During the last years, audiences shifted to on-demand and COVID-19 accelerated this tremendous cultural change in the process. Streaming platforms are in center stage and mindful of consumer habits.
Ariel Tobi, Senior VP Production and Distribution at Hemisphere Media Group, explained that platforms are interested in short-duration series with few episodes, that are 4×30´and 8×30´; the traditional 13×45’ standard is today long content.
Likewise, a bit saturated with series, they are putting their focus on films and on direct to streaming, a new genre, a film that is midway between the TV movie and theatrical with great casting and production that is only exploited on the platform.
With the closing of movie theaters, they are also accessing Latina films that were produced for cinema and that, due to the crisis, had to be launched directly on streaming. “Platforms were already involved in a film production line and this was a way to stock up”.
Tobi also highlighted that platforms need Latino content to maintain the audience of each territory captivated. “All the Latina production lines were suspended; hence platforms need a great deal of Mexican, Argentine, Brazilian, Colombian”.
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