America and the Caribbean, and are also present on HBO platforms around the world. Even still, enlarging the global footprint for this content remains top of mind.

“We guide our path by providing unparalleled relevance for our audiences, searching for unique and powerful stories,” says Aristimuño. “Producing premium television for us has simply been a continuation of many years of placing exceptional talent in all areas of production.” All of HBO Latin America’s original productions are HD/4K quality and dubbed in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

“Without a doubt, the increased international success of multicultural content has cultivated acceptance in markets that previously focused mostly on local content,” Aristimuño notes. “It has given clients and potential clients the time to understand and enjoy the quality of our productions. The result has been clear, giving us an important boom in sales and brand positioning in different regions of the world.”

To date, HBO Latin America has produced more than 30 titles that add up to more than 450 hours, comprising series, miniseries and documentaries. The programming can be divided into three key segments. The first being the classics—productions that marked an era in Latin American production such as The Bronze Garden (El Jardín de Bronce), The Business (O Negócio), Psi and Sr. Ávila. The second category is its most recent hits, such as The Secret Life of Couples (A Vida Secreta dos Casais), Joint Venture (Pico da Neblina) and He, She, They (Todxs Nós), as well as the latest premiere, Hard. The third category is upcoming productions, “which are generating enormous expectations and interest from international clients,” Aristimuño says. These include Amongst Men (Entre Hombres), The American Guest (O Hóspede Americano) and its first Colombian scripted original production Mil Colmillos.

With all its programming, the mandate has always been, and continues to be, innovation, maintaining the quality that characterizes the HBO brand. “The HBO name is synonymous with quality,” Aristimuño says. “All of our series produced around the world have similar levels of production value. We will continue with our proposal of investing in and developing high-quality, provocative and innovative content. We always have high expectations for all of our productions, as they are enjoyable plots that are relatable through suspense, action and drama.”

Over the last year, HBO Latin America has closed agreements with platforms in various territories, and the aim is to further these efforts in 2020. “We are especially excited about the new markets in countries such as Japan, Russia, Australia, England, Italy, Turkey and Belgium, and we are in negotiations with buyers in France, Germany, India, MENA and some countries in Asia,” Aristimuño says. “We’re also proud of continuing to have our HBO Latin America content in the United States, including on the recently launched HBO Max platform.”

See HBO Latin America’s Summer 2020 Showcase here.