The Brazilian giant is celebrating its 100th anniversary as a group in 2025, as it also celebrates two other important milestones -60 years of TV Globo and 10 years of Globoplay-, staying at the forefront thanks to a continuous transformation process, guided by a clear vision of its role in Brazilian society and its love of telling great stories.
One hundred years ago, journalist Irineu Marinho began an incredible journey. After years in his profession, Ireneu founded the newspaper O Globo, with July 29 being the date of its first edition.
Tragedy – a heart attack – took Ireneu just a month later, so he was unable to see what would grow from the seed he had planted. A hundred years later, and thanks to the work of many other visionaries – especially his son Roberto – Globo is now the largest media group in Brazil.
In 2025, the group celebrates multiple anniversaries that also include the 60th anniversary of TV Globo and the 10th anniversary of its platform, Globoplay.
To understand what this giant means for the global audiovisual industry, the responsibility it assumes at a local level and the challenges it sets for itself at an international level, ttvnews had the opportunity to interview Paulo Marinho, Roberto’s grandson and current CEO of Globo.
Roberto Marinho was quoted saying: “Our work begins again each day, and the Brazil we dreamed of and for which this newspaper was founded has not yet become a reality”. Does this have a correlation on the TV side of the business? How has the vision of the group evolved in the past six decades?
The commitment to Brazil and the passion for communication are part of the essence of Grupo Globo and, therefore, of Globo, the company I lead. We work every day committed to the future and the development of the country. We are celebrating 100 years of Globo thinking about the future, about the next story we want to tell. Our content reaches 98% of the Brazilian population. TV Globo, our free-to-air TV channel, in particular, leads the national audience, reaching over 120 million people every week. In a world of such fragmented consumption, talking to so many people at the same time brings a great responsibility. We offer high-quality, free programming that connects millions of Brazilians and promotes Brazil’s cultural identity. Television works contrary to the logic of individualized consumption. It is for everyone. And it tells stories that embrace the values shared by society and that promote unity, culture and democracy. TV Globo is a collective space for respecting others and that is proud to have Brazil as a source of inspiration.
If we focus on the international footprint of the group and the TV business, how do you analyze that evolution and what is the vision you have for the company on that regard?
Our vision is to always be connected to the most innovative things there are. Not just in the media industry. While we develop new technologies and new creative languages internally, we are always paying attention at the most innovative things on the global market. We look at our industry and also at others, looking for new solutions that can be implemented in our media segment. There is always a search to improve.
Besides the huge role Globo plays in the life of the Brazilian people, for international audiences, is also a huge window into the country’s life and culture. What does it mean to the company to play this role of “ambassadors”?
Globo is one of the main promoters of Brazilian culture. We already have exported over 3,000 productions to around 160 territories, translated into 70 languages. That means over 19 thousand hours of content distributed per year. We received over 90 nominations for the International Emmy, always with Brazilian productions. Our first Globoplay original film, ‘I’m Still Here’, is on a beautiful trajectory. It won an award in Venice, received nominations for the Goya and the Golden Globe, and is on the Oscar shortlist. It is a great source of pride for us at Globo to be driving this recognition, which places Brazil among the best in the world. It is a reflection of the very high-quality work of actors, directors, producers, scriptwriters, set designers, photographers, technicians, executives, and so many other talents that make Brazil an audiovisual powerhouse.

Mania de ti
Globoplay has become a fantastic platform to share creative and powerful new stories that are traveling around the world. How do you see the platform expanding in the future?
In 2025, Globoplay will complete 10 years as the largest Brazilian streaming platform, with a very competitive performance in Brazil against the largest global players. Our productions’ consumption grows every year. We recorded 4 billion hours watched in 2024 and had a 38% growth in the subscriber base. Globoplay’s original productions are crossing borders, and this is why we see the future of the platform in the international market. As I mentioned before, the film I’m Still Here has been nominated for the main international film competitions; the series Justice: Misconduct 2 won the Grand Prize at the Seoul Drama Awards; Justice: Misconduct 1 was nominated for the International Emmy; the series Living on a Razor’s Edge was a highlight at the Berlinale and at Canneseries, and competed for best actor at the International Emmy; The Others was nominated for the Venice TV Awards. They are all original Globoplay productions, which started opening doors and taking the Brazilian talent to the world. It is also an important meeting point for Brazilian consumers around the world.
Talking about international TV business, Globo has taken a very clear stand to embrace new business models, looking to sell more formats (scripted and unscripted) and working with partners in more international co-productions. How do you evaluate the current state of your international TV business and what is the potential that you see in that side of the industry?
Partnerships are the best way to strengthen ourselves in the global industry. We are the biggest producers of audiovisual content in Portuguese, but, before that, we are great storytellers. Exciting stories, that connect with large audiences, with universal themes. It is important that we understand the best combination between our catalog and market trends, with flexible business models that prioritize customer needs. The sale of scripted formats meets this demand. It’s a way of adapting our stories to new audiences, in productions that will reflect the clients’ culture. Leyla was the first international adaptation of Brazil Avenue, one of our greatest hits. It is being broadcasted in Turkey and already being negotiated for other countries. The Others and Justice: Misconduct will also gain international adaptations in Greece and German-speaking territories. In coproduction agreements, we use our production expertise to enrich our own platforms in Brazil with premium productions, in addition to taking our stories to the international market in distribution agreements. We recently announced two deals with Fremantle and Beta Film, and we are coproducing the film Na Linha de Fogo with Disney.
Globo has been fostering talent in all areas of the business during these 60 years. What is your read of the strengths and weakness today of Brazilian audiovisual scene? What changes, if any, would you like to see in the scene (regarding regulations, for example) moving forward?
We live in a much broader competitive environment, which presents us with the challenge of staying relevant in a disruptive scenario, in which the main competitors are large technology platforms with global resources and less regulation. What we advocate are clear rules and that everyone is committed to discussing transparency, accountability, parameters, and metrics. All of this is important for business, but also for Brazilian society. Although greater today, competition is nothing new to Globo. We have always had strong competitors. Some players change, but Globo remains as a place for Brazilian talent, with investments aimed at combining excellent content with the best experience for the public. We produce over 33 thousand hours of new content per year and we are the largest promoter of the Brazilian independent audiovisual market, with an open and collaborative dialogue with over 170 production companies of all sizes.

I’m Still Here
What can you share about the latest news coming from the audiovisual side, like the new studio (the biggest one in the region) and other meaningful deals?
In fact, at the end of last year we opened the largest Virtual Production studio in Latin America. With 1500 m2, the studio opens up a huge path of possibilities for our creative teams. For example, we’re going to shoot a movie that’s all set in Antarctica. We are also paying attention to the use of artificial intelligence in the production of original content, and how this has been impacting the value chain. We have invested not only in technology, but also in training our teams so that we can test, use, and recognize the earnings we can extract from it. We have over 30 generative AI use cases underway at Globo, in all areas. And, as part of our vision for the future, of business diversification, we acquired corporate control of Eletromidia, the largest Out of Home Brazilian media company, which will enable us to expand our presence in the Brazilian consumer’s life journey.
You shared that TV 3.0 will “transform” the Free TV in Brazil. How is Globo preparing for that?
In Brazil, we have one of the strongest free-to-air TV channels in the world, responsible for over half of the video consumption at home in the country. Free high-quality TV. Putting it into the digital world will be truly transformative. It changes the entire experience for the consumer, who will now have much more quality, with 4K signal, HDR, immersive and customizable audio, in addition to a much richer involvement due to the benefits of connectivity, such as interactivity and direct engagement with the content. From a business perspective, it opens up the possibility of offering our advertisers the complete path, from brand building to direct purchase conversion, based on all the knowledge we currently have about Brazil and Brazilians, in a completely safe environment. We have already carried out some experiments in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Now, in 2025, we will open the first 3.0 TV station in Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian government expects that the new technology will be commercially available for the 2026 World Cup.
After so many years as a leading group in the country and the world, what steps does the company have to keep taking to avoid falling into the trap of complacency?
My grandfather Roberto Marinho used to say that a company is never fully built. This restlessness is part of who we are today, and it is present in all Grupo Globo companies. Whether on the newspaper, on the radio, on TV, on streaming, or digitally. At Globo, we don’t become relaxed with our leadership. We are committed to the process of continuous transformation, in which innovation is one of the keys to maintaining relevance. Our ambition is to continue bringing our stories to more and more people, wherever they are and however they want to consume them. Our purpose of delivering information, culture, and entertainment to Brazil, and working to strengthen education has been constantly expanded and improved, with the compass always pointing towards the future. Our actions take into account the development of the country and of new generations. And, for this reason, we structured the six commitments that guide our ESG 2030 Agenda, contributing, through content and behind the scenes, to a society that will be fairer and more sustainable.