MADRID — Mediaset España’s Ghislain Barrois, one of Spain’s leading film-TV executives, has taken on new responsibilities at the No. 1 Spanish TV network with his appointment as head of the newly created division of film, sales, rights acquisitions and distribution. He remains CEO of Telecinco Cinema.
Barrois was already a key executive in Spain for studios and independents alike, thanks to his positions at both Telecinco Cinema, the Spanish film production arm of Mediaset España, and as head of acquisitions, buying U.S. and other foreign TV series and sports rights.
Under Barrois, Telecinco Cinema has co-produced the highest-grossing Spanish film ever in Spain, 2014’s “Spanish Affair,” which earned $77.5 million at local cinemas, as well as a string of international hits, led by Juan Antonio Bayona’s “The Impossible,” which punched a global theatrical gross of $180.3 million, an exceptional figure for an independent movie.
As head of acquisitions at Mediaset España, Spain’s biggest free-to-air broadcast network, Barrois has overseen its structuring of studio output deals, the latest with Disney, and acquisition of sports rights such as those to June’s upcoming UEFA Euro 2016 soccer tourney. Programs air across Mediaset España’s six-channel bouquet in Spain, which had a combined 30.6% market share in April, led by Telecinco, Spain’s most-watched channel.
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Barrois now adds oversight of all operations regarding rights sales – both domestic and international – as well as the distribution of formats and in-house IPs of Mediaset España. This takes in the overseas expansion of Mediaset España international channel CincoMas, online and phone-in audience contests, book and music publishing and other forms of licensing and merchandising, and the sales of Mediaset España content in international and domestic markets, across multiple platforms.
The new responsibilities reflect a priority focus by Publiespaña, Mediaset España’s in-house advertising agency, on TV ad sales, moving content sales, which it previously handled, to join acquisitions under the same corporate roof.
Barrois’ new oversight may indeed be felt most in TV content sales abroad, especially in Spanish-speaking markets and territories which dub foreign shows. Earlier in May, Mediaset España announced the sale of undercover cop drama “El Principe,” its highest-rating TV show, to Univision for the U.S. Hispanic market. Mediaset España has also acquired six-part French procedural, “Witnesses” for broadcast on ME’s Cuatro, its second most-viewed channel.
“This new organization is built around Mediaset España’s most valued asset: content,” Barrois said, adding that the overall goal is” to make our programs available to the widest audience both in Spain and internationally.”
