OGM UNIVERSE Moves Forward With Its Expansion Strategy at MIPCOM
Ekin Koyuncu, Global Distribution & Partnership Director, talks about the recent hits from their catalog and the next stage in the distributor’s development – from expanding into new markets to finding long-term international partners to create new alliances and deliver content that is relevant to the audiences in the respective markets across the globe.
Ekin Koyuncu, Global Distribution & Partnership Director
Ekin, OGM UNIVERSE has enjoyed a year with a much broader international footprint and a growing number of multi-territory deals. How would you describe the company’s evolution from a young Turkish distributor into a global content brand, and what are the next milestones you want to achieve?
OGM UNIVERSE is an independent content distribution company powered by OGM Pictures. Our close connection with OGM Pictures gives us a strong creative foundation, while our independent structure allows us to represent titles from other producers and distributors. Our purpose is to connect compelling stories with the right partners and audiences around the world. Our catalog is now licensed in more than 110 countries, but our evolution goes beyond geographical reach. Increasingly, buyers approach us with a specific audience, a programming need and an expectation that we understand their market. Those conversations have become more collaborative, allowing us to contribute to how a title is selected, positioned and introduced to viewers. For us, that is an important part of becoming a global content brand: developing a clear editorial identity and being a trusted partner in the decisions surrounding our content.
Our next milestones b
Looking at MIPCOM 2026, what will be the key titles and priorities OGM UNIVERSE brings to Cannes?
Our two flagship priorities in Cannes are the international launch of Ferda (Karakuyu) and the presentation of the second season of Deep in Love (Taşacak Bu Deniz).
Ferda is the title buyers will be meeting for the first time. Starring Özge Törer as Ferda and Onur Tuna as Kahraman, it follows a woman who was forced to flee her hometown as a teenager and rebuilt her life under a different identity. Twelve years later, an unexpected inheritance brings her back to Karakuyu, where everyone believes she is dead. The land she inherits unsettles the local balance of power, and when she discovers that her sisters remain trapped within the system she escaped, a brief return becomes a decision to stay and fight. Set in Tokat, it is a female-driven story of freedom, justice and confronting the past, with a complex romance at its center.
Deep in Love returns following a record-breaking first season that ranked No. 1 across all ratings groups for 31 consecutive weeks. Its second season asks whether Adil, Esme and the family they finally brought together can protect what they fought for as old rivalries and new threats emerge.
Alongside these two flagship titles, we will update buyers on the continued international progress of Six of Us, The Fall of the King, Lost in Love, Reborn and Broken Destiny. These conversations also give us an opportunity to understand our partners’ upcoming programming needs and explore how we can work together over the longer term. We see MIPCOM as a place to turn the momentum of our slate into lasting partnerships.
Six of Us has become one of your most widely traveled titles, with sales now spanning Europe, Asia, MENA, Africa and other territories. What do you believe makes the series so universally appealing, and how important is it for OGM UNIVERSE to have a title that can travel across such culturally diverse markets?
Six of Us has become one of the most widely travelled titles in our catalog, and I believe its appeal begins with something very simple: the need to belong. It is a story about family, loyalty and how far people will go to protect those they love. Audiences recognize those emotions immediately, even when the world on screen is different from their own. The series retains its Turkish identity, while giving viewers everywhere a personal way into the story.
That emotional connection is what allows it to cross cultural boundaries. Viewers can see something of their own relationships, fears and hopes in the characters. As the story develops, those characters become part of their lives, and their struggles become a reason to return to the next episode.
For OGM UNIVERSE, the importance of that reach extends beyond the sales of one series. When a title connects with audiences around the world, it gives partners confidence to explore what else our catalog can offer. It demonstrates that a story rooted in Türkiye can build lasting audience relationships across very different cultures. That is central to our international ambition, and Six of Us is a powerful example of it.
The Fall of the King, Reborn, Lost in Love and Broken Destiny have all continued to generate new international sales. Are you seeing buyers increasingly interested in acquiring several OGM titles at once, and has the strength of your library changed the way you approach negotiations with major broadcasters and platforms?
Yes, we increasingly see opportunities to discuss several titles within the same partnership. Buyers come with a broader programming strategy in mind, and the range within our catalog allows us to respond with titles that serve different audiences and scheduling needs. That gives the negotiation a longer-term perspective: alongside the potential of an individual series, we can discuss how several titles might contribute to a partner’s programming over time.
It also makes our preparation more specific. We look at which story suits which audience, where it belongs in the schedule and how its rights and release windows should be structured. With fewer available slots and more content competing for them, the fit between a title and its broadcaster or platform becomes even more important. Our catalog gives us more options, while our knowledge of each market helps us make the right selection.
Six of Us, The Fall of the King, Lost in Love, Reborn and Broken Destiny help open the conversation; the work that follows is still title by title and territory by territory. The strength of the library gives partners confidence to explore a broader relationship with us, but each acquisition needs a clear purpose within their own strategy.
Deep in Love has emerged as one of the major Turkish drama successes of the 2025–26 season, with strong domestic ratings and significant digital engagement. How has its international performance compared with your initial expectations, and what markets have responded particularly strongly to the series?
Deep in Love’s first season gave us a powerful foundation for its international journey. In Türkiye, it became one of the defining drama successes of the 2025–26 season, breaking ratings records and ranking 1 across Total, AB and ABC1 for 31 consecutive weeks. Maintaining that position throughout its first season run demonstrated an exceptional level of audience loyalty.
Its appeal also crossed generations. Viewers connected with Adil and Esme’s long and painful love story, while Eleni and Oruç brought a younger generation into the drama. Beyond television, related content generated billions of views on YouTube, extending the series’ visibility and keeping audiences engaged with its characters, music and memorable scenes between episodes. Together, those elements gave international buyers compelling evidence of its ability to build and sustain an audience.
We recognized its international potential early, and the buyer interest and sales across numerous territories have reinforced that confidence. Its Romeo and Juliet-like premise offers a timeless emotional connection, while the family mystery and distinctive Black Sea setting give it an identity of its own.
Latin America, the US and Iberia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the CIS, the Baltics and MENA remain key markets in our strategy for the series. We also see strong potential in Western Europe, Asia and Africa. Returning to MIPCOM with a second season allows us to build on the first season’s success and offer partners a new chapter in a story that has already established a powerful connection with audiences.
The Gentleman represents another important addition to your portfolio, combining a strong local identity with a more contemporary crime and revenge-driven story. What does this title tell us about the direction OGM Pictures is taking creatively, and are international buyers becoming more receptive to genres beyond the traditional Turkish family melodrama?
The Gentleman (Delikanlı) illustrates how OGM Pictures is exploring different dramatic territory while retaining its strength in emotional storytelling. Love, family, class and betrayal remain central, but they unfold within a darker, contemporary story driven by revenge. Mert Ramazan Demir plays Yusuf, a young man from the outskirts of Istanbul whose hopes of building a life with his first love, Hazan, are shattered when he becomes entangled with the powerful Kızılhan family. Years later, he returns under a new identity, torn between the woman he once loved and his desire for revenge.
Yusuf’s transformation gives the series its momentum. Viewers follow both what he plans to do and what those choices will cost him. That allows the story to explore morally complicated territory while preserving the emotional connection that audiences value in Turkish drama. For us, it demonstrates how romance and family conflict can support a wider range of genres and appeal to viewers looking for a different tone.
Although the series had a shorter run in Türkiye, it concluded with a powerful finale. We have licensed it in the CIS and MENA, and discussions are ongoing in Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. Those sales provide an encouraging indication of its international potential.
We increasingly find that conversations with buyers focus on the individual story, its tone and the audience it can reach. There is room for distinctive, well-made drama that happens to be Turkish, and that creates opportunities for more contemporary, morally complex stories within our portfolio.
CEE and the Balkans have been long-term strategic markets for Turkish content. How do you see the region evolving today, particularly as broadcasters face increasing competition from global streamers and local platforms?
Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans are established core markets for OGM UNIVERSE, alongside the Baltics. These are relationships we want to deepen, supported by audiences who already have a strong connection with Turkish drama. What is changing is the competition for their attention. With more content available and limited programming slots, buyers need to be increasingly precise about what they acquire.
That makes sustained audience engagement particularly valuable. Long-running, emotionally driven drama gives broadcasters the opportunity to build viewing habits around characters audiences grow attached to over time. Alongside that, carefully structured linear and streaming windows can help a series reach different audience groups. We assess those possibilities with each partner, defining rights, timing and positioning according to the title and the market.
We also approach the region country by country. Audience preferences, localization requirements and programming priorities difafer, and success in one territory does not automatically translate into success in another. Our established relationships help us understand those differences and make more informed decisions about where each title belongs.
Western Europe has also become an important area of expansion for OGM UNIVERSE. What have you learned from entering markets where Turkish drama has historically faced more competition, and what does a successful launch strategy look like in countries such as Spain, France, Germany or Italy?
Western Europe requires a particularly considered approach because familiarity with Turkish drama varies considerably from one country to another. Spain, France, Germany and Italy each have their own audience expectations and programming dynamics. The program has to stand on its own, with a story that gives viewers a clear reason to watch.
For us, that means building the launch around the individual title. We lead with its emotional premise, characters and distinctive qualities. Deep in Love, for example, offers a timeless story of forbidden love alongside a family mystery and a striking Black Sea setting, making it a compelling introduction for audiences less familiar with Turkish drama.
Localization and marketing are integral to that process. The local-language presentation, title, artwork and promotional campaign should work together to communicate what makes the series appealing. Just as importantly, we need a partner who understands where it belongs within their offering and how to introduce it to their viewers.
Our ambition is to build a lasting presence through successful individual launches. That takes close collaboration and patience, with each series helping establish audience trust and creating opportunities for the titles that follow.
You have spoken about moving beyond traditional licensing toward longer-term creative and strategic partnerships. Are co-productions, adaptations and development partnerships becoming a bigger part of OGM UNIVERSE’s business, and what kinds of international partners are you looking to work with now?
Finished-content licensing remains the foundation of our business, and we want to build on those relationships by exploring format sales, local adaptations and, where the right opportunity exists, development or co-production partnerships. We see potential in conversations that begin earlier in a project’s life and allow both sides to contribute to its direction.
Our close relationship with OGM Pictures gives us a valuable connection to the creative process behind many of the titles in our catalog. It allows us to bring an understanding of the original story into discussions about how it might take a new form for another audience. Any collaboration would need a clear creative purpose and a structure that works for everyone involved.
We are interested in producers, broadcasters and platforms with strong local knowledge and a clear vision for the project. For an adaptation, that means understanding which emotional elements should be preserved and where the story needs to change to feel authentic in its new setting. For a project developed together, it means establishing that shared understanding from the beginning. We are open to exploring these opportunities selectively, with the quality of the partnership guiding our decisions.
Turkish drama is now competing globally not only with other Turkish distributors but also with Korean, Latino, European and US content. What do you think will define the next phase of Turkish drama’s international growth, and where do you see OGM UNIVERSE playing the biggest role in that expansion?
I believe the next phase of Turkish drama’s international growth will be defined by differentiation. Buyers and audiences have an extraordinary range of choices, so every series needs to make a compelling case for itself through its story, performances and production quality. The international reputation of Turkish drama gives us a strong foundation, but each new title must earn its own audience.
Cultural specificity will remain a strength. A distinctive setting, a particular family dynamic or a locally rooted conflict can give a story the identity that makes it memorable internationally. Deep in Love’s Black Sea world and Ferda’s story of a woman confronting the forces that shaped her past offer different examples of how that identity can connect with universal emotions.
We also need flexibility in storytelling and distribution. Long-running drama series continue to offer emotional depth and sustained engagement, while more compact digital productions create space for different genres and viewing habits. Each requires an approach suited to its audience and platform.
As an independent company powered by OGM Pictures, OGM UNIVERSE’s role is to connect compelling stories that change the international landscape. Our close relationship with OGM Pictures is a strong foundation for this work, alongside our ability to represent titles from other producers and distributors. We want to help each story find the right partners, build a lasting audience and realize its potential across territories and, where appropriate, through adaptations. That close connection between creation and distribution is where we believe we can make our strongest contribution.
OGM UNIVERSE is an independent content distribution company powered by OGM Pictures. Our close connection with OGM Pictures gives us a strong creative foundation, while our independent structure allows us to represent titles from other producers and distributors. Our purpose is to connect compelling stories with the right partners and audiences around the world. Our catalog is now licensed in more than 110 countries, but our evolution goes beyond geographical reach. Increasingly, buyers approach us with a specific audience, a programming need and an expectation that we understand their market. Those conversations have become more collaborative, allowing us to contribute to how a title is selected, positioned and introduced to viewers. For us, that is an important part of becoming a global content brand: developing a clear editorial identity and being a trusted partner in the decisions surrounding our content.
Our next milestones b
Looking at MIPCOM 2026, what will be the key titles and priorities OGM UNIVERSE brings to Cannes?
Our two flagship priorities in Cannes are the international launch of Ferda (Karakuyu) and the presentation of the second season of Deep in Love (Taşacak Bu Deniz).
Ferda is the title buyers will be meeting for the first time. Starring Özge Törer as Ferda and Onur Tuna as Kahraman, it follows a woman who was forced to flee her hometown as a teenager and rebuilt her life under a different identity. Twelve years later, an unexpected inheritance brings her back to Karakuyu, where everyone believes she is dead. The land she inherits unsettles the local balance of power, and when she discovers that her sisters remain trapped within the system she escaped, a brief return becomes a decision to stay and fight. Set in Tokat, it is a female-driven story of freedom, justice and confronting the past, with a complex romance at its center.
Deep in Love returns following a record-breaking first season that ranked No. 1 across all ratings groups for 31 consecutive weeks. Its second season asks whether Adil, Esme and the family they finally brought together can protect what they fought for as old rivalries and new threats emerge.
Alongside these two flagship titles, we will update buyers on the continued international progress of Six of Us, The Fall of the King, Lost in Love, Reborn and Broken Destiny. These conversations also give us an opportunity to understand our partners’ upcoming programming needs and explore how we can work together over the longer term. We see MIPCOM as a place to turn the momentum of our slate into lasting partnerships.
Six of Us has become one of your most widely traveled titles, with sales now spanning Europe, Asia, MENA, Africa and other territories. What do you believe makes the series so universally appealing, and how important is it for OGM UNIVERSE to have a title that can travel across such culturally diverse markets?
Six of Us has become one of the most widely travelled titles in our catalog, and I believe its appeal begins with something very simple: the need to belong. It is a story about family, loyalty and how far people will go to protect those they love. Audiences recognize those emotions immediately, even when the world on screen is different from their own. The series retains its Turkish identity, while giving viewers everywhere a personal way into the story.
That emotional connection is what allows it to cross cultural boundaries. Viewers can see something of their own relationships, fears and hopes in the characters. As the story develops, those characters become part of their lives, and their struggles become a reason to return to the next episode.
For OGM UNIVERSE, the importance of that reach extends beyond the sales of one series. When a title connects with audiences around the world, it gives partners confidence to explore what else our catalog can offer. It demonstrates that a story rooted in Türkiye can build lasting audience relationships across very different cultures. That is central to our international ambition, and Six of Us is a powerful example of it.
The Fall of the King, Reborn, Lost in Love and Broken Destiny have all continued to generate new international sales. Are you seeing buyers increasingly interested in acquiring several OGM titles at once, and has the strength of your library changed the way you approach negotiations with major broadcasters and platforms?
Yes, we increasingly see opportunities to discuss several titles within the same partnership. Buyers come with a broader programming strategy in mind, and the range within our catalog allows us to respond with titles that serve different audiences and scheduling needs. That gives the negotiation a longer-term perspective: alongside the potential of an individual series, we can discuss how several titles might contribute to a partner’s programming over time.
It also makes our preparation more specific. We look at which story suits which audience, where it belongs in the schedule and how its rights and release windows should be structured. With fewer available slots and more content competing for them, the fit between a title and its broadcaster or platform becomes even more important. Our catalog gives us more options, while our knowledge of each market helps us make the right selection.
Six of Us, The Fall of the King, Lost in Love, Reborn and Broken Destiny help open the conversation; the work that follows is still title by title and territory by territory. The strength of the library gives partners confidence to explore a broader relationship with us, but each acquisition needs a clear purpose within their own strategy.
The Gentleman
Deep in Love has emerged as one of the major Turkish drama successes of the 2025–26 season, with strong domestic ratings and significant digital engagement. How has its international performance compared with your initial expectations, and what markets have responded particularly strongly to the series?
Deep in Love’s first season gave us a powerful foundation for its international journey. In Türkiye, it became one of the defining drama successes of the 2025–26 season, breaking ratings records and ranking 1 across Total, AB and ABC1 for 31 consecutive weeks. Maintaining that position throughout its first season run demonstrated an exceptional level of audience loyalty.
Its appeal also crossed generations. Viewers connected with Adil and Esme’s long and painful love story, while Eleni and Oruç brought a younger generation into the drama. Beyond television, related content generated billions of views on YouTube, extending the series’ visibility and keeping audiences engaged with its characters, music and memorable scenes between episodes. Together, those elements gave international buyers compelling evidence of its ability to build and sustain an audience.
We recognized its international potential early, and the buyer interest and sales across numerous territories have reinforced that confidence. Its Romeo and Juliet-like premise offers a timeless emotional connection, while the family mystery and distinctive Black Sea setting give it an identity of its own.
Latin America, the US and Iberia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the CIS, the Baltics and MENA remain key markets in our strategy for the series. We also see strong potential in Western Europe, Asia and Africa. Returning to MIPCOM with a second season allows us to build on the first season’s success and offer partners a new chapter in a story that has already established a powerful connection with audiences.
The Gentleman represents another important addition to your portfolio, combining a strong local identity with a more contemporary crime and revenge-driven story. What does this title tell us about the direction OGM Pictures is taking creatively, and are international buyers becoming more receptive to genres beyond the traditional Turkish family melodrama?
The Gentleman (Delikanlı) illustrates how OGM Pictures is exploring different dramatic territory while retaining its strength in emotional storytelling. Love, family, class and betrayal remain central, but they unfold within a darker, contemporary story driven by revenge. Mert Ramazan Demir plays Yusuf, a young man from the outskirts of Istanbul whose hopes of building a life with his first love, Hazan, are shattered when he becomes entangled with the powerful Kızılhan family. Years later, he returns under a new identity, torn between the woman he once loved and his desire for revenge.
Yusuf’s transformation gives the series its momentum. Viewers follow both what he plans to do and what those choices will cost him. That allows the story to explore morally complicated territory while preserving the emotional connection that audiences value in Turkish drama. For us, it demonstrates how romance and family conflict can support a wider range of genres and appeal to viewers looking for a different tone.
Although the series had a shorter run in Türkiye, it concluded with a powerful finale. We have licensed it in the CIS and MENA, and discussions are ongoing in Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe and Africa. Those sales provide an encouraging indication of its international potential.
We increasingly find that conversations with buyers focus on the individual story, its tone and the audience it can reach. There is room for distinctive, well-made drama that happens to be Turkish, and that creates opportunities for more contemporary, morally complex stories within our portfolio.
CEE and the Balkans have been long-term strategic markets for Turkish content. How do you see the region evolving today, particularly as broadcasters face increasing competition from global streamers and local platforms?
Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans are established core markets for OGM UNIVERSE, alongside the Baltics. These are relationships we want to deepen, supported by audiences who already have a strong connection with Turkish drama. What is changing is the competition for their attention. With more content available and limited programming slots, buyers need to be increasingly precise about what they acquire.
That makes sustained audience engagement particularly valuable. Long-running, emotionally driven drama gives broadcasters the opportunity to build viewing habits around characters audiences grow attached to over time. Alongside that, carefully structured linear and streaming windows can help a series reach different audience groups. We assess those possibilities with each partner, defining rights, timing and positioning according to the title and the market.
We also approach the region country by country. Audience preferences, localization requirements and programming priorities difafer, and success in one territory does not automatically translate into success in another. Our established relationships help us understand those differences and make more informed decisions about where each title belongs.
Deep in Love
Western Europe has also become an important area of expansion for OGM UNIVERSE. What have you learned from entering markets where Turkish drama has historically faced more competition, and what does a successful launch strategy look like in countries such as Spain, France, Germany or Italy?
Western Europe requires a particularly considered approach because familiarity with Turkish drama varies considerably from one country to another. Spain, France, Germany and Italy each have their own audience expectations and programming dynamics. The program has to stand on its own, with a story that gives viewers a clear reason to watch.
For us, that means building the launch around the individual title. We lead with its emotional premise, characters and distinctive qualities. Deep in Love, for example, offers a timeless story of forbidden love alongside a family mystery and a striking Black Sea setting, making it a compelling introduction for audiences less familiar with Turkish drama.
Localization and marketing are integral to that process. The local-language presentation, title, artwork and promotional campaign should work together to communicate what makes the series appealing. Just as importantly, we need a partner who understands where it belongs within their offering and how to introduce it to their viewers.
Our ambition is to build a lasting presence through successful individual launches. That takes close collaboration and patience, with each series helping establish audience trust and creating opportunities for the titles that follow.
You have spoken about moving beyond traditional licensing toward longer-term creative and strategic partnerships. Are co-productions, adaptations and development partnerships becoming a bigger part of OGM UNIVERSE’s business, and what kinds of international partners are you looking to work with now?
Finished-content licensing remains the foundation of our business, and we want to build on those relationships by exploring format sales, local adaptations and, where the right opportunity exists, development or co-production partnerships. We see potential in conversations that begin earlier in a project’s life and allow both sides to contribute to its direction.
Our close relationship with OGM Pictures gives us a valuable connection to the creative process behind many of the titles in our catalog. It allows us to bring an understanding of the original story into discussions about how it might take a new form for another audience. Any collaboration would need a clear creative purpose and a structure that works for everyone involved.
We are interested in producers, broadcasters and platforms with strong local knowledge and a clear vision for the project. For an adaptation, that means understanding which emotional elements should be preserved and where the story needs to change to feel authentic in its new setting. For a project developed together, it means establishing that shared understanding from the beginning. We are open to exploring these opportunities selectively, with the quality of the partnership guiding our decisions.
Turkish drama is now competing globally not only with other Turkish distributors but also with Korean, Latino, European and US content. What do you think will define the next phase of Turkish drama’s international growth, and where do you see OGM UNIVERSE playing the biggest role in that expansion?
I believe the next phase of Turkish drama’s international growth will be defined by differentiation. Buyers and audiences have an extraordinary range of choices, so every series needs to make a compelling case for itself through its story, performances and production quality. The international reputation of Turkish drama gives us a strong foundation, but each new title must earn its own audience.
Cultural specificity will remain a strength. A distinctive setting, a particular family dynamic or a locally rooted conflict can give a story the identity that makes it memorable internationally. Deep in Love’s Black Sea world and Ferda’s story of a woman confronting the forces that shaped her past offer different examples of how that identity can connect with universal emotions.
We also need flexibility in storytelling and distribution. Long-running drama series continue to offer emotional depth and sustained engagement, while more compact digital productions create space for different genres and viewing habits. Each requires an approach suited to its audience and platform.
As an independent company powered by OGM Pictures, OGM UNIVERSE’s role is to connect compelling stories that change the international landscape. Our close relationship with OGM Pictures is a strong foundation for this work, alongside our ability to represent titles from other producers and distributors. We want to help each story find the right partners, build a lasting audience and realize its potential across territories and, where appropriate, through adaptations. That close connection between creation and distribution is where we believe we can make our strongest contribution.
