Joyce Dröse, Sales Manager, Red Arrow Studios International
What are Red Arrow's top three priorities for distribution of your content in Asia in 2020?
"We do a healthy amount of business with the key players in Asia. In 2020 a priority will be to further strengthen our relationships with country-specific services and also the new VOD platforms. In 2019 we saw an increase in sales of our factual slate, particular to Korea where titles such as ‘StrikeCarrier’, ‘Code Red’ and ‘Man’s First Friend’ were well received. We are looking to expand our factual business further throughout the rest of the region in 2020.
Southeast Asia will be a key focus for our scripted content next year, in particular for our high-end dramas "Departure" and "Vienna Blood".
Did the Asia market live up to your expectations in terms of acquisitions in 2019?
"Yes, we were particularly pleased with the success of the U.K. version of "Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds", which was picked up in Hong Kong, Korea and Japan (NHK). We were also delighted to secure our first format commission in India, where "Anti-social Network", a prank show for the social media generation, was produced by Endemol for MTV (Viacom)."
What do you think will have the biggest influence on acquisition of your content in Asia in 2020?
"Having innovative, exciting and relevant content that provides an alternative to local fare is key to cutting through. We’ve found our social experiment series that address universal issues, like "Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds", are resonating in the region. Next year we have high hopes for "Meat the Family", our latest series in the social experiment genre; commissioned by Channel 4 in the U.K. it explores how much we really know about the meat we put on our plates in an entertaining and informative way. We had a lot of interest in the series at Mipcom.
We are finding there is still a lot of interest in shiny-floor gameshows across the region. "Block Out", which RedArrow Studios developed together with Nippon TV, has succe...
Joyce Dröse, Sales Manager, Red Arrow Studios International
What are Red Arrow's top three priorities for distribution of your content in Asia in 2020?
"We do a healthy amount of business with the key players in Asia. In 2020 a priority will be to further strengthen our relationships with country-specific services and also the new VOD platforms. In 2019 we saw an increase in sales of our factual slate, particular to Korea where titles such as ‘StrikeCarrier’, ‘Code Red’ and ‘Man’s First Friend’ were well received. We are looking to expand our factual business further throughout the rest of the region in 2020.
Southeast Asia will be a key focus for our scripted content next year, in particular for our high-end dramas "Departure" and "Vienna Blood".
Did the Asia market live up to your expectations in terms of acquisitions in 2019?
"Yes, we were particularly pleased with the success of the U.K. version of "Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds", which was picked up in Hong Kong, Korea and Japan (NHK). We were also delighted to secure our first format commission in India, where "Anti-social Network", a prank show for the social media generation, was produced by Endemol for MTV (Viacom)."
What do you think will have the biggest influence on acquisition of your content in Asia in 2020?
"Having innovative, exciting and relevant content that provides an alternative to local fare is key to cutting through. We’ve found our social experiment series that address universal issues, like "Old People’s Home for 4 Year Olds", are resonating in the region. Next year we have high hopes for "Meat the Family", our latest series in the social experiment genre; commissioned by Channel 4 in the U.K. it explores how much we really know about the meat we put on our plates in an entertaining and informative way. We had a lot of interest in the series at Mipcom.
We are finding there is still a lot of interest in shiny-floor gameshows across the region. "Block Out", which RedArrow Studios developed together with Nippon TV, has successfully aired on Channel 7 in Thailand and has just sold to ANTV in Indonesia and VTV in Vietnam.
Next year we are confident we will find homes for "Beat theChannel", a primetime entertainment gameshow format in which two popular TV presenters are given the chance to win a 15-minute live broadcast slot to fill in any way they chose. The series has been a huge hit on ProSieben in Germany and offers unique cross promotional opportunities for channels, and a halo effect for the schedule and the talent."