Antenna Entertainment Boosts Original Content Production
Antenna Entertainment is entering a new stage in its development with a major boost in original content production with the aim to drive growth in the CEE region, as General Manager Gergely Benda tells Yako Molhov in this exclusive interview for TVBIZZ Magazine.
Star Trek Beyond
Gergely, Antenna Entertainment, part of Antenna Group, operates various media assets in CEE. What are the territories you are currently present in and how many channels and platforms do you operate in the region?
As part of Antenna Group, Antenna Entertainment is operating in 12 territories in Central and Eastern Europe with 22 pay-TV channels and an on-demand service. In Hungary, this includes VIASAT3, VIASAT6, VIASAT2, VIASAT FILM and AXN, whilst in other countries we offer AXN, AXN Black, AXN White and AXN Spin, serving around 24 million subscribers regionally.
Is Antenna Entertainment planning an expansion of its portfolio? What is your growth strategy?
We believe in our region and that a properly designed linear portfolio can be successful. We also have the appropriate investor background to achieve this. We are convinced that unique content is what makes a content provider desirable and sets it apart from others. The above represents the cornerstone of our growth strategy. We are convinced that in content consumption market the on-demand services have their place, as well as a linear portfolio with a well-positioned and suitable content selection.
You recently announced a major deal with Paramount for over 2000 hours of content for your AXN and VIASAT channels. What are the highlights of this deal and does Antenna plan similar deals with other major distributors in the near future?
The Paramount deal clearly provides Antenna Entertainment CEE’s channels a great, solid backbone to rely on, particularly in markets such as Poland, Hungary and Romania. Some highlights include widely acclaimed 1st and 2nd run series like NCIS Hawai’i, CSI: Vegas, FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International or Walker; strong library series such as CSI; hit comedies like Rules of Engagement, The Unicorn and King of Queens, not to mention legendary blockbuster movies such as War of the Worlds, Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away or Minority Report and even titles from popular franchises such as the Mission Impossible, Star Trek or Kung Fu Panda.
The licensing deal was a significant milestone for us, but we are already collaborating with other major inter- national studios and regional content hubs. Our aim is to continue delivering captivating, top-quality movies and series to our viewers and partners across the CEE region.
Antenna Group acquired Sony Pictures Television’s channels in CEE in late 2021. What is the situation with Sony-produced and distributed content on your channels now?
We have a strong relationship with Sony Pictures Studios, and we are still receiving a steady flow of Sony content for our channels. But of course we are engaged in fruitful cooperation with other distributor partners. Our goal is to acquire as much high-rating content as possible in this fiercely competitive market.
How do you cooperate with the company owner? What are the synergies between Antenna Group and Antenna Entertainment?
Antenna Entertainment operates independently, but we are part of the Antenna Group, which allows us to leverage synergies between the two companies. Currently, we see the greatest advantage in the area of content acquisitions. However, there are collaborations regularly between Antenna Group and Antenna Entertainment on many fields including but not limited to network operations, ad sales, and CSR communication.
What is your strategy in terms of producing original content in the CEE region?
Compared to last year, we have increased the regional OP budget by 50%. In Hungary, we have a stable foundation for this growth, with continuous production and ongoing development and exploration of new formats suitable for our channels. This upcoming Fall is going to bring the strongest lineup of OP products to the channels in years. We have also switched gear in Romania introducing the second season of Men of the Law (Oamenii Legii), with more episodes, more action and more entertainment. In other countries, we are exploring opportunities for development and innovation in original productions.
Hungary is your strongest market in the region, and also one of the most competitive. What are your plans for the fall season as an alternative to market leaders TV2 and RTL?
We are preparing a robust lineup of original productions and highly popular acquired content to cater to our viewers distinct preferences and specific entertainment needs that differs from those of market leaders. We strive to meet their expectations at a high level by offering unique genres new to the market or by enhancing existing genres to make them more appealing to our viewers.
Are there markets where you see strong potential for growth and worth focusing more on?
In the regional market Poland holds significant importance as a focal point. A considerable amount of effort was required to achieve initial results, but the performance of the channel has been steadily, consistently, and predictably increasing in the most competitive time slots.
We anticipate good return on our investment in Romania, where our initial experiments proved to be a resounding success. Men of the Law (Oamenii Legii), based on the internationally recognized format Police in Action (Karlsbridge), marked the first step in our long-term strategy to position Antenna Entertainment as one of the key players in the Romanian market for local productions. The fine-tuning of the channels has yielded remarkable results.
The cable TV market in CEE is quite competitive. Do you have different strategies in the different CEE territories when it comes to distribution and monetization?
Yes. There is a significant difference in the portfolio between Hungary and the rest of the region. We follow different planning and monetization principles.
What is your streaming strategy? How many services do you have and what is your content policy for them?
We firmly believe in the collaborative relationship with the operators, and we want to serve their subscribers on the best possible way with our platforms. Antenna Entertainment’s VOD service, called AXN Now, provides its viewers original productions, entire seasons of series and selected movies from the biggest studios, with an offer that is updated every month. Thanks to our operators, it is available in a number of areas, such as in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Adriatic region.
We have a distinct digital/streaming strategy that sets us apart from the traditional approach of providing general content services solely focused on SVOD. Currently, we are diligently working on implementing this strategy.
You will be attending NATPE Budapest. What type of content will Antenna Entertainment be looking for during the market and will you also be exploring potential co-productions?
With a significant number of linear channels and our VOD service, AXN Now, catering to the CEE region, we will be seeking diverse content ranging from scripted series to feature films, entertainment formats, and lifestyle programs. Additionally, we will explore potential co-productions, as we continually strive to become more relevant to our audience and partners.
As part of Antenna Group, Antenna Entertainment is operating in 12 territories in Central and Eastern Europe with 22 pay-TV channels and an on-demand service. In Hungary, this includes VIASAT3, VIASAT6, VIASAT2, VIASAT FILM and AXN, whilst in other countries we offer AXN, AXN Black, AXN White and AXN Spin, serving around 24 million subscribers regionally.
Is Antenna Entertainment planning an expansion of its portfolio? What is your growth strategy?
We believe in our region and that a properly designed linear portfolio can be successful. We also have the appropriate investor background to achieve this. We are convinced that unique content is what makes a content provider desirable and sets it apart from others. The above represents the cornerstone of our growth strategy. We are convinced that in content consumption market the on-demand services have their place, as well as a linear portfolio with a well-positioned and suitable content selection.
You recently announced a major deal with Paramount for over 2000 hours of content for your AXN and VIASAT channels. What are the highlights of this deal and does Antenna plan similar deals with other major distributors in the near future?
The Paramount deal clearly provides Antenna Entertainment CEE’s channels a great, solid backbone to rely on, particularly in markets such as Poland, Hungary and Romania. Some highlights include widely acclaimed 1st and 2nd run series like NCIS Hawai’i, CSI: Vegas, FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International or Walker; strong library series such as CSI; hit comedies like Rules of Engagement, The Unicorn and King of Queens, not to mention legendary blockbuster movies such as War of the Worlds, Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away or Minority Report and even titles from popular franchises such as the Mission Impossible, Star Trek or Kung Fu Panda.
The licensing deal was a significant milestone for us, but we are already collaborating with other major inter- national studios and regional content hubs. Our aim is to continue delivering captivating, top-quality movies and series to our viewers and partners across the CEE region.
Troll in the Kitchen
Antenna Group acquired Sony Pictures Television’s channels in CEE in late 2021. What is the situation with Sony-produced and distributed content on your channels now?
We have a strong relationship with Sony Pictures Studios, and we are still receiving a steady flow of Sony content for our channels. But of course we are engaged in fruitful cooperation with other distributor partners. Our goal is to acquire as much high-rating content as possible in this fiercely competitive market.
How do you cooperate with the company owner? What are the synergies between Antenna Group and Antenna Entertainment?
Antenna Entertainment operates independently, but we are part of the Antenna Group, which allows us to leverage synergies between the two companies. Currently, we see the greatest advantage in the area of content acquisitions. However, there are collaborations regularly between Antenna Group and Antenna Entertainment on many fields including but not limited to network operations, ad sales, and CSR communication.
What is your strategy in terms of producing original content in the CEE region?
Compared to last year, we have increased the regional OP budget by 50%. In Hungary, we have a stable foundation for this growth, with continuous production and ongoing development and exploration of new formats suitable for our channels. This upcoming Fall is going to bring the strongest lineup of OP products to the channels in years. We have also switched gear in Romania introducing the second season of Men of the Law (Oamenii Legii), with more episodes, more action and more entertainment. In other countries, we are exploring opportunities for development and innovation in original productions.
Hungary is your strongest market in the region, and also one of the most competitive. What are your plans for the fall season as an alternative to market leaders TV2 and RTL?
We are preparing a robust lineup of original productions and highly popular acquired content to cater to our viewers distinct preferences and specific entertainment needs that differs from those of market leaders. We strive to meet their expectations at a high level by offering unique genres new to the market or by enhancing existing genres to make them more appealing to our viewers.
Police in Action
Are there markets where you see strong potential for growth and worth focusing more on?
In the regional market Poland holds significant importance as a focal point. A considerable amount of effort was required to achieve initial results, but the performance of the channel has been steadily, consistently, and predictably increasing in the most competitive time slots.
We anticipate good return on our investment in Romania, where our initial experiments proved to be a resounding success. Men of the Law (Oamenii Legii), based on the internationally recognized format Police in Action (Karlsbridge), marked the first step in our long-term strategy to position Antenna Entertainment as one of the key players in the Romanian market for local productions. The fine-tuning of the channels has yielded remarkable results.
The cable TV market in CEE is quite competitive. Do you have different strategies in the different CEE territories when it comes to distribution and monetization?
Yes. There is a significant difference in the portfolio between Hungary and the rest of the region. We follow different planning and monetization principles.
What is your streaming strategy? How many services do you have and what is your content policy for them?
We firmly believe in the collaborative relationship with the operators, and we want to serve their subscribers on the best possible way with our platforms. Antenna Entertainment’s VOD service, called AXN Now, provides its viewers original productions, entire seasons of series and selected movies from the biggest studios, with an offer that is updated every month. Thanks to our operators, it is available in a number of areas, such as in Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Adriatic region.
We have a distinct digital/streaming strategy that sets us apart from the traditional approach of providing general content services solely focused on SVOD. Currently, we are diligently working on implementing this strategy.
The Unicorn
You will be attending NATPE Budapest. What type of content will Antenna Entertainment be looking for during the market and will you also be exploring potential co-productions?
With a significant number of linear channels and our VOD service, AXN Now, catering to the CEE region, we will be seeking diverse content ranging from scripted series to feature films, entertainment formats, and lifestyle programs. Additionally, we will explore potential co-productions, as we continually strive to become more relevant to our audience and partners.
