WarnerMedia EMEA & Asia President Priya Dogra has talked up the U.S. media giant’s plan to “ramp up investment in local creative communities across Europe,” with 40 shows in the pipeline for 2023.
Taking the Series Mania early afternoon keynote, the exec said WarnerMedia wants to “honour our 100-year legacy of U.S. production know-how” in the various territories HBO Max is expanding into.
Her comments came a day after HBO Max Content Boss Antony Root said the streamer’s European operation will “broaden its appeal beyond the die hard Euphoria fan.”
In Europe, Dogra said HBO Max is quadrupling its number of titles from 10 in 2019 to 40 in 2023 across scripted and non-scripted, as it pushes into more genres.
“There is much more to come as we forge partnerships with more content creators, providing backing for more original series, and extend our reach to more territories, opening up even more opportunity for local investment,” she added.
She concentrated particularly on France and Spain, two territories in which HBO Max has local commissioners and there is a “strong business case.”
“Local storytelling played an essential role” in HBO Max’s Spanish growth, according to Dogra, who pointed to International Emmy-nominated “deeply moving drama” Patria that “sparked a national conversation” and Alex de la Iglesia’s 30 Coins.
And in France, six to eight movies will be launched per year along with a slate of series for linear TV, with the first, Visitors, premiering at Series Mania five days ago in the competition prize.
“The way we work is we become part of the local community,” she added. “We are only as good as the creative infrastructure that exists in the chosen territory.”
HBO Max has also become a founding partner of the Series Mania Institute and is investing $1M over the next three years in the training initiative.
Windowing
On the film side, Dogra reiterated WarnerMedia’s commitment to “the theatrical experience,” with a “steady supply of films” planned to launch in cinemas before moving to HBO Max after 45 days.
Windowing has “evolved rather than fundamentally changed,” she added, stating the company is “very happy with the results.”
She also talked up marketing campaigns around the likes of The Batman and the upcoming Elvis biopic.
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