The international distributor is present in Cannes with a vast catalog of “trendy big-budget TV series for a very wide audience”, composed of the best productions from the Russian group’s catalog.

As the world slowly but surely gets back on its feet after the global pandemic that halted productions and affected all sides of the TV industry, platforms and broadcasters are now back to searching for content and returning to the traditional markets, presenting an opportunity for producers and distributors to showcase their newest titles.

“I would say that 2022 was still challenging, as many companies were recovering from the hardships of the past couple years due to the many Covid restrictions we all had to deal with. However, it is evident that the market is coming back on track and it is great to see that the content industry has new and exciting projects to offer to global partners”, said in this regard Sam Galanov, CEO of Sene Media.

The current demand for content has, in addition, become more varied, as the executive explains, aimed at feeding an audience that has become “multi-cultural”.

“Since Covid, media companies remain unsure of their budgets and quota. Hence, they select content topics and its quality more carefully. Speaking of trending genres, dramas, shows for women, and period dramas keep topping the list. Action films with a special focus on detective and mystical stories are in demand as well”, he explained.

“There is a strong demand for content from this broad and rich cultural storehouse of international entertainment programming. This is what we at Sene Media intend to highlight at this upcoming market event”, he added in reference to the company’s presence at the current Mipcom, which is taking place this week in Cannes and where Sene Media is presenting a catalog of content from Russia TV and Radio, composed of “trendy big-budget TV series for a very wide audience”.

Topping the list is the period drama Elizaveta, “definitely the gem of our catalogue”, he said. “It is an exciting adventure drama about the crown princess facing dangers, court intrigues, poisoning, and evil plots on her way to becoming the Empress”.

The company is also presenting The Blood Widow, which follows the story of a cruel noblewoman who became Russia’s first female serial killer.

Then there’s the high-end drama ‎On the Edge, based on true story of three young women who ended up in a terrorist camp and tried to escape. And last but not least, The Son, a‎ detective drama which is a touching story about mother love and a woman who is not giving up on finding her lost son.

“In addition to reestablishing contact with our old partners, we are looking forward to meeting and establishing new partnerships. Our hope and desire is to reignite the market with exciting new content,” the executive said.

As for the end of the year, Sene Media is already planning its presence at Mip Cancun, where it will be presenting its contents and looking to build new relationships with the Latin markets. “Latin America is one of the most growing markets with high interest in period dramas and melodramas. The content we are presenting meet these demands”, he concluded.

La entrada Mipcom: Sene Media Showcases RTR’s Leading Titles at Cannes se publicó primero en TTV News.

Taking advantage of audiences’ newfound interest in international and one-of-a-kind content, Sovtelexport has put the best of Russia’s productions on display, signing an array of major deals for its period dramas with important linear and OTT players, both in Latin America and all over the world.

One of the most notable trends to come out of the past two years of pandemic was the rise in the demand for content, as audiences around the world turned to their TVs for news and entertainment during quarantine. And these audiences were also more open to new types of content, with non-English language titles and original productions from the international market taking center stage.

Armed with one of the most notable catalogs in the Russian market, Sovtelexport, the distribution arm of Russia TV and Radio, was able to rise to the challenge and meet this demand with a varied offer for all types of platforms and partners.

Ekaterina

“We see growing diversity in content a positive thing”, said Julia Matyash, director of Sovtelexport. “New platforms and TV channels are ready to consider the most unexpected offers. The audience itself is now more inclined to accept the content produced in different countries, its suspicion towards it was replaced with increased interest.”

“Our content is distinguished by versatility of themes. Viewers of any nationality will find the stories we offer relatable and engaging,” she added. Russia Television and Radio’s catalog comprises many film adaptations of classical literature, such as Idiot and Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, The White Guard by Mikhail Bulgakov, as well as works by modern authors, among which are Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes, Blackout, Cloister.

And within this varied catalog, there’s one genre that stands out: “Period dramas and film-versions of the Russian classics remain our hallmark. Buyers’ interest in them is strong”, said Matyash, something proven by the array of deals the distributor signed during the last year.

For instance, Mexico’s major public TV company Televisión Metropolitana, S.A. de C.V. has acquired broadcasting rights for the TV drama, The Terrible. Mexican viewers will witness brilliant acting performances, luscious costumes and decorations, as well as great battle scenes on the largest culture TV channel in the country, Canal 22.

Anna Karennina

In addition, TV series Ekaterina, Ekaterina, Season 2, Sophia, Two Legends, Anna Karenina, Wolfpack, as well as features Kandahar and The Soul of a Spy were acquired by Pluto to be featured in their online library.

Also Sovtelexport has signed a multi-title agreement with the largest Latin-American AVOD platform, ViX. The package comprises top-rating costume dramas Ekaterina, Sophia, Anna Karenina, as well as action films from the Wolfpack cycle.

These major deals are proof of two notable trends for the distributor: on the one hand, how important Latin America is in its international distribution strategy. “As I mentioned, in Latin America our projects have been already presented on VIX, Pluto and Amazon Prime,” the executive explained.

And on the other hand, the distributor’s increased investment in the OTT market, with deals signed with major platforms and services all over the world.

Wolfpack

“We are actively working towards expanding our list of partners in this field, including both local and pan-regional services,” she explained, listing an array of recent deals with OTT platforms: TV series The Optimists: Caribbean Season’ has been featured on SBS On Demand VOD platform in Australia, The Terrible was purchased by the major Polish streaming service CDA Premium, the Kresty documentary was included in the Netflix catalog, the ‘Firing Range’ show streamed at iQiyi, and two seasons of Ekaterina was sold to the HULU Japan video platform.

And far from settling with all these deals, the distributor is always seeking to grow even further. “As always, we are looking forward to keeping the distribution rate high and strengthening the relationships with our foreign partners,” Matyash said. “The number of new TV companies and streaming platforms is growing as well as their thirst for new content. We update our catalogue with fresh high-quality titles regularly, and we definitely have something to offer to the market.”

SOVTELEXPORT PRESENTS ELIZAVETA, THE NEXT HIT

This spring, Sovtelexport is presenting Elizaveta, a new costume series about Peter the Great’s daughter ascension to the throne. “It is an exciting adventure drama, where the real historical events meet dynamic and intriguing plot, gorgeous costumes and scenery, as well as brilliant performances from the young and talented cast,” said Julia Matyash, director of Sovtelexport.

Elizaveta

“Period dramas about monarchs’ lives are international bestsellers. Three seasons of the Ekaterina series became a smashing success worldwide, having been featured on TV channels and streaming services in 104 countries. And Elizaveta has every chance to beat the record of Ekaterina.”

La entrada RTR: A Varied Catalog for a Varied Demand se publicó primero en TTV News.

Increasing sales, new alliances and deals, and new territories conquered are just some of the things RTR has accomplished during these challenging times, all while keeping its employees safe. Julia Matyash, Director of Sovtelexport, spoke to ttvnews about these milestones and the new titles the Russian company’s distribution arm is now presenting in the international market.

It’s safe to say these past few months have been one of the most challenging in recent times. But one of the few positive things to come out of the global pandemic has been the increasing need for content, with families across the globe seeking entertainment during the quarantine.

And one of the distributors that has been able to rise to this challenge is Sovtelexport, the distribution arm for Russia TV and Radio, which has taken its high-end catalog of premium dramas and content to almost every corner of the globe.

“Even during these challenging times, we managed to maintain the sales rate high. Our distribution activity did not weaken: we keep successfully presenting new drama series on the market, participating in online events and festivals, striking deals with new clients and, most importantly, exploring new territories,” said Julia Matyash, director of the distributor, who spoke to ttvnews about how the company has adapted to the “new normal” and what’s new in terms of content for the international market.

Which titles and productions is the company presenting for the international market?

At the autumn markets, Sovtelexport is presenting several new titles. The first is the TV series Cloister, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Zakhar Prilepin. It is a poignant and shocking love story unfolding on the background of the horrors of the Solovetsky special purpose camp in post-Civil-War Russia.

Cloister

Then we have the feature film Elsa’s Land, a moving love story of 70-year-old Leonid and Elsa. Their families do not approve of their love, which leads to a tense confrontation between generations.

Lastly, we have the TV series The Lockdown, which was initiated in the pre-Covid times, but turned out to be prophetic. It centers on the idea that any pandemic will end and the people’s main task is to preserve eternal human values, such as love, friendship and commitment to principles.

Speaking of hybrid events, what’s your opinion about digital marketplaces? Do you think they are a good solution to the current health crisis or are physical events simply the best option? Why so?

Unfortunately, hybrid events did not improve the situation radically. Quarantine restrictions still affect both formats

How has the last year been for your company in terms of business and strategies for working under the “new normal”? How has the business changed?

Even during these challenging times, we managed to maintain the sales rate high. Our distribution activity did not weaken: we keep successfully presenting new drama series on the market, participating in online events and festivals, striking deals with new clients and, most importantly, exploring new territories: Australia, for instance. The Optimists series was included in the catalog of the SBS On Demand VOD Platform. It is the second most viewed digital platform in the country.

Elsa’s Land

Last year, our series were aired on the largest TV channels and VOD platforms of the world. We have signed agreements with TF-1 Histoire (France), TVP 2 (Poland), RAI (Italy), RTVS (Slovakia), HRT (Croatia), CJ (South Korea), GINGA (Japan), Discovery channel Japan, Senal (Columbia). Titles from our catalog were included in Netflix and Amazon Prime libraries.

One of the main trends during the pandemic has been the growth of streaming platforms all over the world, with audiences having to quarantine and looking for new forms of entertainment. How has this influenced Sovtelexport’s strategy? Is OTT more important now in terms of distribution?

Undoubtedly, the growing amount of new streaming platforms affected our international strategy. The demand for digital rights is high. And new services are more flexible in choosing content, since they are eager to find their niche on the market. Due to this, Sovtelexport was able to explore new territories in 2020-2021. Nowadays, VOD sales is not only an independent segment. Many TV channels use their platforms to test audience reaction, for example.

Which RTR titles have been demanded the most by platforms and broadcasters around the world during this past year?

The appetite for high-end screen adaptations of the famous contemporary Russian writers’ works is strong. Our film versions fans found Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes, Blackout and Cloister very exciting.

The Emerald Curse

And undoubtedly, period dramas with their large-scale productions, gripping plots, gorgeous costumes and decorations remain very demanded. Apart from being incredibly beautiful and educative shows, they help us to solve the most insoluble modern conflicts and problems.

Lately, the major Polish television network Telewizja Polska S.A. started broadcasting the All Quiet In Cossack Village… telenovela in its prime time.

In Japan, the GINGA channel showed the second season of the top-rate period drama Ekaterina and already licensed rights for the continuation of the show, Ekaterina: Pretenders, for broadcasting in 2021.

The OSN channel purchased the film version of Leo Tolstoy’s famous novel Anna Karenina directed by Karen Shakhnazarov. Senal, the state channel of Colombia, acquired rights for the period drama Sophia. Amazon Prime included The Terrible, The Blood Widow, The Optimists: Caribbean Season, Ekaterina, Demons, The Prince’s guard, Peter the Great: Testament among many other TV series in its library.

The Lockdown

How do you see the future of the content production and distribution business under the “new normal” and what’s in store for RTR in this regard?

The present of cinema is shaped by the future. The creators must think of what themes will be relevant in 2-3 years, when their project is released. And the topic of after survival seems to be the most promising.

People are exhausted by overcoming and defeating the cruel circumstances. They will keep seeking answers to how to find the strength to live a full life after all those irreparable losses, horrors and catastrophes; where to get the power to continue their journey; where is this magical thread that will lead them out of this labyrinth of hopelessness and dread.

La entrada RTR: Resilience in the Face of Adversity se publicó primero en TTV News.

Sovtelexport has been at the forefront of Russian content’s growth around the world, a trend that looks to continue with titles like The Terrible, Call Me Mother and The Optimists: Caribbean season.

Russian audiovisual content penetration keeps growing around the world and Sovtelexport has played a huge part of the phenomenon, being the distributor arm of Russia Television and Radio. In 2020, Sovteleport was able to double its annual profit, helping Russia to become a significant player on the global series market.

According to Julia Matyash, Head of Sovtelexport, among the key factors for the recent success of the company are the “better quality of the product, relevant genres (period dramas, dramas inspired by true events, film versions of the bestselling books) and vast multi-genre catalog.”

Matyash also agrees that the pandemic played a role and the distributor also did its part by optimizing the marketing strategy and taking full advantage of “20 years spent on the international market, brand strengthening, increased recognition, rise in foreign distributors and media companies’ loyalty”.

However, Matyash is quick to clarify that any success from Russian content is first and foremost due to the quality of the product itself. “Over the past few years, dramas produced in Russia acquired their own signature style that distinguishes them, in the eyes of the foreign media professionals, from other projects of the same genre,” explains the executive. “Among their stand-out features are a certain narrative pace, deep thought-through characters and, of course, the universal truths framed by the national tint. Thus, the final product results in being clear and relevant for the audience without losing its authenticity.”

“Visual imagery of our content improves every year. We can say it is on a par with the quality of projects produced by the largest world studios,” adds Matyash.

The genre that better represent these impressive productions highs is period -or costume- dramas, which have become a huge part of Sovetelexport catalogue, being responsible for the company breaking through in some important markets.

“Ekaterina opened Latin America for us sales-wise,” explains Matyash. “The series set the quality bar pretty high, but other costume dramas like Sophia, Anna Karenina, Godunov and now The Terrible maintain the bar on its level. This type of content became our hallmark. We often receive requests like ‘We want something like Ekaterina“.

The mentioned The Terrible, is a new period drama that follows the life of the most controversial and mysterious Russian ruler, Ivan IV, better-known as Ivan “The Terrible”.

On the drama side, The Blood Widow is a combination of a costume drama with a thriller. “The series sparked interest of Latin American distributors,” says Matyash. “Several companies are currently considering this title for purchasing.”

The drama offering is led by Call Me Mother, a love story set during the 1930’s repressions, and The Optimists: Caribbean Season, a spy drama that follows a Russian operative that falls in love with an American woman during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

“Our documentaries are highly demanded, like Held Captive by Rubbish and Wonders of Russia, as well as action feature films, like Kandahar or Two Legends”, adds the executive.

Another big factor positioning RTR’s offer as a powerhouse in the present and near future is that a lot of their titles are mini-series, an ideal content for the needs of the digital world. “Our catalogue is praised by industry professionals and we are currently considering commercial offers from a number of Latin American streaming platforms,” explains Matyash. “We have just started developing digital rights sales in the region; previously, we focused on selling them to the English-speaking countries, including Amazon Prime.

“Although the market format and marketing strategy have changed, our main working principles remained the same,” says the executive. “As before, Sovtelexport prioritizes high-quality of the content, fully personalized approach to each and every region, channel, platform, and marketing support of the partner during the launch phase.”

La entrada Russian Content Grows Internationally se publicó primero en TTV News.

Sovtelexport is giving audiences a front-seat view of some of the most outstanding moments in Russian history, through a catalog of high-end costume dramas that continue to find new screens around the world.

Owner of one of the world’s most coveted collections of Russian content, in 2019 Sovtelexport signed more than 100 licensing agreements for different kinds of rights, with distributors and TV channels in Latin America, the US, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia and MENA countries.

“This confirms the interest of international buyers in Russian content”, Julia Matyash, Director of the distribution arm of Russia Television and Radio, said to ttvnews.

“And we are proud to contribute to the popularization and recognition of Russian projects at the global market.”

The Cloister
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When it comes to this recognition, one of the most demanded Russian productions in the international market are costume dramas, with titles like Ekaterina, Anna Karenina, Sophia and Godunov among RTR’s best-selling productions; a trend the executive believes will continue in 2020.

“Historical dramas will stay demanded,” she remarked. “Viewers get a unique cultural and social experience. The world of costume dramas is so different from the one we are living in and still relevant. A dramatic plot, gorgeous costumes, brilliant actors and lavish decorations keep attracting audiences worldwide,” she added.

Hoping to “surpass last year’s success”, the company is now attending Miptv with a vast catalog of costume dramas, including the successful Ekaterina, Anna Karenina and Sophia, as well as newer additions such as The Cloister and Two Tickets Home.

Two Tickets Home
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Set in the late 1920s, The Cloister begins in an ancient monastery, showing picturesque lakes and cold, hunger, pain and sufferings of people in the Solovetsky concentration camp. A passionate love story between a prisoner Artyom and a Cheka officer Galina unfolds in a place where everybody is striving to survive at any cost. Their love is doomed to be tragical.

Meanwhile, Two Tickets Home revolves around Lyuba, an orphan who learns that her father is alive and in prison for her mother’s murder. She decides to kill him.

“We hope to expand cooperation, build sustainable relations and present a rich collection of the best projects to the international market,” the executive concluded.

La entrada RTR Presents a Journey Through Russian History se publicó primero en TTV News.