Mediaset, Netflix content production deal
October 4, 2019
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Italian broadcaster Mediaset has reached an agreement with streaming platform Netflix to jointly produce movies.
The partners will co-finance seven titles and Netflix will contribute most of the funding, according to reports.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will be in Rome on October 8th to officially announce the multi-year deal.
In August, Mediaset CEO Piersilvio Berlusconi revealed that the broadcaster was in advanced negotiations with Netflix both regarding advertising and content production. He also said that Mediaset was talking with Amazon, but the discussions were at an early stage.
The partnership would be similar to that Netflix has with other broadcasters in countries in which it is active. In practice, this means Netflix would participate in the production of Mediaset titles in exchange for obtaining a first run screening period.
According to Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore, the pilot projects could include Made in Italy, a TV series starring Greta Ferro (pictured) and Margherita Buy, co-produced by Taodue Film and The Family for Mediaset, dedicated to the great Italian fashion in the 70s.