The Downtown Miami Hilton delivers unrivaled overhead views of Biscayne Bay and the city’s dramatic, mnemonic skyline. As attendees prepare for the third edition of Content Americas kicking off this coming Monday, anticipation brews, hoping the event offers a broad overview of the international television domain. Understandably, this perspective is vital. Amid the COVID-induced global crisis, few regions have relied as heavily on international digital platforms as Latin America.
Defying global tendencies, 2024 witnessed a remarkable increase in the number of series season orders in Spain. Starting at 43 the previous year, they escalated to 75, as reported by Ampere Analysis. Content Americas, which stands as the foremost TV-related event of the year, grants a stage to discuss and verify projected market inclinations.
Prompt clarification on a few specific, pressing doubts is crucial. For instance, considering the comprehensive removal or resignation of top execs at Televisa-Univisión since last December, what will be the strategy for its video-on-demand service, ViX, regarding future acquisitions?
Will global TV streaming players regain their roles in propelling Latin American growth? The digital streaming world is still experiencing varying phases of development — some organizations are consolidating, others are working towards profitability, and a few are operating business as usual.
With such roller-coaster-like changes, there’s no clarity on how the landscape would appear in the upcoming year. This period of ambiguity creates challenges for content producers. Although Brazil and Mexico experienced a decline in season orders over time, optimism persists.
Encouraged by ad tiers, Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) platforms are likely to widen their subscription reach in this part of the world. For instance, NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises presents an assertive outlook for production enlargement.
An anticipated session at this year’s Content Americas features its chairman, Luis Fernández. Nevertheless, a significant reality check remains — fewer original television series are anticipated from Latin America, a stark contrast with the surge of orders in the recent past.
Producers cling to a silver lining, hoping for some stability in the market scene. The response from independent producers and distributors is predictable. With the changing dynamics, the focus shifts towards brainstorming innovative financial strategies that encompass multiple geographic domains.
Understanding public funds and the individual ecosystem of specific markets becomes crucial. The buzz around co-production and windowing intensifies. By 2025, these discussions are predicted to lead to more concrete agreements as the industry recalibrates.
The narrative for series is likely to remain largely the same — compelling plots that warrant binge-watching, and relatable characters that ensure viewers’ return for subsequent seasons. The popularity of character-driven dramas is steadily increasing, with recurring, franchise-worthy content being the most sought-after.
In local arenas, a return to a more conventional pattern with familiar television slots becomes more common: Action, natural disasters, family-driven plots, children’s content, collective viewing, among others.
Though, it doesn’t necessarily infer that digital platforms will boost their acquisitions, an essential part of realigning with the new dynamics. Brazil’s role as a core production hub remains undeterred.
Inevitably, prominent global digital streaming providers appear to have no choice but to dedicate a significant fragment of their gross earnings into Brazilian content.