"We already know that real cases and real stories definitely work well for us. That it works very well for us when a project has not three episodes but six. We're still learning what works for us in the spring, in the summer, in the fall, in the winter. Just as television copies some viewer needs and habits, SVOD is very much based on our needs when we pick up a laptop and pick up a series there. One interesting trend is that viewers of The Ordinary like to watch The Ordinary on SVOD at 8pm on Thursdays. That's really nice how people have linear or streaming connected to a lifestyle, a routine,"
Reitler commented.
According to the station's data, Voyo should now have over 820,000 subscribers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with a half/half split between men and women. According to Reitler, Voyo largely copies the socio-demographic profile of the viewers of the "big" Nova. "That profile is mostly made up of people with primary and secondary education. They are mostly people in smaller towns and villages, around 35 to 45 years of age - that's the core of the audience," Reitler outlined. Other data collected relates to the way series are consumed on SVOD - how episodes increase in viewership and how series become a phenomenon.
For example, the most successful series on Voyo in 2023 was Extractors. Nova is currently working on developing a second series, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will actually get made. Logically, the station also wants to build on the success of the series Method Markovic: Hojer and is currently developing the series Method Markovic: Straka. Another promising upcoming title could be The Well, based on the well-known story from the 30 Cases of Major Zeman series, and Nova is currently trying to launch comedy series in streaming.
Reitler's team is currently made up of about 14 creative producers, each of whom, according to Reitler's ideal ideas, should have about two projects in development and one in production. Compared to two years ago, the number of projects in development has decreased slightly, while the annual size of Reitler's development budget has increased.
"I stand for having our own references, not someone else's. When you pitch a concept, producers bring you fabrics in the style of 'something like Game of Thrones', 'something like Sex and the City'. You need your own production to say "something like The Roubal Case", "something like Math of Crime". You need to create differentiated types of projects in the beginning, and based on how the project works for you, you'll arrive at which of those things really works well. Nowadays, we're already choosing more carefully what to go into from the supply we get. We're comparing the projects we're offered to the ones we already have. Is it better than Extractors, is it better than Morning Glow? And that's how we start to sort it out. I don't know how it's going to turn out, but we're aiming more precisely."
says Reitler.
He sees gaining the trust of talented creators - actors, directors or writers - as important for getting content production off the ground for Nova and Voyo. "The best creators are the most timid. The courage with which David Ondříček, after Zátopek, started making King of Šumava - he's just a dude. David took a risk because the budget of King of Sumava was ridiculous compared to Zátopek, and because he's a heartthrob and a skilled fighter, he pulled it off."
Listen to the full interview here.
Source: borovan.cz
