Munich/Rome 23 June. The young adult drama The Sea Beyond has built a huge fan base in Italy, creating a buzz especially among the younger target group. With over 55 million streams, the YA drama is the unchallenged #1 digital program on Italy’s RAIPlay, the streaming service of the public broadcaster. On Netflix Italy it was Number Nr. 3 in week 25, behind Stranger Things and Peaky Blinders. 75 % of the online viewers are younger than 45 years, far beyond RAI’s average audience age.

Making The Sea Beyond available online and having a linear broadcast at the same time clearly catered to different age groups simultaneously. As the Picomedia and RAI Fiction production is currently on pace for 60 million viewers on the streaming service, it also surpassed the prime time slot average a 10% market share during its linear  broadcast on RAI2.

A third season about the youngsters dealing with power structures and adult expectations is currently in pre-production. Just recently, Beta sold the series about inmates in a youth detention center in Naples to WarnerMedia Latin America for HBO Max, TV4 in Sweden, HOT in Israel, and BLU TV in Turkey.

Oliver Bachert, EVP International Sales & Acquisitions Beta Film: “Beta Film is delighted that The Sea Beyond gets the audience appreciation it deserves.

The successful combination of compatible target groups in the linear broadcast and on-demand looks like the winning formula for future content throughout Europe.“

“Now, it is evident that linear television and OTTs can be complementary," says producer Roberto Sessa, Picomedia. “This is great news for the market, it is proof that young people no longer watch general television, but follow the series and programs related to their world on the platforms. It is amazing: More than 26 million views in Italy alone, and in just two months, is a record. We are, in fact, the most-followed fiction program in Italy and even the international market is now watching this evolution carefully.”