Distribution in Focus: Fremantle’s Jens Richter

With buyers flocking to London TV Screenings and Mip London this week, Broadcast International speaks to Fremantle’s chief exec officer of commercial and international, Jens Richter, about partnering with others and balancing international appeal with domestic demands.

The market is course correcting after the pinnacle of peak tv. The US remains challenged as the big players shift strategy and spend remains lower. Buyers remain risk averse, especially around niche content. However, there’s still plenty of appetite for content which hits the right tone, especially as most clients seek shows which appeal to advertisers and are more sought to bolster their domestic VOD outlets.

It’s one of the reasons that Got Talent continues to be such a successful format for local broadcasters and why the newly remastered Homicide: Life on the Street, has appealed so widely to clients internationally including Sky (UK), Bell Media (Canada) and SBS (Australia).

Money in the market.

With all players open to discussion about rights availabilities, windowing & being more open to carving up territories, the role of the distributor as a mediator is more important than ever to helping get content funded and returning profit to stakeholders.

Our upcoming sweeping epic, Sandokan, starring Can Yaman & Ed Westwick is a perfect example, having been commissioned by Rai and pre-sold to Mediaset with FM brokering a host of international presales ahead of launch later this year.

There’s a growing understanding that to get shows made, partnering is critical and the needs of audiences, over and above their own, must be considered in the round. IP and talent will always be important but striking the right balance between domestic and international awareness is becoming ever more important.

Our upcoming domestic thriller Little Disasters is a great example of that, with Paramount+ commissioning for the UK but being open & supportive of Diane Kruger being cast, which helped to elevate the ambition of the series and broaden its appeal to clients internationally.

We’re expecting growth across all divisions and genres but are particularly drawn to the importance of the social AVOD platforms and how audiences are increasingly coming to them as a viable entertainment platform in the living room through connected TVs.

The global streamers remain incredibly important for scripted co-productions - they are typically open to more flexible rights positions and that opens a wealth of opportunity to share the talent of the producers and creators that we work with, to the widest possible audience.

Costiera, for example, starring Jesse Williams and directed by Adam Bernstein, is a highly entertaining action drama set on the stunning Amalfi coast. Commissioned by Amazon, Fremantle are proud to be representing the series for international buyers and are already entertaining a wealth of conversations about it.