Haymi Behar: “Every product we launch is designed with the consumer in mind”

As the media industry approaches the year’s final quarter, Haymi Behar, CMO at SPI International, highlighted some of the company’s most significant deals of 2021. “At SPI, we work with operators and platforms to enrich their content offering via different methods of content delivery depending on the ever-changing demands of both our clients and the consumer,”  Behar stated.

SPI’s recent digital expansion has been driven by partnerships with various major digital platforms such as Amazon, IMDb TV, Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, Plex, Rakuten, among numerous others, contributing over 20,000+ hours of content. The company is expanding its SVOD, TVOD, and AVOD with more titles and targeted marketing.  “We want to make the entertainment experience burden-free, versatile, and easy to access. FilmBox+ does just that with its content selection, multiple localization options, and sleek, easy-to-operate interface,”  Behar described.

SPI has also launched various new digital platforms, such as Filmstream, Filmbox+, and Dizi, to continue offering relevant content to its audience. One of the most popular, Filmstream, an ad-supported digital channel, accumulated many users after becoming available in the UK, Australia, India, and the Netherlands. Furthermore, Filmstream saw success in 42 European countries with Rakuten TV earlier this year and Pluto TV in 18 Latin American countries. Finally, the recently established Dizi SVOD has just launched on Amazon Spain.

Another digital platform, FilmBox+, has already reached one million subscribers and was integrated with various major European operators, with more projected to be added to the list. “With a carefully curated selection of on-demand content ranging from movies to thematic programming and multiple live channel options, FilmBox+ combines the lean-back and lean-forward viewing experiences, allowing viewers to allocate the time that’s usually spent scrolling through the content offering to actually watching a good movie or two depending on how much time they have," Behar said.

●  LINEAR EXPANSION

With over 700 operating partners, the company has also seen an acceleration of linear TV consumption in various regions of Europe, particularly following the debut of its FilmBox channel in Western Europe and the Netherlands. Besides its successful catalog of digital and linear outlets, SPI also prioritizes its ability to offer a diverse slate of shows. Movies, documentaries, sports, and different content genres are intended to launch on all platforms, including its partner IMDB TV, with which it secured a major content deal.

The company also recently established its presence in India, Cape Verde, Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal with a set of deals intended to strengthen its broad scope of linear channels and varied digital services in these markets. “We work with our partners and clients from all over the world to assess the needs of their particular markets, which content is desirable for the respective audiences and work together to deliver that content in the model of delivery (linear or VOD) that’s in demand,”  Behar asserted.

The executive believes that the success of the Turkish media industry is connected to the titles’ actor selection, on-screen chemistry, and the quality of acting, among other attributes. Behar admits that demand for international dramas has risen in the last decade. “Modern Turkey is at the intersection of Asia and Europe, and due to this strategic location, Anatolian lands have been a perfect crossroads to many civilizations since prehistoric times,”  Behar said.

The company is looking forward to expanding its digital operations, making connections with major content providers that will help expand its portfolio of new content, and further develop its technological abilities. “For us, expanding our footprint across the world while delivering the relevant content to the relevant audiences remains key in our operations,”  he ended.

By Karla Florez