Original content in Latin America: the ace up the sleeve of streaming platforms

During the first quarter of 2023, BB Media presented an analysis about the original content available on streaming platforms such as Prime Video, Discovery+, Disney+, Globoplay, HBO Max, Netflix, Paramount+, Star+, and ViX, in the main markets of Latin America – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.

Analyzing the local original content, Netflix leads the ranking with a total of 361 titles available in its catalog, followed by Globoplay with 74 and HBO Max with 67. Additionally, Netflix is the platform that adds the most local original content per month in Latin America: in March 2023, the streaming service added a total of 46 original titles to its catalog, including two Mexican productions, “¿Encontró lo que buscaba?” (2023) and “La ley de la selva” (2023), as well as Colombian series “El Cartel de los Sapos: El Origen” (2021).

On the other hand, BB Media noted that over 47% of the local original content added to the catalogs of these platforms during the first quarter corresponds to 2023 releases, followed by 40% released in 2022. Regarding premiere releases, Netflix continues to stand out as the platform that has incorporated the most local content into its library. Among them, two highly acclaimed productions are included: “Eva Lasting” (2023) and “División Palermo” (2023), both with a score of 8.2.

Within the main markets of Latin America, Netflix remains the undisputed leader in terms of original content. As a streaming giant, it seeks to stay at the forefront of entertainment and continues to expand its presence in the region. It has invested significant sums of money in producing original content in the region’s own language to satisfy its local audiences.

Another prominent platform in the industry that stands out for its focus on the Brazilian market and original content is Globoplay. Currently, 99% of all its productions are local. Globoplay has made a strong commitment to documentary series: during the last quarter, it has released content such as “Boate Kiss: A Tragédia de Santa Maria” (2023), “Sou Corinthians” (2023), “O Repórter do Poder” (2023), and “extremistas.br” (2023).

Similarly, ViX is challenging the big streaming names within the Mexican territory. In February 2023, the streamer announced a multimillion-dollar investment in original content production. Some of the announced and in-production content for 2023 by the platform includes “El Gallo de oro,” “Se llamaba Pedro Infante” and “Reconexión: México,” among others. With these new projects, ViX aims to consolidate its position and attract the Hispanic audience.

BB Media also highlighted that the launch of ViX’s subscription VOD business model in late July 2022 has piqued users’ curiosity, as the platform included ViX Originals in its catalog. Furthermore, among the genres offered by the platform, drama is the predominant one, and its main productions target the Mexican market. This suggests that their fundamental strategy aims to consolidate and entertain primarily the Spanish-speaking audience.

Currently, streaming platforms are putting a strong focus on content production in countries like Mexico and Brazil, followed by Argentina and Colombia. Although drama is one of the most popular genres in locally produced original content releases, Mexico has stood out with the launch of two reality shows: “El heredero: la dinastía del freestyle” (2023), premiered on Star+; and “La ley de la selva” (2023), released on Netflix.

“Will the streaming giants continue to invest in these markets? It is undeniable that the major investment is aimed at creating original content, which allows the platforms to stand out and offer users a unique and exclusive experience through innovative productions,”  commented Cintia Medina, Multiscreens+ Operations Leader at BB Media and the author of the report.