As one of the trailblazers of digital content production in Türkiye, BluTV earned the audience’s trust through its support for independent creators and its bold, original Turkish series. Now evolving into Max Türkiye as part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s global vision, the platform is entering a new era with even greater ambitions.
In an exclusive conversation with EPISODE, Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz, Local Original Productions, Local Channels and Streaming Operations Lead of WBD Türkiye, opens up about this transformation, shares the content strategy for 2025–2026, and reveals new projects and international partnerships on the horizon. From crime dramas to adult animation, documentaries to emerging local talent, Max is setting out to redefine the future of storytelling in Türkiye and beyond.
The BluTV brand became widely recognized for its high-quality content and had great success. Would you say that the primary reason Max decided to invest in Türkiye, through BluTV, was the success of your original series?
Warner Bros. Discovery’s investment in BluTV is influenced by several key factors, the most significant being Türkiye’s status as a hyper-local market. The Turkish audience has a distinctive relationship with television series, which has gained international recognition, making Türkiye one of the top three countries for TV content exports.
When WBD outlined its strategy to introduce Max in Türkiye, data indicated that successful market entry would require a local approach. Given the presence of numerous global and local competitors in the streaming business, the most effective strategy was to acquire an established platform with a proven track record of local original content. Recognizing our potential in 2021, they began investing, and our original content has been a major factor in their decision to choose BluTV.
With Max’s global reach and loyal audience, are there plans to expand original local productions under Max Türkiye? What can you share with us about your original content strategy for 2025 and 2026?
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: All new Turkish productions and local returning seasons will carry the Max Originals brand and will be released globally (subject to rights), reinforcing the global appeal of Türkiye’s storytelling that resonates with audiences both in Türkiye and worldwide.
We’re also deepening our investment in local content in Türkiye. During our launch press event we announced three exciting new productions: The Graft, Jasmine and Feride. Looking ahead, we’re expanding our local slate with the upcoming new series İlk Göktürk, alongside new seasons of fan favorites Prince and The Hammer & The Rose: A Behzat Ç. Story.
We are also working on content that can travel beyond Türkiye. Several of our local originals have already found audiences abroad, and going forward, we’re developing content with international licensing and multi-platform potential in mind, whether through co-productions, global rollouts within Max territories, or partnerships across the Warner Bros. Discovery ecosystem. This issue has become an important aspect for us while we are laying out our plans and shaping our strategy.
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: “A regional Max Original in this new phase is not merely a local success; it’s a narrative that can cross borders. It conveys universal emotions through a local perspective, boasts production quality comparable to global titles, and is grounded in authenticity.”
Now that BluTV has become Max Türkiye, what kind of changes or updates should we expect in your approach and production principles? BluTV was known for supporting independent and emerging production companies, particularly in Turkish originals. Will this tradition continue?
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: When I was explaining why WBD had chosen BluTV to enter the Turkish market previously, I mentioned some factors. One of them was that the WBD execs find the approach of BluTV LOP’s and HBO Originals very similar. The look, feel, way of storytelling, being hand in hand with the underdog… All these similarities show us that we are on the right track and we are not thinking of changing this route. With all new local original productions branded as Max Originals, the local team will ensure that these productions meet the standards set by WBD and HBO. As a result, we may experience longer timelines for selection and post-production. This could mean that more time or attention will be needed on technical requirements and the preparation of content in various languages.
In addition to the above, while keeping the pulse of the local market, we will also follow up the company’s general content strategy all over the world. For example, if Max targets a more adult audience and focuses on premium content, we will probably produce less content targeting young adults.
With an increased amount of investment on our side, we are on the lookout for new projects and new stories to tell, with new creators, directors and faces. We want to go up and above for Turkish LOP’s and continue being the creational hub for the local productions.
You’ve spoken about the audience’s strong appetite for emotional intensity in Türkiye. How does this emotional landscape shape your content development and production decisions?
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: We know that there is an incredible appetite for TV productions in our country. Mainstream national channels have the style of longer episodes around romantic, family aspects. We thought it would be interesting to test new waters and started to work on more male-targeted dramas, crime shows and tried some horror content. Also, we focused heavily on character-driven stories rather than high concepts. We still believe there are so many familiar characters to the Turkish audience that we haven’t see on screen yet.
The BluTV brand was very successful in bringing different genres and top-quality shows to people. And after the Max launch, we’ll continue producing the same kind of quality and mix of genres. We will have some successful returning shows coming to Max, and we will increase our investment to have even more scripted and unscripted series on our platform. Our aim is to produce many more local original shows in the upcoming period.
What steps should writers, directors, or new production companies take to pitch their stories or projects to Max Türkiye?
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: We have a specific unit whose sole responsibility is to review new projects. We have a very meticulous approach to take every application into consideration.
In order to have a better chance for consideration, I can give some tips to newcomers. The most important issue is time for us, and we want to be fair while dealing with all new people and projects. So, please apply at once and be prepared. To treat everyone equally and to respect the rights of others, we can’t read different versions of the same project as there are so many projects coming in. If your project is ready, focused and reflects you, share it. Many people only send one pagers and come to the meeting unprepared, this does not give them and their work the justice they deserve. You will only have one opportunity so use it carefully
One of Max Türkiye’s first projects, Kaosun Anatomisi– The Graft, is reportedly in production. Max has a strong global reputation for high-quality crime dramas, and BluTV also had notable success in this area. What are your goals and plans for crime content in 2025 and 2026?
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: Before going into detail about The Graft, I would like to talk about the third installment of The Hammer & The Rose: A Behzat Ç. Story. This season is bringing back an old face literally back to life and we are so excited to see the reaction of the audience to Savcı Esra’s return. The Graft is an intriguing story about a young and idealistic doctor who crosses paths with the leader of an organized crime organization. The two are forced to join forces as they fight for justice and their reputations.
Crime dramas like Bozkır, Masum, Saygı have been the core of our productions since day one. This can be regarded as a preference of our audience and we happily respect that. We are working on new projects, reading scripts, meeting creative teams in search of new stories to tell. As we are increasing the amount of our investment in local productions, we are planning on a fair split between genres but needless to say crime will always be the “primus inter pares” for us.
On another note, crime is a significant genre for HBO. Mare of Easttown achieved global success, and this fall we will have Task from the same creator-producer. I believe HBO consistently fulfills its promise in crime and investigation, and we aim to continue on this path, which serves as a testament to both BluTV and HBO.
Max’s global library features many true crime documentaries, docudramas, and films. Are there plans to produce local documentaries or true crime content specific to Türkiye?
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: Our recent docuseries Eko Eko has gained a lot of interest, and we are happy to have been involved with one of the biggest problems the world and especially our country is facing today. We are getting nods from foreign coworkers who watch the series and this is a very exciting point as we are aiming to work on more cultural, natural, and traditional issues as a part of the extended Max EMEA documentary productions team.
Exploring true crime can be captivating, but the key challenge lies in selecting the right subject and executing it effectively. We often come across high-profile murder cases being resolved on Turkish daytime television. For this reason, we put considerable effort into distinguishing our content in this genre, and I’m excited to share that we are currently developing two different projects that we look forward to presenting to our audience soon.
Looking at unscripted content, what is the future of formats on Max Türkiye? Do you have any plans to develop original Turkish formats or entertainment shows?
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: Yes, we are working on scripted shows and unscripted shows to release on a yearly basis, along with Max and HBO originals that will come to our platform day and date. So, it will be a wide catalog of fresh content.
Investing in unscripted content has been challenging for us, primarily due to the strong competition from free television. To differentiate ourselves, we have focused on social issues and topics that are both entertaining and provocative. Our most successful show to date is Pavyon (Pavilion), which explores the unique culture of traditional nightclubs in Türkiye. This setting also involves elements of prostitution, making it quite controversial. The show offers a revealing look at what goes on behind the scenes, and it has garnered significant success. We are planning to produce the next season in the coming months.
As you may know, we operate two free-to-air channels in Türkiye and are currently developing unscripted projects. Soon, we will launch Border Control Turkey on DMAX, which is a highly successful format with a strong fanbase. We are willing to create local formats in the near future.
The adult animated series Feride is among the most anticipated projects. Previous attempts at adult animation in Türkiye haven’t always found lasting success. What are your expectations for Feride, and how do you think it will resonate with the audience?
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: I am confident that this experiment will lead to success. As I mentioned, we are actively seeking new and innovative ideas. We are closely monitoring social media platforms and intellectual property across various media, including YouTube, podcasts, Instagram, and TikTok. When content comes with its own built-in audience from the start, it becomes easier to elevate it to a more premium level with investment. The audience will be thrilled to see a local character gaining recognition, which will help spread the word more effectively than a 0 km project.
As for Feride, the cartoon has an Instagram account that has garnered 100 million views. Like any other professional woman in her thirties, Feride experiences fears, hopes, and dreams. Whether animated or not, her story is relatable to millions of young women. She has already built a substantial audience, and her content has the potential to resonate on an international scale. I am confident that those who grew up with cartoons will recognize familiar faces in her narrative, reminiscent of their coworkers, best friends, partners, and even pets.
Lastly, what role do you envision for Max Türkiye within the broader international content production ecosystem? Are there ambitions such as international co-productions or positioning Max Türkiye as a regional creative hub?
Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz: The sincerest answer to this question would be that this result will be inevitable in the end. We are adding some of our originals in Latin America, Spain, Italy, and other countries in the Europe/Middle East/Africa region. We are observing the successful increase of our local productions in other regions.
A regional Max Original in this new phase is not merely a local success; it’s a narrative that can cross borders. It conveys universal emotions through a local perspective, boasts production quality comparable to global titles, and is grounded in authenticity. We are thrilled to begin exploring this creative avenue, not only to cater to local audiences but also to highlight exceptional stories that can resonate and succeed on Max worldwide. We are confident they will.
Currently, there is limited Turkish content in the ecosystem. However, as a result of the popularity of Turkish content all around the world, there is a serious appetite within the company to increase this volume.
This exclusive interview with Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz was featured in Episode Magazine’s NEM Dubrovnik & NATPE Budapest 2025 issue.
