Ibero-American studios agree now is ‘right time’ to expand into English-language content

L-R: Marta Ezpeleta, Raúl Berdonés and Javier Pons at Content Americas
CONTENT AMERICAS: Major Ibero-American studios are betting on original content in English as “a natural evolution” of the international success of Spanish-language content and taking advantage of the competitive advantages they can offer from their territories.
In a session on the opening day of Content Americas in Miami yesterday, multiple executives from Ibero-American prodcos highlighted an opportunity in expanding into English-language production, driven by the success of Spanish and Latin American series in recent years and the evolution of production levels and financial structures.
“This new phase in which we are doubling our presence in the Anglo market responds precisely to the fact that the time is right. The Anglo market is also open to these new ways and new models of producing content, seeking efficiencies in production costs. And we are ready,” said Marta Ezpeleta, CEO of The Mediapro Studio.
Last May, The Mediapro Studio opened its US operation, The Mediapro Studio US & Canada, which seeks to produce content in English for the North American market.
Ezpeleta added that while The Mediapro Studio has been producing original content in different languages for several years, now is “an appropriate time to open up the Anglo market” due to the need to offer productions “in a more efficient way than the traditional one.”
Like Mediapro, Spain’s Secuoya Studios plans to produce in English, something that Raúl Berdonés, executive president of Secuoya Content Group, considers a “natural evolution” of the industry.
“Our goal is that this year 30% of our projects will be in English. It’s time to look for a resource upgrade and, with the more than 30% drop in production in Los Angeles, I think it’s time for Secuoya to be able to capture that Spain/US production and coproduction link,” Berdonés said in Miami.
The exec also urged the Spanish and Latin American markets to strengthen ties. “In Spain the talent has proven to be at the level of any American, so the important thing is to make that match between Spanish talent and American talent to be able to produce great stories that cross borders,” he said.
“It is complicated, but we must not stop insisting, to look for that good story but with great talent on screen that is recognisable at the local destination.”
Ezpeleta added that the cultural differences between Spain and the different Latin American territories present obstacles to coproduction, despite the shared language. “Language unites us, but culturally we don’t have, in very many cases, much to do with each other,” she said. “We have to approach these coproductions from a place where, one: the story is organic and it makes sense; and two: from the deep respect between both coproducing teams.”
Javier Pons, exec VP of NBCUniversal-owned Telemundo Studios, who also participated in the panel, echoed the comments of his compatriots, highlighting the opportunity that Ibero-American production companies have to generate content of global interest.
“What has happened in the last 10 years is a real revolution, so I think that, at least in my 45 years working in this business, the best time to produce content is now. Opportunities have grown, interlocutors have multiplied and there are many more possibilities to offer creative areas that we didn’t have before, so that’s good news,” said Pons.