International Performance of Drama Series in Nine Small TV Markets

A look at the global market performance of high-quality series with a strong national identity in languages other than English.

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Is it possible to locally produce high-quality series with a strong national identity in languages other than English and sell them profitably on the global market? That’s the question that is being asked by the authors of a study titled “National Fiction on the Small Screen: Study on the Performance of Local and International Drama Series in Nine Small Televisual Markets.”

The authors interviewed major players (producer associations, support institutions, broadcasters and producers) in the production sectors of the following markets: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

The document presents detailed case studies on iconic TV series in the countries under study that shed new light on the conditions for producing drama series in these national markets.

The study arrives at several key conclusions. For example, the sums invested to develop series encourage performance in domestic and international markets. Also, it is difficult to determine if a significant difference exists between exporting a product in its entirety (dubbing/subtitling) and exporting a concept.