Have a story that's waiting for the right opportunity? How about streaming on TV to over 190 countries?
Ted Sarandos is Chief Content Officer for Netflix, and he is on the lookout for original ideas, and stories for Australian shows. When asked if local TV and filmmakers would find a welcoming ear for their pitches. "Absolutely," he says.
"Australia has such a rich production infrastructure and great talent...... There's no reason we would not [commission] original shows for Australia."
By the end of 2016, Netflix would have spent $6 billion on original programming: House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Making a Murderer and much more. Sarandos would love to commission original Australian content. This year, the company will deliver series from France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Germany and Mexico. Each will be subtitled for international audiences: Netflix demands every show draw viewers outside its home country. An Australian show in the Netflix original library would find an instant audience, and released simultaneously around the world.
In an interview with The Verge in January, Sarandos announced Netflix was now available in over 190 countries, and are is looking for a show that is "Locally focused, but we think will find a large global audience."
Rival streaming service Stan's Wolf Creek has broken viewing records, and created a 'huge lift' in subscriptions, says their content chief Nick Forward. A new season of No Activity will debut later this year, and Stan will shoot its first feature film, The Second.
Presto's best one-day results led with an exclusive Home and Away special, and has commissioned two more. Its Australian short series Let's Talk About is also popular.
Strong competition for locally produced content on all streaming services can only be a good thing, as Netflix, Stan and Presto report a growing consumer base with an appetite for international drama.
Stay tuned to Streambly as we keep you up to date with the latest releases and news from Netflix, Stan and Presto.
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Krystle Shrimpton (Facebook, LinkedIn) is a contributor for Streambly.
Interested in becoming a contributor for Streambly? streambly.com.au is looking streaming enthusiasts interested in writing some articles for us on a regular basis. Get paid and get free access to Stan, Presto or Netflix on us, to write about what you love. No experience necessary. If you're interested, please contact us at editor @ streambly.com.au (remove spaces from email address).
