Telecommunications giant Telekom Srbija is aggressively positioning itself not merely as the leading production powerhouse in Serbia, but as a dominant regional juggernaut for the countries of the former Yugoslavia. The company aims to successfully export homegrown cultural and narrative content while aggressively attracting international productions to the Balkan nation, establishing a vital bridge between Eastern European talent and the global entertainment market.
"Our next chapter is a deeper connection with our international partners, and presenting not only Telekom Srbija, but the whole Serbian creative industry, to the global market," says the company’s chief multimedia and content officer, Aleksandra Martinović.
Speaking to Variety from Belgrade, Martinović outlined Telekom Srbija’s comprehensive blueprint for the coming years. This strategic vision builds directly upon a decade of explosive corporate and creative growth, during which the enterprise has produced more than 300 individual titles. This staggering output includes more than 180 seasons of scripted drama, cementing the telecommunications company’s role as a primary engine of regional audiovisual storytelling.
This high-volume output was part of a broader production boom within Serbia, which has remained the undisputed dominant hub of film and television production in the Balkan region since the historical break-up of the former Yugoslavia. In recent years, the Serbian industry has expanded by leaps and bounds. This phenomenal growth has been fueled in large part by healthy, competitive dynamics between the telecom heavyweight and its prominent market rivals, including United Media and the traditional public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia.
For Martinović, this transformative period has witnessed a fundamental evolution at Telekom Srbija. The company has successfully transitioned from operating within a "traditional ecosystem" for film and television content to cultivating "a very open-minded and sophisticated regional production ecosystem in the last eight or nine years."
In some respects, that maturation process has involved strategic scaling back and refinement. Rather than focusing solely on sheer volume, the company has begun producing fewer shows that are nonetheless far better suited for the discerning global market. This sophisticated approach includes taking bigger financial and creative swings on high-profile international co-productions.
A prime example of this strategy is the Serbian-Spanish crime drama "Scar," an ambitious collaborative project created by Plano a Plano and produced by Cicatriz A.I.E. and Dopamine, in association with major entities such as RTVE, Prime Video Spain, Telekom Srbija, Canal Plus Poland, and RTL Hungary. Another notable upcoming title is the romantic dramedy "Crosscurrents," which is filmed against the picturesque backdrop of Montenegro and produced as a collaborative regional venture with that country’s public broadcaster, RTCG.
Such diverse series clearly illustrate what Martinović characterizes as a deliberate corporate strategy "to make choices more wisely and make choices more oriented to potential international partnerships and potential distribution to international markets." This outward-looking philosophy has already yielded impressive commercial and critical results. One of the company’s most successful shows, the gritty spy thriller "Civil Servant," which is now entering its fourth successful season, has secured international distribution deals with major platforms including Disney+ Hotstar in India, Brazilian streamer Globoplay, Telemundo, and FlixLatino.
Next up on the horizon is perhaps the company’s biggest financial and creative gamble to date: the English-language, post-apocalyptic thriller "Sanctuary," which features prominent "The Handmaid’s Tale" star Nina Kiri.
Martinović describes the film—which is directed by Filip Kovačević, known for his work on "Incarnation," and has already been acquired for North America by Vertical—as "a huge risk and a huge challenge" for the organization. "It’s very challenging, not only in the sense of authenticity, but also financing," she says, adding that seeing "international partners and distributors recognizing the value of that project" has served as a tremendous validation and boon for its financial backers.
This high-stakes venture also illustrates how Telekom Srbija is consistently punching above its weight class on the international stage, according to Martinović. "We are completely aware that we come from a small country," she notes. "Having the kind of content which we were able to sell to HBO, Disney+ and others, for us is very important praise and proof [of what we can do]."
Alongside its prolific production arm, TS Media, Telekom Srbija is placing a massive strategic bet on its proprietary streaming platform, MOVE—which Martinović enthusiastically describes as a "regional Balkan Netflix." At the same time, the corporation is "investing more in every element of the production chain." This commitment to vertical integration was most notably demonstrated earlier this year with the strategic acquisition of the Belgrade-based Firefly Studios.
" মূর্তি We have a [360-degree] approach regarding production," says Martinović, outlining the multi-faceted business model. "It’s production, distribution, offering infrastructure through our Firefly Studios, and, of course, selling our own content to international partners."
The Firefly purchase directly underscores Telekom Srbija’s long-term ambition to become a comprehensive "one-stop shop in this part of Europe," Martinović explains. She highlights Serbia’s highly competitive 25% cash rebate on local production spending, paired with some of the most technically skilled and experienced crews available anywhere in the region. Among the recent high-profile success stories to emerge from this thriving local infrastructure is "Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints," the prestigious Fox Nation docudrama series executive produced and narrated by legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and produced through Lionsgate Alternative Television. Significant portions of that international project were filmed right in Serbia, utilizing both Firefly Studios and various atmospheric locations in and around Belgrade and Pančevo.
This rapid industrial expansion, however, is taking place during a tumultuous period in Serbia. The nation has faced roiling public protests for nearly two years in the wake of a devastating railway station tragedy that tragically claimed 16 lives. This widespread social and political turbulence has inevitably spilled over into the country’s close-knit film and television industries, where numerous creative professionals have publicly voiced concerns, claiming they have been marginalized or shut out by state-backed media entities due to their political beliefs and expressions.
When addressing these sensitive domestic issues, Martinović firmly rejects any notion that the social climate has derailed the company’s broader creative mission. "We are completely aware of the social and political situation, but it doesn’t affect our general strategy," she asserts. "We are fighting for the whole creative industry in Serbia. And we open the door for the whole creative industry in Serbia through international projects, through selling our own projects to international broadcasters, through trying to attract international partners to come here and see what we have to offer."
Emphasizing the collective scope of the company’s ambitions, she concludes by framing Telekom Srbija’s role not as a self-serving corporate monopoly, but as an indispensable vehicle for national talent. "Not ‘we’ only as TS Media, but ‘we’ as the Serbian creative industry," she continues. "We are fighting for all of us—not only for Telekom Srbija, but for all of us. Through Telekom Srbija, which is the biggest player, we are trying to [lift] our whole creative industry and to present them on the global scene."
