Fabio Mauro: “We always remain attentive to market changes and have a varied portfolio that meets different demands” – Exclusive Interview

In our recent interview with Fabio Mauro, Head of Content Distribution & Partnerships at Globo, we explored the company’s ambitious plans for the future, with a particular focus on new releases and international projects.

What are Globo’s main focuses, expectations, and goals for DICM this year?

The Middle East and Asia are strategic territories for Globo and we want to continue and expand our presence in these regions. Events like DICM are important to open conversations with potential clients and strengthen existing partnerships, such as MBC Group and Dori TLV. Our focus for DICM is the sale of formats, both scripted and unscripted. For scripted formats we have products such as the series The Others and the telenovelas The Favorite and All The Flowers, both written by João Emanuel Carneiro, who is also the author of Brazil Avenue, one of our biggest hits in the international market. Brazil Avenue, in fact, has its first international adaptation being shown in Türkiye, through an agreement with Ay Yapım.

For unscripted we have Make it Sweet, a competition focused on confectionery, What Is Your Story?, which welcomes famous and anonymous people to tell unusual and fun stories.

Fabio Mauro: The audiovisual market is extremely dynamic and consumers are increasingly demanding with so much content on offer.

Globo has some major projects lined up for this season. Let’s start with The Others. Could you tell us a bit about the series and what viewers can expect from it? Personally, I’m particularly intrigued by The Others, as I understand it explores the boundaries and impact of parental influence on child-rearing. I’d love to hear more about this psychological aspect of parenting portrayed in the series.

The Others is a series about intolerance and lack of dialogue. These are universal elements, which are present in society. In the first season, two neighboring couples clash after their teenage children fight, with absurd consequences. What could be a common disagreement between neighbors grows and highlights the limits and influence of parents in raising their children.

The second season maintains the essence of polarized coexistence between neighbors. The production casts a magnifying glass on family and social relationships and has unexpected developments. It is a series with very current themes, and we believe that by selling the format it can be adapted to different realities and cultures.

While I have the chance to speak with you, could we discuss the global journey of Avenida Brasil? In collaboration with Ay Yapım, the show is now being presented in Türkiye under the title Leyla. Could you share some insights on Avenida Brasil’s international journey and its success in different markets?

Brazil Avenue is one of our best-selling products on the international market, it was an audience phenomenon during its exhibition in Brazil and was nominated for an International Emmy. We are very proud of this plot and are happy with the path it has taken in the international market. It’s a telenovela with classic elements that the public loves, such as revenge, twists, surprises and charismatic characters.

In its first international version, the result of a partnership with Ay Yapım, the successful elements were maintained, with a story adapted for Turkish culture. We hope that this adaptation opens doors to other opportunities and partnerships.

The expansion of Globo’s long-standing partnership with Côte Ouest to include France, Belgium, and Switzerland is a significant step. How do you anticipate audiences in these new regions will respond to Globo’s content, and do you have any specific strategies in place for these markets?

Our relationship with Côte Ouest has lasted more than 28 years and, since then, 61 Globo titles have been dubbed into French and 31 into English. We built this trusting partnership to bring the best of our content to African countries. Now, for this new stage, which includes some European countries, our expectations are the best possible. We will also have the expertise of Côte Ouest to understand which content works best for each country and we have classic releases and stories in our catalog that fit for different audiences.

The industry is undergoing a major transformation, and it’s clear that productions need to be increasingly strategic about production costs and audience expectations. What are your thoughts on this trend?

The audiovisual market is extremely dynamic and consumers are increasingly demanding with so much content on offer. I believe that for greater assertiveness it is important to understand the needs and particularities of each territory, our partners, and mainly, the audience’s desires. Our focus on selling formats, for example, is a result of this, as we saw that the market was interested in adapting successful plots with local elements.

We also saw that the public likes classic stories and, with this in mind, we have the Classic & Big Hits Project, in which we relaunch great audience hits, with timeless telenovelas that marked different generations in Brazil and around the world. We always remain attentive to market changes and have a varied portfolio that meets different demands.