ANALYTICAL | THE ENDLESS WORLD OF TV SERIES
“Industry experts announced that
the MENA region and surrounding
countries have a tradition of high
content consumption and are
currently growing at a faster rate
than almost any other emerging
market in the world.”
Drama
Production
Manager on
MBC (United
Arabian
Emirates).
He worked in
Syria, Lebanon,
Jordan, Saudi
Arabia.
Ghaith Ballani
“The most requested genres are
Modern Drama, Historical, or
International. The local budget
variesin the range between 2-8
million dollars”.
to two series in a row, and others can watch more than 3 series during one
week. So, viewer’s appetite comes with watching!
But where is the series consumption the highest? Of course, USA,
China, India, and EU are still showing high consumption. However, last
year, during the Ultra-Broadband Summit 2015, which took place in the
UAE, industry experts announced that the MENA region and surrounding
countries have a tradition of high content consumption and are currently
growing at a faster rate than almost any other emerging market in the
world. More information on this issue was given by our expert, Syrian
Drama Production Manager Ghaith Ballani, who works in Syria, Lebanon,
Jordan, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
He said there is no doubt that the Egyptian Drama is now dominating
the local industry because it’s a really important market. For Syria, which is
the main competitor, it is not like before due to the current development,
which created new trend of Drama that can be called Pan-Arab. Khaliji
(GCC) Drama is focused only on GCC area, so it comes third or fourth in
the Arab Drama ranking. The most requested genres are Modern Drama,
Historical, or International. The local budget variesin the range between
2-8 million dollars.
MBC is considered the market leader for all international TV shows,
and now they have enough experience to adapt those formats to Arabic
countries, taking into account all details and cultural issues. UAE is still
an expensive country for production in comparison to Egypt/Syria and
Lebanon.
We thank our expert, and now we’re going to start our info-journey
by interviewing experts from the countries close to MENA, and then go
west!
TURKEY, GLOBAL AGENCY
Introduction.
Please welcome: Global Agency. It was established in 2006, it is the
world’s leading ‘independent’ TV content distributor of TV series, formats
and films for global markets. Remarkably, Global Agency was founded with
only 1 project and a team of 2 people (imagine!). By now it has 120 projects
and a team of 25 people. The company slogan is Content that Creates
Buzz, and their
content really does.
Their works include:
Magnificent Century,
1001 Nights, Keep
Your Light Shining,
Perfect Bride, and
Shopping Monsters.
In just a few short
years Global Agency
has become one of
the fastest-growing
distributors in the
industry, thanks to
12 | SEASON SCREEN TV REVIEW | ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 2016
THE ENDLESS WORLD OF TV SERIES | ANALYTICAL
the strong line-up of content and a very experienced team. Their catalogue
includes formats and series from around the world, and due to the longestablished relationships with some of the world’s most creative individuals
and companies, they are able to offer buyers the hottest new content
throughout the year. With an international team and bases in Turkey, UK,
and the USA, their knowledge of the global entertainment industry allows
finding and selling cutting-edge formats that can be adapted to different
territories around the world.
In September 2012, Global Agency entered the business of
finished content distribution, trading under the label of World Wide
Entertainment, after acquiring the brand rights to the leading Australian
factual entertainment distributor.
“Magnificent Century is the first
Turkish drama series to enter
China and the US. It won the Stars
of the Export Awardby being the
highest earning television series”.
DENIZ TUZUN
Sales Director
Global Agency TV
(Turkey)
So, see our interview with Global Agency below.
SSTR: Tell us, please, what genres of TV shows are the most
popular in the world now? Does it depend on the territory?
Global Agency: In terms of formats, talent and cooking shows are in
really high demand. Regarding the series, romantic dramas and sit-coms
are doing well. These types of shows usually work in every territory all
around the world.
“As for formats, Europe and Asia
are the best buyers. As for drama,
Middle East, CEE, and Latin
America are the best. In these 3
regions, 80% of the programs on
prime time are dramas.”.
SSTR: Which countries are your best clients? What percentage
share of TV series is there on channels compared to other programs?
Global Agency: As for formats, Europe and Asia are the best buyers.
As for drama, Middle East, CEE, and Latin America are the best. In these
3 regions, 80% of the programs on prime time are dramas.
SSTR: As you know, the budget of the series Magnificent Century
was about 1 mln dollars. By Turkish standards, it is a large amount
of money. Were you initially confident in the success of the project?
Why?
Global Agency: Even before the broadcast of the series, we were
confident about the success. By now, we have reached 75 territories. This
is the biggest production ever in Turkish television industry. One of the
reasons is that it has a great script based on true historical events. The cast
was so famous and talented. It had the perfect combination for a big show.
The most important thing I would like to note is that the show is produced
by Turkish leading production company, TIMS Productions.
ISSUE 5 FEBRUARY 2016 | SEASON SCREEN TV REVIEW | 13