Weekly: How BBC Studios and Globo are leveraging Brazil’s ‘factual moment’

When BBC Studios and Brazilian media giant Globo unveiled their recent partnership on an ambitious docuseries about the Amazon, it came as something of a surprise.

The media heavyweights have worked with each other before on numerous projects but never within a co-production structure. So why now?

Part of the reason is that Brazil seems to be having “a creative moment in factual storytelling”, according to Gabriel Jacome, director of content at Globo.

Skilled crew, diverse locations and a broad array of stories to be told are helping the huge Latin American country position itself as an opportunity for international partnerships.

And the Brazilian broadcaster wants to play “a central role in that transformation”, he says, eyeing up the success of Brazil’s globetrotting telenovelas and dramas.

“Our teams are exploring new ways to portray science, society, and the environment with the same artistic ambition traditionally reserved for fiction here in Brazil,” he explains.

The partnership also marks a shift in strategy for BBCS, with the deal more than simply a co-funding arrangement. “It’s a true co-production from the ground up,” says Paula Teruko, BBCS’s senior director for content sales and co-pros in Latin America, who suggests other projects may follow (more on that below).

World Congress timings

Jacome and Teruko are talking to Paul Lewis, conference director at World Congress of Science and Factual Producers (WCSFP), whose 33^rd edition runs from 8-11 December in Rio de Janeiro.

The event is coinciding with surging interest in Brazil as a location for production, and all eyes are now on what the untitled BBCS / Globo show will look like.

Much remains under wraps, but what we do know is that it will transport audiences to the heart of the Amazon, with access facilitated by Globo. BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions is producing.

“What excited us most was the potential for a genuine exchange,” continues Jacome of the broader partnership. “We’ve built a production ecosystem that operates on an epic scale yet remains deeply connected to local emotion and authenticity. This is essential for us in every project.”

The hope is that coupling this focus with BBCS’s clout around the world will allow Brazil’s “creative energy” to find new ways to resonate globally. “It marks a new chapter in Globo’s international strategy,” Jacome says.

BBCS and Globo are developing the show together and sharing creative control, she adds, “it’s not simply one partner funding the other.” BBCS will also handle global distribution, including in the UK, while Globo has all Brazilian rights and Jacome is clear about its potential reach.

“For this project, we have big ambitions. We haven’t decided yet because we need to understand the life cycle of the content, but we’re not dismissing any opportunity - not even theatrical release. For us, the most important thing is to bring these urgent themes to our audience and to Brazilian society.

“We want to use our platforms to bring these stories to life. Globo has a multi-platform portfolio: our free-to-air broadcast channel, our streaming platforms, pay-TV channels, social media, and digital platforms - all combined to keep our storytelling moving forward.”

Confirmation on the production start date is to be confirmed but Terruko points to the “deep local insights” that Globo will add to the production.

She adds that both companies have the same focus: high-quality storytelling, strong visuals, and authentic local voices. “The idea is to create a project that feels truly Brazilian but speaks to global audiences.”

Authentic representation

Brazil’s diversity helps in this regard, says Jacome. “We often say there are multiple countries within Brazil, with societies shaped by influences from all around the world.”

For example, Brazil has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan, he adds, and one of the largest populations of African descendants in the world.

“Our cultural identity blends European, Indigenous, African, and Asian heritage. This creates a richness of perspective and narrative that makes every production here truly unique, yet still able to resonate globally.”

There is also a growing desire to ensure that stories about the country are told by those who call it home. “It’s essential that stories about Brazil, especially the Amazon, are told with authenticity, from the perspective of those who truly live in and understand the region,” Jacome says.

“For too long, many international productions have captured only the aerial view, the beautiful green canopy, while missing the human heartbeat that sustains the ecosystem,” he adds.

Jacome also points to his own experience of meeting people living within the Amazon and adds that perspective, “beyond the familiar Amazon imagery”, offers opportunities.

He also urges producers to explore the growing potential within Brazil. “My advice is simple: just come. Brazil is open, welcoming, fun, and deeply creative. Many international partners are surprised by the level of professionalism here,” he says, pointing to highly skilled crews and world-class facilities at Globo’s sprawling studios.

BBCS and Globo are now looking at developing more doc partnerships. “We’re looking for broader collaboration,” says Teruko. “This partnership shows how combining global and local strengths can elevate storytelling,” she says.

Jacome has appetite too. “We share the same values and that’s what matters. We built this deal over time, learning each other’s cultures. A co-production is more about building trust and a relationship than just making a single project. And we’ve built that foundation.

“So yes, we have a broad path ahead for different projects and different genres,” suggesting Brazil’s factual moment is only in its infancy.

Paula Teruko and Gabriel Jacome will be appearing at The World Congress of Science and Factual Producers next month in Rio de Janeiro, which runs 8-11 December. For more information, click here.