TVN Chile has returned to the digital ecosystem with the development of original vertical content: two titles already released, and a plan for at least 10 more vertical titles, to be launched at a pace of one per month.
Produced by Luis Cabrera, from Miami
The development of vertical fiction is a project that has placed TVN Chile back in the spotlight of the digital ecosystem, with a new business model here to stay and shaping up as a high-value trend in the industry. This was highlighted by Javier Goldschmied, Director of Programming at Chile’s public broadcaster, in conversation with ttvnews during the first day of Content Americas in Miami.
“We’re thrilled; we’re about to premiere our second vertical fiction title, Mi marido me robó la memoria, and we released Auditoría de amor a couple of months ago,” says Goldschmied. “Auditoría de amor, 50 episodes of a minute and a half each, exceeded all our expectations; it has reached well over 25 million views and a pleased audience.”
According to the executive, vertical fiction has repositioned TVN within the digital ecosystem. “We were looking for a mixed model that had to do with being able to sell this to agencies and clients, and in the first stage, making it available free of charge to audiences across all digital platforms.”
Goldschmied explained that this is an integrated business model in which brands participated from the very beginning and recognized its appeal. “All of that has pushed us to continue driving this line of business, in addition to the traditional one we’re used to. We’re making narrative adjustments to the upcoming titles; we’re about to start shooting the third title.”
The logic of this model, Goldschmied said, is to build volume so that people can choose among several titles. “It also includes a paywall, premium options, mixed models, ads, and tokens—a whole range of elements that make this model work the way it does in Asia and other territories. We’re determined to keep doing this; it puts TVN in conversation with the future.”
Original and exportable content
Goldschmied also highlights the long-term value of these contents. “They are 100% original content that is ours; we have the full scripts, which means we could eventually even sell them or host them on third-party platforms. We have a plan for at least 10 more vertical titles, releasing one per month. That gives us strength, responsibility, and a deeper understanding of the product, monetizing it differently and bringing in audiences that are not necessarily watching us on traditional television, which I think is one of the biggest challenges.”
Looking ahead, the goal is clear. “This should be a line of business that can be self-financed autonomously and generate additional revenues beyond those of traditional television. We like it when people watching free-to-air TV know that there is a vertical product as well; a phenomenon of cross-audiences is created,” he said.
A strong moment for TVN
At the same time, the channel is going through a strong overall period. “Last year was a good year for TVN; we increased all our ratings and all our numbers. We had entertainment, vertical fiction, and many sports throughout the year. TVN has established itself as the channel of all sports, not only soccer. We have cycling, artistic gymnastics, and all the world gymnastics championships held around the world, and we reached the Cycling World Championships. We have a sports ecosystem that amplifies and seeks to give visibility to other sports that are not directly present on free-to-air television,” he concluded.
