‘Türkiye’s series exports to exceed $600 mln this year’

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s TV series exports are expected to exceed $600 million by the end of this year, according to Şekib Avdagiç, the head of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (İTO).

Nearly 100 Turkish series are currently featured in at least 150 countries around the world, Avdagiç said, speaking to the reporters after participating in MIPCOM’s (International Market of Communications Programs) fair online.

“Before the pandemic, the total sales of an outstanding Turkish series’ episode to the world were $650,000, now the total revenue per episode is around $350-400,000 dollars,” he said. “However, our sales numbers are increasing rapidly.”

“Looking at the feedback we received from our producer companies, we predict that we will exceed $600 million in TV series exports this year,” he suggested.

Türkiye was one of the rare countries where production paused less during the pandemic, he noted.

He also pointed out the added value of the series’ export, which is the main driver of Turkish-made content. “TV series are a huge value as they are followed by many brands and sectors. Bringing our culture to the world is just as important as its economic aspect,” he said.

Stating that both the content and the language of expression have changed in Turkish productions, Avdagiç said, “We are reaching the new generation with stories that are faster and outside the main line.”

Evaluating the impact of domestic and foreign digital streaming platforms, Avdagiç said though the exact figures are not known, the total number of their subscribers in Türkiye is estimated to be around 4 million.

These platforms played an active role in the spread of business and grew the TV series, film and entertainment industry, according to Avdagiç.

“With the help of digital platforms, we have started to be visible in some markets where we were not very popular. We are moving fast, especially in Western Europe, Germany and Spain,” he said.

Turkish companies have achieved very serious rating results in Spain, while dramas are also followed with great interest in Italy, he added.

“Our actors and actresses achieve international success by taking part in local productions, which is very important to us.”

Latin America is one of the regions with the highest increase in demand for Turkish TV series, he stated.

Türkiye has exported its series to some 152 countries in the last five years, rising to the second after the U.S. in demand from abroad, according to a recent report by İTO.

The report reveals that the Turkish film industry has progressed with popular films which provide high returns, many award-winning productions and the series, which have visibility in the foreign market.

MIPCOM, which is the global market of entertainment products across all platforms, organizes one of the world’s largest exhibitions of studios and distributors every year in Cannes, France.