Eccho Rights wrapped up MIPCOM 2026 with strong international interest in its upcoming drama The Hatmaker, which is set to premiere in January.
The company hosted a launch event for the series, welcomed its cast in Cannes, and held a special dinner and cocktail reception for international clients. The promotional campaign has already translated into sales, with the Middle East secured and agreements covering three additional territories expected to be announced after the market.
Handan Özkubat, Director of Turkish Drama at Eccho Rights, reflected on the response to The Hatmaker and daily drama Asiye, while discussing the wider challenges facing the international television business. With buyers expressing concerns about shrinking content libraries and a shortage of new productions, Özkubat argued that demand for Turkish dramas remains strong, even as economic pressures limit the industry’s ability to supply the market. She also identified AI-driven production technology as one of the most significant developments to watch in the coming years.
How did MIPCOM 2026 go for Eccho Rights, particularly with the launch of The Hatmaker?
It was very dynamic and busy. We launched The Hatmaker, which is scheduled to premiere in January, and the cast joined us in Cannes. We hosted a special dinner for our clients, followed by a cocktail reception, and continued with meetings. We have already secured the Middle East, and three additional territories have also been closed. We are planning to announce those deals after the market.
I think this may be the first time something like this has happened in Türkiye: so much advance sales activity and promotion for a series before it has even premiered. Our cast were wonderful and very successful, and our clients loved them.
Everyone is looking for something a little different now. One of the most common pieces of feedback we received from international buyers was that audiences are getting tired of watching the same things repeatedly. This is something we will take into consideration when selecting projects going forward. There is a lot of similar content in the market, and I think The Hatmaker attracted so much attention precisely because it offers something different.
Our daily drama Asiye is also performing well in terms of international sales. It was sold to two countries during the market, even though it has not premiered yet. The series is scheduled to launch on Kanal 7 on November 27. We have worked with Kanal 7 on all its daily dramas, and because we helped establish this segment in Türkiye, our clients have a great deal of confidence in us. We can sell our daily dramas even before they go on air, which makes us very happy.
Beyond Eccho Rights’ own titles, what feedback did you receive from buyers about the wider market? Are international broadcasters facing a shortage of new content, and what does this mean for Turkish drama distributors?
I think this is an important point to highlight. Many clients told us they were struggling to find enough content. In the past, there were more commissions and more series being produced, particularly Turkish and European dramas. Now there are fewer productions, and buyers said they expect to start experiencing difficulties in 2027 as their acquisition libraries gradually run down.
International clients still want good, high-quality content from Türkiye, and they want plenty of it. However, the Turkish media industry is facing shrinking resources and economic challenges, creating a vicious cycle. If we can break that cycle, I believe there is still a strong appetite for Turkish dramas internationally. Buyers are looking for content, but they are struggling to find enough alternatives to fill the gap.
Does this shortage create more opportunities for distributors with extensive libraries? And how important is it to balance established titles with new productions?
Independent distributors like us, and our colleagues across the industry, have already been selling a great deal of archive content over the past two or three years. We continue to license those titles, and they remain valuable. But archive content alone is not enough. We also need new productions.
There is demand, but the supply is limited. We need more new content that is both high-quality and distinctive. That is the important point: the international market is still interested, but we need to be able to offer enough fresh productions to meet that demand.
We also introduced our digital projects, including Alikara, The Florist, and Medyapım’s Doors of Destiny. We are currently in discussions with platforms about these titles and are focusing more on digital distribution than traditional free-to-air television. I believe it is time for short-form Turkish drama to establish a stronger presence in the market as well.
AI-driven production was another major topic at MIPCOM. How do you see these technologies affecting the industry, particularly in terms of production costs and the amount of content available to international buyers?
One of the most interesting things I heard at this market was what people were saying about AI production. There are AI-powered dubbing and voice-over technologies, as well as software designed to influence and transform production processes. Developments are happening very quickly, and I think we may even see an entire day of conferences dedicated to AI at the next MIPCOM.
Much of what I heard about these developments came from Asia, where there is a great deal happening in this area. I believe AI could have a positive impact on producers by reducing budgets and production costs. If production becomes more affordable, there could be more content for distributors to sell and more titles for buyers to acquire.
People often talk about Turkish dramas as a global trend, but I think the industry is moving into a new phase. AI production, AI agencies, and related technologies are becoming increasingly important. If we can reduce production costs, that could make a real difference for the entire industry.
Producers in Türkiye and around the world are already beginning to use these technologies in certain scenes where time is limited or production costs would otherwise be very high, such as car accidents or scenes involving a character jumping off a cliff. The results can be very good, and I expect this kind of use to increase.
I don’t necessarily see this as a negative development. Production costs are extremely high, and we need to find ways to bring them under control. I believe these technologies could help us achieve that.
