GRB Media Ranch: Launching a FAST Channel for Untold Stories of the E.R with SBT Brazil

The launch of a FAST Channel dedicated to the series Untold Stories of the E.R. with Brazil’s SBT, along with strengthening relationships with Discovery Latin America and Pluto TV Latin America, who have previously aired this content, were some of the key achievements GRB Media Ranch secured following its attendance at MIP Cancun.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Discovery Latin America, Pluto Latin America, and SBT in Brazil. It was exciting to meet these partners and explore ways to extend these relationships. We launched a new program and had many interesting conversations about a series called Playground. It was produced for Hulu in the U.S. and is a reality show that follows a dance studio in Los Angeles. It was executive produced by Megan Thee Stallion, which is very exciting. At MIP Cancun, we met with buyers to discuss the series. I don’t have any deals to report yet, but I hope we can close something soon,” said Liz Levenson, Acquisitions and Sales Executive at GRB Media Ranch. She also expressed her appreciation for the market’s “speed dating” format.

“It was my first time attending a conference with this ‘speed dating’ structure, and I truly appreciated it. I found it to be an incredibly efficient market. It all happened over just a few days, and between the scheduled meetings, networking lunches, and nightly parties, I feel like I connected with many people I wouldn’t normally have the chance to meet, like at NATPE or LA Screenings. And it’s so nice that everyone is in the same room. You don’t have to worry about anyone being late to a meeting,” Levenson remarked.

She highlighted that the company specializes in unscripted content and noted that following the 2023 merger between GRB and Media Ranch, their catalog now comprises around 4,000 hours of unscripted content.

“We’ve combined GRB’s extensive unscripted content catalog with Media Ranch’s catalog of international formats. These were really our key objectives. We also have some feature films and a couple of long-format series, but our catalog primarily focuses on unscripted formats and completed series,” she said.

Levenson mentioned several new nature-focused series that are gaining traction, such as Playground (9×60’), Prairie 911 Animal Rescue (26×30’), Wild Zambezi (8×60’), It’s Pawsable (8×30’), and Owl Rescue (10×30’). “We have a portfolio of new wildlife and animal series that have generated a lot of interest. I hope we can announce something and move forward in the coming weeks,” she added.

FAST CHANNELS GAIN SOPHISTICATION, CREATING MORE REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRODUCERS

Levenson noted two main trends she observes in the market that excite her because she believes they will “lead to many opportunities.”

“One is the interest in locally produced content, which I think is excellent for the local production community. The other is the growth of FAST and AVOD channels in Latin America. As I mentioned, we work with Pluto and also met with other companies in the FAST and AVOD space. FAST channels are becoming increasingly sophisticated, creating more opportunities for producers to generate revenue as this sector grows. It’s very exciting,” she said.

She acknowledged that the growth of AVOD and FAST has been slower in Latin America than in the U.S., “but many territories for FAST and AVOD are also slower than the U.S. I believe that with the right program and platform, there is an opportunity to reach many new viewers. I hope we can be involved from the start and grow alongside the market,” she said.

Local production, another area where she sees growth in the region, excites her because GRB Media Ranch has “an extensive catalog of formats. We hope to find production companies and broadcast partners for some of the major international formats we represent. The fact that there is more interest in locally produced content is exciting for us because we could offer a format that has been successful in another territory and create a Latin American version of the show. We’ve started having these conversations, and we believe it’s an area with great growth potential in Latin America,” she concluded.