Content material Americas 2023: Key Highlights, Points and Developments

Final October, the Nationwide Affiliation of Tv Program Executives – NATPE – filed for Chapter 11 chapter safety, cancelling its January 2023 convention within the Bahamas.

Three conventions contend for NATPE’s crown: Content material Americas, organized by C21 Worldwide; Discop Miami, introduced in October by Primary Lead’s Patrick Zuchowicki, behind Discop Budapest; and January’s NATPE International itself, purchased this month by RealScreen proprietor Brunico Communications.

For January 2023 no less than, just one occasion has made it throughout the beginning line: Content material Americas, which runs Jan. 24-26 on the Hilton Downtown Miami. Following, 10 takes on this yr’s inaugural occasion. 

Content material Americas: A Pre-Market Take

Based in 1963, NATPE was born and boomed as a U.S. TV syndication emporium. Transferring to Miami in 2011, lots of its abroad delegates immediately got here from Latin America. Their presence got here to dominate the occasion. Now the tail isn’t simply wagging the canine. It’s almost the entire beast. Propagate Content material’s Ben Silverman and Fernando Szew, the lately named CEO of Fox Leisure International ship keynote interviews. They’ll speak, nevertheless, about how Spanish-language manufacturing suits into their game-plans. Two thirds of keynotes, one-in-ones, panels and periods are in Spanish. In bread-and-butter dealing, Content material Americas shall be pushed by its gross sales market to Latin America.

Consumers after Again in Pressure

NATPE 2021 happened on-line. Its 2022 it didn’t occur in any respect. “There was an preliminary concern, again in December, to know if folks would present,” EO Media’s Eze Olzanski, tells Selection. These fears seem to have proved groundless. Regardless of three years away, consumers – free-to-air, pay-TV and streamers close to all have execs at Content material Americas. It helps that the Latin American arms of many OTT gamers – Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney+, Amazon, Vix+, Apple – have bases or branches in Miami, Olzanski famous.The one no-show amongst acquisition execs is Netflix, although two of their key Latino creatives – “Who Killed Sara?’” “Chascas” Valenzuela and “Pálpito’s” Leonardo Padrón –  speak on a panel.

Latin America: The Huge Construct

“Nothing ever occurs in Latin America,” the then worldwide editor of a serious Hollywood publication as soon as stated. They had been incorrect then. They’re much more incorrect now. In its massive favor, Content material Americas catches Latin America as it’s booming. Netflix, as an illustration,  produced one authentic sequence in Latin America in 2015: Mexico’s “Membership of Crows,” its first absolutely non-English language sequence ever. In 2022, it produced 72, in line with Omdia’s Maria Rua Aguete, one of many audio system at Content material Americas opening panel on Tuesday.  

Latin America’s Vibrant New Fiction Scene

Rap lifted off as a chartbuster when Snoop Canine melded Gangsta Rap and Dr. Drey funk, creating “Who Am I” (“What’s My Title)?” the primary rap album which entered the charts at No. 1. Combined, punk and laborious rock begot grunge. Delegates will flood into Miami as key creators are additionally forging a brand new and thrilling scripted scene, fusing U.S. mainstays – propulsive tempo, a way of style – and Latin American sensibilities. For extra particulars, catch Mauricio Leiva Cock (“Murrieta”), Valenzuela, Padrón and Silvina Aguirre (“Adolfo”) at a Wednesday panel. The reveals, furthermore, will not be simply thrilling however profitable. “Who Killed Sara?” was described by Netflix when it launched as its most profitable non-English sequence within the U.S. from any a part of the world.

Market Challenges (1)

But market problem and issues stay and should set turn into of the Content material Americas dialog. Some are logistical however might show unfounded. C21 has put collectively Content material Americas in a query of months. That’s a tall order, although the publishing group has massive expertise organising Content material London, a must-attend occasion for a lot of Europe’s TV business and past. “C21 is a effectively revered [event organiser] entity, an excellent model,” says Fremantle’s Manuel Martí. But NATPE itself took a number of years to settle into Miami. Bear in mind these queues for first Monday elevators at Fontainebleu Tresor Tower again in in 2011? Thus far, judged on the eve of the occasion, there are not any main logistical issues are evident….

Market Challenges (2): The Slowdown

Others issues are macro. H2 2022 noticed new streaming and broadcast/cable commissions drop by 46% and 52% respectively vs.1H 2022 in Latin America, says Ampere Evaluation’ Man Bisson  The downturn is “partly due to a worldwide slowdown, a results of the world’s financial outlook, and likewise the truth that Netflix and others are starting to cut back the expansion charges of their manufacturing investments as they shift curiosity in the direction of Asia and different rising markets,” he added.  

The Upside of Downturn

However the downturn has an upside. “Capital is pricey so firms are likely to leverage danger, and streamers are in search of margins, to earn more money. So that they should put much less cash into every present, and they are going to be extra choosy in selecting the place and when to place the cash, ” says Martí. That opens up massive co-production alternatives for deeper pocketed Indies, he provides. Co-production, whether or not with platforms taking native markets however liberating up a lot of the world, or between established gamers trying to promote territory-by-territory seems to be like one title of the sport at Content material Americas. 

The Huge Reset  

The type of content material streamers could also be in search of may be altering. “For a while, streamers had been in search of native reveals that labored regionally to drive up subs counts,” says Olzanski. However now they want extra bang for his or her buck. So maybe now the secret is “tales which can be related for native however journey internationally, with forged and expertise key,” provides Olzanski, who has simply taken onboard a slate of Hollywood star-driven titles from Canal Plus Group- owned SPI and can also be engaged on new sturdy Latam native and worldwide co-pro tasks in the identical line.

Gamechanging Strikes

On Jan. 17, ex-NBC Common Telemundo honcho Marcos Santana, some of the iconic of Latino execs, introduced Mas Ros Media, a brand new Barcelona-Miami primarily based enterprise whose productions goal gaming and esports communities and their households. In 2020, Chile’s Display Capital, launched a $20million enterprise capital fund, focusing on films and sequence. On Jan. 23, it introduced a second fund, Display II, focusing on leisure and media tech (gaming, VR, AR and so forth). The leisure enterprise is now riven by an enormous demographic divide. Count on Latino firms to react or make additional bulletins at Content material Americas.  

Brazil: The Promised Land

One territory platforms might focus many firms’ consideration within the subsequent few years: Brazil. In sub phrases, Brazil charges because the Netflix’s second greatest market on this planet, with a yr finish 2022 estimate of 16.4 million subscribers, says Bisson. In accordance with one supply, it’s the No. 2 market worldwide for 2 different streamers as effectively. “The market is large and the expertise excellent,” says Marti. Count on a number of firms to make ever greater strikes in Brazil within the subsequent few years. It’s promising already that a number of firms are appointing Brazil-based executives as regional leaders.