Central and Eastern Europe was among the first regions to embrace Turkish drama storytelling, and strong demand remains across linear, SVOD, and AVOD, Müge Akar, group head of sales and distribution at ATV, tells ScreenMDM Talks as part of our Dubrovnik Diaries strand.
“CEE is one of our historically oldest clients,” Akar told ScreenMDM ahead of heading off to NEM Dubrovnik, which kicks off Monday. “Local production is booming there, but the demand for Turkish series is still very high. We have been very active again in Romania. We work with almost all the channels there. Hungary has been very successful. The whole region has been very active.”
The Nightfall has fared well in CEE and is making an impact in Western Europe as well, having rolled out in Italy and Spain, Akar said in this episode of ScreenMDM Talks.
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While contemporary romance series and family dramas are leading ATV’s sales, period dramas are faring well in certain markets, including Albania, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. The Ottoman, for example, was sold in South Korea.
Akar also discussed the company’s scripted format efforts, which began in Mexico and have since expanded to Portugal and Greece.
Like CEE, LatAm remains a priority for ATV. Still, Akar acknowledges that market changes have posed challenges, especially with major Turkish drama buyers such as Argentina and Chile. “There have been ups and downs in LatAm, but of course, the Turkish demand is still there, and we still have a lot of deals. It’s been a bit different than the previous years, but it’s getting there, so I think probably by MIP Cancun we will have more positive news from that region.”
Growth opportunities in LatAm include pursuing AVOD and SVOD deals, Akar says, while in Asia, India has emerged as a new hotspot. Plus, “we’re still exploring other parts of Europe—there’s still a big chunk where we’re still not there yet!”
The expansion of the ATV Distribution catalog is also presenting Akar and her team with the potential to reach new clients. “We have a kids channel in our media group that’s called Minika, so we have added their content to our distribution catalog. And we have a production company called Sinhane that has now produced more feature films. We took their distribution as well. So we are expanding the type of content we are offering to the clients.”
