On NATPE Budapest 2025’s third day, we got together with Hasret Özcan, President of Inter Medya, and Sinem Alışkan, the company’s Senior Sales and Communication Manager, to hear their thoughts on this year’s edition. Both executives have shared the growing interest in Turkish content, along with the rapid acquisition and the initial sales of their hit series Eshref Ruya.
What were your impressions of NATPE Budapest 2025?
“I would say NATPE Budapest 2025 was quieter than we expected,” commented Sinem Alışkan. “Usually at events, there are random encounters, and new contacts are made, but we didn’t see much of that this year. It was a bit surprising in that respect; it was a quieter event compared to previous years.”
Hasret Özcan added, “As Sinem said, the previous years were more active, and being in the booth rather than the suite could have been more efficient in terms of traffic. Still, thanks to the meetings we organized beforehand, the event went well. In summary, it was a much quieter and calmer event than last year.”
Which titles have you been highlighting at NATPE Budapest 2025?
Hasret Özcan: “This year, we highlighted Eshref Ruya the most. It was very fresh content, as the series had just started and the 13th episode had just been aired. We also featured Valley of Hearts along with our existing series and catalog. But we can say that Eshref Ruya was under our spotlight at NATPE Budapest 2025 .”
Sinem Alışkan: “Eshref Ruya’s ratings success in Türkiye and the fact that it is a trending topic on social media are also remarkable. Nowadays, customers pay attention not only to ratings but also to social media impact. Before we introduced Eshref Ruya, people were already asking about the series, which was a very positive sign for us.”
What was the reaction to your screenings at NATPE Budapest 2025?
Sinem Alışkan: “At the end of the trailer, we got reactions like ‘I got goosebumps,’ the series is well-liked. The production quality of TIMS&B and the talent of our cast are obvious. Similarly, Valley of Hearts and Deception are also very successful series. For example, Valley of Hearts went on air last October, but it is still followed with great interest, like our other series Heartstrings and Love and Pride. Furthermore, digital platforms have been contacting us for our miniseries.”
Hasret Özcan: “What is important here is the international relevance of the content as much as the ratings. We specially combine elements we know will be of interest to customers abroad in the trailers we present, because sometimes there are elements that we know would not work, and we have to be more selective.”
Hasret reflected on how they prepare their international promotions: “As we do international promotions, and the overall effect is positive, because we know what will be liked. Otherwise, we might not get the same effect if they only watched the trailer that was aired on TV. But in general, both Valley of Hearts and Eshref Ruya have started strong and are doing great. At the moment, we also have sales that we will announce in the coming days, and the number of these sales will continue to increase.“I would also like to add that the initial sales of Eshref Ruya haven’t been officially announced yet, but they will be very soon.”
Sinem has detailed the process, saying: “We’re just waiting for the contracts to be finalized. At this point, we’ve already initiated sales to four or five countries in principle, which is actually faster than expected. Typically, buyers prefer to wait a bit longer to see how a series performs, and like everyone else, they tend to be very selective. Despite that, there was strong interest in Eshref Ruya, and they wanted to move quickly. We’ll be announcing these deals in the near future.”
