01/07/2016. Marko Karvo

Transcription

1 01/07/2016 SCHEDULE WATCH CHANNEL PROFILE: MTV Media s Marko Karvo reveals the content strategy that is driving flagship network MTV3 s all-local primetime schedule this fall and its multiplatform ambitions. Gün Akyuz reports. Marko Karvo Overview It has been a turbulent few years for Finland s established broadcasters navigating choppy economic waters in one of Europe s smallest but fiercest free-to-air (FTA) markets, and one where younger audiences are shifting online. Bonnier-owned MTV Media, the country s dominant commercial broadcaster, is emerging from a period of sustained cost savings and job cuts, plus a major multi-platform restructure and new content strategy to future-proof its operations. This year saw the arrival of a new CEO, Jarkko Nordlund. His appointment was quickly followed by the exit of the group s senior VP of programming, Kristiina Werner-Autio, who was succeeded by Marko Karvo, previously the group s VP of channels, scheduling and business development. The revised senior management swiftly launched headline-grabbing content plans this spring to maintain and extend the group s dominant market position, spearheaded by an unprecedented doubling in production budget to turn MTV3 s entire primetime schedule local from this fall. It is being implemented at record speed, says the company. The move also includes increased investments in local production across the group s secondary channels female-skewing Ava and younger-skewing Sub which join MTV3 in feeding into the group s digital player Katsomo, which is now also a top priority in its plans. A revamp of our mindset and methods is underway, said Nordlund at the time. A television company must adapt to its viewers requirements and create and maintain experiences and phenomena that people can share. Finland remains overwhelmingly a free TV market and one of the most competitive, where 15-plus FTA terrestrials chase a population of 5.5 million, Karvo points out. In 2015, pay TV accounted for just 7% of all viewing (10 years-plus). Furthermore, 86% of TV shows continued to be watched live in homes with DVR players or IPTV. But whereas 94% of all

2 TV and video content (whether live or catch-up and across all platforms, including services like Netflix and YouTube) viewed by people aged over 45 was seen via a TV set, this dropped to 59% among the under-45s, according to Finland s audience measurement agency Finnpanel. In the linear world, MTV Media remains Finland s top commercial broadcaster by some margin, claiming a sizeable 46.8% share of commercial viewing so far this year (January- May, four years-plus). It s also the biggest commercial broadcaster among the under-55s, with a 28.4 % share of viewing over the same period, including 17.3 % for MTV3. The group s smaller FTA channels Ava and Sub and its pay channels add a further 10% share to its total viewing. Sub, which targets 15-44s, is also Finland s third largest commercial channel and multimedia platform. US format Take the Money and Run Finland s commercial players also face stiff competition from public broadcaster YLE, which last year accounted for a 43.1% share of all viewing (four years-plus), ahead of MTV Media on 27.3%, Nelonen Media on 15.1% and Discovery Networks Finland on 6.6%. No one is underestimating the task ahead. Given the country s fierce FTA competition intensified by a summer of sport on YLE, with the Euro 2016 football championships, now underway, followed by the Rio Olympics MTV Media s priority is to maintain is position as Finland s biggest commercial broadcaster and MTV3 as the top commercial channel. It won t be easy but we have, and will have, great programming now and in the future, says Karvo will also be a big year for MTV Media, which will mark its 60th anniversary, with more, as yet undisclosed, original programming now in the planning. We re not thinking just about the linear channels but also Katsomo. It s a priority for us to make it an even bigger player in the Finnish market and the VoD world, says Karvo.

3 It will be an interesting year. We want to build a relationship with our viewers and use 2017 to create something special for our viewers. We need to be bold and creative. Current schedule MTV3 s established linchpins are the daily news at and and long-running daily soap Salatut Elämät (Secret Lives) at on weekdays, which also provide strong lead-ins to key local production slots at Pubcasters are particularly strong with their current affairs and news, notes Karvo. But we re very proud of our news, and our and TV news have been the most viewed news programmes among the under-55s for many years. In fact, ratings have risen for its news this spring compared with previous years, he adds. This season, MTV3 s top newscast at on Sunday May 22 pulled in 2.15 million viewers and a 72% share (four years-plus). Meanwhile, Finland s first daily drama Secret Lives, which has been the country s best rated scripted series for years, pulled in a share of up to 40% this spring. It s our version of Coronation Street or EastEnders and a really important programme for us, says Karvo. MTV3 s schedule also includes important seasonal schedule drivers like sport, topped by its annual coverage of the Ice Hockey World Championships in the spring. It s a national sport, along with Formula 1, and dominated this spring s programme rankings, accounting for 15 of the 20 shows. Coverage on MTV3 and the group s sport channels generated an audience reach of 4.5 million. Tahdet Tahdet (The Ultimate Entertainer) has been renewed Original production, entertainment, formats Local, family-driven 90-minute entertainment shows are the bedrock of MTV3 s primetime schedule at weekends from 20.00, along with lifestyle formats and scripted on weekdays. New shows are key and MTV3 launched a handful of newcomers over the week. One of them this spring was MTV3 s local version of Saturday Night Live, made by prodco Rabbit Films. However, the launch failed to connect with core viewers, unable to climb above a 26% share.

4 It didn t attract family viewing, and it s family viewing that s really the key for MTV3, especially at weekends when there s a lot of live entertainment, explains Karvo. We try to keep families with kids tuning in because they re the most loyal viewers. If kids view the shows usually the parents follow them, and we need that combination for every age group. Several local reality shows also premiered this spring, among them local adventure reality show Huippujengi (The Great Expedition) on Sundays at from March 6. Also from Rabbit Films, the show follows eight Finnish celebrities as they climb a mountain in the Andes. Another newcomer was Katastrofikokki (Disaster Chef), from Endemol Shine, which launched on Thursdays at in early March. The show sees two top chefs try to identify the worst cook out of 10 equally inept contestants. Returning shows included season three of hit lifestyle show Finland s Most Beautiful Home (Suomen kaunein koti). The Banijay show aired on Mondays at in March in a run of 12 episodes. MTV3 s push to localise its entire primetime schedule this fall amounts to a 50% increase in local programming, covering a wide range of new shows with a heavy focus on the all-important family-centred weekends. Alongside its all-important slot, MTV3 will be extending its focus to the increasingly competitive period, where smaller channels have been investing more. Karvo says local scripted will be one of its priorities there. Entertainment launches, from live weekend shows to lifestyle and reality, will include nine original ideas from Finland s local production community plus five international formats, some of them renewals. Upcoming shows include renewals for Monster Entertainment format The Ultimate Entertainer at weekends; local live comedy talkshow Posse, which is popular with families; and Farmer Wants a Wife (Maajussille Morsian). Live comedy talkshow Posse is popular with families

5 Newcomers include US reality competition Take the Money and Run, with MTV3 s version introducing a new host, Eero Ettala, who is already a superstar of the snowboarding world. Other new international formats lined up for launch this fall include Finland s Worst Handyman and The Kitchen. One of MTV3 s priorities is also to build a roster of fresh on-screen talent with hosts such as Eero Ettala alongside its existing pool of stars, explains Karvo. Heading to the future, it ll be very important for us to focus more and more on interesting personalities and stars. And the slot is very important for us because it s a great lead-out from our daily soap. Already in the pipeline is a comedy panel show, Pitäisikö olla huolissaan, from Rabbit Films, which is another springboard for new channel personalities. Karvo expects MTV3 to maintain a mix of locally originated and international formats. We highly value the fresh new ideas coming from Finland, and there s been a lot of interest in Finnish originals from the international broadcasting world, he says. But MTV3 also wants the biggest international formats if they re suitable for us, he adds. MTV Media commissions all its productions externally and works very closely with local production companies, a model Karvo says will remain for now. We want to focus on creating original ideas that we re able to create together with production companies, and I want to work more closely with them. We don t need to create a format bible, but we do need a clear picture of what our needs are for our channels and what programmes we should have there. And, of course, it s easier to succeed if you re also able to work closely on your own ideas with the production companies. Nor does Karvo hide his frustration at the lack of new big weekend 90-minute entertainment shows coming out of the international market over the past eight or so years. One of the reasons for that is these companies keep investing in the scripted side and now we re seeing the results, he says. I ve seen interesting new weekday formats such as Married at First Sight [airing on Ava]. Those are fantastic fresh new ideas but I haven t seen them for the weekends, and for MTV3, family viewing is important. The channel now has a few new local ideas of its own in the pipeline, Karvo says. Karvo says female-skewing Ava experienced strong growth last year, achieving a 7% share among women We re really continuing to develop that channel as it s one of our key priorities to grow reach and share in our female target group. Ava s mostly acquired programming mix also features a number of headline local shows, among them Married at First Sight, launched last year. It was really a channel-defining programme for Ava, notes Karvo. Season two, airing on Tuesdays at 21.00, picked up an average 11% rating and 27% share a massive number for that target audience. Season three this fall will be a big one, he adds. Channel-defining programmes are key for smaller channels like Ava and Sub, Karvo says. On Sub, a new 30-minute format called Lakon & Herban Boksi launched this spring, reaching younger target groups that a lot people thought we d lost, says Karvo. The studio-based show featured two young YouTube stars who chat and play games with celebrities. It picked

6 up an 8% rating among 10- to 14-year-olds and did very well on Katsomo. This fall the channel launches a local version of Ex on the Beach. Hit crime series Roba is heading into a third season Drama Alongside the daily soap, Karvo says local weekly scripted is an established tradition and a key differentiator for MTV3, which airs two or three weekly dramas per year. MTV3 is doubling its original drama output this fall, including a third season of hit crime series Roba. Last fall the drama reached a 31% share on Mondays at 21.00, making it one of the channel s best-rated weekly scripted series ever. Joining it this fall is new comedy drama Ex-Onnelliset (12x60 ), an original Finnish project from Dionysos Films. With two original dramas on our schedule, they ll be great assets heading for the fall season, says Karvo. Local scripted is also a priority in the group s plans to grow its VoD presence. Domestic drama is already a key genre on Katsomo, accounting for 23% of its plays in 2015, according to Finnpanel. Acquisitions The emphasis on local original and a doubling of MTV3 s primetime local production budget will inevitably result in fewer acquisitions. However, Karvo says: There continues to be value in acquiring content from Hollywood, UK, Nordic and European distributors. MTV3 has seen a shift away from US to European acquired drama, which rates better. MTV3 has a long-established Scandi crime drama slot on Saturdays at 22.30, featuring series like Wallander. We ve also had Norwegian crime drama in primetime, says Karvo. Acquitted did brilliantly for us and so did Occupied. Upcoming fare includes Midnight Sun and Modus, the latter a hit drama from MTV3 s Swedish cousin TV4.

7 There s also a longstanding relationship between MTV3 viewers and UK dramas like Emmerdale, which usually airs at in the main seasons on weekdays, on shares of up to 38%. Other past hits include series like Broadchurch and The Missing. Those are the kinds of shows that we ll want in the future, says Karvo. Like many others in the international TV industry, describes the UK s vote to leave the European Union very disappointing, but is unclear about how it will affect business. US scripted content, meanwhile, tends to populate MTV s smaller channels, Ava and Sub. Sub s line-up includes The Simpsons and The Big Bang Theory, which Karvo says work pretty well, while Ava prefers series like The Affair and old classics like Sex and the City. MTV3 has picked up the forthcoming new series of Twin Peaks However, Karvo s says the latest crop of US shows coming out of the LA Screenings didn t offer any runaway winners for MTV Media. In terms of what we were looking for, especially female-skewing shows, we didn t find an instant hit in the mould of, say, Desperate Housewives or Grey s Anatomy. A lot of content presented was clearly for the VoD world and not for linear, he notes. That said, MacGyver and Twin Peaks are headed MTV Media s way. I m a huge fan of the original Twin Peaks and [its creator] David Lynch is involved in the remake. It ll be fantastic if it works and I want to believe it, so it s the one for me, says Karvo. Outside of scripted, Karvo says there s also huge need for acquired factual entertainment and reality on the group s secondary channels. Digital, multiplatform While Finland remains a staunchly FTA-driven market, digital platforms like Katsomo are a growing priority to attract MTV s shifting audiences. It doesn t really matter where people are watching our content, whether it s on TV, ipads or mobiles. The key thing is being flexible, says Karvo.

8 In May, MTV Media s digital player Katsomo delivered 13.1 million starts and clips viewed rose 70% on last year, with ice hockey, domestic entertainment and drama the key drivers. Next fall, when our primetime schedule are filled with domestic content our VoD figures will grow as well, and of course we will add Katsomo-only content to the service, he says. Moreover, Ava s female-skewing light entertainment, reality and acquired drama, such as The Affair, are also attracting viewing to Katsomo, he adds. Katsomo currently operates primarily as an AVoD service, but plans are underway to grow the SVoD window, says Karvo. The platform already offers pay content, including access to sports and Bonnier s CMore service. It means VoD and flexible rights are key requirements for MTV Media s acquisitions and all the group s new deals tend to include them. Heading to the future, it will be more and more around windowing, says Karvo. It s essential that you have those rights in catch-up, AVoD, SVoD and so on, and are able to execute a long-term plan for all content. Airing a show once a week without the necessary rights around it makes it a pretty impossible task to make it a success, he argues. And I don t see any chance of new shows succeeding in our territory without the necessary rights to keep them interesting. Successes like Nordic crime come with all those necessary rights to allow people a flexibility of viewing. Moreover, MTV Media s linear channels remain a linchpin in that ecology. Dismissing countless articles predicting the death of TV, Karvo counters: If we were able to better calculate all the clicks and views showing how people are consuming TV series and video in total there would be less talk about TV dying. Linear TV, he says, remains an important platform for people to find content. Marketing is more important than ever in this sense, and it s one of our top priorities. In Finland, results show that you also really need to focus on the marketing side if you want a new show to succeed. MTV3 s top 10 shows of spring 2016 (Rank, title, type, date, slot, viewer millions, % share of all viewers highest rated showing only) 1. Ice Hockey World Championships Final Finland v Canada*, sport, May 22, 21.31, 2.305, Ten O Clock News, news, May 22, 22.10, 2.153, MTV Sport: Hockey Studio, sport, May 21, 18.50, 0.940, Seven O Clock News, news, May 21, 18.58, 0.886, Salatut Elämät (Secret Lives), local soap, Jan 13, 19.30, 0.835, TV Gala, entertainment, Jan 1, 19.59, 0.815, Maajussille Morsian (Farmer Wants a Wife), entertainment reality, Feb 2, 20.03, 0.741, MTV Sport News, sports, Jan 6, 19.08, 0.720, Saturday Night Live, comedy entertainment, Feb 6, 20.02, 0.681, News Extra, news, May 21, 19.07, 0.638, 43 Source: Finnpanel Oy, People Meter Panel

9 *Ranking includes only the highest rated showing of the Ice Hockey World Championships. Coverage held nine of the top 10 slots in the rankings. Excludes weather bulletins.