EXCLUSIVE: Fuse Media has turned to AI dubbing for a Spanish-language version of its FAST channel Backstage.
Latino-owned biz Fuse has teamed with UK-based AI dubbing company Papercup to launch Backstage in Mexico on Samsung TV Plus sets.
Papercup has dubbed more than 200 hours of content in Latin American Spanish. The channel features inspiring stories from creatives such as Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift and Snoop Dogg. Since its launch, Backstage has grown for 13 straight quarters with total minutes view posting double-digit year-on-year gains in Q3 2023.
Here’s a trailer highlight the new channel.
“We know from experience that inclusive content has a universal appeal,” said Patrick Courtney, Head of Streaming and Business Development. “Our FAST channels are already available on international platforms including Pluto TV Canada, Samsung TV Plus Europe, and LG UK. By dubbing our content into Spanish, we are making our programming accessible to an even larger audience. This is just the start of our plans for growth for this important demographic.
“Our roster of globally recognized artists and celebrities featured on Backstage appeals to audiences both domestically and abroad. We’re excited to showcase the documentaries and specials on Backstage in Spanish and give new audiences access to some of these compelling stories.
Papercup CEO Jesse Shemen said U.S. streaming platforms were experiencing “exponential growth in FAST and AVOD revenue” and were “facing potential saturation,” adding: “Forward-looking media companies are now eyeing up new markets in LatAm and Europe to reach global audiences hungry to consume content in their own languages.
“But traditional dubbing has always been a prohibitively costly and time intensive process, that has kept small and medium-sized production companies locked out of international markets. Meanwhile, giants like Netflix, who can invest more in high-impact localization, move in and rapidly gain footholds. That’s where AI comes in.”
Papercup uses AI and machine-based learning systems to localize videos into different languages using synthetic voices. Its videos have reached more than 1 billion people in non-English-speaking territories to date, with the likes of Fremantle, Bloomberg, Sky News, Insider and Jamie Oliver using it to localize hundreds of hours of content.
“We use the latest AI technology in voice creation and a human-in-the-loop workflow to generate voiceovers and dubs that are as nearly, if not equally, engaging as the original,” said Shemen. “This helps to level the playing field when competing with media giants — who can afford more expensive, time-consuming dubbing methods — to increase the global reach of quality video content.”
Shemen said he anticipated the Backstage deal would be “the first of many projects we hope to work on” with Fuse “to make their catalogue of content available in other languages around the world.
Fuse was “looking forward to continuing the partnership across more territories and languages as our global footprint grows,” added Courtney.
AI was among the biggest sticking points during the recent Hollywood strikes and the issue remains a hot button subject. Many are talking about possibilities around AI dubbing, though its development appear to provide a threat to international voiceover artists who have made careers translating English scripts into their local languages.
Also Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
Source: DLine
