Miguel Somoza: Our ambition is to grow in the Anglo market. It is the first time we have had a product that will live for ten years in the US
Two projects fill Miguel Somoza, CEO of Sabbatical Entertainment, with great satisfaction: having the proof of concept to make a national product in Brazil with all its certifications, as demonstrated by the eight three-minute capsules about the Vikings for A&E, and renewing ten years more the agreement with Entertainment Works to produce in English Lo Mejor de lo Mejor (a summary of the year), broadcast by affiliates of NBC, CBS and ABC in 40% of the US territory.
“Our first Brazilian series or content, which counts as a national product and meets Ancine’s quota, has worked very well for A&E. They are thrilled. I am trying to contact other companies with channels that have to meet the same quota about the advantage of efficiently producing national content. We are producing four documentaries and will have the national production quota,” commented Somoza.
The certifications are CPB (Brazilian Product Certificate) and CRT (Certificate of Title Registration)
He said that they are two different certifications. “One is to show that it was effectively a national production (CPB), and the second is when you have a client to purchase the production, you apply for the CTR, which the client needs. That certification cannot be processed until the sale is effective.”
A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT IN ENGLISH
Regarding Lo Mejor de lo Mejor, which had its seventh edition in 2023 and was broadcast for the first time in English in the US – it was a syndicated product that NBC, CBS, and ABC displayed in different cities – covering almost 40% of the country, he said it worked very well, which is why they signed a contract to carry out the program for 10 more years with Entertainment Works, with whom Sabbatical negotiates this space under a syndicated barter revenue share agreement with a network of affiliated O&O (Owned & Operated) stations in English. He mentioned that DIRECTV LatAm bought and broadcasted this edition but in Spanish.
“For us, it is a great achievement in English. Our ambition is to grow in the Anglo market. It is the first time we have had a product that will live for ten years in the US. That 40% is the minimum percentage that, in theory, we would have in the networks’ territories, but it could be higher,” Somoza highlighted. He added that for the next edition, the production of Lo Mejor de lo Mejor will evolve to include a host.
He added that this type of agreement is very beneficial for the stations. “The only thing the channel does is provide air. They don’t have to sell advertising and they receive good content. Advertisers have good schedules, good coverage, and good associated content.”
DIRECTV LatAm bought and broadcast this edition but in Spanish.
