Çağla Menderes, Head of International Content Sales at Mega TV, discusses how she is leveraging lessons learned from the success of Turkish dramas to propel one of Greece’s most historic private broadcasters onto the international market.
Following a period of industry slowdown during the economic crisis, Greece is now undergoing a creative resurgence. With higher production values and internationally minded stories, Greek dramas have started to garner global attention. Examples like Maestro in Blue, which found global success on Netflix, and Milky Way, showcased at international festivals, have already proven the potential of Greek content to travel.
One of the pioneers of this new era is Mega TV, the country’s first and most historic private television station. As one of the few broadcasters that retains full Intellectual Property (IP) ownership of its productions, Mega TV is taking this strength a step further: establishing a dedicated international sales department to transform its rich archive and new, high-quality originals into a global brand.
Çağla Menderes, Head of International Content Sales at Mega TV, is the driving force behind this strategic vision. Drawing on her experience in Turkish drama distribution, Menderes explains Mega TV’s ambition to be not just a rights holder, but a recognized label for premium Greek originals associated with “authenticity, consistency, and creative excellence.” Focusing on flagship productions like The Innocents, which stands out as a visually stunning 16-episode saga set between the mountains of Epirus and the sunlit shores of Corfu, long running series Terra Olivae, an epic family saga of power, passion, and betrayal set in the raw, untamed land of Mani, we learn from her how these geographically soulful stories connect with universal human emotions, and why they are set to captivate global audiences.
Çağla Menderes: “Our stories combine local flavor with universal emotions. Our goal is not just to sell, but to become the premium label for authentic Greek content.”
Mega TV has already made inroads into the international market with successful titles like Maestro in Blue. What is the core strategic vision behind establishing this dedicated International Content Sales department and bringing someone with your high level of international sales experience from the Turkish drama sector on board? Where exactly does Mega TV aim to position itself in the global content market with this move?
Çağla Menderes: Greek drama and comedy have always held a special place in local viewers’ hearts. Series like At the 11th Hour, Seven Deadly Mothers-in-Law, Secrets of Eden, and Wedding Ring, among many others, dominated ratings in the early 2000s, defining an era of storytelling that resonated deeply with Greek audiences. After a period of industry slowdown during the economic crisis, Greece is now experiencing a creative resurgence, stronger than ever, with higher production values and more internationally minded stories.
Titles like Maestro in Blue, which found global exposure on Netflix, or Silent Road, sold through Beta Film to markets as diverse as Switzerland, Canada, and Australia, have already proven that Greek content can travel. Similarly, Milky Way, created by Palme d’Or award winner Vasilis Kekatos, premiered globally in the Official Competition of Series Mania Festival in March 2023, where only eight of the best limited series from around the world were selected. Later, it was acquired for distribution by The Fifth Season, proving that even a teen drama from Greece can capture international attention.
Mega TV stands out as one of the few Greek broadcasters that retains full IP ownership of its productions. As the first and most historic private TV station, it also holds one of the richest archives of television and news programming in the country. By establishing a dedicated international sales department, we’re transforming that strength into a global brand. My mission is to position Mega Distributions not merely as a rights holder, but as a recognized label for premium Greek originals, a name buyers associate with authenticity, consistency, and creative excellence.
To achieve these global ambitions, which regions (e.g., Europe, Latin America, MENA, etc.) will be your primary focus? How does your prior experience in the Turkish drama sector inform the roadmap for Mega TV’s new department, particularly concerning sales strategies and regional deal-making?
Çağla Menderes: Our primary targets are English-speaking territories, Europe, Latin America, and Central & Eastern Europe as well as the Baltics, regions that have shown a growing appetite for fresh, character-driven international storytelling. Mega TV’s content offers a strong balance of mainstream appeal and artistic identity, allowing us to position our series across both broadcasters and digital platforms.
Instead of chasing volume, we’re focusing on select partnerships, building trust through quality, reliability, and creative distinctiveness. My experience in Turkish drama distribution taught me that success lies in understanding each market’s unique DNA, its viewing habits, cultural triggers, and business dynamics. That’s the philosophy guiding our international roadmap at Mega: tailored strategies for each territory, designed for long-term presence rather than quick wins.
Among Mega TV’s current portfolio, what are the three main titles that you believe have the greatest potential to make a significant impact on the international market, and that you have the most confidence in? What are the key features of these productions that make them appealing to a global audience?
The Innocents
Çağla Menderes: Among our most recent and premium productions, The Innocents stands out as a visually stunning 16-episode saga set between the mountains of Epirus and the sunlit shores of Corfu. It unfolds a century-old tale of forbidden love, guilt, and redemption, a haunting story that bridges generations. What begins as a mother’s desperate act to protect her newborn son becomes a legacy of silence and sin. With cinematic production values and emotionally rich storytelling, The Innocents is both deeply Greek and universally human, it speaks to passion, fate, and forgiveness.
Terra Olivae
Çağla Menderes: Set in the raw, untamed land of Mani, Terra Olivae is an epic family saga of power, passion, and betrayal. Now entering its fifth season, it’s one of Mega TV’s longest-running and most successful dramas, a true ratings phenomenon born from genuine audience demand. The series’ emotional depth and Mediterranean backdrop make it ideal for international audiences, particularly in Latin America, where long-form storytelling and multi-generational narratives thrive.
Heat
Çağla Menderes: A sensual, fast-paced thriller set between Cyprus and Nafplio, Heat combines forbidden love, political scandal, and moral chaos under the suffocating Mediterranean sun. Every secret burns, every choice has consequences. With its cinematic rhythm, psychological tension, and visual allure, Heat is designed for global viewers who crave sophisticated, high-stakes drama.
Beyond these three, our catalog includes powerful period pieces based on true events, such as Shipwreck and The Island. Shipwreck revisits the tragic 1966 sinking of a passenger ship traveling from Crete to Athens, revealing the deeply human stories behind survival and loss. The Island, based on Victoria Hislop’s international bestseller, spans three generations against the backdrop of Spinalonga, the legendary leper colony that became a symbol of resilience.
Both series capture Greek history and spirit in their most cinematic and emotionally compelling form.
We know your goal extends beyond mere sales; you also aim to promote Greece’s culture and identity internationally. Which specific content and marketing strategies do you plan to employ to concretely realize this mission? In your view, which aspects of Greek culture are most likely to resonate with the global viewer?
Çağla Menderes: Every story, wherever it originates, carries its homeland’s essence, its rhythm, emotion, and soul. Greek series naturally embody the landscapes, traditions, and temperament of Greece. When audiences watch Maestro in Blue, filmed in Paxos, or Terra Olivae, shot in the wild beauty of Mani, they don’t just follow a narrative, they experience Greece itself: its light, its music, its way of life.
Greece is already one of the world’s most beloved destinations, and through our dramas, we offer audiences a new way to discover it, not as tourists, but as emotional participants. Many of our stories are inspired by real events or adapted from literature, giving them both historical and cultural depth. That’s the power of Greek storytelling: it entertains while revealing the nation’s character, its warmth, resilience, and humanity.
Our marketing mirrors that authenticity. Rather than generic campaigns, we highlight our series’ distinct settings, themes, and creative voices, supported by strong visuals, multilingual dubbing and subtitling, and strategic festival exposure. Exporting Greek culture isn’t a byproduct of our sales; it’s the core of our mission.
Is Mega TV actively developing new projects that are designed from the outset with a global audience in mind, tailored to meet international market demands and trends? Can you share any details regarding the genres (e.g., Drama, Action, Comedy) and the expected launch timelines for these upcoming projects?
Çağla Menderes: Mega TV continuously invests in new original productions. For 2026, we have two standout projects in development, a dark comedy and a crime drama, both built from the ground up with international audiences in mind. From scripting to post-production, these titles follow the same creative and structural discipline that defines today’s most successful global series: sharp storytelling, emotional authenticity, and high visual standards.
Together with our growing catalog of proven hits, this new slate will strengthen Mega TV’s position not only as Greece’s leading broadcaster but also as a trusted global supplier of premium original content.
