TV Globo, one of Latin America’s largest broadcasters, has carved out a strong position in its home territory of Brazil, the most populated area in the region with almost 200 million people. Octavio Florisbal, CEO of TV Globo, talks about the developing broadcast environment in the Brazilian market and how TV Globo is looking to make more of an impact in international markets — especially the United States where it announced a major new initiative this year. 

VIA SATELLITE: What are the most significant technical challenges facing TV Globo and its long-term plans?

Florisbal: We are facing many technical challenges right now. There is the move from analog TV into digital TV, as well as the transition from SD to HD. We are also seeing the transition from broadcast technology into IT technology. There is also the move from mono-media broadcast into multimedia — Internet, mobile, broadband, broadcast, etc. 

VIA SATELLITE: Will you need more satellite capacity to support more HD content?

Florisbal: We will need more satellite capacity in the near future to distribute our various feeds. We are already producing 100 percent of our prime-time content in HD and growing our overall programs into HD. All the new equipment and systems are implemented in HD as well as all of the new satellite feeds. Brazil is a continental size country and the best and the most appropriate way of distribution of our content is by satellite: locally, regionally and countrywide. 

VIA SATELLITE: What are your plans to develop the TV Globo proposition outside of Brazil?

Florisbal: We are distributing specific content channels in Portuguese around the world. Globo TV International was the first Brazilian channel to be broadcast abroad via satellite, cable and IPTV with digital quality, 24 hours a day. Since launching in 1999, the channel has acquired 570,000 premium subscribers in 115 countries on five continents. In addition to this, we have an exclusive premium channel for Brazilian football, PCF International, which has more than 200,000 subscribers in 22 countries.

During NATPE, in April this year, Globo TV International presented a new strategy to the U.S. market. A partnership with consultants Tony Fantozzi and Dick Robertson, former executives of William Morris and Warner, will contribute to the new distribution strategy for North America. The consultants will explore new co-production deals on English speaking channels, an important and competitive market, where TV Globo hopes to have more presence. 

VIA SATELLITE: As we enter a more fragmented media environment, what do you see as the challenges to stay relevant?

Florisbal: It is important to remember that terrestrial television is, and will be for a long time, the dominant mass media platform in Brazil. This fact is reflected in the terrestrial channels’ domination of audiences, compared with cable platforms and also DTH. This importance, contrary to what many were forecasting, has been reinforced in the last two years. The Internet enriches the experience of watching television because it adds interactivity, permits the construction of social communities around the programs, provides publication of previously unseen content connected with the programs and allows the portability of content, which becomes available on any platform. 

VIA SATELLITE: What is the next phase of TV Globo’s growth strategy?

Florisbal: We are going through a transformation phase as new scenarios for communication and media emerge. There has never been so much TV watched as today, not just because of the declining cost of devices, but also because of the number of new devices to watch TV on. Currently, TV isn’t just watched at home, but on cell phones, in cars, buses, trains and on computers. Globo is following this trend and will be increasingly present in the lives of its viewers in Brazil and around the world, always sharing quality content, in formats developed for all media platforms.

Rede Globo is also ready to get closer to its viewers and increase the life-cycle of its programs. Close to 200 hours of our content is available in high-quality digital format to download with total security. The productions can be purchased in their entirety or by episode, directly from Portal Globo Marcas. The purchased programs will be available to clients for an indefinite time period. The rented programs will be made available for 24 hours when they’re first played.