World Screen AFM & Discop Johannesburg 2017

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AFM & DISCOP Johannesburg Edition

WWW.WORLDSCREEN.COM

THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA • NOVEMBER 2017

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CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 2017/AFM & DISCOP JOHANNESBURG EDITION DEPARTMENTS WORLD VIEW

By Anna Carugati.

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8

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Group Editorial Director Anna Carugati

UPFRONTS 10 New content on the market.

WORLD’S END In the stars.

Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise

Editor Mansha Daswani Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski

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Managing Editor Joanna Padovano Tong Associate Editor Sara Alessi Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari Associate Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Rafael Blanco Editorial Assistant, Spanish-Language Publications Jessica Ávila

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Contributing Editor Elizabeth Guider Production & Design Director Victor L. Cuevas Online Director Simon Weaver Art Director Phyllis Q. Busell Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Assistant Nathalia Lopez Business Affairs Manager Andrea Moreno Contributing Writers Steve Clarke Andy Fry Jane Marlow Joanna Stephens Jay Stuart David Wood Copy Editor Marina Chao

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development WORLD SCREEN is published ten times per year: January, February, March, April, May, June/July, September, October, November and December.

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IN THE NEWS

19 IFLIX’S MARC BARNETT The group COO of the SVOD service talks about the strategy for rolling out the platform across Africa.

—Mansha Daswani

SPECIAL REPORT

22 NEW FRONTIERS A range of content distributors weigh in on the wealth of opportunity they’re finding across the African continent.

—Joanna Padovano Tong 6 WORLD SCREEN 11/17

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WORLD VIEW

BY ANNA CARUGATI

Looking Back & Forward from 20 Years Ago 1997 was quite a year for me: a wedding, a miscarriage and my father passed away—all in a five-week period. The marriage has lasted; we’re celebrating our 20th anniversary this month. After the failed pregnancy came a successful one with the birth of our beautiful daughter; and my dad’s passing led me to examine parts of his life I didn’t know about.

My father, Eraldo Carugati, became a renowned illustrator but came from humble beginnings. Born in Milan, Italy, in 1921, he had his youth destroyed by Fascism and World War II, like so many young men his age. At 14, he had to drop out of school to work full time to help support his family. But he had a passion for painting and attended one of Italy’s most prestigious art schools at night. He wasn’t able to graduate because in 1941 he was drafted into the army and posted on the border between Italy and Austria.

In 1943, Mussolini resigned as head of the Italian government and army. Italy effectively pulled out of the Axis and signed an armistice with the Allies. But Dad was captured by the Nazis and spent the next two years shuttled from one POW camp to another. He was forced to make parts for weapons, but he told me he would screw up every single part—it was his only way of fighting the Nazis. In 1945, he and a fellow POW escaped.

They were in a stalag in Dortmund, Germany, and had no way of knowing the Allies were in the final phase of defeating the Nazis. Dad and his buddy hid during the day and ran at night during the bombings; they ran right into the American front, whose troops took them in. Dad said when he saw how even the lowliest GIs were treated and fed he decided on the spot that he wanted to become an American. Dad not only had a gift for painting, but he also had an ear for languages. He spoke Italian, French, English, German and a smattering of Russian. Captain Jack Hart took Dad on as a translator. They became friends; they remained in touch and a few years later, when my father—who had by then married my mother— decided to move to the U.S., Hart, his family and their connections facilitated the necessary visas and job prospects. Dad was given a shot at the American Dream and never took it for granted.

He was a news junkie and a history buff. Long before 24-hour cable news channels, he was glued to his shortwave radio, listening to news reports from various countries. I caught the news bug from him. On Sundays, we’d fight over the sections of The New York Times. And every evening of the week we would watch TV newscasts. I remember him wondering how he would follow news events when he was dead. I told him not to worry; I would give him a recap of the day’s

To transcend cultures and

customs, a show must point to some element of our

shared humanity.

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headlines in my prayers each night before falling asleep. After he passed, I talked to him regularly, trying to make sense of President Bill Clinton’s impeachment; the September 11 attacks; the folly of the war in Iraq; the horrors of ISIS; and I am at a complete loss trying to explain the shenanigans coming out of the White House today. Ooh, Dad would hate the tweets.

He didn’t suffer fools and could detect a phony a mile away. He had a deep-seated sense of what was just and fair. He didn’t tolerate prejudice, entitlement or pretension. But ignorance—not to be educated by choice, not to want to be informed—is the biggest sin of all.

He would find fake news abhorrent.

Often when I am watching a TV show, I find myself thinking, Hmm, Dad would like this. He loved cops and spies and he always rooted for the underdog. When I think about how much television programming has evolved in the last two decades, I think he might be a bit overwhelmed by so much choice. On the other hand, he would be intrigued by the range of voices and perspectives found in today’s scripted series and delighted that so many, even non-English-language series, are crossing borders. Understandably, he wouldn’t appreciate gratuitous violence—that would hit too close to home. He would be keen on current affairs and factual programs that would satisfy his seemingly endless curiosity about people, places and the issues affecting them. He saw firsthand—granted, in the most extreme circumstances—that there are common threads that bind people together.

TV programming that travels most broadly does so because it touches viewers on some personal level. To transcend cultures and customs, a show must point to some element of our shared humanity—common needs, wants, aspirations, even fears. In this issue’s feature, we look at shows that are selling into Africa as the media landscape in that continent continues to grow and diversify. We hear from Marc Barnett, the group COO of the streaming service iflix, as he outlines the company’s strategy for Africa. As markets mature and viewers are offered choice, they embrace it—we have seen this in territory after territory.

How lucky we are to have a smorgasbord of content at our fingertips! I can just imagine my dad figuring out the Roku remote control. I see him sitting next to my husband and daughter on the sofa; they all share a love of history, documentaries and a good argument. I’m a better human being because of all three of them.

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UPFRONTS

Artist View Entertainment Mistrust / Chasing Gold / Chokehold Artist View Entertainment has acquired for its catalog the feature film Mistrust, which it will be showcasing at the American Film Market (AFM). Jane Seymour and Parker Stevenson star in the romantic adventure movie. The company is also highlighting Chasing Gold, a murder mystery that follows an aging police commander trying to track down clues about his best friend’s homicide, and Chokehold, a female-driven action title about a young MMA fighter. Scott Jones, the president of Artist View, highlights the films’ “compelling stories and high production values.” He adds, “We are very proud of our diverse catalog.

It is our belief that as the market continues to expand more into the digital world, we are ready to supply our wide range of titles to this ever-growing client base.”

Chokehold

“Each of these films has strong talent both in front of and behind the camera.”

—Scott Jones

Caracol Internacional Dynasty / The Goddess / Surviving Escobar, Alias JJ The telenovela The Goddess, which Caracol Internacional will be presenting to buyers at DISCOP Johannesburg, tells the story of Patricia Teherán, a singer who conquered a world of men with her talent and love. Another novela highlight is Dynasty, about a man who uses his music career to keep his son’s legacy alive after he dies. There is also Surviving Escobar, Alias JJ, which is about Pablo Escobar’s right-hand man and lieutenant. Paloma García, the company’s sales executive for Europe and Africa, notes that there are many English-dubbed titles in the Caracol Internacional catalog, as well as some dubbed in French and Portuguese. She believes this will help further sales across Africa. “The territory is demanding more content, and we want to be well positioned to provide goodquality titles for each country,” García adds.

The Goddess

“Our telenovelas offer eternal love stories and innovative plots that connect with universal emotions.”

—Paloma García

GMA Worldwide Until We Meet Again / Someone to Watch Over Me / The Other Mrs. Real GMA Worldwide returns to DISCOP Johannesburg this year with a slate of dramas that includes Until We Meet Again, Someone to Watch Over Me and The Other Mrs. Real. “Our clients in Sub-Saharan Africa regularly acquire GMA’s dramas because our stories push the boundaries of imagination, and they explore daring, uncharted themes while offering the audience a rich array of emotional experiences,” says Manuel Paolo Laurena, senior sales manager at the company. GMA Worldwide is attending DISCOP with an aim to “continue our partnerships with buyers from that part of the world,” he adds. “We also look forward to establishing new partnerships with other broadcasters and aggregators in the region by providing quality Filipino dramas that will help boost ratings.”

Someone to Watch Over Me

“We will introduce three top-rating and world-class dramas dubbed in English.”

—Manuel Paolo Laurena 10 WORLD SCREEN 11/17

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GRB Entertainment

For My Man

Born Again Virgin / #Murder / For My Man GRB Entertainment will be back in Johannesburg, showcasing a mix of scripted and factual fare. The company is “proud to launch a brand-new partnership with TV One, bringing nearly 200 hours of original African-American content to DISCOP,” says Liz Levenson, GRB Entertainment’s VP of international acquisitions and sales. Highlights include Born Again Virgin, a sitcom about the tumultuous world of dating; #Murder, looking at crimes that were started via social media; and For My Man, which tells the stories of women who have committed crimes in the name of love. The TV One catalog features “top-quality programs with a lot of heart,” says Levenson. “We are thrilled to not only meet with our platform partners at the market, but also excited to connect with Africa-based production companies that are working on compelling global content.”

“GRB will be participating in two panels at DISCOP to discuss the emerging business opportunities between the U.S. and Africa.”

—Liz Levenson

Inter Medya

Mrs. Fazilet and Her Daughters

Mrs. Fazilet and Her Daughters / Endless Love / In Between The Turkish drama Mrs. Fazilet and Her Daughters is among the key titles that Inter Medya believes will strike a chord with buyers at DISCOP Johannesburg. The company also has in its catalog Endless Love, about two young people from different backgrounds—one from a middle-class family, the other from an affluent area—who fall in love, and In Between, a drama centered on a young woman with a modest upbringing who has very big dreams. Can Okan, the founder and CEO of Inter Medya, points out that Turkish dramas have recently “started to attract a lot of interest from buyers throughout Africa.” He sees potential for new genres as well. “As our creative team is continuously working on fresh projects, we think that the African region will prove to be very fruitful for our format business.”

“Turkish drama series have been extremely popular around the world because of their high production qualities, intriguing and dramatic storylines and well-known cast members.”

—Can Okan

Mondo TV

Sissi the Young Empress

Robot Trains/Heidi, Bienvenida a Casa + Heidi Bienvenida al Show/Sissi the Young Empress There are two seasons of the animated series Robot Trains on offer from Mondo TV, which will be attending DISCOP Johannesburg. The company will also be presenting to buyers at the market the live-action shows Heidi, Bienvenida a Casa and Heidi Bienvenida al Show. Both series focus on a country girl who has relocated to the city. Further highlights include Adventures in Duckport and Sissi the Young Empress. “For DISCOP Johannesburg we are inviting all African platforms—linear or nonlinear—to visit us to discuss the kids’ channel offering that we are working on and aiming to launch for 2018,” says Micheline Azoury, Mondo TV’s head of acquisitions and TV sales. She adds that the company has already been successfully selling its children’s programming in Africa for more than nine years now.

“These shows target different genders and age groups.”

—Micheline Azoury

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Multicom Entertainment Group Generational Sins / The Things We’ve Seen / It’s a Rockabilly World The movie Generational Sins tells the story of two estranged brothers who are brought together by the death of their mom, as her dying wish is to see them return to their birthplace and reunite with their abusive, alcoholic father. “Generational Sins dives into the nature of how experiences and ideals impact every decision we make and the ramifications they impose on the lives of others,” says Darrin Holender, the president of Multicom Entertainment Group, which is presenting the title at AFM. The company will also be showcasing at the market The Things We’ve Seen, set in a town in turmoil, and the music documentaries It’s a Rockabilly World and Turn It Up! A Celebration of the Electric Guitar. “Turn It Up! and It’s a Rockabilly World give viewers a never-before-seen inside look into rock culture,” Holender says.

“Multicom has cultivated strong relationships with partners worldwide, delivering content wherever, whenever and however consumed.”

—Darrin Holender

Passion Distribution

The Things We’ve Seen

Big Freedia Bounces Back

Japandemonium / Big Freedia Bounces Back / Gamerz The entertainment series Japandemonium, a highlight from Passion Distribution for DISCOP Johannesburg, showcases comedic clips from Japan’s iconic game shows. “Family viewing doesn’t get any more enjoyable than watching this mind-boggling collection of Japanese game shows,” says Nick Tanner, the head of sales at Passion Distribution.

“The appeal of clip shows is that they are endlessly watchable and repeatable programming.” The company is also presenting Big Freedia Bounces Back, which comes from the producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Gamerz is a format that brings together the world of eSports with mainstream reality entertainment. In the series, 12 amateur talents will live together in the Gamerz House, where they will be pushed to their mental, physical and gaming limits.

“Follow Big Freedia on her funny and heartwarming journey toward superstardom.”

—Nick Tanner

Record TV

The Promised Land Patrimonio mundial - Herencia de la humanidad

The Promised Land / The Slave Mother / Moses and the Ten Commandments Record TV is headed to DISCOP Johannesburg with a slate of titles rooted in biblical tales. This includes Moses and the Ten Commandments, which features the story of Moses. The Promised Land, meanwhile, centers on Joshua, who becomes the leader of the Hebrews after Moses’s death. The soap opera follows Joshua as he tries to fulfill a difficult mission ordered by God: to command the 12 tribes of Israel in their conquest of Canaan, the promised land. Another Record TV highlight is The Slave Mother, charting the life of a light-skinned slave girl.

Delmar Andrade, the company’s international sales director, says that these titles have the “ability to speak a worldwide language, with love, passion, action and all the [elements of] a good soap opera.”

“Latin soap operas have seen positive results around the world.”

—Delmar Andrade

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SPI International FilmBox Africa / FightBox HD / FashionBox HD The channel portfolio of SPI International, which is attending DISCOP Johannesburg, spans diverse programming profiles.

For example, FilmBox Africa features popular movies and series, FightBox HD is dedicated to MMA events and martial arts action, FashionBox HD showcases style-based lifestyle fare, and Gametoon is home to eSports content. “Not only are we launching our TV channels in new territories [across Africa], but we are also developing strategic alliances with various African media companies to extend our lineup, enrich our programming offer and strengthen our TV and online brand in the region,” says Amit Karni, SPI’s head of distribution for Africa. Looking at upcoming programming highlights, the company is working with Saradan Media on the production of a brand-new series with Steven Seagal, General Commander.

General Commander

“We have been very consistent in developing our business in Africa by expanding our channeldistribution footprint across the entire continent.”

—Amit Karni

Televisa Internacional Wild Lands / The Rose of Guadalupe / Love, Divina The melodrama Wild Lands centers on Isabel Montalbán, a city girl who moves to a small town where her husband’s family lives. The 72x1-hour series, which Televisa Internacional is presenting at DISCOP Johannesburg, follows as she must choose between three men who love her. Another Televisa Internacional highlight for African buyers is The Rose of Guadalupe, which features characters that are based on real people who find themselves in difficult situations. The drama series touches on issues such as domestic violence, drug addiction, extreme poverty, terminal illness and prostitution.

For kids and teens, Love, Divina is about a girl from the streets who watches over a group of abandoned kids. The company’s catalog for DISCOP Johannesburg also features the thriller Synchrony and the melodrama Fall into Temptation.

Wild Lands

Universal Cinergía Dubbing

Universal Cinergía facilities Patrimonio mundial - Herencia de la humanidad

Dubbing / Subtitling / Voice-over Universal Cinergía Dubbing has been providing language dubbing, subtitling, voice-over, closed captioning and translation services all over the world since 2012. “Renowned globally, the company’s state-of-the-art studios have the best the industry has to offer,” says CEO Liliam Hernandez. “The 33 studios— located in Miami, São Paulo, Mexico, Paris and Barcelona—are always handling several projects, with the best voice talents, highly qualified teams, and a commitment to excellence and outstanding customer service. Our clients can attest to the quality of our work. We take pride in offering competitive prices, professionalism and a deep understanding of our clients’ needs.” Universal Cinergía will be at AFM meeting with distributors and producers, “in order to introduce the company and its services.”

“Universal Cinergía is one of the leaders in the dubbing industry.”

—Liliam Hernandez

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IN THE NEWS

effectively, was to go broader in Asia, go into the Middle East and into Africa. It was the opportunity to pull together a lot of markets that have similarities from an emergingmarkets perspective. That’s been our focus since day one.

We are in Southeast Asia, but we’re not in Singapore. Certain markets don’t fit with how we want to operate. But in the vast majority of markets in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, we’ve found similarities.

By Mansha Daswani

Kuala Lumpur-based platform iflix continues to make waves in the SVOD space, attracting investments from the likes of Sky, Evolution Media and Liberty Global. The service went live in Southeast Asia in 2015 and has since positioned itself as the leading SVOD operator for emerging markets. In April of this year, it expanded to the Middle East and Northern Africa and a few months later said it would be arriving in Sub-Saharan Africa later in the year. From its regional base in South Africa, iflix is looking to sign on customers with its slate of Western and local content. Marc Barnett, the group COO of iflix and head of Africa, tells World Screen about the platform’s strategy for the region.

WS: Was expansion into Africa always part of the iflix business plan?

BARNETT: Initially our business kicked off as a Southeast Asian SVOD service. It became clear to us that we were gaining traction in Southeast Asia and we started thinking about how we could expand the business. The blueprint, 11/17 WORLD SCREEN 19

WS: What have you learned from the Southeast Asian rollout that you can use for your African expansion? In what ways are the regions similar?

BARNETT: There’s a set of conditions that tend to exist universally across emerging markets—inconsistent infrastructure and levels of internet quality, expensive and limited mobile data, low credit-card penetration and a lack of familiarity with online payment options. Combine those things, and while there are a lot of differences in the markets, there’s enough of a similarity for us where the learnings we take from what we’ve done in Asia can roll out across Africa. We think we’ve addressed a lot of those challenges with our distribution partners, who are the leading telcos and hardware manufacturers in the vast majority of our markets. And then localization for us is a massive focus.

We build local teams, we set up local businesses on the ground with strong insights into their markets, we buy local content, we subtitle that content, we provide local instances of our app and our site. We often talk about how we’re operating a global business and [multiple] local businesses. We want to get the best of both worlds. We want to make sure that we have a local focus with local people who understand the local market and run an end-to-end local business. But we also want to get the benefit of global learnings and global expertise.

In one sense it is the same strategy everywhere. Localize the service and bring the right content to the right people at the right time for the right price. But every one of our markets has a completely different setup in terms of how you market in that country, what level of localization is required, how you meet the censorship laws, what content is available. Some markets produce far more content than others. So for us, each market is run as a standalone business. If you operate as a global business with headquarters run out of a tax haven, you can avoid operating locally, so to speak. We take great pride in the fact that we set up local offices in some markets that are quite difficult to do that in, but we’ve persisted because we believe it’s the right thing to do and the right way to operate a business.

WS: What conditions did you see in the region that made you feel like now was the right time for expansion?

BARNETT: Africa’s smartphone numbers are forecast to grow from around 220 million in 2015 to 720 million in 2022.

Africa has leapfrogged a lot of traditional infrastructure. The developed world has gone through landlines and branch banking and then into cellphones and mobile money, and there’s a whole bunch of steps in between. For a lot of the consumers in parts of Africa, the first phone they’ll ever have is a smartphone. It’s not like we’re trying to transition people from TV to pay TV to watching on laptops and then tablets and then phones. [Mobile viewing] is second nature to most of our consumers. They jumped straight ahead.

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The SVOD service iflix initially launched in Southeast Asia but has since started to roll out across the Middle East, North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

There’s a huge youth population that is hungry for entertainment, and they consume content today the way that our service is designed. So if you look at the size of the population and the explosion of technology and options, and our ability to deliver [entertainment] at a price point that at least makes it competitive and compelling against piracy, now is the right time to dive into Africa.

WS: How are your local telco partnerships working?

BARNETT: What’s working well is that there is a lot of synergy between us and the telcos. What we’re trying to do and what the telcos are trying to do are quite aligned. In a lot of these markets, the battle between telcos is fierce, and they’re always looking for an opportunity to provide an additional service to their customers to grab market share.

From our perspective, there’s a lot of win-win. We’re trying to capture a large portion of the market, and we want to be able to provide payment options. Carrier billing is a great tool to connect with consumers and allow them to pay [for an iflix subscription]. Online credit card use is not prevalent in some of our markets. So [partnering with a telco is] a good first step to connect to a big consumer base and offer payment options. In a lot of cases, we’ve been able to strike deals with telcos that offer either zero-cost data or reduced-cost data or additional data packages for bundling iflix into their mobile service.

WS: Tell us about the content lineup for the region.

BARNETT: Local content is the biggest focus for us. When we started iflix, it was quite heavily Western. That was where we thought you gain credibility. And that worked quite well for us initially. As we dove in deeper and spent time with consumers in our early markets, we realized that we’re aiming to be a mass-market service, not a niche premium service. If you’re a niche premium service you can offer that fantastic Hollywood content and capture that top end of the market who know that content—they’ve seen it in other places. In that world, you’re trying to win market share against other global competitors. iflix is designed for the mass market; it was built thinking about emerging markets and providing people with entertainment that they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. What they want is access 20 WORLD SCREEN 11/17

to local content. In some of our markets, local distributors have content that goes to cinemas and then as soon as it finishes [the theatrical run] it can never be found anywhere else.

We’ve done deals to put that content onto iflix. That’s one of many examples where we’re trying to find as many avenues as possible to get ahold of the content that people want to watch and put it in the palms of their hands.

The Nollywood content we’ve acquired is performing quite well. We’ve acquired local content in Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya. We’ve commissioned our own originals in each of those markets that we’ll launch once we go live with our telco partners.

Step one was to test the tech and the infrastructure and make sure the local versions of the site work well. That’s happened. Two is to launch from a retail perspective. And step three is to launch with our telcos and start to push the bundles that are offered at a telco level. After that, we’ll start talking about the original series we’ve commissioned. That feeds back into our belief that we want to invest in the local ecosystem. Producers can sell their content to an SVOD supplier and gain an additional revenue stream. That will only help the ecosystem grow, which is good for consumers. It grows the entire pie.

WS: What have you most enjoyed about being part of a start-up?

BARNETT: Before iflix, I worked in Australia at an independent advertising agency called Bohemia. Before that, I spent about ten years at Microsoft and Ninemsn. Mark Britt [CEO of iflix] and I have worked together for 10 of the last 12 years. Here I can make a difference and shift the needle every single day. You can make decisions on a daily basis that can change the course of the business and have a significant impact on results. There’s an excitement that comes with that. As a start-up, you get the highest highs and the lowest lows. And it’s not even by week or by day; it’s sometimes by the hour. You have all these plans and think everything is going wonderfully, and then you discover something that is a disaster, and you have your lowest low, and the next hour you discover something that is the best thing you’ve heard in the last month and you have your highest high. I enjoy that roller coaster.

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Caracol Internacional’s The White Slave.

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Joanna Padovano Tong surveys a range of content distributors about the wealth of opportunity they’re finding across the African continent. f there was any doubt about the current health of the television market in Africa, the fact that Basic Lead is launching two new DISCOP markets on the continent is a clear indication that business is good.

Over the summer, the event organizer announced its plans to kick off DISCOP Zanzibar, which will concentrate on East Africa, in 2018, and the Nigeria-focused DISCOP Lagos the following year.

These events will complement the two DISCOP markets that are already held in Africa: DISCOP Abidjan, which takes place in the spring, and DISCOP Johannesburg in the fall. The Sandton Convention Center is hosting this year’s edition of DISCOP Johannesburg from October 25 to 27. During those three days, more than 1,000 acquisition, development and distribution execs from 70-plus countries will gather for dealmaking and networking opportunities. The event will be attended by more than 250 public and commercial broadcasters, cable, satellite and mobile pay-TV operators, as well as VOD platforms and regional distributors serving Sub-Saharan Africa.

I

According to Digital TV Research’s Sub-Saharan Africa OTT TV & Video Forecasts report, OTT movie and TV episode revenues are forecast to reach $640 million from 35 countries across the region in 2022, up from $52 million last year.

South Africa will generate about 40 percent of revenues, followed

by Nigeria with 21 percent. SVOD will remain the primary driver, reaching $475 million—74 percent of revenues—in 2022, followed by download-to-own, AVOD and then rentals. The SVOD base is forecast to hit 10.12 million, with South Africa (2.7 million) and Nigeria (2.64 million) again the largest markets.

DEMANDING TIMES Realizing the power of OTT in the region, SVOD services like iflix are rolling out across Africa, with a new headquarters in Cape Town and launches planned for Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

“As WiFi and the internet get stronger, there are going to be more and more nonlinear platforms” in Africa, says Liz Levenson, the VP of international acquisitions and sales at GRB Entertainment.

“We’ve done some deals with Netflix, which has a feed in

South Africa, and we’ve been in talks with iflix and Afrostream about content for them.”

Levenson adds: “What’s happened in the U.S. with the emergence of nonlinear platforms is that high-end scripted programming is starting to really take off for shows that can be completely bingeable. To that end, we’re bringing two brand-new scripted series to DISCOP this year, Day 5 and Crunch Time, which I think could be a really good fit in that space.”

“We are currently in talks with a number of new SVOD platforms and operators in Africa about our content,” says Paula Cohen McHarg, senior sales manager for Iberia, Italy, CEE, CIS, Africa and the Middle East at Keshet International (KI). “Our youth-skewed scripted series from digital entertainment studio New Form could work well, particularly the high school comedy Mr. Student Body President and chilling thriller Cold, both of which have been sold to other SVOD platforms across the world.”

Caracol Internacional first started securing nonlinear sales in Africa more than a year ago. “We are committed and want to increase our presence with [SVOD

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services],” says Paloma García, the company’s international sales executive for Europe and Africa.

While on the rise, selling to nonlinear platforms in Africa is still an emerging area for many companies. “We have not closed any deals [yet] but are currently in negotiations with some nonlinear platforms for the sale of a number of our series and feature films,” notes Can Okan, the founder and CEO of Inter Medya.

GMA Worldwide also has yet to do business with nonlinear platforms on the continent. “All of our clients are free- and pay-TV channels in the English-speaking countries of Africa,” notes Manuel Paolo Laurena, the company’s senior sales manager.

SCRIPTED SUCCESS Scripted shows, including novelas, continue to be very appealing in the region. “Fiction is the bestselling genre in Africa for us right now, and we produce it in two formats: telenovelas and super series,” says Caracol’s García. “For both formats, the key element is the plot’s perspective, which focuses on emotional stories, appealing characters and universal feelings. These are key for productions that perform well in

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storylines and well-known casts,” says Inter Medya’s Okan.

“Recently, they have also started to attract a lot of interest from buyers throughout Africa.” Among the company’s best-selling titles on the continent are Ay Yapim’s Black Money Love and 20 Minutes.

HOT PICKS

GRB has seen success with celeb-driven docuseries like Flex & Shanice in Africa. prime time and have good results in the African television market, which is one of the toughest in the world.”

She continues: “Our titles cover all types of genres, from the very classic female-targeting The Sweetest Love, to romantic comedy The Secretary, family comedy Digging for Love, sagas and musical bios such as Emeralds and The Voice of Freedom and male titles with action and detective elements such as our wellknown series Pablo Escobar, the Drug Lord, The Cartel, or the more recent Fugitives and Made in Cartagena.” García notes that Caracol is also enjoying success in the region with The White Slave, River of Passions and The Girl.

GMA Worldwide’s family dramas and melodramas are currently what’s selling best from the company’s catalog in Africa.

“Our clients find that these kinds of dramas appeal to their audience,” says Laurena. He highlights Carmela, My Destiny and My Faithful Husband, which “were sold to at least four countries in Africa.”

The widespread demand for Turkish drama has also made its way to Africa. “Turkish drama series have been extremely popular around the world because of their high-production qualities, intriguing and dramatic

GRB has been having scripted success in Africa with titles such as Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse, Love Thy Neighbor and The Haves and the Have Nots.

The company has also been seeing a significant increase in interest for unscripted programming to air in prime time in the region, according to Levenson.

“We did a deal for a show called On the Case, which is a very long-running crime series that GRB has with e.tv, and we’re going to be launching some pretty big new crime properties at DISCOP, including a show called Exposed.” Also at the market in Johannesburg, GRB will be showcasing a number of newly acquired TV One titles, including the scripted series Born Again Virgin and Here We Go Again, and the factual programs For My Man, For My Woman, Justice by Any Means, Thou Shalt Not, #Murder, Rickey

Smiley for Real, The Next 15, Deceived and Find Our Missing.

In addition, celebrity-driven docuseries have been strong performers for GRB in Africa.

“Anything with an aspirational spin seems to do quite well,” says Levenson. “That’s something that resonates with a lot of African viewers, the idea of building your own business, creating your own destiny, seeing how you can build a project or build a world with someone. A lot of our shows reflect that, like Tamar & Vince, Braxton Family Values, Cleveland Hustles and Flex & Shanice.”

KI, meanwhile, has noticed a growing appetite for entertainment formats. “There has been a recent resurgence of big entertainment formats across the region,” says Cohen McHarg. “We have high hopes for our new format Masters of Dance. It’s such a big and vibrant studio-based show—perfect for prime time.” KI is also betting on #TheFeed, a new cooking/travel hybrid. Other successes for the company in Africa are the game shows BOOM! and Trade Up, the hidden-camera prank series Deal with It! and the drama The A Word.

Although there is a limited amount of funding and space

Turkish dramas are becoming increasingly popular across Africa, including Black Money Love from the Inter Medya catalog.

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Inter Medya has been selling finished content to FOXlife, which broadcasts in South Africa. “We are currently finalizing a deal with Canal+, which is on air in many French-speaking territories,” notes Okan. “Kana TV, based in Ethiopia, has also been one of our good clients in the region.”

ON THE MAP

Mondo TV has secured sales for the kids’ show YooHoo & Friends in the region. for kids’ programming among African broadcasters, Mondo TV has managed to secure sales for such titles as YooHoo & Friends, GON, Gormiti and Angel’s Friends, as well as back-catalog classics like Simba the King Lion, Cinderella, Robin Hood and The Legend of Snow White. Hoping to boost the presence of children’s content on the continent, the company is planning to establish its own kids’ channel in Africa next year. “The idea has been well-received from a lot of platforms,” says Micheline Azoury, Mondo TV’s head of acquisitions and television sales. “They are looking for kids’ channels because this area is lacking in Africa.”

Mondo TV has also inked a number of package deals for religiousthemed content in the region. “A lot of African countries have space for religion on their channels,” notes Azoury. “We have a small catalog of nearly 200 hours of Christian [programming].”

According to KI’s Cohen McHarg, “South Africa and Nigeria pretty much dominate the African TV market, but different regions are starting to become bigger players.”

“Broadcasters and aggregators in Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Ghana and Uganda are regular clients,” says GMA Worldwide’s Laurena. “In our

experience, Kenya and Nigeria have developed TV markets. We have sold almost all of our available English-dubbed dramas in these territories. We foresee that Zambia and Ghana will also open up more.”

“Most of our deals are with South Africa-based pan-regional broadcasters,” says GRB’s Levenson.

“But we’re starting to see more interest from some other countries: Mauritius, Seychelles, Botswana, Nigeria.” She adds: “There’s also really strong production coming out of Nigeria and the same with Kenya....

There’s a lot that’s emerging, but South Africa, for sure, is the most developed.”

Mondo TV’s Azoury echoes the sentiment that South Africa is one of the most important television markets on the continent, but says the company has also been signing small volume deals

in Zambia, Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, and has additionally conducted business in Senegal, Botswana and Namibia.

“For many years we have maintained good relationships with clients in Sub-Saharan English-speaking territories with pay-TV multi-territory operators,” adds Caracol’s García. “In Portuguese-speaking territories, we are increasing our presence with TV channels in major markets such as Angola and Mozambique.

We are also entering the Frenchspeaking African territories.”

KI’s Cohen McHarg says the biggest trend she has been noticing in Africa as of late is that broadcasters are “moving away from acquiring English-language content to focus on local content and local stories.” She adds, “Budgets are a major challenge as audiences want to see high-quality programming that reflects their tastes and stories. Scripted formats could be the answer, as they allow producers to save on development and localize according to their audience.”

GMA Worldwide has landed deals for a number of its drama series, including My Destiny, with African channels.

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Keshet International has its eye on placing more formats from its catalog, including the branded-entertainment game show Trade Up, with broadcasters in Africa.

“Historically, Africa has mainly been a finished-tape market; however, we have seen more and more formats being licensed across the region lately,” adds Cohen McHarg. “We look to nurture more partnerships with local producers and broadcasters in Africa to co-develop our formats—both scripted and non-scripted.”

LOOKING LOCAL GRB’s Levenson notes: “There’s so much localized African production that I think there are a lot of partnerships to be made with Africa-based production companies, whether it’s on the format side or potentially coproducing.”

Caracol’s García agrees that there is “increasing local production for all the programming slots” in this market. She has also noticed a higher demand for sponsored programming on the continent.

As a result of the transition from analog to digital TV signals in the region, García says “networks needed more programming hours,” and new players arrived in the market. As a result, García says, there have been greater demands for content and an increasing appetite for scripted series from outside of Latin America. She sees heightened interest in local productions as well.

KI’s Cohen McHarg notes that the digital migration has meant “a lot more TV buyers and platforms are now looking for higherquality content. Better access to viewers and the rapidly increasing number of TV households has also led to a much bigger audience base.”

“Since the transition, households need to shoulder the cost of a new digital box,” adds GMA Worldwide’s Laurena. “Further, the high investment cost of producing HD content resulted in higher license fees.”

Looking ahead, Laurena foresees “the influx of more local and foreign content providers offering a wide array of content with best price offerings.” He adds: “In the future, broadcasters will air more African telenovelas. This may affect our business in Africa. However, we think there will still be room for our dramas since our stories appeal to African audiences.”

“I think we’re going to see more bingeable, high-end scripted content coming out of Africa and going into Africa,” notes GRB’s Levenson.

DOWN THE LINE KI’s Cohen McHarg says: “The growing appetite for scripted formats and adaptations across the region is a positive signal. This change in attitude will inevitably offer new, exciting opportunities for production companies and local broadcasters to provide more high-quality, universal content, but with localized stories and sensibilities that speak to their particular

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audiences. With the emergence of new markets, there will also be greater export opportunities.”

Inter Medya is hopeful that Africa will be receptive to the company’s new formats slate. “In addition to distributing series and feature films, we have started to develop, produce and distribute reality and gameshow formats in the past couple of years,” notes Okan. “As our creative team is continuously working on fresh projects, we think the African region will prove to be very fruitful for our format business.”

Moving forward, Caracol will be bracing for increased rivalry in the African TV business, and it would probably be wise for other distributors to follow suit. “Every day there is going to be more competition in this territory, so we will have to reinforce the stability, constant success and innovation that our titles have,” says García. “The future is all about taking risks while maintaining strong stories.”

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WORLD’S END

IN THE STARS Almost every national constitution forbids the establishment of an official state religion. But this secular bent doesn’t stop people from looking to the heavens for answers to life’s most troublesome questions: Will I succeed?

Will I find love? Will Donald Trump hit on me?

Every day, papers, magazines and websites worldwide print horoscopes— projections for people born in a specific month, based on the positions of the stars and planets. While many people rely on these daily, weekly or monthly messages for guidance in their lives, some readers skip over them entirely.

The editors of WS recognize that these little pearls of random foresight occasionally prove pro phetic.

But rather than poring over charts of the zodiac to predict world events, our staff prefers to use past horoscopes in an attempt to legitimize the science.

As you can see here, had some of these media figures remembered to consult their horoscopes on significant dates, they could have avoided a few surprises.

Jane Fonda

Brooke Shields

Tom Cruise

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

KIM CATTRALL

TOM CRUISE

Global distinction: Sex and the City alum.

Sign: Leo (b. August 21, 1956) Significant date: September 29, 2017 Noteworthy activity: After a newspaper reports that

Global distinction: Hollywood heavyweight.

Sign: Cancer (b. July 3, 1962) Significant date: September 26, 2017 Noteworthy activity: During an interview with Screen

Sex and the City 3 is not being made due to Cattrall’s “demands,” she is bombarded by disappointed fans on social media who blame her for crushing their dreams of another sequel. The actress defends herself on Twitter: “Woke 2 a @MailOnline [s--t] storm!

The only ‘DEMAND’ I ever made was that I didn’t want to do a 3rd film…& that was back in 2016.”

Horoscope: “There’s ample opportunity to clear the air, so if something’s been bothering you, voice it.

You’ll feel better.” (horoscope.com)

Rant, the actor addresses a rumor that started when a Twitter user screen-grabbed a scene from Cruise’s 2008 movie Valkyrie that featured his backside. The tweet reads: “hello, please, i present the theory that for one single shot in Valkyrie (2008), at 5:12, tom cruise wears a fake butt. observe.” Admitting it was the first time he had heard the gossip, Cruise clarifies: “There was no prosthetic in Valkyrie.”

Horoscope: “There’s no need to put on a false front or pretend you’re something you’re not, when just being yourself will put you over the top.” (mercurynews.com)

JANE FONDA Global distinction: Feminist icon.

Sign: Sagittarius (b. December 21, 1937) Significant date: September 27, 2017 Noteworthy activity: The two-time Oscar winner appears on Megyn Kelly’s new NBC morning show alongside veteran actor Robert Redford to promote their new movie. The 79-year-old gets caught off guard when the host questions her about her past experience with plastic surgery. Looking visibly annoyed, Fonda shakes off the inquiry and steers the conversation back to the new Netflix feature.

Horoscope: “Avoid people who push your buttons, or you may end up burning a bridge.” (elle.com)

BROOKE SHIELDS Global distinction: American actress.

Sign: Gemini (b. May 31, 1965) Significant date: October 3, 2017 Noteworthy activity: The 52-year-old reveals the pickup line that Donald Trump tried to use on her back in 1999, right after he divorced his second wife. “He said, ‘I really think we should date because you’re America’s sweetheart and I’m America’s richest man and the people would love it,” Shields tells Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen. When a black-and-white snapshot of herself and the former Celebrity Apprentice host at a charity event flashes across the screen, she pretends to gag and sticks out her tongue: “I can’t even speak.”

Horoscope: “If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, avoid them at all costs.” (cafeastrology.com) 30 WORLD SCREEN 11/17

JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN Global distinction: On-screen bad guy.

Sign: Taurus (b. April 22, 1966) Significant date: September 24, 2017 Noteworthy activity: During a convention, The Walking Dead co-star accidentally reveals the gender of his forthcoming baby, which is supposed to be a secret. A fan captures the moment Morgan realizes his mistake and the actor shares the pic with the caption: “I texted @hilarieburton right after I spilled the little girl beans…and, as usual…she was a rock star. After all these years she’s come to expect me to be a dope.”

Horoscope: “Don’t let the cat out of the bag. Show your maturity by not revealing privileged information that you have been trusted with.” (chicagotribune.com)

SARAH HYLAND Global distinction: Modern Family co-star.

Sign: Sagittarius (b. November 24, 1990) Significant date: September 17, 2017 Noteworthy activity: At this year’s Emmy Awards, the 26year-old actress is wearing black Spanx (a shapewear undergarment), which is noticeable sticking out of an opening in her red dress that exposes her midriff. Hyland quickly notices her unfortunate wardrobe malfunction and remedies the situation as fast as possible.

Horoscope: “Be very careful about planning and what you want to accomplish. It may be that you need to double check some things and be particularly careful with some details.” (thehoroscope.co)

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