When it comes to commissioning local content in CEE, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is looking for ideas that will travel.
Speaking in a Q&A at Content Budapest, Jamie Cooke, general manager of CEE, Baltics, Middle East, Mediterranean and Turkey (CEE MENAT) Warner Bros. Discovery, cited the examples of Spy/Master (Romania) and the Max Original The Bridge.
He added that there are three areas it is focussed on, namely content that is pushing the boundaries (eg LGBTQ+), sports documentaries (which it is expanding) and true crime (which can be scripted or documentaries).
Speaking more generally, Cooke said that pay-TV is not declining, and indeed growing in some regions. WBD does not see any signs of cord cutting and the aim is to find the balance between linear and streaming.
He was also of the view that of the 3/4 streaming services viewers in CEE may be willing to receive, they will include one from WBD, Netflix and a local service.
Cooke was also cautious about the prospects for FAST in the region, apart from perhaps in Poland.
