Unscripted commissioners talk up ‘new ways of doing business’
US networks “can’t just own all the rights anymore” as the cable landscape continues to shift, according to Warner Bros Discovery’s Betsy Ayala, who added that rights demands were continuing to flex.
Ayala, who heads up Food Network at WBD, oversees shows ranging from Chopped, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives to 24 in 24: Last Chef Standing and Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking.
Food Network, like almost all US cable operators, had previously taken all rights to series but Ayala said a new mindset had taken hold.
“We are flexible for sure, we have a couple of different deals that we are working on right now where we are licensing [a show] for a period of time and then giving rights back,” she said.
“We are open. If there is a project we really want then we will work it out. We have to be more creative, we can’t just own all the rights anymore.”
Ayala added that Food Network, which will become part of the standalone Discovery Global business if WBD’s sale of its studio and streaming assets to Netflix moves ahead, is looking to be pragmatic when it comes to securing IP.
“We will still want to take all rights for the biggest shows that we love and that we can build IP from, but we’re definitely now looking for interesting and new ways of doing business,” she told Realscreen in Miami.
Lisa Holme, head of content at Roku, added that her more nascent company’s approach had always been strike partnerships where possible - something that is becoming easier as studios flex their models.
“We have an upcoming Laguna Beach Reunion special, for example,” Holme said. “We don’t own the Laguna Beach IP but we are working really closely with the folks at Paramount, who do own it, to create an entire Laguna Beach ecosystem on Roku.”
The idea, Holme continued, is to make it “as seamless as possible” for customers to watch the special on Roku and then sign up for Paramount+, where the entire library resides.
“We really don’t have [demands] on rights we need and who we will work with. One of the beauties of Roku is we work with everyone and we will partner with everyone. We are pretty much open to anyone.”
Mark Reynolds, global head of docs and factual at Fremantle, added that such flexibility was driving coproduction activity.
“The market has certainly changed in the last year or so, because everyone wants their budgets to go further so they are looking to make decisions bespoke to each particular project.
“Coproductions are coming back in a big way,” he continued, adding that having multiple copro partners on a show remained a “fantastic way to realise ambition for producers but also create long term partnerships”.
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