Videoage International January 2019

20 January 2019 V I D E O A G E (Continued on Page 22) government stations and small TV outlets) are not going to Miami due to budgetary reasons. However, even if NATPE organizers were to provide incentives to those smaller LATAM buyers, exhibitors would not be all that grateful since those buyers tend to seek revenue-sharing packages without minimums or very low license fee deals. It was also pointed out that while Jornadas , a cable TV trade show in Buenos Aires that takes place in September, has been suffering in terms of participation, Ventana Sur , a December market in Buenos Aires that traditionally focuses on theatrical movies, has shown growth in its TV activity. From the point of view of executives at major U.S. studios, big content packages are typically signed at buyers’ offices — not on the market floor — since acquisition executives at NATPE are often distracted or sidetracked by a host of doubtful. Since their content output will be going exclusively to their streaming services, and with no back-end to monetize, the need to attend markets vanishes. It is possible, however, that some of the studios’ regional offices will continue to produce local content, and, after a couple of years on their streaming services, will seek other windows to monetize that content. In addition, consolidationwill surely drastically change the industry, if one considers the almost certain merger between Viacom and CBS. It is hoped that the group will not make the same mistake that Paramount made when it acquired and subsequently folded Worldvision into its domestic division in 1999 (to save small operation costs, it sacrificed larger revenues), and will keep the three brands as separate entities: Viacom, Paramount, and CBS. Naturally, this scenario would open up new opportunities for independent producers and di- stributors, who will end up com- pensating for the studios’ content withdrawn from traditional TV outlets (even considering the TV outlets’ increased in-house pro- ductions). The side effect of this development will keep the TV tra- de shows in business, and might even — in the case of the April’s MIP-TV — help it to re-flourish. Without a windowing business model, the U.S. studios wouldn’t need the L.A. Screenings in May, thus eliminating themain challen- ge to the Cannes market, which, nevertheless, could still benefit from the presence of those U.S. studios that will allow regional original productions to be on the international market after a run on their own streaming services. Meanwhile, at a NATPE Miami phone-in press conference last month, there were more partici- pants than the lines could handle, and some reporters were called in separately. If NATPE generates as much interest in the TV industry as it did in the media, the market can be considered a success even before its January 22, 2019 start. In terms of facts and figures, in mid-December NATPE pre- registered about 1,000 buyers, up 11 percent from last year. These buyers will be meeting with some 220 exhibitors scattered in va- rious towers of the Fontainebleau Hotel, at stands, at tables, and at the poolside cabanas, all within the hotel’s grounds. Over 3,500 participants are expected. With a ratio of about five buyers per seller, market prospects are good. Awelcomedplus is the return of 13 U.S. station groups, which are putting some of their locally- made shows on the international market because, as NATPE CEO JP Bommel pointed out during the sellers who are after their business. However, the main argument heard in Miami was that the presence of major U.S. studios at various TV trade shows will be more and more NATPE Miami Preview (Continued from Cover) The NATPE market floor Visit us at the Tresor Tower, 14th Floor, Suite 2-1406