Latest news with #Rio2C
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Netflix (NFLX) Partners With Brazilian Tourism Board to Turn Hit Shows Into Travel Boosters
Netflix (NFLX, Financials) is teaming up with Brazil's tourism agency Embratur to promote travel through the power of TV. The partnership, announced Friday at the Rio2C creative festival, aims to turn scenes from popular Netflix shows into invitations to visit Brazil. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with UNH. The streaming giant and Embratur plan to release a travel guide later this year, inspired by hit series set across the countryfrom the Amazon rainforest in Invisible City to the beaches of Bahia featured in Love Is Blind Brazil. The idea is simple: viewers fall in love with the stories, then book a trip to see the real places behind them. Embratur's Marcelo Freixo said many travelers choose destinations based on what they've watched, and Brazil wants to harness that to boost tourism. Netflix's Mariana Polidorio said the company is in Brazil for the long haul and sees its content as a driver of local culture and economic activity. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Sofa Digital Adds Three Specialty Film Channels, as FAST Markets, Led by Samsung TV Plus, Boom in Brazil (EXCLUSIVE)
Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL — Brazilian indie specialty channel network Sofa Digital will announce in Rio2C 2025 the launch of three new specialty channels on platforms of free advertising-supported streaming television (FAST) in Brazil. Filmelier TV Esperanca, Filmelier TV Paixao and Filmelier TV Vida Real will be added to the FAST platforms Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, TCL Channels, Pluto TV and Roku Channels, Fabio Lima, CEO of Sofa, told Variety. More from Variety Brazil Emerges as FAST Streaming Powerhouse, Set to Soon Become Its Second Biggest International Market in the World (EXCLUSIVE) Rio2C's Industry Pitching Captures a Brazil Intent on Remembering the Forgotten, Its Slaves, Extraordinary Artists and an Emblematic Guerrilla Fighter O2 Filmes to Produce a Biopic of Samba Star Elza Soares: 'If She Were American, She Would be Compared to Ella Fitzgerald'(EXCLUSIVE) As the original Filmelier TV, the three new channels will feature programs with 24-hours of indie pics dubbed to Portuguese. Filmelier TV Esperanca (Hope) will have pics with plots centered on faith and the overcoming of difficulties. Filmelier TV Paixao (Passion) will offer romantic comedies, crime of passion plots and other films alike. Filmelier TV Vida Real (True Life) will have biopics, docs, and war and historical films, said Lima. The three specialty channels are gradually boarding the different FAST platforms in Brazil, as well as in Mexico and other Latin American countries with feeds in Spanish, he said. With the new additions, Sofa now has a total seven FAST channels. Heavily involved in Rio2C as it focuses on FAST channels, one of the biggest growth axes in Brazil, Lima will be the subject of a Rio2C fireside chat delivering tips on creating a FAST channel on May 27. He delivers a masterclass on building streaming audiences two days later and talks on a panel analyzing streaming economics on May 30. FAST is booming in Brazil, where the sector leader is Samsung TV Plus. South Korean-based Samsung Electronics, the leading seller of smart TV devices in the world and in Brazil, launched Samsung TV Plus in South Korea in 2015, according to Aline Jabbour, director of Samsung TV Plus for Latin America. The company then deployed the services in Europe and the U.S., also launching in Brazil in 2020. The platform is now available in 30 countries and has 88 million active users, defined as viewers connected at least 15 minutes per day. Brazil is in the second position on Samsung TV Plus' ranking, behind only the US, totalling 22.4 million active users, she said, which means 89.6 million potential customers watch the platform's programming. Samsung TV Plus' lineup in Brazil consists of about 120 channels of different types. It has channels available in pay-TV, such as CNN Brasil and Record News and indie specialty channels, such as Sofa's bouquet. Some channels originated in YouTube, Instagram and other social media, such as Case TV, which has the rights for Brazil of some top sports events. The platform also includes single IP (intellectual property) channels, which focus on a single program, such as 'Os Dez Mandamentos' (a TV Record telenovela), 'Malhacao' (a TV Globo soap opera/telenovela) and 'MasterChef.' Telenovela channels lead the audience on Samsung TV Plus in Brazil, followed by news, film and kids channels, Jabbour said. But sports channels, namely Case TV, can lead the audience when it airs important live soccer matches and during the Summer Olympics. Lima and Jabbour attribute the FAST boom in Brazil to several factors. First, the service is free, which is key to the success in a country in development such as Brazil, where consumers are notoriously price sensitive. The service is easy to access. As soon as you turn on the TV set, a show pops up on screen, and it is simple to navigate and select another channel. Brazilians are used to free-to-air TV and to watching shows with advertising breaks, including films – as long as they do not interrupt a soccer match. Finally, the channels are segmented. 'Curators organize the content to specific audiences. We are at a state of the industry in which the curatorial work is key. Curatorship is the new distribution,' Lima told Variety. Jabbour stresses the successful business model of FAST, which is based on segmented advertising. Samsung uses an automatic content recognition (ACR) software to collect data from each smart TV. The software monitors what the viewers of each device are watching, if subscribed streamers, such as Netflix or Prime Video or pay-TV, open-TV or FAST channels, and it can even recognize if the viewers are playing a video game. It points out what channels and the specific shows the viewers watch. 'We don't know who is watching, but we know exactly the consumer habits of each device. Advertising is much more sophisticated in FAST than in open TV,' said Jabbour. 'FAST is an evolution of open TV and pay TV, combined with the modern advantages of streaming. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Spanish Mart-Meet Iberseries & Platino Industria Looks to Europe, Aims to Boost Spanish-Language International Distribution
Set to deliver a masterclass this Wednesday at Brazil's mega creativity event Rio2C, Iberseries & Platino Industria co-director Samuel Castro has doubled down on the major new strategic directions this annual conference, forum and market is taking in 2025: Europe and international distribution. 'We remain firmly committed to strengthening cultural identity, boosting commercial exchange, and showcasing Ibero-American talent to the world,' Castro said of the Madrid event, whose fifth edition runs Sept. 30-Oct. 3. More from Variety RioFilme Wants to Find the 'Gagacabana of Audiovisual,' Is Currently in Talks to Attract Netflix's 'Boys From Brazil' and MipTV to Rio Sofa Digital Adds Three Specialty Film Channels, as FAST Markets, Led by Samsung TV Plus, Boom in Brazil (EXCLUSIVE) Brazil Emerges as FAST Streaming Powerhouse, Set to Soon Become Its Second Biggest International Market in the World (EXCLUSIVE) As markets contract, however, for non-English language films and series, Iberseries & Platino Industry is expanding its reach. 'The positioning of Iberseries & Platino Industria as a bridge between Latin America and the United States, with a special focus on the Hispanic market, and now with a clear outlook toward Europe, marks a pivotal moment to expand our reach by strengthening the international sale of Spanish-language content,' Castro added. Over the last decades, producers and sales agents in film have combatted declining theatrical openings abroad, and a plunge in prices paid per territory by driving into equity, in the case of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American captured by international co-production. As a rough rule of thumb, the larger a feature's number of production partners, the bigger a movie's market proposition, ambition and market interest. Spain has become an avid co-producer. With global first-run TV orders down 25% on Peak TV, Ampere Analysis' Guy Bisson observed at the Berlinale Series Production, TV producers are also attempting to tie down international production partners. Iberseries Platino & Industria wants to take a market bull by the horns, however. 'Although the current landscape is favorable for project financing, we're fully aware that the real challenge lies in global distribution. That's why, in this edition, we're reinforcing our collaboration with international sales agents, as well as with networks and commissioners committed to acquiring and investing in Spanish-language content.' Many of these are found in Europe, and are not global streamers. Public broadcasters and private-sector networks accounted for over 80% of European series commissions in 2023, according to figures aired by the European Audiovisual Observatory at Series Mania Forum's opening session. 'We want to build Ibero-American connections with Europe because we firmly believe they can enrich our productions and open new distribution channels through co-production or sales agreements. Europe and international distribution are, without a doubt, the two main pillars guiding our strategy this year,' Castro affirmed. Castro will talk at Rio2C on How to Navigate Audiovisual Investment in Europe and the United States. One answer is private equity: Rio2C will host a panel on May 29 exploring private investment from equity to gap financing and receivables, with speakers taking in MUV Capital Head of Audiovisual Investment Laura Rossi, Gustavo Mello, Boutique Filmes parter-producer, Moonshot's Edison Viana, head of business development and content strategy and Fernando Figueiredo, commercial head of Belat Brasil, a private investment fund. Private investment funds or producers which arrange film-TV financing which have confirmed their participation in 2025's Iberseries & Platino Industria include Arcano Partners, Balance Media, Elipsis Capital, Filmika Audiovisual, Holahoop Film, Kenta Asset & Capital Finance, La Charito Films, Moby Dick Film Capital, Mogambo, Wandermoon Finance and Yunit, as Iberseries & Platino Industria confirmed at the Cannes Festival's Marché du Film at a May 16 presentation. Among potential speakers, Pilar Blasco, Banijay Iberia CEO, Ramón Campos, Bambú Producciones CEO and Alexander Marín, VP, distribution at Colombia's RCN International have confirmed their presence, as have José Fragoso, programming director at Portuguese pubcaster RTP, RTVE director of film and fiction José Pastor, Raúl Berdonés, Secuoya Content Group executive chairman and Secuoya Studios CEO Brendan Fitzgerald. Further execs attending take in Agustina Dompé, senior manager of content acquisition at The Walt Disney Company; Margarida Pereira, director of acquisitions at Portuguese broadcast network TVI; David Atlan-Jackson, chief content officer at Vuelta Group; Pilar Sánchez Macías, head of YouTube MCNs and Family Partners for Spain & Portugal, and Francisca Alegría and Fernanda Urrejola, showrunners of 'La Casa de los Espíritus,' among many others. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
RioFilme Wants to Find the ‘Gagacabana of Audiovisual,' Is Currently in Talks to Attract Netflix's ‘Boys From Brazil' and MipTV to Rio
It's been a busy few weeks for RioFilme. The company, one of the largest city-backed audiovisual funds in Latin America, just had its first-ever stand at the Cannes' Marché du Film as part of Brazil Country of Honor and is gearing to open a dedicated stand for the first time at Rio's buzzy Rio2C, Latin America's largest creativity event taking place from May 27 to June 1. The Rio2C stand is held in partnership with Quanta, the São Paulo-based studio and post-production group that won the bid for the 30-year concession to Rio's massive Polo Rio Cine Video, a complex of seven studios built by City Hall by 1988. Quanta has invested $15 million in renovating the complex and creating extra stages and plans to have a total of 15 fully operational studios in Polo Rio by March 2026. More from Variety Sofa Digital Adds Three Specialty Film Channels, as FAST Markets, Led by Samsung TV Plus, Boom in Brazil (EXCLUSIVE) Brazil Emerges as FAST Streaming Powerhouse, Set to Soon Become Its Second Biggest International Market in the World (EXCLUSIVE) Rio2C's Industry Pitching Captures a Brazil Intent on Remembering the Forgotten, Its Slaves, Extraordinary Artists and an Emblematic Guerrilla Fighter The stand will showcase some of the industry's leading tech resources. Audience members will be able to attend presentations about virtual production and motion capture, with Guel Arraes and Flávia Lacerda's box office hit 'The Rogue's Trial' serving as a key showcase — a clear decision to emphasize the use of modern techniques in Brazilian productions. RioFilme will also be present at several panels, including one on the future of the Brazilian audiovisual production with Ancine's Alex Braga and the Ministry of Culture's executive secretary Marcio Tavares, where the Rio company will announce its new R$100 million ($18 million) incentive rollout. Speaking with Variety in Cannes ahead of Rio2C, the President of RioFilme, Leonardo Edde, highlights the company's internationalization efforts, saying they are currently looking for the 'Gagacabana of audiovisual.' By that, the executive is of course referring to the history-making free Lady Gaga concert in Copacabana Beach, which attracted over 2 million spectators to the sands of Rio early in May and attracted great international attention. 'I am trying to find the Lady Gaga of audiovisual,' emphasized Edde. 'Rio is ready for a production of this dimension. Today, Rio is capable of hosting major Hollywood productions that need studios as well as offering the natural beauty of the city and its surroundings.' One project that can fit this ambitious bill is Netflix's series adaptation of the Ira Levin novel 'The Boys From Brazil,' which Edde says they are 'actively trying to attract' to shoot in Rio. The project is set to star 'Succession' star Jeremy Strong and hails from Peter Morgan, the creator of the critically-acclaimed Netflix series 'The Crown.' Morgan is writing the adaptation and will executive produce along with Suzanne Mackie of Orchid Pictures. In the first quarter of 2025, Rio accounted for 80% of the Brazilian film market share. Rio has also been consolidating itself as one of the most filmed cities in the world, surpassing major cinematic destinations such as Paris and Mexico City. In 2024, the city of Rio surpassed Paris' numbers by nearly 40%, authorizing 8,782 filming days for 505 productions. 'Our goal is to pass Madrid, which had 12,000 shoot days at its highest,' adds Edde. 'For that to happen, we need skilled workers and are heavily investing in technical and artistic training. Today we have technical courses running alongside high schools, so pupils come out of high schools already trained as audiovisual technicians.' 'Another main goal for 2025 is to host more international productions,' continues the RioFilme president. 'We have a cashback program for productions coming from outside Rio and a specific program for international productions that help bring the name and image of Rio to the world. We came to Cannes to try to find a major production to bring to Rio. We want to do business. RioFilme is a public company, but it is a business.' Rio City's cash rebate, which allows foreign producers to receive a refund of up to 35% of the amount spent on filming in the city, was launched in 2022 and produced whopping results in the three years since. 'Our return on the rebate is almost 700%,' says the exec. 'We've seen a very rapid return on the rebate. In year one, it was 400%, year two was 700%, and we are now executing year three and promising a new cash rebate for 2025.' Edde says that, unlike many other cities that launch attractive rebate schemes to increase demand, Rio's rebate responded to a 'long-suppressed demand.' 'Rio is already a highly popular city that is widely recognized internationally, so the rebate was years in the making, and we are becoming more and more ambitious with it every year.' Although RioFilme maintains a firm autonomy within its territory, Edde has been quick to praise the work of the Ministry of Culture and the federal support they have received under the Lula government following years of cultural cutbacks under the Bolsonaro administration. 'Our relationship with the federal government is direct and prolific because Rio is a postcard for the country, and we want to establish ourselves as a great reference for the country's audiovisual industry.' The exec adds that Daniel Celli, the head of the Rio Film Commission, is working alongside the federal government on the development of a long-awaited national film commission, which he views as 'key' for the future of Brazil's industry. 'It's essential that we can create a national film commission that works as a hub for the whole country, because certain states and cities already have their commissions and they have to be centralized without stripping those bodies of their autonomy. I think this is the great challenge of the federal government, but also its great opportunity.' Although internationalization is a great priority, RioFilme continues its home efforts. 'We now have two main industry events where we can connect with audiences and industry members, Rio2C in the first half of the year and the Rio Film Festival in the second half. One of our focuses is the return of the Rio Film Festival as a major international festival. It has always been a reference, and we want the festival to be back to its full grandeur.' Edde also says he and his team are working to bring MipTV to Rio now that the major B2B market is looking for a new home following its Cannes departure. 'This is Brazil's moment. Rio has an Oscar with 'I'm Still Here' and an increased national interest in our national cinema. We are currently in talks to bring MipTV to Rio, we want other major events to be held in the city.' Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Spanish Mart-Meet Iberseries & Platino Industria Looks to Europe, Aims to Boost Spanish-Language International Distribution
Set to deliver a masterclass this Wednesday at Brazil's mega creativity event Rio2C, Iberseries & Platino Industria co-director Samuel Castro has doubled down on the major new strategic directions this annual conference, forum and market is taking in 2025: Europe and international distribution. 'We remain firmly committed to strengthening cultural identity, boosting commercial exchange, and showcasing Ibero-American talent to the world,' Castro said of the Madrid event, whose fifth edition runs Sept. 30-Oct. 3. More from Variety RioFilme Wants to Find the 'Gagacabana of Audiovisual,' Is Currently in Talks to Attract Netflix's 'Boys From Brazil' and MipTV to Rio Sofa Digital Adds Three Specialty Film Channels, as FAST Markets, Led by Samsung TV Plus, Boom in Brazil (EXCLUSIVE) Brazil Emerges as FAST Streaming Powerhouse, Set to Soon Become Its Second Biggest International Market in the World (EXCLUSIVE) As markets contract, however, for non-English language films and series, Iberseries & Platino Industry is expanding its reach. 'The positioning of Iberseries & Platino Industria as a bridge between Latin America and the United States, with a special focus on the Hispanic market, and now with a clear outlook toward Europe, marks a pivotal moment to expand our reach by strengthening the international sale of Spanish-language content,' Castro added. Over the last decades, producers and sales agents in film have combatted declining theatrical openings abroad, and a plunge in prices paid per territory by driving into equity, in the case of Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American captured by international co-production. As a rough rule of thumb, the larger a feature's number of production partners, the bigger a movie's market proposition, ambition and market interest. Spain has become an avid co-producer. With global first-run TV orders down 25% on Peak TV, Ampere Analysis' Guy Bisson observed at the Berlinale Series Production, TV producers are also attempting to tie down international production partners. Iberseries Platino & Industria wants to take a market bull by the horns, however. 'Although the current landscape is favorable for project financing, we're fully aware that the real challenge lies in global distribution. That's why, in this edition, we're reinforcing our collaboration with international sales agents, as well as with networks and commissioners committed to acquiring and investing in Spanish-language content.' Many of these are found in Europe, and are not global streamers. Public broadcasters and private-sector networks accounted for over 80% of European series commissions in 2023, according to figures aired by the European Audiovisual Observatory at Series Mania Forum's opening session. 'We want to build Ibero-American connections with Europe because we firmly believe they can enrich our productions and open new distribution channels through co-production or sales agreements. Europe and international distribution are, without a doubt, the two main pillars guiding our strategy this year,' Castro affirmed. Castro will talk at Rio2C on How to Navigate Audiovisual Investment in Europe and the United States. One answer is private equity: Rio2C will host a panel on May 29 exploring private investment from equity to gap financing and receivables, with speakers taking in MUV Capital Head of Audiovisual Investment Laura Rossi, Gustavo Mello, Boutique Filmes parter-producer, Moonshot's Edison Viana, head of business development and content strategy and Fernando Figueiredo, commercial head of Belat Brasil, a private investment fund. Private investment funds or producers which arrange film-TV financing which have confirmed their participation in 2025's Iberseries & Platino Industria include Arcano Partners, Balance Media, Elipsis Capital, Filmika Audiovisual, Holahoop Film, Kenta Asset & Capital Finance, La Charito Films, Moby Dick Film Capital, Mogambo, Wandermoon Finance and Yunit, as Iberseries & Platino Industria confirmed at the Cannes Festival's Marché du Film at a May 16 presentation. Among potential speakers, Pilar Blasco, Banijay Iberia CEO, Ramón Campos, Bambú Producciones CEO and Alexander Marín, VP, distribution at Colombia's RCN International have confirmed their presence, as have José Fragoso, programming director at Portuguese pubcaster RTP, RTVE director of film and fiction José Pastor, Raúl Berdonés, Secuoya Content Group executive chairman and Secuoya Studios CEO Brendan Fitzgerald. Further execs attending take in Agustina Dompé, senior manager of content acquisition at The Walt Disney Company; Margarida Pereira, director of acquisitions at Portuguese broadcast network TVI; David Atlan-Jackson, chief content officer at Vuelta Group; Pilar Sánchez Macías, head of YouTube MCNs and Family Partners for Spain & Portugal, and Francisca Alegría and Fernanda Urrejola, showrunners of 'La Casa de los Espíritus,' among many others. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
