In this episode of Inside Content, I welcomed Peter Andrews back to the show to talk about his move from SBS to launching his own boutique consultancy, Pilot Season, and to unpack how the LA Screenings are evolving in a rapidly changing global content market.
Peter reflected on stepping “outside the building” after more than 20 years working with major Australian broadcasters and platforms, including SBS, Network Ten and Seven. With Pilot Season, he is focused on three core areas: helping producers through a buyer’s lens, developing targeted projects, and giving back to the industry through advice, thought leadership and support for new voices.
A major focus of our conversation was the LA Screenings. Peter described how the event has shifted from a highly transactional buying trip into something more relationship-driven. In the past, buyers would spend full days watching pilots and then return home to negotiate what was available. Today, he argued, much of the content being screened is already tied up through vertical integration or studio-owned platforms. As he put it, the market has become “less transactional and more relationship.”
We also discussed how the London Screenings now feel more content-rich in some ways, with greater momentum around international collaboration, partnerships and co-productions. Peter made an important distinction: LA still matters, but increasingly as a hub where buyers, commissioners, producers and platforms come together to build relationships and explore future opportunities.
Peter shared his thoughts on standout content from this year’s LA Screenings, including ITV Studios’ The Party and Number 10, NBCUniversal titles such as Possession, Line of Fire, The Siege and Dig, Paramount’s Einstein, Sony projects generating buzz, and Fremantle’s much-discussed reboot of Baywatch. He was especially interested in how nostalgia, brand awareness and easy-to-watch entertainment may help Baywatch connect internationally.
Looking ahead, Peter’s prediction is that the LA Screenings will continue, but its value has “moved upstream.” Rather than simply being a place to watch and buy finished shows, it is becoming a place to create partnerships, spark co-productions and understand where the industry is heading.
Key topics discussed:
● The changing role of the LA Screenings
● London Screenings versus LA Screenings
● Vertical integration and studio consolidation
● The rise of co-productions and partnerships
● Standout scripted titles from the market
● The future of buyers, commissioners and international content events
.svg)
