Where did the idea for the collaboration between New Abra and Idea Ventures come from?
Krzysztof Świątkowski (CEO @ NEW ABRA) – New Abra is a publisher that has been adapting its offerings to market needs for over 30 years. It is behind the commercial success of the legendary band Budka Sufler, but also for supporting the development and popularity of the Polish cabaret scene. Its 20-year archive of sketches and cabaret shows is undoubtedly its asset. Observing the video content market prompted New Abra to change the formula for providing content. The shift in the video content consumption model from Free to Air to Streaming led us to develop and introduce a subscription model. We needed an effective and reliable partner, hence the collaboration with Idea Ventures, a company with proven contacts in the distribution market. We developed a new strategy for monetizing cabaret content, owned by New Abra, by building a completely new channel for accessing this content. Both hard analytical data and our intuition did not disappoint us. We saw enormous interest from The largest pay TV operators. This is a very important signal for us, because no one knows their audience better than TV providers.
How is Kabaret Go offered to operators? Is it paid or free?
K.Ś. – As I mentioned earlier, we will offer our product in a paid system. This is a commercial offer.
Will viewers be offered a subscription or transactional model? And at what final price could this product be offered to viewers?
Dominik Tzimas CEO @ IDEA VENTURES) – We are primarily working on a SVOD model, but we are also ready for other solutions such as TVOD and Pay-per-View. We plan to introduce the transactional model, especially for new productions or special occasion products. We will agree on the price with our Partners – TV platforms and operators. This price should be in line with the standards of the streaming subscription market and the practices of consumers. We are open to market signals and viewer feedback.
What does the Kabaret Go catalog include? Will it be Updated?
K.Ś.– The catalog we offer to Partners includes over 800 sketches recorded by New Abra between 2006 and 2025. Of course, the catalog will be updated with new shows. Among the performers are the biggest stars of the Polish cabaret scene: Kabaret Moralnego Niepokoju, Kabaret Ani Mru-Mru, Kabaret Młodych Panów, Kabaret Smile, Grupa MoCarta, and many others.
How can operators implement this service? Should it be part of their VOD service in set-top boxes? Does this require any costs on their part?
D.T.– We offer a content library with metadata. Our Partner should have its own player or application. We always coordinate the technical details with the Partner, and sometimes this may require some investment on their part. Just a reminder that we work on a partnership model, so if a problem arises, we will seek a positive solution.