The executive spoke with ttvnews about the success that her realities and formats have achieved in 2023 and the titles of the genre that they are presenting in the current edition of Mipcancún.
In a year marked by the search for new business models that respond to the changing habits of audiences, and conflicts both at an economic and union level, the entire industry has had to adapt and look for ways to stay afloat in a tumultuous sea.
And Latin America was no exception, being a diverse region that faces its own challenges in terms of production and distribution. “As always, Latin America is unpredictable, but this year it has become even more challenging for everyone,” Michelle Wasserman, VPS for LatAm, US Hispanic and Brazil at Banijay Rights, began in conversation with ttvnews.
“Budgets are not enough to produce, associations that were once an advantage or upgrade have become a necessity and, although new models of production, distribution and association are proposed, creativity to do business is essential to maintain the direction,” explained the executive.
In this context, however, Banijay has remained one of those great players who have known how to face challenges. “We managed to continue advancing, making our content travel, generating great stability, and generating growth with new IPs and seasons that are renewed in successful series. We planted a flag in new genres and were disruptive in content, exploitation of new windows, and derived businesses.”
“Banijay has been surfing the wave, we continue to develop new content, making good alliances and strategic moves such as the acquisition of companies that generate added value to our catalog,” added the executive.
Banijay continues to reap the fruits of its outstanding reality shows, in a year that has been particularly exceptional for one of its oldest and most successful franchises.
“If I had to choose, perhaps I would expand on the reflection of what reality shows are today in the region, among which are the return of Big Brother: a universe in itself that returned to open TV with successful productions in Mexico , Hispanic USA, Chile and Argentina,” highlighted the executive. In Argentina, in particular, in its 11th edition it was the most watched program in the last 9 years on open TV, with peaks of 89% share, reaching more than 36 million people, equivalent to 83% of the population of the country. country.
In addition, the windowing that was worked on platforms such as ViX or Pluto has generated unprecedented results.
In the case of Pluto, it became a case study, surpassing all expectations and measurements on the platform, becoming the most downloaded free app in Argentina with 7 million downloads during the entire transmission period. Pluto TV’s exclusive channel, Big Brother Live, became the most viewed channel at the regional level while BB’s content on social networks generated 2.6 million views and 133.5 million engagements, being the TV program from Argentina with the highest engagement.
For its part, La casa de Famosos had the best digital number in the history of the Mexican company with a massive reach on both Canal de las Estrellas and ViX, based on the result of an outstanding programming strategy while videos on networks social networks exceed 5,000 million reproductions.
In addition to Big Brother, the executive highlighted the success of Survivor, a format produced in 80 territories, with more than 400 series to its credit, and 5,700 participants who went through the show, with more than 8,000 episodes… and counting. “This year the show will take place in 23 countries and in Latin America itself, including its return in Colombia through the RCN screen after 15 years of its last version, and in Argentina, on Telefe, after 20 years that it was broadcast on another channel. In Mexico we have already had 4 successful seasons on Azteca, and in Brazil we have had consecutive successes on Globo where season number six is currently being broadcast,” she explained.
To continue on this path of success, in the last edition of Mipcom, Banijay Rights presented the program Los 50, which has had “a great reception,” Wasserman revealed. “The format is originally from France and the first adaptation was in the US Hispanic market, on Telemundo more precisely. The season was very successful, it started well and then it grew. It is the station’s second most watched show after Big Brother, which has already had its run and has a prior positioning. There is already a second season confirmed for Telemundo and it has great potential to travel in Latin America,” added the executive.
Los 50 is part of the catalog that the distributor presented this week during Mipcancún, along with another innovative format: Buddy Games, which has just been launched on CBS and at Mipcom was its first presentation for the Latin market. “A simple, proven format, but with a premise that makes it special and unique: friendship. The relationship between colleagues, lifelong friends who know each other in every way, and who, participating in the show, not only choose to compete together, but to live an adventure, where they will find laughter, an escape from their routine and responsibilities, a revival of adventures and challenges with today’s maturity, while loyalty and commitment as a group will be tested and decisions will be made that can change a lifelong friendship,” explained the executive.
“Today reality shows and competitions are at their peak, but if we also add the social component of friendship due to the nature of Latinos, the premise is enhanced. Buddy Games is a show that, in addition to being scalable to local economies, is flexible to be done weekly or daily,” she added.
And in terms of fiction, the executive highlighted the series Lara (working title), “a very interesting story on a global level.”
“Excited not only about its content but also that the group has chosen to allocate its energy and investment into content of Latin origin. Productions like Lara or Searching for Mexico with Eva Longoria generate a lot of value for us to have a production of these characteristics in our catalog. They are content that adapts to various platforms and gives room to play efficiently with the window added to the fact that its footprint is clearly pan-regional,” she concluded.
