Innovative Developments from Türkiye

Merzigo, in anticipation of the launch of its new streaming platform, is set on video monetization and digital solutions for global content rights owners, production houses and broadcasters.

“As Merzigo, we are already doing business with clients in Americas, Europe, MENA region and Asia through our offices in Istanbul, Mumbai and London,” said Yigit Dogan Celik, Merzigo’s Chairman. “This year, one of our main goals is to focus on initiating new partnerships with potential clients in these regions and strengthening our position in the markets we are already active in. 

“We intend to either acquire their content to monetize on AVOD platforms or assist them by providing our expertise to significantly increase their income from monetization.”

Yigit, who established his own business to serve as the Co-Founder and Head of Sales at Merzigo became the Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2019.

Come January 2023, Merzigo will be launching its own OTT platform. 

“We are currently working on the launch of our upcoming AVOD platform, Başlat (meaning ‘Start’ in Turkish). We have been developing and structuring Başlat based on our years-long experience in content management in AVOD platforms. 

“Though we have based Başlat’s roots in our experience at Merzigo, as an AVOD platform, Başlat will have an entirely different vision and intends to stand out in AVOD market, providing the viewers with an innovative and unique viewing experience,” explained Yigit. His vision and strategies continue to take Merzigo’s leadership in the digital sector to another level, focusing on monetization.

Yigit Dogan Celik
Chairman
Merzigo

Looking at Başlat

Merzigo’s AVOD OTT platform will launch in Türkiye in January 2023, offering a unique experience with its vast content catalogue, where it will not only acquire content and monetize it, but also produce original content. Yigit noted that they are set to launch Başlat globally in the upcoming period with initial plans for Europe and MENA regions. 

“Additionally, we are set to launch our global Fast Channels in 2023, through which we will start offering a new income source for our clientele.”

Looking at IP issues, Yigit noted that their content on Başlat will initially be geo-blocked in Türkiye, but he remarked that this will change, as they are also planning the international rollout of Başlat in different territories and regions. That said,  Başlat’s IP deals will focus more on international recognition, considering the user expectations from OTT platforms. 

And so, how will Merzigo evolve as a buyer, and how will this affect its distribution strategy? 

According to Yiigit, with the launch of Başlat, Merzigo will have to focus on two different acquisitions and distribution strategies. 

“To accommodate this, our deals will be split between OTT deals and AVOD deals when necessary. However, we will not have two entirely different strategies; there will be differences and similarities based on the content, as our OTT platform is AVOD too. To us, the difference is mainly with the viewing experience. With Başlat, we are considering different content rollout strategies to make Başlat stand out more, which will be realized when the platform launches.”

Yigit insists that Merzigo does not operate as an OTT, but rather acts as a monetizer for either its acquired content or the monetization of its clients’ content on a revenue-share basis through various platforms non-exclusively.

Since Merzigo exists as a service provider, its content acquisitions strategies are mostly based on the scope of content suitable for their exploitation capabilities. Hence, Merzigo stated that they are ready to evaluate the entire content pool that is presented to them to either acquire them or provide AVOD services based on a revenue-share model as long as they suit the company’s vision. 

“We are currently in talks with all major studios, global content providers and aim to offer our viewers a rich viewing experience with a diverse catalogue of movies and series.”

Next steps in the evolution of content

“Since our establishment, we have witnessed the market’s growth to a more positive stance towards AVOD model recently despite initial resistance. We believe this shift will only accelerate due to global financial landscapes and the growing importance of accessibility,” said Yigit. “As you know, even major SVOD platforms such as Netflix are considering AVOD plans, including advertisements. Hence, we believe that we have been and are on the right track when it comes to the VOD market.”

Looking at the creation side of content, Yigit explained that both Merzigo and Başlat are under Key Networks Group. Key Networks Group also includes a music label Key Records and Voxl; which is a production studio in central Istanbul.

“At Voxl, we are producing original content for channels operated by Merzigo on AVOD platforms as well as Başlat. We intend to expand our production scope to a greater degree in the upcoming period with the launch of Başlat as well.”

For now, the biggest challenge Merzigo faces, as with many OTTs, is understanding how to directly interact with viewers, including producing original content in line with viewers' interests.