The international success of its dramas -with the sale of current hits like Secret of Pearls or its library titles, even as formats- makes Kanal D International a huge player in CEE and MENA, regions where it’s also looking to grow as a movie distributor.
An all-encompassing approach has seen Kanal D International (KDI) go from success to success in the CEE region, powered by the great performance of titles like Secret of Pearls, the depth of their library, the proven success of their titles’ format adaptations, and a growing catalogue of highly attractive feature films.
“We’ve had a very active first half of the year,” points out Önay Devrim, Sales Executive for CEE and Baltics at KDI. “In the CEE region, our new titles continue to air with full power. As our series perform strongly, we are licensing their second seasons too. For example, Secret of Pearls will continue to air with it’s second season in Lithuania, Serbia, Albania and Kosovo and more to come.”
Secret of Pearls has been a huge success, both locally and internationally, since its debut. Its second season came to an end on May 15th with yet another strong showing across all the demos. “We are also continuing with our library sales in CEE (and), in MENA, our classical dramas continue to attract attention and we’ve just closed a significant deal,” added the executive.
What do you expect from Crazy for Love in these upcoming months?
We are very optimistic about Crazy for Love. Although we don’t have many movies in our catalogue, it is a great addition to existing rom-coms. It’s lighthearted tone, relatable characters and feel-good storytelling offer a perfect escape for audiences – especially in times when viewers are seeking more uplifting content.
How are you finding the market for romantic comedies like this one?
Romantic comedies are gaining renewed interest in the CEE and Baltics, particularly among younger-skewing platforms and niche female-oriented broadcasters. Crazy for Love has already sparked interest in several markets, and we are confident it will resonate well.
Considering also the news of Grill and Cash being added to your catalogue: How are the Central, Eastern Europe and EMEA responding to Turkish feature films? What is the potential of the genre in those markets?
We are seeing strong and growing demand for Turkish feature films across CEE and EMEA. We recently released Grill and Cash. There is an appetite for films that blend drama and humor, broadcasters are increasingly looking for content beyond series, and feature films offer them flexibility in scheduling and programming. What makes it universal is the story; Two brothers having a kiosk are trying to escape mafia, sounds already exciting and funny!
Farewell Letter keeps traveling very well around the world. What are the latest deals for the title?
Farewell Letter is a beautifully crafted drama that tells a heartfelt story of love, family, and the impact of past choices. The production quality is outstanding, with a talented cast, detailed set designs, and compelling storytelling. It’s universal themes and high production values make it appealing to a wide range of audiences, allowing it to fit seamlessly into prime-time slots or lead on streaming platforms.
The series has been well-received internationally and has been sold to various countries, including Romania, Panama, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Croatia, Montenegro, Uzbekistan, Latvia, Serbia, Vietnam, Mongolia, Ethiopia, the MENA region, Angola, Mozambique, Estonia, and Lithuania.
After so many years of success in Central, Eastern Europe and EMEA: Where do you identify the greatest growth possibilities moving forward?
While ready-made dramas remain at the core of our portfolio, we see additional growth in two key areas. First, as mentioned, classical Turkish prime time series will keep remaining the main force of our catalogue. As you can see through many years, our evergreens are still performing highest level, so we will keep adding Premium titles. We are expecting some news about new season soon.
Second, there is increasing interest in formats. Markets like Poland and the Baltics are becoming more eager to localize successful Turkish series, which presents exciting opportunities for us moving forward. We can clearly mention the success of Broken Promise, Portuguese adaptation of Ruthless City, that became the Best Telenovela already.
What are your other main highlights for Natpe Budapest?
Natpe Budapest is a great chance for us to reconnect with our partners and meet new ones in person, because we truly believe nothing beats face-to-face conversations. It’s also the perfect moment to highlight Kanal D’s creative power and trusted presence across different genres and platforms. We’re excited to be part of the market again, so feel free to drop by and say hi at table 31, we’d love to catch up!
