ATV Brings Its Most Ambitious Drama Slate to Cannes
ATV has built a name for itself on the international TV market with distinct and proven high-quality Turkish drama series, but this MIPCOM will be extra special for the brand as ATV Distribution is bringing its most ambitious slate to date to buyers in Cannes.
Müge Akar, Head of Global Sales, tells TVBIZZ Magazine more about the latest highlights in the catalog and what makes her team so excited about the 2026 MIPCOM CANNES market.
Müge Akar, Head of Global Sales, tells TVBIZZ Magazine more about the latest highlights in the catalog and what makes her team so excited about the 2026 MIPCOM CANNES market.
A.B.I.
Müge, ATV Distribution is coming to MIPCOM after generating significant international interest with its latest hits. What will be the main highlights of your MIPCOM 2026 slate, and which titles do you expect to attract the most attention in Cannes?
We are coming to MIPCOM 2026 with one of our strongest and most commercially promising slates to date, featuring titles that have already demonstrated strong audience engagement in Türkiye and generated early interest from international buyers.
One of our key highlights will be Land of the Sun, produced by TIMSBI Productions and starring Burak Ozcivit and Beyza Gumulcine. Set between Berlin and Adana, the series combines a powerful love story with family conflict, long-buried secrets and a rich cultural backdrop. The series made a remarkable debut on ATV on September 17, becoming the highest-rated primetime Turkish drama in both the AB and ABC1 demographics on the night of its premiere.
Another major title is Different Lives, which quickly became one of the standout successes of the summer season. The series launched as the strongest summer premiere and continued to deliver exceptional ratings even after the start of the highly competitive main season, becoming the most-watched series in its time slot. The story follows Emir, a talented young footballer whose pursuit of a better future turns into a quest for justice after a family tragedy, blending family drama, ambition, friendship, romance and the universal appeal of football.
We are also excited to present Redemption, a powerful new drama built around themes of second chances, family ties and personal transformation. With its emotionally driven narrative and strong character arcs, we believe it has significant international potential and will attract buyers looking for premium character-driven storytelling.
Another important title in our slate is A.B.I.: A Broken Inheritance, which has already been licensed in 68 countries worldwide, including MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Albania, Romania and Kazakhstan. As the series enters its second season, audiences will see Berguzar Korel join the cast alongside Kenan Imirzalioglu. Their reunion brings together two of Türkiye’s most beloved and internationally recognized stars, adding a fresh dynamic and a new emotional layer to the story. The chemistry between them is immediately apparent on screen and is expected to further strengthen the series’ international appeal.
From a sales perspective, this year’s slate offers a strong mix of proven ratings success, internationally recognized talent and universally appealing stories. We believe these titles are well positioned to generate new licensing opportunities across multiple regions, strengthen existing partnerships and attract broadcasters and platforms looking for premium Turkish drama with broad audience appeal.
Different Lives has already secured its first international deal with Noor Play for MENA, with the series airing simultaneously across 20 countries alongside its Turkish broadcast. What did you see in this title that made you confident it could travel internationally so quickly, and are you actively pursuing more day-and-date launches?
From the very beginning, we saw strong international potential in Different Lives. It has the classic elements audiences expect from Turkish drama; family, love, ambition, conflict and justice but combines them with a very catchy storyline and a number of realistic, relatable details drawn from everyday life.
The young and talented cast is another key strength, with almost every character offering something audiences can identify with. The contrast between wealth and poverty creates an additional layer of tension, while the supporting characters actively contribute to the main story rather than simply filling out the narrative.
Its strong performance in Türkiye reinforced our confidence in the title, and the agreement with Noor Play, bringing the series to 20 MENA countries simultaneously with its Turkish broadcast, marked an important first step in its international journey.
We see day-and-date launches as a valuable strategy for titles with strong audience potential, allowing them to build momentum and engage viewers across markets from the very beginning. We will continue to explore similar opportunities where the title and market conditions make it commercially relevant.
The Nightfall has expanded into one of Europe’s major television markets through its deal with Mediaset in Italy. What does the show’s performance and its journey into Western Europe tell you about the opportunities for ATV’s dramas in markets that were once considered more difficult for Turkish content?
The Nightfall’s expansion into Italy is a strong example of how Turkish dramas continue to broaden their reach internationally. What makes this particularly encouraging is that the series has succeeded with a story that remains authentic to its roots while offering themes and emotions that travel naturally across cultures.
Its expansion into major European markets, including Italy through Mediaset, as well as Spain, Romania, Hungary and Bosnia, confirms that audiences continue to respond to compelling storytelling regardless of language or origin.
For ATV Distribution, this is an encouraging sign that opportunities in Western Europe are growing. Buyers are increasingly recognizing the quality, scale and emotional resonance of Turkish dramas, creating new opportunities for both our latest productions and our broader catalog. We see this as part of a wider trend in which Turkish content is reaching increasingly diverse audiences and establishing a stronger presence in markets that were once considered more challenging.
ATV has been particularly successful with dramas built around strong family conflicts, social issues and emotionally driven characters. Are you seeing any change in what international buyers are asking for now? Are they looking for shorter dramas, more contemporary stories, younger casts or different genres?
We are seeing that buyer expectations can vary significantly from one market to another, so rather than one single trend, we see demand for a broad range of content. Different territories have different audience profiles, and this diversity is reflected in the types of stories buyers are looking for.
This is where the diversity of ATV’s catalog becomes particularly important. Alongside our family-driven dramas and emotionally rich stories, our portfolio includes historical and period dramas, youth-oriented series, character-driven dramas, revenge stories, and action titles, offering a wide range of genres and storytelling styles for international audiences.
Our vision at ATV is to create stories that can speak to audiences with different tastes and interests and take these stories to screens around the world. We therefore focus on building a broad slate rather than following a single content trend, allowing us to match the right title with the right market and audience.
A.B.I. was one of the strongest new launches in spring and is returning for a second season, while Different Lives has also started strongly domestically. How closely do international buyers follow Turkish ratings today, and how much does a show’s performance at home influence your international sales strategy?
International buyers closely follow ratings in Türkiye, particularly during the September launch period, when they are evaluating the new season’s titles. Strong early performance gives buyers an important indication of a series’ audience appeal and can generate immediate international interest.
We have seen this with titles such as Land of the Sun, A.B.I.: A Broken Inheritance and Different Lives, whose strong domestic performances have supported our international sales conversations and helped demonstrate their audience potential.
That said, ratings are only one part of the equation. Buyers also look closely at the story, cast, production quality and overall fit with their local audience. Our role is to bring these elements together and identify the right positioning and markets for each title.
ATV Distribution has continued to close deals across very different territories, from MENA to Western and Eastern Europe. Which markets are currently showing the strongest growth for your content, and where do you still see significant untapped potential?
We continue to see strong demand across MENA, Eastern Europe and Latin America, with opportunities both for new launches and for expanding our established catalogue. In these regions, we are seeing room to work with additional broadcasters and platforms, as well as to introduce more titles to partners who already know and follow Turkish drama.
Looking ahead, we see further potential in territories where Turkish content has a more limited presence, particularly through new broadcaster and platform relationships. We also see opportunities to extend the reach of our catalog, including established titles that can find new audiences as Turkish drama continues to travel internationally.
The Turkish drama market is becoming increasingly competitive, with distributors launching more and more titles internationally every season. What is ATV Distribution doing to differentiate its slate beyond the strength of the ATV brand, and how important are exclusive premieres, simultaneous launches and marketing support in winning deals?
The Turkish drama market is highly competitive, and we believe differentiation comes from more than the strength of the ATV brand. Our focus is on building a slate that combines strong stories, proven audience performance, internationally recognized talent and a clear proposition for each market.
We also take a flexible approach to launching our titles internationally. Depending on the series and the territory, exclusive premieres and simultaneous launches can create valuable momentum and allow our partners to position a title as a key new release. Different Lives, for example, premiered simultaneously in 20 MENA countries alongside its Turkish broadcast, creating an immediate connection between the domestic and international audiences.
Marketing support is another important part of our strategy. We work closely with our partners from the launch stage, providing tailored promotional materials and digital assets to help maximize visibility and audience engagement. For us, the objective is not simply to license a title, but to build the right launch strategy around it and create the strongest possible opportunity in each territory.
Looking at the business side, are you seeing a change in the balance between free TV broadcasters, pay TV channels and streaming platforms among your international clients? Are platforms becoming more willing to take Turkish dramas earlier, sometimes even before their Turkish ratings trajectory is fully established?
We are seeing a broader mix of buyers across our international business. Traditional broadcasters and pay TV channels remain important partners, while streaming platforms have become increasingly active in acquiring Turkish dramas and are often more open to evaluating titles at an earlier stage.
We do see platforms showing interest before a series has built a long ratings trajectory in Türkiye, particularly when the title has a strong cast, distinctive story and clear international potential. However, domestic performance remains an important reference point, especially for broadcasters, as it provides valuable insight into audience response.
What would make MIPCOM 2026 a successful market for ATV Distribution? Beyond selling individual series, are you looking to establish new long-term partnerships, expand into new territories, develop co-production opportunities or explore new business models for ATV’s very large content library?
For us, a successful MIPCOM 2026 would be measured by concrete business outcomes: new licensing agreements for our latest titles, entry into new territories, and the number of new clients and long-term partnerships we establish.
A key priority will be converting meetings around our new season slate into deals for titles such as Land of the Sun, Different Lives, A.B.I.: A Broken Inheritance and Redemption. At the same time, we want to generate new opportunities for our established catalogue and expand its reach into additional markets.
We are coming to MIPCOM 2026 with one of our strongest and most commercially promising slates to date, featuring titles that have already demonstrated strong audience engagement in Türkiye and generated early interest from international buyers.
One of our key highlights will be Land of the Sun, produced by TIMSBI Productions and starring Burak Ozcivit and Beyza Gumulcine. Set between Berlin and Adana, the series combines a powerful love story with family conflict, long-buried secrets and a rich cultural backdrop. The series made a remarkable debut on ATV on September 17, becoming the highest-rated primetime Turkish drama in both the AB and ABC1 demographics on the night of its premiere.
Another major title is Different Lives, which quickly became one of the standout successes of the summer season. The series launched as the strongest summer premiere and continued to deliver exceptional ratings even after the start of the highly competitive main season, becoming the most-watched series in its time slot. The story follows Emir, a talented young footballer whose pursuit of a better future turns into a quest for justice after a family tragedy, blending family drama, ambition, friendship, romance and the universal appeal of football.
We are also excited to present Redemption, a powerful new drama built around themes of second chances, family ties and personal transformation. With its emotionally driven narrative and strong character arcs, we believe it has significant international potential and will attract buyers looking for premium character-driven storytelling.
Another important title in our slate is A.B.I.: A Broken Inheritance, which has already been licensed in 68 countries worldwide, including MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Albania, Romania and Kazakhstan. As the series enters its second season, audiences will see Berguzar Korel join the cast alongside Kenan Imirzalioglu. Their reunion brings together two of Türkiye’s most beloved and internationally recognized stars, adding a fresh dynamic and a new emotional layer to the story. The chemistry between them is immediately apparent on screen and is expected to further strengthen the series’ international appeal.
From a sales perspective, this year’s slate offers a strong mix of proven ratings success, internationally recognized talent and universally appealing stories. We believe these titles are well positioned to generate new licensing opportunities across multiple regions, strengthen existing partnerships and attract broadcasters and platforms looking for premium Turkish drama with broad audience appeal.
Villa Coral
Different Lives has already secured its first international deal with Noor Play for MENA, with the series airing simultaneously across 20 countries alongside its Turkish broadcast. What did you see in this title that made you confident it could travel internationally so quickly, and are you actively pursuing more day-and-date launches?
From the very beginning, we saw strong international potential in Different Lives. It has the classic elements audiences expect from Turkish drama; family, love, ambition, conflict and justice but combines them with a very catchy storyline and a number of realistic, relatable details drawn from everyday life.
The young and talented cast is another key strength, with almost every character offering something audiences can identify with. The contrast between wealth and poverty creates an additional layer of tension, while the supporting characters actively contribute to the main story rather than simply filling out the narrative.
Its strong performance in Türkiye reinforced our confidence in the title, and the agreement with Noor Play, bringing the series to 20 MENA countries simultaneously with its Turkish broadcast, marked an important first step in its international journey.
We see day-and-date launches as a valuable strategy for titles with strong audience potential, allowing them to build momentum and engage viewers across markets from the very beginning. We will continue to explore similar opportunities where the title and market conditions make it commercially relevant.
The Nightfall has expanded into one of Europe’s major television markets through its deal with Mediaset in Italy. What does the show’s performance and its journey into Western Europe tell you about the opportunities for ATV’s dramas in markets that were once considered more difficult for Turkish content?
The Nightfall’s expansion into Italy is a strong example of how Turkish dramas continue to broaden their reach internationally. What makes this particularly encouraging is that the series has succeeded with a story that remains authentic to its roots while offering themes and emotions that travel naturally across cultures.
Its expansion into major European markets, including Italy through Mediaset, as well as Spain, Romania, Hungary and Bosnia, confirms that audiences continue to respond to compelling storytelling regardless of language or origin.
For ATV Distribution, this is an encouraging sign that opportunities in Western Europe are growing. Buyers are increasingly recognizing the quality, scale and emotional resonance of Turkish dramas, creating new opportunities for both our latest productions and our broader catalog. We see this as part of a wider trend in which Turkish content is reaching increasingly diverse audiences and establishing a stronger presence in markets that were once considered more challenging.
The Nightfall
ATV has been particularly successful with dramas built around strong family conflicts, social issues and emotionally driven characters. Are you seeing any change in what international buyers are asking for now? Are they looking for shorter dramas, more contemporary stories, younger casts or different genres?
We are seeing that buyer expectations can vary significantly from one market to another, so rather than one single trend, we see demand for a broad range of content. Different territories have different audience profiles, and this diversity is reflected in the types of stories buyers are looking for.
This is where the diversity of ATV’s catalog becomes particularly important. Alongside our family-driven dramas and emotionally rich stories, our portfolio includes historical and period dramas, youth-oriented series, character-driven dramas, revenge stories, and action titles, offering a wide range of genres and storytelling styles for international audiences.
Our vision at ATV is to create stories that can speak to audiences with different tastes and interests and take these stories to screens around the world. We therefore focus on building a broad slate rather than following a single content trend, allowing us to match the right title with the right market and audience.
A.B.I. was one of the strongest new launches in spring and is returning for a second season, while Different Lives has also started strongly domestically. How closely do international buyers follow Turkish ratings today, and how much does a show’s performance at home influence your international sales strategy?
International buyers closely follow ratings in Türkiye, particularly during the September launch period, when they are evaluating the new season’s titles. Strong early performance gives buyers an important indication of a series’ audience appeal and can generate immediate international interest.
We have seen this with titles such as Land of the Sun, A.B.I.: A Broken Inheritance and Different Lives, whose strong domestic performances have supported our international sales conversations and helped demonstrate their audience potential.
That said, ratings are only one part of the equation. Buyers also look closely at the story, cast, production quality and overall fit with their local audience. Our role is to bring these elements together and identify the right positioning and markets for each title.
ATV Distribution has continued to close deals across very different territories, from MENA to Western and Eastern Europe. Which markets are currently showing the strongest growth for your content, and where do you still see significant untapped potential?
We continue to see strong demand across MENA, Eastern Europe and Latin America, with opportunities both for new launches and for expanding our established catalogue. In these regions, we are seeing room to work with additional broadcasters and platforms, as well as to introduce more titles to partners who already know and follow Turkish drama.
Looking ahead, we see further potential in territories where Turkish content has a more limited presence, particularly through new broadcaster and platform relationships. We also see opportunities to extend the reach of our catalog, including established titles that can find new audiences as Turkish drama continues to travel internationally.
Different Lives
The Turkish drama market is becoming increasingly competitive, with distributors launching more and more titles internationally every season. What is ATV Distribution doing to differentiate its slate beyond the strength of the ATV brand, and how important are exclusive premieres, simultaneous launches and marketing support in winning deals?
The Turkish drama market is highly competitive, and we believe differentiation comes from more than the strength of the ATV brand. Our focus is on building a slate that combines strong stories, proven audience performance, internationally recognized talent and a clear proposition for each market.
We also take a flexible approach to launching our titles internationally. Depending on the series and the territory, exclusive premieres and simultaneous launches can create valuable momentum and allow our partners to position a title as a key new release. Different Lives, for example, premiered simultaneously in 20 MENA countries alongside its Turkish broadcast, creating an immediate connection between the domestic and international audiences.
Marketing support is another important part of our strategy. We work closely with our partners from the launch stage, providing tailored promotional materials and digital assets to help maximize visibility and audience engagement. For us, the objective is not simply to license a title, but to build the right launch strategy around it and create the strongest possible opportunity in each territory.
Looking at the business side, are you seeing a change in the balance between free TV broadcasters, pay TV channels and streaming platforms among your international clients? Are platforms becoming more willing to take Turkish dramas earlier, sometimes even before their Turkish ratings trajectory is fully established?
We are seeing a broader mix of buyers across our international business. Traditional broadcasters and pay TV channels remain important partners, while streaming platforms have become increasingly active in acquiring Turkish dramas and are often more open to evaluating titles at an earlier stage.
We do see platforms showing interest before a series has built a long ratings trajectory in Türkiye, particularly when the title has a strong cast, distinctive story and clear international potential. However, domestic performance remains an important reference point, especially for broadcasters, as it provides valuable insight into audience response.
What would make MIPCOM 2026 a successful market for ATV Distribution? Beyond selling individual series, are you looking to establish new long-term partnerships, expand into new territories, develop co-production opportunities or explore new business models for ATV’s very large content library?
For us, a successful MIPCOM 2026 would be measured by concrete business outcomes: new licensing agreements for our latest titles, entry into new territories, and the number of new clients and long-term partnerships we establish.
A key priority will be converting meetings around our new season slate into deals for titles such as Land of the Sun, Different Lives, A.B.I.: A Broken Inheritance and Redemption. At the same time, we want to generate new opportunities for our established catalogue and expand its reach into additional markets.
