Viewpoints: acquisitions strategies

Francesco Mozzetti
Head of Acquisitions and Sales Department
RTI SPA, Mediaset Group
Italy

What are your acquisition strategies?

Mediaset is the main Italian commercial television and controls three Free to air channel in Italy (Canale 5, Italia 1 and Rete 4). We also own  three Free to air DTT channels (Boing, co-owned with Turner, Iris and Bis) and we have recently launched a Basic/Pay bouquet (Premium Gallery) which offers the best of the movies and series coming from Warner Bros and Universal but also many European products. We currently have volume/output agreement with almost all the majors (WB, Universal, Sony, Fox and Buenavista) and important contract with many European distributors.

What products are you looking for? What genres? From what countries?

The range of programmes and rights we look for is the largest possible. Needless to say that being a commercial TV we're mainly interested in programmes targeted to an audience up to 55 years old.

Our library is quite important and the moment and we're not in an "aggressive buying mood". However family movies, teen series and good animation are the three genres we are mainly looking for at the moment.

What are your key acquisition deals in 2007?

We've closed two major deals with Warner Bros and Universal for all rights (Free Tv, Pay TV, PPV, VOD) and important agreements with Buena Vista and Sony for Free TV.

What are your plans on MIPTV?

MIPTV and MIPCOM are always important to understand where the broadcast industry is going. Two appointments which are essential to move on with previous discussions and negotiations and to start new ones. Which actually happens since 17 years for me.