Crime, ‘Light-Toned’ Shows and Youth Programming: What Buyers Are Looking For at the London TV Screenings
They’ve come, they’re seeing, but will they conquered? From Tuesday through Friday, preceded by a BBC Studios Showcase, the biggest established U.K.-based distributors, plus a growing brace of overseas outfits France’s Studiocanal, About Premium Content and Newen Connect, for instance, will unveil some of their boldest new swings for 2023 at the London TV Screenings, one of the fastest growing TV markets in the world.
But will buyers buy? Fielding a questionnaire from Variety, five acquisition execs from Europe outlined their interests. Questions were answered by buyers at three of Europe’s principal public broadcasters, still a massive presence on the market: Sebastian Lückel, head of acquisition and co-production at ARD Degeto, the production-acquisition arm of Europe’s biggest public broadcaster, Germany’s ARD; Mignon Huisman, head of series acquisitions at NPO, the Dutch state TV service; Sven Van Lokeren, head of international fiction series acquisition at VRT, serving the Flemish community in neighboring Belgium.
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Broadening the range of interests, further respondents took in José Antonio Salso, head of acquisitions and international sales, at the Atresmedia Group, one of Spain biggest commercial free-to-air players with a highly active SVOD service, Atresplayer Premium; and Filippa Wallestam, CCO of Viaplay, the fastest expanding of European SVOD services which, from a Nordic base, now buys for 11 European markets and has just launched in the U.S. on Feb. 22.
Some provisional conclusions:
Super Indies Replace Studios as Open Market Purveyors
U.K. distributors, led by the super indies, are still taking up the slack left by Hollywood studios as the majors retain more of their content for their own streaming services. “U.S. series have their own merit but they are less available due to the steaming services,” says NPO’s Huisman. “U.K. distributors are now offering more content which in the past came mainly from U.S. cable such as HBO, Showtime and FX,” confirms VRT’s Van Lokeren.
Crime Pays
Crime and thrillers were the No. 1 preference in linear TV commissioning over second half 2022, edging out comedy and drama, according to an Ampere Analysis study. But broadcasters still have an appetite for acquisitions as well. All respondents mentioned crime as a major buying interest, whether “solid, returning British crime” (Van Lockeren) or “ever so popular well produced procedural crime-series” (Lückel). “And if these series have a healthy production budget and an original look it is all the better,” he adds.
’Free is the New Pay…Pay is the New Free’
Wrote Guy Bisson in the same Ampere Analysis report. The growth of in-house streaming services has affected VRT’s acquisition policies “massively,” says Van Lokeren. “Like most of our colleagues, we are also acquiring content purely for our streaming service, without any linear rights,” he adds. Lückel recognises that “there is almost a 50/50 split in our acquisition-budget and our focus is currently on finding unique series that viewers wouldn’t expect from a public broadcaster for our streaming service.” “Our interests have evolved a lot in recent years. First, because Atresmedia not only operates Antena 3, our main channel, but a family of channels including La Sexta, Neox, Nova, Mega and Atreseries, and also our digital platforms lead by Atresplayer,” agrees Atresmedia’s José Antonio Salso.
The Holy Grail: Winning Back Younger Viewers
Pubcasters remit is to program a broad cross-section of shows, serving the whole population. So they are looking to leverage their streaming services to win back a demography which hardly watches TV at all: Younger viewers. “We are aiming for younger audiences and more VOD rights,” says Van Lokeren. “We certainly shifted our search focus and budgets so we can attract and win back younger audiences that cannot imagine linear TV-usage anymore.”
Feel-Good Shows in Darker Times
We are looking for drama and crime and some lighter toned drama in these dark times,” says Huisman. Von Lockeren says he’s bringing back acquired comedy.”We always brought high-quality content, but over the last years there wasn’t much room for laid back entertainment and pure fun.” Now’s the time.
A Shout Out to Europe (Including the U.K.)
Buyers agreed: the desirability of European shows has escalated over the last decade, partly in reaction to new competition from streamers. Their “quality has skyrocketed as much as the production levels,” says Viaplay’s Filippa Wallestam, noting that the key difference from 10 years ago is that more viewers and buyers are aware of them. Their lower price tag, moreover, is “increasingly relevant consideration in today’s macro-economic environment.” “European shows are now living a sweet moment,” says Atresmedia’s Salso.
The Main Focus (For Some): Original Series and Films
Digital TV players lifted off in the ‘90s on the back of huge output deals with Hollywood’s main TV players. These days, when it comes to Europe’s pay TV/SVOD operators, not all buyers at the London TV Screenings are in town principally to acquire. “Our focus this week is showcasing Viaplay’s own series and films,” says Wallestam, noting that Viaplay plans to premiere 130 original shows in 2023. Acquisitions are “complementary.”
Buyers’ answers in full:
Sebastian Lückel, ARD Degeto, Germany
1.What kinds of scripted series and formats will you be looking for at the London TV Screenings?
We aim for a broad variety from elevated series with a strong narrative vision, layered characters with a clear USP to the ever so popular well produced procedural crime-series. And if these series have a healthy production budget and an original look it is all the better.
2.How have your acquisition interests evolved in recent years?
Since we are focusing on new series for our streaming platform ARD Mediathek our interest peaks in genre-bending shows that stand out: That could be either a high-concept mystery series or an IP-based near-future character driven drama that deals with questions how we are or could/should living together as a society.
3.With series production across Europe having skyrocketed, how do European shows stack up against U.S. series and do European shows offer better deals?
The quality of European shows rose again in the last years. Series with a strong premise can travel everywhere and so it is no longer a one-way street. Our audience appreciates the nuanced storytelling that reflects their social economic situations; therefore, these series stand out in comparison to some of the U.S. – series that streamers launch every other week.
4.What kinds of unscripted formats and shows are in demand in terms of topics and subject matter, ie, nature, science, current events, politics, romance, gameshows and are you acquiring more unscripted programming?
ARD Degeto only deals in fiction programs.
5.How, if you are a free-to-air broadcaster, has the growth of your streaming services affected your acquisition policies?
We certainly shifted our search focus and budgets so we can attract and win back younger audiences that cannot imagine linear TV-usage anymore. There is almost a 50/50 split in our acquisition-budget and our focus is currently on finding unique series that viewers wouldn’t expect from a public broadcaster for our streaming service.
Mignon Huisman, NPO, Netherlands
1.What kinds of scripted series and formats will you be looking for at the London Screenings?
We are looking for drama and crime and some lighter-toned
drama in these dark times.
2.How have your acquisition interests evolved in recent years?
Our targeted audience is very broad, so on top of that we are aiming at additional programs to attract younger and more diverse viewers also, next to our current audience.
3.With series production across Europe having skyrocketed, how do European shows stack up against U.S. series and do European shows offer better deals?
We have a great tradition acquiring European series and they work very well for us and are of high quality.U.S. series have their own merit but they are less available due to the streaming services, but we acquire one or two per year.
4.What kinds of unscripted formats and shows are in demand in terms of topics and subject matter, ie, nature, science, current events, politics, romance, gameshows and are you acquiring more unscripted programming?
Unscripted is not my area
5.How, if you are a free-to-air broadcaster, has the growth of your streaming services affected your acquisition policies
As a public broadcaster we are a very reliable party and even though there has been a lot of competition, we still have been able to find distributors who did choose to provide us with really good programs.
Sven Van Lokeren, VRT, Belgium
1.What kinds of scripted series and formats will you be looking for at the London Screenings?
I will be sourcing both the solid, returning British crime and drama series and the new hot properties, such as previously “The Tourist” at All3Media. It is great to see that U.K. distributors are now offering more content which in the past came mainly from U.S. cable such as HBO, Showtime and FX.
2.How have you acquisition interests evolved in recent years?
We are aiming for younger audiences and more VOD rights, to address the big shifts in viewer habits that we have seen since the start of the first lockdown. And after a very long hiatus, we are bringing back acquired comedy. We always brought high-quality content, but over the last years there wasn’t much room for laid back entertainment and pure fun.
3.With series production across Europe having skyrocketed, how do European shows stack up against U.S. series and do European shows offer better deals?
There might occasionally still be some difference in production value, but no longer in the quality of storylines or viewer engagement. Audiences can often also relate better to European sensibilities and style. And European shows can take risks that U.S. productions might shun away from. “Exit” is such an example, even if it might be an extreme one.
4.What kinds of unscripted formats and shows are in demand in terms of topics and subject matter, ie, nature, science, current events, politics, romance, gameshows and are you acquiring more unscripted programming?
Current events, science, nature will always be in demand, even if there is a marked shift towards more modern storytelling to attract younger audiences also. Pure entertainment and gameshows are making a comeback in order to stay relevant for a broader audience.
5.How, if you are a free-to-air broadcaster, has the growth of your streaming services affected your acquisition policies?
Massively. No one can afford to acquire any content anymore without VOD rights for their streaming services. The shift from live viewing to on demand viewing is constantly increasing and sped up at an exponential rate since the lockdowns. Like most of our colleagues, we are also acquiring content purely for our streaming service, without any linear rights. The audience is starting to discover these and clearly has an appetite for them.
Filippa Wallestam, Viaplay, the Nordics (And Now Far Beyond)
1.What kinds of scripted series and formats will you be looking for at the London Screenings?
Our focus this week is showcasing Viaplay’s own series and films. Our 2023 slate is the best yet, including the highly anticipated fantasy epic “Ronja the Robber’s Daughter,” based on Astrid Lindgren’s famous novel; our English-language biopic of NHL ice hockey legend Börje Salming starring Valter Skarsgård and Jason Priestley; and many new films, young adult series and of course our signature high-end crime shows. That said, we want Viaplay to offer something for everyone, so we’re always open to acquiring additional attractive content that complements our own.
2.How have your acquisition interests evolved in recent years?
We’re now buying for 11 European markets, rather than only the Nordic region. So we’re interested in top-quality titles that can work equally well in Poland, Norway and everywhere in between! At the same time, Viaplay’s offering in the U.K., U.S. and (from March 7) Canada, is focused on what we call “the best of the Nordics,” which means that securing third-party content from our home markets has become important for us, too.
3.With series production across Europe having skyrocketed, how do European shows stack up against U.S. series and do European shows offer better deals?
For me, the quality has skyrocketed as much as the production levels. There are so many great shows, and the key difference from 10 years ago is that more viewers and buyers are aware of them. Ironically, we can probably thank the global platforms for that. And this quality usually has a lower price tag compared with the U.S., which is an increasingly relevant consideration in today’s macro-economic environment.
4.What kinds of unscripted formats and shows are in demand in terms of topics and subject matter – nature, science, current events, politics, romance, game shows – and are you acquiring more unscripted programming?
For both scripted and unscripted, Viaplay’s own productions are our primary focus. We plan to premiere over 130 original shows this year, of which unscripted will represent a large proportion. This content, which on Viaplay ranges from famous formats such as “MasterChef” and “Fort Boyard” to true crime and sports documentaries, helps us reach the broad audience we’re targeting in our European markets. Acquired shows can play a complementary role and help us reach our goals even faster, so if you have the next big thing in unscripted we want to hear from you – both this week and throughout the year!
José Antonio Salso, Head of Acquisitions and International Sales, Atresmedia Group, Spain
1.What kinds of scripted series and formats will you be looking for at the London Screenings?
Atresmedia Group has been leading the Spanish market for two consecutive years with a variety of quality content oriented to a wide audience for our family of channels and platforms. Thus, in London Screenings 2022 we are looking for emotional driven dramas and universal stories with the ability to connect with the emotion of our audience. This is not an easy task, so we do not focus in any genre in particular.
2.How have you acquisition interests evolved in recent years?
Our interests have evolved a lot in recent years. First, because Atresmedia not only operates Antena 3, our main channel, but a family of channels including La Sexta, Neox, Nova, Mega and Atreseries, and also our digital platforms lead by Atresplayer.
In every channel there are different needs and targets, from drama to comedy, from scripted to factual entertainment, but we always look for quality content for every target audience.
3.With series production across Europe having skyrocketed, how do European shows stack up against U.S. series and do European shows offer better deals?
European shows are now living a sweet moment, as the next international success does not necessary come from U.S. as used to happen some years ago, but from Spain, Turkey, Korea, France or Germany. It is also difficult to speak in general about European productions, as there is not a lot of common ingredients in a Spanish or a Nordic show, so every region has its own peculiarities. In Atresmedia we are very proud of being the home of some of the best internationally successful Spanish dramas, such us “Veneno,” “Alba” or previously, “Velvet” or “Money Heist.”
In terms of acquisitions models, traditional U.S. distributors are used to negotiate big volume deals as production pipelines were huge, on the other hand, European producers and distributors focus on the product, and negotiations are often based on individual shows… but that does not mean that they offer better deals.
4.What kinds of unscripted formats and shows are in demand in terms of topics and subject matter, ie, nature, science, current events, politics, romance, gameshows and are you acquiring more unscripted programming?
In terms of unscripted, Atresmedia operates Mega, our male oriented channel focusing on unscripted content. Mega focuses mainly in factual entertainment with long running shows dealing with topics such as tough jobs, transactions of objects and antiques, auctions, bartering, etc. In La Sexta the spotlight is on current affairs, especially local: Investigation cases, interviews or true crime connected with topics that are present in the news. But we do not only focus on local affairs but also on international events: the Ukraine War; how pandemic affected our lives; or interviews such as Prince Harry or Royal Family.
5.How, if you are a free-to-air broadcaster, has the growth of your streaming services, affected your acquisition policies?
The growth of streaming services has impacted our acquisition policies as a free to air broadcaster, as we work hard to grant exclusivity of our content for our channels against other streaming services, specially against those services operating without a subscription model.
If a show is in our channels, we will do our best to avoid exposure in third party free video on demand services competing against our channels. Otherwise, conditions in the acquisition negotiation must decrease.
It is also very important for our channels to grant our audience to have access to our content the way they prefer, on our lineal channels or on our streaming services, so it is essential to negotiate extended digital rights granting these different ways of accessing our content.
Marta Balaga and Leo Barraclough contributed to this article.
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