MUMBAI: It’s time for broadcasters to take stock of business at the recently concluded Mipcom 2013 and Zee TV, it seems, has emerged a winner.
The formats were the highlights for Zee at Mipcom says Sunita Uchil
Not only is the channel’s Dance India Dance a topper in terms of ratings, the show featured prominently on buyers’ lists at the content festival.
“It is the only dance format show, which is home grown. The dance format was largely viewed by buyers who came to our booth with the prospect of using the concept,” says Zee global head syndication Sunita Uchil.
Apart from DID, Zee’s new series Buddha struck a chord with international buyers. “We had a lot of inquiries even for the new series, which has never been made,” says Uchil.
The historical series Jodha Akbar too found resonance among buyers. “Historicals are always popular. Last year, Jhansi ki Rani was the talking point for buyers and this year, it was Jodha Akbar. It is known and liked because of the images, characters and shots,” says Uchil.
It was a busy MIPCOM for Zee, which had close to 90 meetings during the four-day fest. “The formats were the highlights for us,” exults Uchil and adds: “So while there were takers for Dance India Dance from Japan, the Asia Pacific region and Europe; the historical series got preference from the Middle East and Africa region. And, there were takers for our drama scripts from the Latin American market.”
Additionally, the Zee booth had buyers looking for bulk purchase of drama series such as Pavitra Rishtaa, Punar Vivaah, Sapne Suhane Ladakpan Ke and Badalte Rishton ki Daastan. “All these drama shows are a part of anybody’s buy. So when buyers consider us, they look at us with the bulk of our shows,” says Uchil.
Just how many deals has Zee cracked at Mipcom? “We are still talking to the buyers, but will soon close the deals,” says Uchil without really answering our question...