Mia Desroches: "This has been our most successful year ever"

KO Distribution has experienced its most successful year to date, thanks to new acquisitions, original productions, and ambitious plans for 2025. The format specialist recently celebrated its first remake, an adaptation of “Zenith” in Spain. "I attended the filming of the pilot, and it’s now been on air on TV3 for almost two months, performing really well," said Mia Desroches, Vice-President, Global Sales & Partnerships at KO Distribution. "We’re extremely happy with the audience share; I believe the public broadcaster TV3 is pleased as well. Working with Lavinia Audiovisual has been so easy—it’s a very transparent and open relationship, and I hope we can do more with them," she added.

Desroches also highlighted that KO Distribution has options for “Zenith” in several other countries, including Israel, France, Germany, Australia, and Italy. "Our partner in Spain just acquired Portugal, and we also have partners in the U.S. and the UK. So, we’re working on multiple territories," she confirmed.

The Quebec-based company has also launched a new family show called “Liam” for the global market. "In the new era, we aim to create shows that appeal to the 9-to-12 demographic, while also resonating with parents," Desroches explained. "We’ve become specialists in making family content," she noted. KO Distribution also presented two animated educational series at MIP Junior, “About Mental Health” (35x2') and “About Sex” (35x7'), both from Echo Media. These shows gained considerable attention, especially “About Mental Health”. "Mental health is a challenging topic to address with kids, and animation provides an effective medium to convey the message," she observed.

Reflecting on what makes a format resonate globally, Desroches emphasized timing as a key factor. "A format needs to feel fresh, but older formats are also in high demand," she said, citing “The Soundtrack of My Life” as an example. "This show is 16 years old and has been very successful in Quebec, and we’re now bringing it back to the market," she explained. "What’s unique about this format is its simplicity. It’s a talk show combined with music performances, where a celebrity recounts their life story through a personal soundtrack. It’s straightforward and accessible, and there’s a lot of interest, even though the format is 16 years old," she said.

NEW GOALS
Desroches highlighted KO Distribution’s goal of developing more English-language content. "We’re currently working on two co-productions on the documentary side with partners, as they’re ambitious projects requiring larger budgets," she shared. "In addition to traditional distribution, we’re exploring new funding avenues to support bigger projects," she emphasized. "Our focus will be on financing and co-producing, while also continuing our core mission: selling our content," she concluded.