International content makes its mark at LA Screenings

The influx of foreign programming onto distributors historically US content-heavy slates is one of the main talking points at this week’s LA Screenings, as buyers and sellers continue to adjust to studios warehousing. 

Several UK and European buyers have acknowledged the variety of titles on offer from the likes of major distributors including Paramount Global, Lionsgate, Warner Bros Discovery, Sony Pictures Television and Endeavor Content. 

While acquisitions execs have had to accept that they cannot acquire certain flagship US titles as the studios hold them back for their owned-and-operated streamers, the change also reflects how tastes have altered in recent years, accelerated by the pandemic which has disrupted productions and sales pipelines. 

“The pivoting is because of the shortage of content due to Covid, that continues,” Dermot Horan, director of co-productions and acquisitions at RTÉ, told Broadcast after Paramount Global’s final screening at its lot in West Hollywood. 

“The world is much more open to Australian, New Zealand or Canadian drama. And that’s not going away because if we tried to rely on American content, there wouldn’t be enough of it or it would be limited to second and third windows.” 

Horan noted that interest in US content has also been “diluted” because the production values in global markets have improved dramatically. 

“Lionsgate showed us a drama that was in Hindi. Warner had a drama in Spanish. We don’t tend to buy Spanish or Hispanic-style drama, but there’s a hell of a lot of buyers around the world who do. So why wouldn’t we?” 

His views were echoed by Prentiss Fraser, executive vice-president of television distribution for Endeavor Content, which is shopping four titles this year including Australian drama The Twelve, Finnish series The Man Who Died and the series adaptation of Jø Nesbo’s novel Headhunters.  

“The Australians are having a huge moment as another English-language opportunity. Their production is on fire right now – there’s lots of great stuff coming out of that market,” she told Broadcast. “The business is maturing.” 

At Sony, Keith Le Goy, chairman, worldwide distribution & networks and Mike Wald, executive vice-president on international distribution, noted that buyers have become “even more discerning” because of pandemic-induced economics and ructions in the streaming world.  

“When the clients come to the LA screenings, they don’t just view the shows, they meet with the creators and producers, to get a much deeper sense of what it is they’re being asked to invest in and what they’re looking to invest in,” Le Goy said.  

“The aim is to get a show that can be a hit across multiple parts of your business, not just a linear broadcast network or a suite of linear cable channels, but increasingly for an SVoD, an AVoD, Fast channels. Therefore, the range of content required is more complicated and more diverse. The stakes are higher than they’ve ever been.” 

Sony mixed US titles Accused and Monarch (both for Fox), Spectrum original Panhandle, Globo’s English-language Brazilian series Rio Connection, ITV/Spectrum’s A Spy Among Friends and Left Bank’s Amazon Canadian original, Three Pines at this year’s screenings.  

“It’s no longer just shows for broadcast coming out of the upfronts,” Le Goy added. “It’s shows for every platform in every country across all genres, because that’s how audiences are consuming content now.” 

Wald said all Sony shows have a deliberate “character of a location”, which isn’t your typical US major city setting. 

Colin from Accounts 

Paramount Global led its screenings with Australian half-hour comedy Colin from Accounts, produced by CBS Studios for nascent Foxtel streamer Binge. The series is created, written by and stars Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer as singletons brought together by a car accident involving a stray dog, setting off a chain of events.  

The response from a full cinema of buyers was overwhelmingly positive with hoots of laughter as the dry, edgy, and often prurient humour unfolded. “It was fucking brilliant!” one enthusiastic UK buyer later said.  

Another European buyer added that the show was much more to their taste than Paramount’s western Walker spin-off, The CW’s Walker: Independence. “Cowboy boots and the Midwest are less of a draw than edgy comedy,” they noted. 

Lisa Kramer, president of international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution, admitted the response to Colin from Accounts exceeded expectations.  

“Of course, everybody wants another Squid Game, but I can’t say that we intentionally set out with the thought that this is going to have the buzziest show. We thought it would be small and charming, but it is fantastic and refreshing that such a popular show comes from across the across the world. We felt and know that buyers have been looking for a little bit of lightness.  

She added that there was already interest from Canada and the streamers. 

“It defies the adage that international comedy doesn’t travel. We have been interested, on a distribution basis, to find comedy. When you have that comedy that travels, it’s gold.” 

US appetite 

The interest in international programming, however, has not come completely at the expense of US programming. Earlier today, Broadcast revealed that Channel 4 had picked up Peacock comedy Killing It, while three separate buyers told Broadcast they were impressed with Warner Bros. Television’s CBS cop drama East New York.  

Hailing from The Good Fight’s William Finkelstein and Power Book III: Raising Kanan’s Mike Flynn, the series follows Regina Haywood (Amanda Warren, Dickinson), newly promoted deputy inspector of the NYPD’s 74th Precinct in East New York, a working-class neighbourhood at the eastern edge of Brooklyn. 

“It feels like The Wire, but not as dark,” one British buyer told Broadcast. “And the production values were more akin to a cable series than your typical broadcast network drama.”  

Another buzzy title, also Warner Bros-distributed, is Love & Death, produced by Lionsgate for HBO Max and written by Big Little Lies’ David E. Kelley.  

A European buyer told Broadcast the off-screen talent of Kelley and Nicole Kidman, along with Elizabeth Olsen and Jesse Plemons heading the cast contribute to a slick series. They also noted the fact that, because HBO Max is still in the process of rolling out internationally, the rights to premium streaming programming are still available – though they acknowledged that competition would be fierce. 

“I think people are still very interested in US programming, it’s still a hot commodity, there’s just less of it to buy,” added Fraser, who admitted she was “pretty excited” to have secured worldwide distribution for female-led modern western Bring on the Dancing Horses, starring Kate Bosworth: “The fact that it is available globally is very rare.” 

Distribution futures 

What is undoubtedly true of this iteration of the LA Screenings, is that warehousing premium content for SVoD services is set to continue, as studios continue to direct their business models towards streaming. 

“Paramount+ originals and Showtime originals are destined for Paramount+ globally,” Dan Cohen, president of Paramount Global Distribution Group told Broadcast.  

“I would rather not have to tell clients that have had output deals with Showtime for years: ‘Sorry, you can’t have those anymore’, but it’s the marketplace reality. It’s a challenge, but we hit it head on. It doesn’t mean that there may not be an opportunity for a second window on something, but that’s the fact.” 

Paramount’s Kramer added: “Streaming is at the forefront of the company’s strategy. We don’t hide behind that. Our biggest franchises will be on Paramount+ in the first window. But it doesn’t mean that we will not be licensing.  

She added that Paramount is conducting research to understand the relationship of awareness and engagement with titles in certain windows. 

Nick Lee, head of acquisitions at Channel 4, told Broadcast he thinks there will be a reset in the future, under distribution of premium titles will returning to the market as studios seek to boost revenue streams and create more shareholder value, rather than solely pinning hopes on subscription models.