In times of confinement, all3media international is attending Mipcancun Online+ with a catalog of premium dramas, factual content and international entertainment formats, which allow audiences to escape to other worlds and realities through their screens.
This year, more than ever, television has become a source of entertainment and escapism for millions of people around the world who face difficult realities due to the pandemic that continues to spread internationally.
Armed with a catalog of premium dramas, and entertainment and factual formats, all3media has become a fundamental ally for partners and platforms seeking to meet the growing demand for this type of content.
“During this pandemic, television has become an escape for audiences. In this market, we seek to meet that demand with shows from our catalog that offer warm entertainment and an escape from reality”, Janel Downing, VP Sales, Latin America at all3media international, said to ttvnews, and shared details about the varied catalog that the distributor will be presenting in the virtual edition of Mipcancun.
As we come closer to the end of this unprecedented year, how has the pandemic changed all3media’s business strategy in terms of content distribution? Have you been able to maintain and grow your relationships with international partners?
During the pandemic our business strategy for the region remains largely unchanged. Although, as networks and production companies are experiencing difficult times, we are trying our best to accommodate changing needs during this unprecedented time. We consider all our client relationships long term, so feel it is important to work with partners. Thanks to technology it has been relatively easy to maintain communication with partners across the region without the need for travel.
On that note, has the pandemic affected buyers’ preferences in terms of content? Are they buying more as audiences confined to their homes seek entertainment?
During the pandemic television has become a source of escape for audiences. We have noticed an increased appetite for ‘bingeable’ dramas as well as feel-good entertainment shows. 2020 was a record year for our drama sales in the region. We were fortunate to have principal photography finished on some of our premium scripted titles, so managed to close significant drama deals with HBO Latin America for It’s A Sin, with Acorn TV for The Nest, The Brokenwood Mysteries and Midsomer Murders, along with other deals with Directv, Viacom and Starz, with more to announce before the end of this year.
Which genres and types of content have been most in demand from your catalog?
As mentioned above, entertainment shows and dramas are currently in high demand. With so much chaos and uncertainty in the world right now, audiences want to sit back and lose themselves in feel-good entertainment. During this market we aim to fit the bill with shows from our catalogue that offer warm entertainment and escapism. For example, The Search is a brand-new talent competition for BBC One, which sees global superstars Little Mix looking for fresh young talent to form a brand-new singing group to accompany them on their next big tour. It is heart-warming to see Little Mix mentor these young performers who have so much talent to offer.
Other shows like The Elephant Hospital, which takes us inside the world’s largest Elephant hospital in Northern Thailand and The Savoy, which offers a behind the scene look at one of London’s most luxurious hotels, offer escapism at a time most people are unable to physically travel.
How have virtual events changed the experience for you personally when it comes to presenting content and “meeting” with clients? Do you think this will become the new normal or will in-person events always be necessary?
Certainly some event formats work better than others. I would say that Mipcancun’s well established speed date model can work well in the virtual world. Having said that, I do not think you can replace the value and ‘buzz’ of a real in-person market so expect and hope we can return to Cancun in 2021.
We are excited to be running the second edition of our formats pitch competition in a virtual format during this Mipcancun. This year we received double the amount of submissions from 18 different countries!
What’s in store for the company for the remainder of the year and the start of 2021?
We are excited about a fresh US commission of our multi-award winning format, The Cube in 2021. This year the format returned to ITV for a tenth season and a bigger and better jackpot prize of 1 million pounds. It is a great format for the pandemic because it maintains all the elements of a truly physical game show but can be produced in a safe way, since all the stunts happen inside of The Cube. The US version will be hosted by Dwayne Wade for CBS.
