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Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'We All Have Challenges of Monetization': Engagement, Money and the Impact of AI Take Center Stage at NATPE Budapest
Follow the money and follow the audience and its needs in the streaming age. That was one point that television industry leaders agreed on in Central and Eastern Europe at this week's NATPE Budapest, even if their specific strategies may differ. 'We are following people wherever they watch — whether it's linear, paid streaming or free streaming,' Levente Málnay, the Hungary-based managing director and executive vp, AMC Networks International, Central and Northern Europe, shared during a panel discussion with top industry players entitled 'View from the top: Where do we go from here?' 'And we follow the money, because it's key to identifying the proper revenue model.' More from The Hollywood Reporter 'Rivals' Breakout Bella Maclean Cast in Ray Panthaki's Directorial Debut 'In Starland' (Exclusive) Lea Massari, Italian Cinema's Anti-Diva, Dies at 91 Lux Pascal's Deluxe Debut Monetization, though, has been one key challenge, he highlighted. 'The output of this industry has never been this good and this rich. So if we just look at the amount of fiction programming, I don't know about you guys, but even if I'm up until 4 a.m., I still cannot watch everything I really would like to watch,' he shared. 'But the problem is: we all have challenges of monetization, so the audience is somehow not yet paying for all of it. So I guess our primary challenge is to figure out how to satisfy, at the same time, our great audience and also our shareholders.' Málnay believes that content is still king. 'The key is our fantastic content. Eventually, good content makes its way to viewers — wherever they are,' he told The Hollywood Reporter. 'And we do produce a lot: amazing fiction by our parent company in the U.S. I am incredibly proud of simulcasting such popular original productions as The Walking Dead: Dead City season two in most Central and Eastern European countries. And locally we have top sports, documentaries and cooking [shows] produced or commissioned by AMC in multiple languages with talent from all over the region.' Stella Litou, CEO of the Central European Media Enterprises (CME)-owned RTL Croatia and Pro Plus Slovenia, on the same panel emphasized that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to attract audiences. Lauding the launch of the Voyo streaming service in Croatia in August 2023, she said: 'What's important at the end of the day is to be able to keep our viewer in front of the big screen for as long as possible, whether we do this on the linear channel with our news and our live content and our events, or whether we do it by catch-up on previews … or via originals.'While Netflix & Co. are competitors for many, producer Magdalena Szwedkowicz, whose MAG Entertainment has quickly developed a reputation for its high-quality productions, such as the Netflix hit film Forgotten Love (Znachor) and SkyShowtime series Sleboda (Deadly Ties), lauded the company and its peers. 'I'm so grateful for streamers in this world, because if I were waiting for broadcasters to make decisions… well, it seems they make slower decisions than streamers,' she said during the panel. Those 'very much need to address and target the local audience, because they are global,' she explained. 'They have enough global content. So they need to reach local audiences.' How does she look to reach audiences? 'Never, ever underestimate the audience,' she said. 'Audiences today are so sharp and intelligent. They know when you're trying to be cheap, when you're trying to be hollow. And they will stop watching. But they follow an emotional, deeply grounded story, and that's what I'm trying to deliver. … It's about the connection with the audience. That's what's most important.' One of the biggest challenges for the industry and producers like her is balancing quality with sustainability. 'Audiences expect high production value, and we're committed to delivering that,' Szwedkowicz also told THR. 'But the cost of producing quality content keeps rising, while networks and platforms are under increasing pressure to monetize. This makes it harder for them to invest in exclusive content on their own. At the same time, this challenge creates an opportunity. It pushes the industry toward more strategic partnerships — between producers, platforms and even across borders. Co-productions, flexible rights models and shared risk are becoming essential. For our company, that means being agile, building trust-based relationships and staying focused on stories that travel and resonate.' Meanwhile, George Levendis, managing director, ANT1 TV, Mak TV and Antenna Studios, shared insight into the TV and streaming market in Greece during the panel discussion. 'The free-to-air market in Greece tends to be reasonably stronger than other markets because it's highly competitive, with five to eight channels,' he explained. 'And as a result, the transition to other platforms has been slightly slower, or certainly, free-to-air has a base that is still reasonably strong, and that's mostly due to the very strong content.' He expressed confidence in Antenna's strategy even though global streamers, particularly Netflix, made inroads, helped by the COVID pandemic. 'The market is changing. It's changing quickly,' he said. 'We're trying to adapt to it, but we are the leader in terms of that SVOD strategy.' Indeed, Levendis highlighted, 'we seem to be the only channel at the moment to have an SVOD play [with ANT1+]. Most of the channels still tend to be running either advertising [streaming] or simply catch-up [services].' Daniel Grunt, CEO of CME's Nova Group in Czechia, told THR that the battle for viewers' time and engagement is a core element of today's industry — and that AI could have a significant impact on the bottom line. 'Audiences today face an overwhelming amount of content but limited time and attention. That's the biggest challenge,' he argued. 'And it's a challenge that's only going to grow with the rise of generative AI. We're entering a new phase where higher-than-average quality video content generated by AI tools can be produced faster, cheaper and in much larger volumes. Barriers to entry are dropping dramatically, and AI agents will likely take over roles traditionally held by content curators and distributors, including aggregators and even TV operators.' Szwedkowicz also mentioned AI in receiving one of the inaugural NATPE Honors Europe: 'Today, as AI begins reshaping so many aspects of our industry, it's easy to get distracted,' she said. 'But I think we all love that at the heart of it, this business is all about people. It's about creativity, it's about storytelling, it's about empathy. And as a result, the challenge and opportunity for us is to nurture the [technological] innovation and try to stay grounded in the business reality.' Levendis also highlighted AI as a key theme. 'AI is everywhere in our industry conversations right now, and for good reason,' he told THR. 'We're already seeing practical applications in how we develop content, understand our audiences, and run our business more efficiently.' How is Antenna looking to use the emerging technology? 'We're taking a measured approach, using AI where it actually solves real problems our teams face. It's helping us spot audience trends we might have missed, making our content easier to find across different platforms, and giving us better insights into what viewers want,' he explained. 'The key is making our people more effective at what they already do well, not trying to automate creative decisions. At ANT1 TV, we've started using AI for things like improving our international content localization and making our marketing more targeted. We're also testing whether it can provide useful feedback during script development, not to make creative choices, but to give our development teams additional data points when they're evaluating projects.' Levendis summed up Antenna's use cases for AI this way: 'What we're learning is that AI is very good at processing large amounts of information quickly, but it can't replace the creative instincts that drive good storytelling. It works best when it handles the analytical work so our creative people can focus on the parts of their jobs that actually require human judgment. Its value depends entirely on how thoughtfully you use it.'Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
AEW once tried spicing up Saraya's character — But she drew the line!
Saraya once turned down a storyline pitched by AEW that attempted to spice things up for her character. Saraya has emerged as one of the top pioneers of women's wrestling over the years. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She has been a part of many memorable matches and storylines in both and AEW. However, there was a time when All Elite Wrestling pitched a completely different storyline to her that she had never experienced. Despite being a completely new scenario and possibly would have intrigued the fanbase, the Anti-Diva turned it down. But she had her own reasons for doing so, which can be seen as valid. Which storyline idea did Saraya turn down that AEW pitched? In the recent edition of her Rulebreakers podcast, Saraya revealed that AEW wanted her to do a romantic storyline with Daddy Magic. This was the first time a love storyline was pitched to her in her wrestling career. Moreover, AEW wanted them to do kissing scenes and presented it as an authentic romance angle. However, the former WWE Divas Champion had a boyfriend at the time. That made her feel that doing a love angle on live television was inappropriate for her, and she was not comfortable doing so. Therefore, she rejected the storyline and it was the first time she turned an idea pitched to her in her wrestling career. Saraya said, "Oh yeah, AEW. So, there's a wrestler called Daddy Magic. They wanted me to do a love storyline with him. And I've managed to go my whole career without doing a love storyline. I wasn't going to start now, you know? And they were like, 'No, all he's going to do is kiss you.' I had a boyfriend at the time and I was just like, I can't do it, you guys. I just can't do it. So I turned that down. There's not really any other storyline I've turned down. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It's just that if I have to kiss someone and I have a boyfriend, I don't think it's appropriate." AMA: The One Where Saraya Gets a Tattoo and Spills All Her Secrets Saraya left AEW a few months ago and has been constantly teasing her return to WWE. However, she made it clear that she was not eyeing a return this year. With Saraya on a new journey, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the former AEW Women's World Champion. Also read:
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'More famous like Kim Kardashian'- Saraya reveals motivation from her father that saved her life
Image via AEW Saraya 's father was a huge part in saving her life after a highly publicized incident almost pushed her to the brink. Saraya has become one of the most renowned faces in the professional wrestling industry. At the height of her popularity, the former WWE Divas Champion dealt with a huge personal trauma. Her private and explicit content was leaked online, which became a huge setback for her and almost pushed her to the idea of ending her life. Saraya recently opened up about the same and revealed how her father's advice saved her life. Saraya's father has been a huge supporter throughout her entire life In a recent interview with Andro Mammo, the former AEW star revealed that her private tapes leaking online almost pushed her to commit suicide. She said, "I was this close. I was like, I'm so mortified, I'm so embarrassed, I'm so humiliated, like, this is the last straw. I cannot do this anymore. I don't want to be around.' Saraya also added that her biggest feat was letting down her father, who had been a huge supporter throughout her career and life. After not taking his calls for a while, she answered and apologized to him for the humiliation Saraya thought she had brought to him and her family. However, the Anti-Diva revealed that it was a natural thing that every human did, and he was still proud of his daughter. In a funny gag, Saraya's father even said that she would have probably become more famous than popular celebrity, Kim Kardashian . by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Your Finger Shape Says a Lot About Your Personality, Read Now Tips and Tricks Undo SARAYA on Hell in Boots, WWE/AEW, & Life Beyond the Ring | One-on-One with Andro Mammo Saraya's father said, "He goes, 'Princess, everything's gonna be okay. It's just sex, and everybody does it. You're doing what every other human has been doing. Don't feel shame. I love you. I'm proud of you,' and he even joked, 'Maybe you might get more famous like Kim Kardashian." The former AEW Women's World Champion fought through it with her family's support and proceeded ahead in her career. She returned to the ring after her first retirement and had a good stint in AEW, which came to an end in March 2025. While Saraya continues to contemplate her future endeavors, a father and family like hers are all one needs to survive the darkest of times, which is remarkable. Also read: Speculation grows around John Cena and Travis Scott's potential WWE tag team match
