Videoage International January 2018

RETNI N A T OI N A L ww w.Vide Ao g .e org THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, BROADBAND, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION January 2018 - VOL. 38 NO. 1 - $9.75 By Bill Brioux* I n Canada, where the thirst for content is truly unquenchable, independent distributors play a key role. Take The Handmaid’s Tale , set to return for a second season in April. Here was a Hulu original shot in and around Toronto and based on a cherished novel by revered Canadian author Margaret Atwood. When the series was shopped around at MIPCOM in October of 2016, Chris Ottinger — president, Worldwide Television Sales and Acquisitions, MGM Studios —had no doubt he’d have strong interest from Canadian broadcasters. Surprisingly, however, a deal took several months to close. In the words of one Canadian network executive, “times have changed.” Networkbuyersmustnow face competition from counterparts both foreign and domestic, as well as from streaming services such as Amazon and Netflix. For Mike Cosentino, president of Content and Programming for Bell Media’s suite of broadcast and specialty channels, the challenge today in acquisitions is not just Canada’s TV Acquisitions Outside the U.S. Studios (Continued on Page 28) My 2¢: Court TV uses more common sense than politicians do Full year market calendar: Nothing changes, except dates Sección en Español: Almuerzo con Sean Cohan; Derechos; IPTV Nollywood is the Nigerian Hollywood in the making Page 34 Page 32 Page 13 Page 8 P edro Simoncini has been involved with Canal 11 in Buenos Aires since 1957. He developed it into Telefe in 1989. His story is rich in drama (military takeovers), financial intrigue (making 120 investors agree on a strategy), international diplomacy (ABC-TV’s involvement), religious harmony (a Jesuit-owned station vs. Jewish- owned stations), historical decisions (picking the color-TV standard), and politics (dealing with Evita Perón). PedroSimoncini: The Int’l TVDistribution Hall of FameHonoree (Story on Page 24) (Continued on Page 30) T his time around, NATPE Miami will bring an end to the holiday spirit even earlier than usual — before market participants will have even had a chance to digest all the spirits (read: alcohol) ingested during the holiday season. However, to compensate for the missing jolliness, NATPE is re- defining itself as an international market, rather than just a LATAM- focused event. This year, the three-day market will start Tuesday, January 16, just one day earlier than in 2016, but four days earlier than 2015, and 11 days earlier than 2014. Market To Shine OntoMore Non- LATAMSales