Post-NATPE Budapest, CEETV talks to Berkin Nalbantli, Sales Consultant for CEE and Africa at Eccho Rights. Besides its strong catalog of series coming from Turkey, the distributor is seeing an increased demand for scripted formats in the CEE region and growing sales for the English-language drama productions.



Eccho Rights is one of the few companies that has been offering CEE content for a long time. How has the market changed in the past few years?

One of the biggest and most exciting developments we have seen is an increase in demand for scripted formats in the region, with demand for drama increasing across the board and producers and broadcasters seeking every possible source of new stories that they can put a local spin on. As an example, we have seen massive success in Romania with Vlad (Ezel), and The Clan (Insider), two remakes of Turkish formats, the latter of which has just received a commission for a new spin-off.


How many hours of CEE content do you currently offer to your clients and from how many territories in the region?

We have a mix of content from Ukraine, Romania, Slovakia, Czechia, Poland. In total we represent around 275 hours of content.


What are Eccho Rights' latest hits and what are your bestsellers in the different territories?

In CEE Turkish Drama remains a clear favorite. The region is a real hot-spot for our long-running daily drama series, following the huge success of titles like Elif and Legacy, which have provided years of ratings-winning programming for broadcasters. Newer titles like Redemption, Winds of Love and Behind the Veil which we just launched in the spring, are immediately attracting attention in the region. But our biggest seller, not just in CEE but worldwide over the past 18 months has been Golden Boy, a story that has become legendary in Turkish Drama, and one that has broken several boundaries in terms of international sales, setting records and becoming a “first” for many territories.

We are also delighted to see that our English language catalog is getting great reception in CEE; we have recently made a number of deals, both with pan regional platforms and linear broadcasters for titles like The Inheritance, Desperate Measures and Granite Harbour.


Eccho Rights has a rich catalog of Turkish series which continue to fascinate viewers all over the world. What are your expectations for the Turkish drama market, will we see more titles coming out of Turkey or has the production market reached its peak?

It almost feels like the world has been waiting for the Turkish Drama market to peak for a number of years, but we see no sign of a slow down! There are certain important markets, particularly in the LATAM region, that have struggled in the past few years after the pandemic, but despite that, the continued strength from regions such as CEE as well increasing demand in Western Europe and across Africa, show that there is tremendous potential to keep growing.


You are also selling scripted formats, one of the latest adaptations is that of Open TV's Greek version of Turkish series My Sweet Lie. What other titles from your catalog have been successfully adapted and have you registered an increasing interest in CEE fiction format?

The Greek version of My Sweet Lie is actually the second adaptation of that title to have gone into production recently, with Markiza’s Slovak version Mom for Rent a huge success; it recently aired its 100th episode, and was just renewed for another season.

Elsewhere, one of the most well-known titles in our catalog is Servant of the People, the series that gave its name to President Zelensky’s election campaign and political party. Obviously, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine interest in the original series rose considerably, but the format has also continued to attract producers, with the Polish version recently airing its second season on Polsat.


Are you planning new partnerships to grow your catalog, namely co-productions? What new opportunities do you see on the CEE market?

While our current focus is on expanding our English language offering and cementing our position as the world’s leading distributor of Turkish Drama, we never stop looking for new opportunities, and have a close eye on developments in CEE.


Eccho Rights was one of the major exhibitors at NATPE Budapest. Which titles were your highlighting at the event?

Our headline title for this market was Those About to Die, an epic period drama starring Sir Anthony Hopkins for which we have distribution rights in select territories, including CEE. It is a Peacock Original, their most expensive title to date, and a truly landmark series, with incredible talent attached, including Hopkins, Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones), Tom Hughes (The English), Sara Martins (Death in Paradise), Jojo Macari (Sex Education), Moe Hashim (Ted Lasso) and Dimitri Leonidas (Riviera).

Those About to Die (10 x 60’) takes us to Rome, 79 AD. Heirs to the empire Titus (Hughes) and Domitian (Macari) are vying for the throne soon to be vacated by their elderly father Vespasian (Hopkins). As tensions mount, everyone’s fates hinge on the intense races and deadly games at the Circus Maximus and Flavian Amphitheater, where the scheming and corrupt bookmaker Tenax (Rheon), holds sway over Rome’s future.

Alongside this we had the very best in Turkish Drama to the market. Our top title for 2024 is I Am Mother, from O3 Medya, which has been scoring top ratings and warm reviews for Show TV this year and has been renewed for a second season expected in the autumn.

We also had the previously mentioned Winds of Love and Behind the Veil, both of which debuted in the spring, but have already been renewed for second seasons after strong starts on Turkey’s Kanal 7.