TVN brings its latest hits to Budapest
Polish commercial net TVN has been enjoying solid international sales during the past few years and is now looking to further grow its presence in the CEE region with its latest hits premiering at NATPE Budapest. Aneta Zaręba, Sales Manager, TVN, tells Yako Molhov about their newest titles and the bestsellers in their catalog.
Aneta Zaręba
What are the latest titles that you are bringing to NATPE Budapest?
We are coming to NATPE Budapest with some of the best TVN productions, including our newly created detective drama Belle Epoque – a fresh take on crime set in the beautiful era, featuring top Polish actors and sublime costumes. We will also showcase our prime scripted and factual entertainment shows, like the 3rd season of Second Chance, TVN’s best-known drama series, Letters to Santa 2, a feature film sequel to a recent box-office hit, and the 8th season of our unique travel series Woman at the End of the World – just to name a few. But there is much more in our catalog – from travel, through moto to culinary programming – and it’s not just long-running series, which have become the white on rice on our schedules, but also special one-offs exploring a wide range of popular topics.
Which are your bestsellers in the CEE region?
The international audience of our programs is growing every year; to date, over 40 TVN titles have reached millions of viewers in over 100 countries and territories all around the world. Hence, it is difficult to point out a single bestselling leader. Recently, our most popular TV series was Recipe for Life which has already been broadcast in Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, and Georgia. It also reached countries outside of the CEE region, including Russia, Middle East and China.
Speaking about factual programming, our best-selling title is the travel series Woman at the End of the World, where the host Martyna Wojciechowska roams the globe in search of remarkable women with an exceptional story to tell. The format has reached viewers in countries like Belgium, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, USA, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
How big is TVN’s catalog? Do you rely only on your own formats or do you also represent third-party titles?
The majority of our content is original programming commissioned for our main network– TVN– and our thematic channels, like TVN Style –female skewed channel focused on lifestyle, health and beauty, or TVN Turbo –Poland’s first male-targeted thematic channel.
However, we also represent interesting titles coming from other production houses which have international potential. For example, we offer cooking shows and kids programming produced for the Polish Canal+ group. We also showcase high-quality local feature films from independent producers which, in our opinion, deserve international attention.
Are there differences between the client preferences around the region?
Everyone is always looking for something fresh and unique on the market, but I believe that viewers’ preferences across the CEE region are quite similar. It’s safe to say that, if a program brings good ratings in one territory, other networks will want to try it out in their own country. Recently, we’ve also noticed that a lot of our partners are looking for formats that could be a good alternative to Turkish drama.
Which are the most important territories for TVN?
I wouldn’t say that there is a part of the CEE region that is more significant than the rest. Actually, all of the countries and territories in the region are of key importance to TVN. We have a great working relationship with partners from our neighboring countries–Slovakia, Czech Republic, Latvia or Lithuania. We’ve been cooperating with them for many years now. Right now we would love to increase our presence in the Balkans – countries like Romania for example – or the Middle East.
You are selling TVN series both as ready-made shows and also as scripted formats. Which are your best-selling titles?
All of our TV series are available both as ready-made programs and formats designed for local adaptation. Having said that, it’s also true that most of our activities are focused on ready-made sales. Recipe for Life is our best-selling ready-made show so far. Interestingly enough, it also generates the biggest interest as a format for localization.
Are international players interested in adapting Polish formats?
Interest in our scripted formats is growing, however, we still need to work on developing this part of our business. At the moment we are working with a number of agents who are promoting our scripted formats in the US and Latin America. At the same time, our team is focusing on promoting our TV series across Europe and Asia.
Is demand for digital rights growing for you as well? What grabs the attention of the VOD players?
Till now we’ve mostly sold VOD rights together with TV rights. However, lately, we have noticed an increased demand for digital rights in terms of feature films and TV series. Therefore, we are currently exploring how and on what bases can we cooperate with digital platforms, including both local and global VOD players.▪
We are coming to NATPE Budapest with some of the best TVN productions, including our newly created detective drama Belle Epoque – a fresh take on crime set in the beautiful era, featuring top Polish actors and sublime costumes. We will also showcase our prime scripted and factual entertainment shows, like the 3rd season of Second Chance, TVN’s best-known drama series, Letters to Santa 2, a feature film sequel to a recent box-office hit, and the 8th season of our unique travel series Woman at the End of the World – just to name a few. But there is much more in our catalog – from travel, through moto to culinary programming – and it’s not just long-running series, which have become the white on rice on our schedules, but also special one-offs exploring a wide range of popular topics.
Which are your bestsellers in the CEE region?
The international audience of our programs is growing every year; to date, over 40 TVN titles have reached millions of viewers in over 100 countries and territories all around the world. Hence, it is difficult to point out a single bestselling leader. Recently, our most popular TV series was Recipe for Life which has already been broadcast in Slovakia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, and Georgia. It also reached countries outside of the CEE region, including Russia, Middle East and China.
Speaking about factual programming, our best-selling title is the travel series Woman at the End of the World, where the host Martyna Wojciechowska roams the globe in search of remarkable women with an exceptional story to tell. The format has reached viewers in countries like Belgium, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Latvia, USA, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
Recipe for Life
How big is TVN’s catalog? Do you rely only on your own formats or do you also represent third-party titles?
The majority of our content is original programming commissioned for our main network– TVN– and our thematic channels, like TVN Style –female skewed channel focused on lifestyle, health and beauty, or TVN Turbo –Poland’s first male-targeted thematic channel.
However, we also represent interesting titles coming from other production houses which have international potential. For example, we offer cooking shows and kids programming produced for the Polish Canal+ group. We also showcase high-quality local feature films from independent producers which, in our opinion, deserve international attention.
Are there differences between the client preferences around the region?
Everyone is always looking for something fresh and unique on the market, but I believe that viewers’ preferences across the CEE region are quite similar. It’s safe to say that, if a program brings good ratings in one territory, other networks will want to try it out in their own country. Recently, we’ve also noticed that a lot of our partners are looking for formats that could be a good alternative to Turkish drama.
Which are the most important territories for TVN?
I wouldn’t say that there is a part of the CEE region that is more significant than the rest. Actually, all of the countries and territories in the region are of key importance to TVN. We have a great working relationship with partners from our neighboring countries–Slovakia, Czech Republic, Latvia or Lithuania. We’ve been cooperating with them for many years now. Right now we would love to increase our presence in the Balkans – countries like Romania for example – or the Middle East.
Belle Epoque
You are selling TVN series both as ready-made shows and also as scripted formats. Which are your best-selling titles?
All of our TV series are available both as ready-made programs and formats designed for local adaptation. Having said that, it’s also true that most of our activities are focused on ready-made sales. Recipe for Life is our best-selling ready-made show so far. Interestingly enough, it also generates the biggest interest as a format for localization.
Are international players interested in adapting Polish formats?
Interest in our scripted formats is growing, however, we still need to work on developing this part of our business. At the moment we are working with a number of agents who are promoting our scripted formats in the US and Latin America. At the same time, our team is focusing on promoting our TV series across Europe and Asia.
Is demand for digital rights growing for you as well? What grabs the attention of the VOD players?
Till now we’ve mostly sold VOD rights together with TV rights. However, lately, we have noticed an increased demand for digital rights in terms of feature films and TV series. Therefore, we are currently exploring how and on what bases can we cooperate with digital platforms, including both local and global VOD players.▪
