For our MIPCOM 2026 issue, we spoke with Carlota Vieira, Content Sales Deputy Director at SIC International Distribution.
A Driving force in Portuguese broadcasting, SIC is set to make a strong impact at MIPCOM Cannes with a forward-looking strategy that spans global adaptations and innovative distribution models. In this exclusive conversation with Carlota Vieira, Content Sales Deputy Director at SIC International Distribution, we discuss Vitória’s global trajectory, strategic partnerships with streaming platforms, and the content strategies shaping SIC’s future.
SIC International Distribution arrives at MIPCOM Cannes with a diverse lineup, balancing local adaptations of proven global formats, like your latest powerhouse drama Vitória-with original IP. What are your main commercial targets for this market, and which international regions do you see as the primary growth drivers for SIC’s catalog in late 2026 and 2027?
We are excited to be preparing another edition of MIPCOM. This year, we’re highlighting a new version of Vitória, which we have carefully curated and shortened into three seasons of 77, 39, and 24 episodes respectively. We will also be showcasing our short series Azul, as well as long-running dramas Chapters of Life and Broken Promise, two productions of strong international appeal and outstanding storytelling value.
In addition to bringing in our portfolio of premium documentaries and factual content, we also want to offer a small preview of what lies ahead, including an exceptional new series that is set to premiere at Tribeca Lisbon this December and one of our upcoming productions, which we have officially announced last week. Avenida Portugal will adapt one of TV Globo’s most successful telenovelas, Avenida Brasil, and the premiere is scheduled for the first trimester of 2027.
Our goal is always to strengthen long-term partnerships with our existing clients, while also attracting the attention of new markets and international players. This year, we secured our first sale to Croatia, and we have had telenovelas broadcast in Hungary and Georgia, as well as a local adaptation produced in Serbia. Our titles have travelled and are traveling to a wider range of territories, including the U.S., Canada, France, Mozambique, Türkiye, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Albania and Macao, which demonstrates both the strength and versatility of our strategy.
The entire Ibero-American region continues to be a natural market for us as well. In March, the Mexican adaptation of our telenovela Coração d’Ouro premiered on Las Estrellas, joining several other titles from our catalogue that have already been adapted by Televisa, such as Terra Brava, Salty Sea, and Blood Ties. Recently, we have secured deals for two telenovelas in Brazil, and our Catholic mini-series Lucia of Fatima has also been warmly received across Latin America.
Your flagship drama Vitória, adapted from the acclaimed format Gulperi, has been a major ratings driver. For MIPCOM, you’ve packaged it into a refined, season-based model (3 seasons, total 140 episodes). How does tailoring long-running telenovelas into shorter, structured seasons change the game for buyers in markets accustomed to shorter series or streaming-first models?
One of our key highlights for this year’s edition of MIPCOM is indeed a new version of Vitória, now with a total of 140 episodes. In reality, this division into three seasons follows the structure already used in SIC’s linear broadcast, where each season concludes at a pivotal moment in the narrative, creating a natural dramatic arc and a strong season-ending hook.
We are not changing the essence of the story in any way, and, as a long-running drama, Vitória continues to perform exceptionally well across the linear broadcast on SIC and both streaming platforms where it is available, Opto and Disney+. But we are now presenting it in a format that responds to current international market demands as we know that many international buyers operate within programming and consumption models that differ from the traditional telenovela structure.
It also supports the dubbing investment and minimizes the risk for the buyer. We want to be flexible and supportive so that we can secure entrance into new territories. We are comfortable selling only the first season as we trust the quality of our content and its performance.
SIC has pioneered a multiplatform release model, premiering high-end fiction simultaneously across free-to-air, your SVOD platform OPTO, and global giants like Disney+. From a sales and monetization perspective, how does this hybrid windowing strategy impact the international value and lifecycle of your titles?
Last year was quite a strategic year for SIC, with significant progress in our international expansion, as well as innovation in content distribution models. Since then, we have strengthened our partnerships with major global streaming players through innovative agreements that have enabled us to implement new multiplatform distribution models and reach audiences in more effective ways.
Adapted from TIMSBI and Global Agency’s Gulperi, Vitória was the first telenovela released under this new distribution strategy through a partnership between SIC, Opto and Disney+. It was very well received by Portuguese audiences due to its strong emotional appeal and focus on themes such as a mother’s unconditional love, intergenerational conflicts, and complex power dynamics.
Building on that success, we just premiered our newest telenovela, A Greater Destiny this week. It is our third adaptation of a Turkish script, based on the series Hicran (produced by Filmevi Yapım for Inter Medya and Telemundo), and it has already had a fantastic debut, promising to keep winning over our audience.
At the same time, we have continued to consolidate our presence on Prime Video, where we have several productions available, including all seasons of The Good Girls’ Club, and Red Moon: New Generation, the reboot of our iconic fantasy teen series Red Moon. Earlier this year, we expanded our offering with Chapters of Life, which is an adaptation of TV Globo’s beloved drama Pages of Life. It has consistently ranked among the platform’s most-watched titles week after week and we’re very happy with its performance.
These partnerships have been, and continue to be, a key pillar of our content distribution strategy. Not only do they enhance the international visibility and reach of Portuguese fiction, but they also allow us to offer unique viewing experiences, engage new audiences, and expand both our international footprint and the lifespan of our content.
SIC has built a strong reputation for taking successful scripts from around the world- whether from Türkiye or TV Globo in Brazil, as seen with Chapters of Life, and successfully localizing them for Portuguese-speaking markets. What is the secret to retaining a story’s universal core while making it deeply resonate with a specific national audience?
In the last few years, we have invested in compelling scripts with universal, relevant, and contemporary themes. Broken Promise, Vitória and now A Greater Destiny have all been adapted from incredibly strong Turkish scripts. In the case of Brazil, we have strengthened our long-standing and historic partnership with Globo by getting back into adapting their formats with Chapters of Life and soon Avenida Portugal, something we had already done with Dancin’ Days in 2012.
I believe a successful adaptation is not about translating a script scene by scene, but more about recreating its essence within a new cultural context. At SIC, we approach adaptations by keeping the original work’s emotional core and identifying its universal elements, whilst simultaneously immersing the story in the realities of the Portuguese audience through authentic characters, local social dynamics, language, and cultural references. We are seeing a growing international interest in stories with a strong local identity but universal relevance, and Portugal is perfectly positioned within that trend. Portuguese productions have demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt across different cultures.
Looking ahead, global buyer demand is shifting toward a mix of comforting daily dramas and shorter, high-concept, edgy series like your young-adult / genre titles on OPTO. How is SIC balancing its production pipeline between long-running telenovelas and short-form originals, and are international co-productions part of your long-term growth roadmap?
I believe we present a diverse and strategic content portfolio designed to reach a wide range of audiences and territories. Our long-running telenovelas remain our core strength, and I can say that buyer demand in the region right now is leaning towards high-quality dramas that are driven by strong emotional storytelling. Vitória, Chapters of Life, Broken Promise and now A Greater Destiny all reflect this trend by exploring themes of love, family, and justice.
There is also a demand for other genres and trends and our ongoing commitment to quality and innovation, particularly through OPTO, has allowed us to experiment with shorter, more distinctive projects that target the younger audiences and explore genres that may not traditionally fit within linear programming. Our latest mini-series, Azul, is a co-production with Iceland, and a great example of the benefits that international co-productions can bring. It’s something we will certainly keep in mind as we look ahead.
Recently, we released a new true crime series, Criminal Portugal, that was surprisingly strong in the territory, and soon we will be proudly premiering a shorter series based on a real-life story that we believe has all the ingredients to travel abroad.
