Aby Media, the new creative production company founded by industry veteran Bernard Azria and executive producer Kimberley Azria, and Globo, the largest communications company in Latin America, announced a partnership agreement. Through this collaboration, Aby Media will be authorized to produce and distribute some of Globo's most renowned scripted formats within Africa.
This new collaboration, focusing exclusively on scripted formats, marks a significant milestone in the localization of global narratives in the region and promises to create new opportunities for creatives and broadcasters alike.
Bernard Azria, Co-Founder of Aby Media described the agreement as unprecedented: “Having distributed Globo finished content in Africa for almost 3 decades, I'm particularly happy and proud to initiate with Globo this unprecedented landmark venture. This partnership underscores our mutual commitment to excellence in storytelling and represents a significant step forward in bringing high-quality, engaging content to African audiences," noted.
On her part, Kimberley Azria, Co-Founder of Aby Media, viewed it as a matter of versatility, “Our alliance with Globo highlights the importance of creativity and adaptation in today’s media industry. Together, we are dedicated to producing content that resonates with local viewers while upholding the highest production standards," she added.
Also, Fabio Mauro, Content Distribution and Partnerships at Globo considered it vital to the company's strategy:“This partnership reinforces our sales strategy for formats, as was the case with ‘Brazil Avenue’, which will be adapted in Turkey. We believe in the strength of our productions, in the universality of our plots, and with the sale of formats, it will be possible to bring Globo's DNA and our Brazilianness and combine it with local production," highlighted.
Finally, Angela Colla, Head of International Business and Coproductions at Globo sees the agreement as a way to understand the complexity of audience demand:"This initiative comes at a pivotal moment in today's dynamic media landscape. As the demand for new, captivating shows intensifies, there is a simultaneous need to mitigate risks and optimize resources and adapting international scripted formats is, therefore, a strategic business and creative approach to navigate these complexities”, added.
Aby Media is dedicated to fostering creative local talent and will represent Globo in Africa with diverses titles, including "Pantanal", "Total Dreamer", "Shades of Sin" and "The Other Side of Paradise" for these scripted formats. By adapting global hits to local markets, this partnership aims to meet the demands of an increasingly discerning audience. This collaboration will provide African producers and broadcasters with unparalleled opportunities to engage with high-quality global formats and create new, original works reflecting the diverse cultures and stories of the African continent.
Both Aby Media and Globo will attend MIP Africa in Cape Town from September 2nd to 4th 2024, where they will showcase these exciting formats.