Onza Distribution expands its international presence with new fiction sales in key territories
Onza Distribution has closed deals for several telenovelas, such as ‘Cacao’, ‘Forever,’ and ‘Value of Life.’
‘Heartless’ and ‘Flowers Over the Inferno,’ two titles from Onza Distribution’s catalog, have been acquired by RTP (Portugal) and AntenaPLAY, part of Antena TV Group Romania.
The Spanish international sales agency has also sold ‘Traffic Jam’ to AntenaPLAY and ‘Allende, The 1000 Days’ to Canais TVCine (Portugal).
During this MIPCOM, Onza Distribution announced sales of several key titles from its catalog to Portugal, Romania, Croatia, Latvia, and Mozambique. Among the most relevant productions are telenovelas like ‘Cacao’ and ‘Forever’, as well as recent hits like ‘Heartless’, ‘Flowers Over the Inferno’, ‘Traffic Jam’ and ‘Allende, The 1000 Days’.
Another Sale for TVI’s Telenovelas
‘Cacao’ (220×50’) has been sold to Croatian broadcaster HRT, in addition to the 70 countries where the Portuguese series will air, such as Spain and Lithuania. This compelling story centers on a young woman named Cacao, whose life takes a dramatic turn when she discovers her real father is the owner of the cocoa farm she lives in. This revelation triggers a series of intrigues, as Cacao becomes a threat to the other heirs. Her life is in danger, but Tiago, a handsome young man she falls in love with, will do everything he can to protect her from her enemies.
Onza Distribution has also secured deals for the sale of other TVI telenovelas, such as ‘Forever’ (205×50’), sold to Helio Media in Latvia, and ‘Value of Life’ (207×50’), which will air in Mozambique soon.
‘Heartless’ y ‘Flowers over the inferno’ sold to RTP and AntenaPLAY
The thriller series ‘Heartless’ (8×45’), produced by Onza, which reached number 2 on Prime Video Series during its premiere in Spain, has been acquired by Portugal’s public broadcaster RTP and the streaming platform AntenaPLAY, part of Antena TV Group Romania. The series follows a ruthless kidnapper who targets the business elite of Madrid, torturing them through cruel psychological games. Haro, an aristocrat imprisoned for rape and murder, becomes a key figure in the investigation. He offers to cooperate with the authorities in exchange for a reduced sentence, though his true aim is to seek revenge on the judge who sentenced him.
The acclaimed Italian series ‘Flowers Over the Inferno’ (6×60’), first case of the profiler Teresa Battaglia, has also been sold to RTP and AntenaPLAY, including its new second season, ‘Sleeping Nymph’ (6×60’), which was added to Onza Distribution’s catalog for MIPCOM and will premiere on RAI1 on October 28. Produced by Publispei and based on the homonymous bestseller by Ilaria Tuti, the thriller follows the profiler Teresa Battaglia as she solves crimes in the Alps while battling Alzheimer at an early stage. In the new season, a young police officer is found dead after investigating her father’s alleged crime, which is tied to a series of murders and a mysterious painting called ‘The Sleeping Nymph.’
‘Allende, the 1000 days’ sold to Canais TVCine
‘Allende, The 1000 Days’ (4×50’), a drama that revisits the final years of Chilean president Salvador Allende’s life, has been sold to Canais TVCine (NOS) in Portugal. The series, which won a Platino Award for Alfredo Castro’s portrayal of Allende, has captured global attention for its powerful historical narrative. This political drama, produced by Chilean company Parox, has already been sold in several countries.
‘Traffic Jam’ sold to AntenaPLAY
Additionally, ‘Traffic Jam’ (6×25’), a comedy produced by Onza that brings together some of Spain’s top comedians and reached number one on Prime Video Spain during its premiere, has been acquired by Romania’s AntenaPLAY. The series depicts a traffic jam that disrupts the plans of thousands of citizens: thieves who won’t make it to the jewelry store they plan to rob, a couple crisis between two crane operators, an ambulance driver desperately seeking a bathroom, and a food truck that won’t reach its destination. These comical, unexpected, and emotional stories unfold on the road, featuring a cast of 25 of Spain’s leading comedy actors.
This agreement with Mediaset follows Onza Distribution‘s successful sale of the show’s ready made version to Estrella TV in the United States earlier this year. After several years of negotiations in Italy, Onza Distribution has finalized an agreement with Mediaset this month to adapt ‘The Anthill’ for the Italian market. This format has already been successfully adapted in several countries, including Brazil, Mexico, and Portugal.
‘The Anthill’ (‘El Hormiguero’) is the most successful prime time show in Spain, accumulating 18 seasons since its inception in 2006. Hosted by Pablo Motos, it airs on Antena 3 four times a week. The production company of ‘The Anthill,’ 7 y Acción, has also created other successful shows that are included in the Onza Distribution catalog. Among them are ‘The Celeb Challenge,’ prime time leader on Fridays with 4 seasons aired in Spain, and ‘The Way Home,’ a format recently acquired by Telefe Argentina. For its Italian version of ‘The Anthill,’ Mediaset is working on a weekly prime time broadcast on its channel Italia 1.
Onza Distribution announces new sales for documentaries ‘Young Addictions’ and ‘Real Madrid: The White Legend’, both produced by Onza. ‘Young Addictions’ (Adictos a la pantalla, 3×45’/1×52′), a documentary series portraying the reality of young people’s addictions to new technologies, has been acquired by ZDF in Germany, Al Jazeera for the pan-regional territory of MENA, Belgian channel RTBF, RTV
catalog in key territories in Central and Eastern Europe: Onza Distribution’s telenovelas ‘Forever’ and ‘Unlimited Love’ will travel to Serbia for the first time, whereas ‘Payback’ will renew its presence in Serbia, and ‘Cacao’ will have its premiere in Lithuania. On the other hand, TV fiction series ‘Motel Valkirias’, ‘Parot’, ‘Little Coincidences’ and ‘Flowers Over The Inferno’ will soon be available in Romania.
Onza Distribution started very well the 2024’s sales cycle, with ‘Cacao’ leading the way. Since its premiere last January on TVI in Portugal, and after being #1 prime time in Portugal ever since, the telenovela has already been acquired in Spain, CIS and Baltics, while important deals are still in negotiation in several other countries. ‘Forever’, ‘Payback’ and ‘Unlimited Love’ keeps engaging audiences all over the world, after being seen in the Balkans, LATAM or the US. Onza’s telenovelas has also amassed big success in awards, such as the International Emmys, which granted the Best Telenovela to ‘Payback’ in 2018 and a nomination for ‘Forever’ in 2023.
case of murder, this time in the landscapes of the Resia Valley, at the foot of the Alps.
‘Allende The Thousand Days’ is a historical drama recollecting the last years of former Chilean president Salvador Allende and his political aim in the thousand days that his presidency lasted. The series represents an important testimony committed to democracy with the purpose of reinforcing historical memory.
“The great success that Crimes has achieved in Spain since the airing of its first episode has attracted the attention of many international buyers,” comments Carlos Garde, General Manager of Onza. “It is a true crime series that has succeeded due to its high production quality and the public’s interest in these stories. We have witnessed that it is an addictive show that captivates the viewer and keeps them on edge until the very end.”
Payback (Ouro Verde) is the story of Ze, played by renowned actor Diogo Morgado, returns home, after being missing for years, with a false identity and a single goal: to avenge the death of his family. His plans get complicated when he meets Beatriz (Joana de Verona), his first love and the daughter of the person who murdered his family.
“The excellent reception in Uruguay by a telenovela like Payback reaffirms how important the Latin American market is for us,” adds Carlos Garde, Onza General Manager. “Payback had been released with great success in Latin America, in Brazil on channels like Bandeirantes and on platforms like Globoplay. Before that, it had traveled not only to European countries like Poland and France, but to more complicated territories such as the Middle East (UAE, Lebanon, etc.). We have also sold it to African countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Angola, and even Asian countries like China. It’s clear that Portuguese telenovelas have universal characteristics that allow them to travel easily and interest a large number of viewers from all continents and cultures”.