Although 2020 is an adverse year for many people in terms of business, there are always positive aspects to highlight. Guillermo Borensztein, VP Content Sales & Co-Productions at ViacomCBS, thinks the COVID19 pandemic context is an ideal opportunity to generate even better future projects. In an exclusive interview with Señal News, the executive explained how the company adapted to the "new normal" and ViacomCBS's goals for the rest of 2020.
Is co-production the best business model in this context of the pandemic?
"Today, co-production is one of the most effective responses and a fundamental tool in our global growth strategy. It can be defined as one of the best possible models in this context, although it is not the only form of association. The different possible combinations (type and number of partners, places of production, investment, sales, and type of content) lie the association's main attractions. The connection between content, talent, business, and commercial partners will be more decisive".
How has ViacomCBS' distribution strategy adapted in recent months?
"Initially, it represented a complete change in our strategy, which required rethinking the traditional business. It ended up enhancing our capabilities and distribution scope. Not only it changed the way we connect with partners and customers, but it also has put producers and distributors back on the scene, improving the exploitation cycles of content in distribution".
What types of content are customers demanding?
"From our experience in recent months, we have been favored by managing the distribution of a catalog that covers all demos, which includes local productions (Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia) but also North American productions. That is both from our brands and also projects where the studio invests without its associated screen. From the logic of demand, driven mainly by new and upcoming SVOD launches, Nickelodeon content and local productions (mainly Telefe and Comedy Central) stand out".
Is this an ideal time to distribute finished formats?
"It is an ideal time to own the properties, beyond the format, with the vision of maximizing the distribution capabilities of a library on all possible platforms and territories. It is also ideal to think in advance and work on the original projects for the next two years. It is the right moment to invest in development, associate with talent, and develop what will comes next in terms of new projects".
What are ViacomCBS's goals for the rest of 2020?
"From the studio business, we will prioritize the health of our team by complying with all the protocols defined by the organization. We aim to restart our productions throughout the region. It implies finishing ongoing projects and the start of new shows. We also want to search for partners and clients for those projects we want to develop in the following months, and we plan to start shooting soon. In distribution, we are committed to maintaining the level of sales of the recent months (mainly in terms of finished programming), reaching our yearly goals by the last quarter, with the satisfaction of being expanded our client portfolio".
