In general, lower-priced local territory deals have replaced them.
Its not the position they want to be in.
It all combines to pose distributors an almighty headache, sources tell us.
L-r (clockwise): ‘So Long, Marianne’, ‘Fallen’ & ‘Mr Bates Vs The Post Office’Nikos Nikolopoulos, Redpoint; Eccho Rights; ITV Studios
At theLondon TV Screeningsnext week, well begin to see how successful theyve been.
It starsOppenheimers Alex Wolff andThe Last Kingdomactress Thea Sofie Loch Nss.
The UKs ITVX, Greeces Cosmote TV and Germanys ARD were also among pre-buyers.
Abacus Media Rights will be shopping ‘The Boy That Never Was’ at the London TV Screenings
Durie says the show provided a natural co-production opportunity, which taps into the demand for high-end drama.
Thats a good blueprint for funding a show and getting it into production, he adds.
Abacus Media Rights will be in town withThe Boy That Never Was, which provides one such example.
Eccho has international sales rights and is slowly seeding it to the market.
Cineflixs Durie calls this a thumbnail war that has made talent and IP more vital than ever.
It just mitigates risk and nobody wants to take risk at the moment.
Instead, were going to see the more propulsive drama: glamorous international destinations, action and stars.
The rooms Im sitting in are all saying the same thing in LA.
The grandeur of the project has made it one of the standout titles for the Banijay @ BAFTA showcase.
People are sometimes asked for 60% of the budget, says Ecchos Barth.
Even if I had the power to do that deal, I wouldnt see another penny on it.
There is also debate about streamers strategies on a local territory basis.
Having a streamer promoting your show at home isnt necessarily a bad thing, though.
We understand the streamer is planning to follow the same strategy with period dramaBel Canto.
So, many problems face distributors heading to London next week, but what are the solutions?
ITV Studios Meldal-Johnson cites the advantage of being a vertically integrated broadcaster.
We hear several finished tape sales are close to signing.
But beyond that, she says its a case of getting selective.
We will continue to do that, but it might be fewer, bigger, better.
Theres an appetite to look at windowing and sharing in a way that hasnt happened in a long time.
It doesnt always result in it, but at least people are considering it.
Durie says flexibility is key: funding is available if you know where to look.
Shooting in countries with tax rebate systems is nothing new, but remains vital for many titles.
Hulu has a second window in the U.S. and Bell Media is the the Canadian partner.
Canadian tax credits helped the vampire comedy enter production.
Were also very nimble and known as a high quality, Canada-domiciled studio.
We can partner in different ways, we have robust IP and can service shows.
There are almost no easy ones any more, ITV Studios Meldal-Johnson declares.
Theres a degree of comfort in that.
Still, it has been a hell of a year.
