The Rapid Expansion of OGM UNIVERSE Continues
OGM UNIVERSE is among the youngest but also among the fastest growing Turkish distributors on the international market. Ekin Koyuncu Karaman, Global Distribution & Partnership Director, tells TVBIZZ Magazine about her company’s strategy which led to its rapid expansion and the importance of OGM’s approach to storytelling which guarantees the international appeal of the series in the catalog, including the latest hits The Fall of the King and Six of Us.
Koyuncu Karaman, Global Distribution & Partnership Director, OGM
OGM UNIVERSE has rapidly expanded its global footprint since its inception. What strategic decisions have been pivotal in establishing your presence in key international markets like LATAM, MENA, and CEE?
From the beginning, we’ve focused on thoughtful, deliberate growth—building not just a catalog, but a meaningful brand. One key strategic decision was to prioritize regions showing a strong appetite for premium Turkish drama, such as LATAM, MENA, and CEE. These are territories where audiences connect deeply with emotional, character-driven storytelling, which aligns perfectly with our content DNA.
We also invested early in talent. Hiring experienced executives like Mikaela Perez, Mina Aslan, and, most recently, Canan Koca, allowed us to develop strong, local market relationships and offer personalized attention to each territory. This localized approach, supported by globally minded strategies, helped us scale rapidly and authentically.
With series like The Fall of the King and Six of Us gaining international acclaim, how do you balance local storytelling nuances with universal themes to appeal to diverse audiences?
Our guiding principle is that specificity breeds universality. Series like The Fall of the King and Six of Us are deeply rooted in Turkish culture, whether through setting, character dynamics, or moral conflicts, but they explore themes like love, trauma, redemption, and resilience that transcend borders.
For example, The Fall of the King combines gripping emotional drama with the high production values international buyers are looking for. Set in the visually rich world of 1990s Turkey, it delivers a sophisticated blend of power struggles, psychological tension, and deeply human transformation. Its elegant cinematography, star-studded cast like Halit Ergenc, Merve Dizdar, and Aslıhan Gürbüz, and emotionally charged narrative make it an ideal fit for audiences seeking prestige drama with a universal hook.
Similarly, Six of Us tells a very local story about a family torn apart and rebuilt, but its emotional core—love born from sacrifice—is deeply human and widely relatable.
OGM UNIVERSE has been proactive in participating in international content markets. How do these kinds of events influence your content strategy and networking efforts?
These events are more than just showcases for our catalog—they’re opportunities to listen. They allow us to understand emerging trends, get direct feedback from our partners, and identify regional preferences that influence how we package, pitch, and even greenlight new titles.
They’re also invaluable for nurturing partnerships. We don’t just sell content; we build relationships. These markets help us connect face-to-face with broadcasters and platforms, refine our positioning, and form long-term strategies that benefit both sides.
What are your highlights for the leading CEE content marketplace this year?
We’re excited to present a powerful slate of titles that blend emotional depth with international appeal.
Leading the lineup is The Fall of the King, a gripping psychological drama of power and redemption starring Halit Ergenç, already drawing strong interest across Europe. Another standout is Six of Us, a moving family saga about resilience, sacrifice, and unexpected love—currently a primetime leader on Star TV.
We’re also introducing Çarpıntı, our newest drama led by Sibel Taşçıoğlu. With its bold, emotionally charged storytelling, we believe it will resonate strongly in CEE and beyond.
Among our international titles, we’re spotlighting Another Self (Zeytin Ağacı) and The Tailor (Terzi) —both Netflix Turkey successes produced by OGM Pictures and featuring stellar casts, including Tuba Büyüküstün and Çağatay Ulusoy. These titles continue to perform exceptionally well on global platforms.
Lastly, we’re proud to showcase Dilemma (Düğüm), the first Turkish original for Prime Video. A tightly woven thriller starring Bergüzar Korel and Caner Cindoruk, it’s a bold, high-stakes story about justice, motherhood, and moral boundaries.
OGM UNIVERSE has recently expanded its global sales team. How do these strategic hires align with your vision for global expansion?
This expansion reflects both our confidence in the strength of Turkish drama and our long-term vision to become a leading global Turkish content provider. With an expanding catalog and increasing demand across regions, we knew it was time to deepen our footprint.
Bringing on Canan Koca to lead our efforts in CEE, the Baltics, and Europe was a strategic move. Her market insights and extensive network have already brought new energy to our partnerships and accelerated our presence in key territories. Each team member brings regional intelligence and passion to our global vision.
Given the economic challenges and high inflation rates in Turkey, how has OGM UNIVERSE adapted its production and distribution strategies to maintain growth and profitability?
Economic volatility has certainly impacted the industry, but it’s also highlighted the importance of strategic agility in distribution. At OGM UNIVERSE, we’ve responded by reinforcing our international sales strategy—focusing on titles with strong global appeal, exploring more co-production opportunities.
Our close collaboration with OGM Pictures gives us a unique advantage. As their global distributor, we’re involved early in the creative process, allowing us to shape content positioning and identify international potential from the start. This alignment ensures we can bring high-quality, resonant stories to market, even in a challenging economic environment.
OGM UNIVERSE emphasizes storytelling that goes beyond traditional character patterns and story flows. Can you elaborate on how this creative approach has been received in international markets?
International partners have responded very positively to our focus on emotionally authentic, layered storytelling. There’s growing demand for narratives that surprise viewers, challenge norms, and explore morally complex characters—exactly where our titles stand out.
Take Six of Us, for example. It’s not just a family drama; it’s a transformative journey where duty evolves into love, and survival gives way to emotional rebirth. Its portrayal of enemies becoming soulmates and the redefining of family roles resonates deeply across cultures.
Similarly, Lost in Love explores a love triangle shaped by childhood promises, unfulfilled promises, and emotional scars. It’s a romantic drama rooted in psychological realism, where love isn’t idealized, but interrogated.
Broken Destiny, on the other hand, blends classic melodrama with a modern identity crisis: a man wakes from a coma with no memory and is caught between two women—one from his past, and one from a life he doesn’t remember. It’s a story of fate, grief, and second chances, told with emotional nuance and strong visual storytelling.
These kinds of narratives—unpredictable, emotionally rich, and character-driven—are helping us build strong traction in international markets. They’re familiar enough to connect, but bold enough to stand out.
With the increasing demand for Turkish content globally, how does OGM UNIVERSE ensure the quality and originality of its productions while scaling up its operations?
We prioritize quality and storytelling impact over sheer volume. Each title we bring to market is carefully selected for its creative strength and international potential, and developed in close collaboration with top-tier writers, directors, and talent. Our focus is on meaningful, high-quality growth, championing originality, and the emotional resonance scale.
We also invest heavily in the development process, ensuring every script is both emotionally grounded and globally relevant. For us, quality control, creative integrity, and distinct storytelling are non-negotiable—no matter how much we expand.
Looking ahead, what are OGM UNIVERSE’s key priorities and goals for the next few years in terms of content creation, market expansion, and technological innovation?
Our priorities revolve around three core pillars:
Expanding our catalog with premium drama that pushes boundaries both creatively and thematically.
Strengthening our global presence, particularly in emerging territories in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Embracing technology to improve content delivery, data-driven decision-making, and audience targeting.
We’re also exploring co-productions and original projects tailored for international platforms, with the goal of positioning OGM UNIVERSE not just as a distributor, but as a global storytelling powerhouse.
From the beginning, we’ve focused on thoughtful, deliberate growth—building not just a catalog, but a meaningful brand. One key strategic decision was to prioritize regions showing a strong appetite for premium Turkish drama, such as LATAM, MENA, and CEE. These are territories where audiences connect deeply with emotional, character-driven storytelling, which aligns perfectly with our content DNA.
We also invested early in talent. Hiring experienced executives like Mikaela Perez, Mina Aslan, and, most recently, Canan Koca, allowed us to develop strong, local market relationships and offer personalized attention to each territory. This localized approach, supported by globally minded strategies, helped us scale rapidly and authentically.
With series like The Fall of the King and Six of Us gaining international acclaim, how do you balance local storytelling nuances with universal themes to appeal to diverse audiences?
Our guiding principle is that specificity breeds universality. Series like The Fall of the King and Six of Us are deeply rooted in Turkish culture, whether through setting, character dynamics, or moral conflicts, but they explore themes like love, trauma, redemption, and resilience that transcend borders.
For example, The Fall of the King combines gripping emotional drama with the high production values international buyers are looking for. Set in the visually rich world of 1990s Turkey, it delivers a sophisticated blend of power struggles, psychological tension, and deeply human transformation. Its elegant cinematography, star-studded cast like Halit Ergenc, Merve Dizdar, and Aslıhan Gürbüz, and emotionally charged narrative make it an ideal fit for audiences seeking prestige drama with a universal hook.
Similarly, Six of Us tells a very local story about a family torn apart and rebuilt, but its emotional core—love born from sacrifice—is deeply human and widely relatable.
OGM UNIVERSE has been proactive in participating in international content markets. How do these kinds of events influence your content strategy and networking efforts?
These events are more than just showcases for our catalog—they’re opportunities to listen. They allow us to understand emerging trends, get direct feedback from our partners, and identify regional preferences that influence how we package, pitch, and even greenlight new titles.
They’re also invaluable for nurturing partnerships. We don’t just sell content; we build relationships. These markets help us connect face-to-face with broadcasters and platforms, refine our positioning, and form long-term strategies that benefit both sides.
What are your highlights for the leading CEE content marketplace this year?
We’re excited to present a powerful slate of titles that blend emotional depth with international appeal.
Leading the lineup is The Fall of the King, a gripping psychological drama of power and redemption starring Halit Ergenç, already drawing strong interest across Europe. Another standout is Six of Us, a moving family saga about resilience, sacrifice, and unexpected love—currently a primetime leader on Star TV.
We’re also introducing Çarpıntı, our newest drama led by Sibel Taşçıoğlu. With its bold, emotionally charged storytelling, we believe it will resonate strongly in CEE and beyond.
Among our international titles, we’re spotlighting Another Self (Zeytin Ağacı) and The Tailor (Terzi) —both Netflix Turkey successes produced by OGM Pictures and featuring stellar casts, including Tuba Büyüküstün and Çağatay Ulusoy. These titles continue to perform exceptionally well on global platforms.
Lastly, we’re proud to showcase Dilemma (Düğüm), the first Turkish original for Prime Video. A tightly woven thriller starring Bergüzar Korel and Caner Cindoruk, it’s a bold, high-stakes story about justice, motherhood, and moral boundaries.
OGM UNIVERSE has recently expanded its global sales team. How do these strategic hires align with your vision for global expansion?
This expansion reflects both our confidence in the strength of Turkish drama and our long-term vision to become a leading global Turkish content provider. With an expanding catalog and increasing demand across regions, we knew it was time to deepen our footprint.
Bringing on Canan Koca to lead our efforts in CEE, the Baltics, and Europe was a strategic move. Her market insights and extensive network have already brought new energy to our partnerships and accelerated our presence in key territories. Each team member brings regional intelligence and passion to our global vision.
Given the economic challenges and high inflation rates in Turkey, how has OGM UNIVERSE adapted its production and distribution strategies to maintain growth and profitability?
Economic volatility has certainly impacted the industry, but it’s also highlighted the importance of strategic agility in distribution. At OGM UNIVERSE, we’ve responded by reinforcing our international sales strategy—focusing on titles with strong global appeal, exploring more co-production opportunities.
Our close collaboration with OGM Pictures gives us a unique advantage. As their global distributor, we’re involved early in the creative process, allowing us to shape content positioning and identify international potential from the start. This alignment ensures we can bring high-quality, resonant stories to market, even in a challenging economic environment.
OGM UNIVERSE emphasizes storytelling that goes beyond traditional character patterns and story flows. Can you elaborate on how this creative approach has been received in international markets?
International partners have responded very positively to our focus on emotionally authentic, layered storytelling. There’s growing demand for narratives that surprise viewers, challenge norms, and explore morally complex characters—exactly where our titles stand out.
Take Six of Us, for example. It’s not just a family drama; it’s a transformative journey where duty evolves into love, and survival gives way to emotional rebirth. Its portrayal of enemies becoming soulmates and the redefining of family roles resonates deeply across cultures.
Similarly, Lost in Love explores a love triangle shaped by childhood promises, unfulfilled promises, and emotional scars. It’s a romantic drama rooted in psychological realism, where love isn’t idealized, but interrogated.
Broken Destiny, on the other hand, blends classic melodrama with a modern identity crisis: a man wakes from a coma with no memory and is caught between two women—one from his past, and one from a life he doesn’t remember. It’s a story of fate, grief, and second chances, told with emotional nuance and strong visual storytelling.
These kinds of narratives—unpredictable, emotionally rich, and character-driven—are helping us build strong traction in international markets. They’re familiar enough to connect, but bold enough to stand out.
With the increasing demand for Turkish content globally, how does OGM UNIVERSE ensure the quality and originality of its productions while scaling up its operations?
We prioritize quality and storytelling impact over sheer volume. Each title we bring to market is carefully selected for its creative strength and international potential, and developed in close collaboration with top-tier writers, directors, and talent. Our focus is on meaningful, high-quality growth, championing originality, and the emotional resonance scale.
We also invest heavily in the development process, ensuring every script is both emotionally grounded and globally relevant. For us, quality control, creative integrity, and distinct storytelling are non-negotiable—no matter how much we expand.
Looking ahead, what are OGM UNIVERSE’s key priorities and goals for the next few years in terms of content creation, market expansion, and technological innovation?
Our priorities revolve around three core pillars:
Expanding our catalog with premium drama that pushes boundaries both creatively and thematically.
Strengthening our global presence, particularly in emerging territories in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Embracing technology to improve content delivery, data-driven decision-making, and audience targeting.
We’re also exploring co-productions and original projects tailored for international platforms, with the goal of positioning OGM UNIVERSE not just as a distributor, but as a global storytelling powerhouse.
