It was a good year for Brazilian audiovisual. If in cinema this was obvious with the awards at the Oscars, Cannes and Berlin, on television and streaming, this conclusion was drawn in a more subjective way.
Critics and audiences received several rounds of praise, with some of them taking international flights. More importantly, the plurality of genres and themes embodies the conviction that local productions are going through a good phase.
The sensitive drama of “The Oxygen Masks Will Not Automatically Fall Off”, the aquatic action of “Pssica”, the tender comedy of “Pablo and Luisão” and the blockbuster drive of “Os Donos do Jogo” did not look bad compared to what was also a good harvest for foreigners, in a year driven by “Pluribus”, “O Estúdio” and “The Pitt”. The last two were rewarded at the Emmys, which preferred to celebrate the new features of its last edition.
Despite the wind of renewal, uncertainty reigns in the Brazilian air. Streaming regulations were ultimately approved by the House in 2025, but there is distrust about the practical effects of the bill, which now heads to the Senate.
The obligation for platforms like Netflix to pay fees and adopt national content quotas can, for some, generate a fragmentation of investments and a decline in quality. Wagner Moura of “The Secret Agent” entered the discussion in late 2025, saying the proposal was very lenient on foreign companies and generated a cyber outcry.
Ideally, the industry hopes that the regulations will result in improved working conditions in the sector and, therefore, robust investments in films and series. Like those that Globo made in “Vale Tudo”, a big soap opera bet for the year in which the channel blew out the candles of six decades.
Even when bombarded with negative reviews, the 9 p.m. soap opera guided conversations throughout the months it aired: the week that villainous Odete Roitman died, bars and bakeries in Rio de Janeiro held debates over who would be responsible for the murder.
It’s been a long time since there has been so much talk about a villain like this, reincarnated by Debora Bloch, or even a girl, like Taís Araujo’s Raquel, but with controversy – the actress and viewers did not approve of the direction given to the character by the author, Manuela Dias.
Another antagonist shined this year. Streaming, HBO Max’s first series, “Beleza Fatal,” introduced audiences to Camila Pitanga’s Lola, an unscrupulous girl who became a pop icon, created memes and had the platform rushing to approve a second season, already in production.
On Globoplay, “Guerreiros do Sol”, another soap opera shorter than the traditional ones, debuted with enormous production value, with technical aspects worthy of what they call “prestige television”. The cinematography, art direction and costumes, in particular, showed the Brazilian’s ability to deliver good content – in a serialized, serialized format or somewhere in between, as it was.
In fact, there was no shortage of melodramas in different formats. The fashion of the moment are microsoap operas, or vertical soap operas, designed to be watched on mobile phones, which have invaded short video social networks like TikTok and Kwai. These are simple plots, recorded in few settings and on a small budget.
The success attracted the attention of Globo, which ran after the defeat to record “Tudo por uma Segunda Chance”, a soap opera that gives a second chance to the influencer Jade Picon. Two weeks later, the channel launched another production of this type, “Cinderella and the Secret of the Poor Millionaire”, with country singer Gustavo Mioto as the protagonist.
Despite the impact of these more innocent plots, the public still thirsts for the dramas of the past. “Vale Tudo”, for example, fueled fantasies and conspiracies about the murder of Odete Roitman – which ultimately did not take place -, while the plot of “Beleza Fatal” was motivated by the death of a model during a surgical operation. “Guerreiros do Sol,” in its electrifying first minutes, created an intricate Brazilian bang-bang scene in the northeastern hinterland.
This particularity perhaps reflects a still unsatisfied appetite for detective novels. Streaming series, such as “Tremembé” and “Ângela Diniz: Assassinada e Condenada,” have successfully framed murderers, sometimes receiving criticism for their alleged romanticization. Among documentaries, “Bateau Mouche: The Sinking of Justice” reinforces the trend.
Some of the year’s most popular international productions were no less bloody. “Round 6” ended after proving the strength of South Korean broadcasting amid homicidal treasure hunts, while “Adolescence,” on Netflix, monopolized conversation circles by putting today’s youth under a magnifying glass. In the story, a 13-year-old boy is arrested for killing a classmate.
“Stranger Things,” on the other hand, bids farewell after a decade, at the turn of the year, as responsible for the creation and consumption of a streaming series, almost a decade ago. The new season began after three years of waiting, under the pretext that it takes time to polish the heavy special effects of the plot.
Technology was also a topic in the domestic market. Artificial intelligence has arrived in force and has taken over the editing rooms of the major channels: Globo, for example, has adopted tools like this to put faces on the donkey Policarpo, from the six-hour soap opera “Êta Mundo Melhor!”.
In competition, SBT uses AI to recreate the face and voice of its founder, Silvio Santos, who died in August last year.
The broadcaster had difficulty orienting himself without instructions from the presenter. Now in the hands of Silvio’s third daughter, Daniela Abravanel Beyruti, the channel oscillates between the past, with the idea that it must return to its roots, and the future, in search of digital influencers who could become its new stars.
Another novelty of SBT is the creation of the cable news channel SBT News, aimed at classes A and B. The launch event two weeks ago sparked controversy with singer Zezé Di Camargo, who complained about the presence of left-wing leaders like President Lula and said that the heirs of Silvio Santos were “prostitutes themselves.”
Globo’s journalism has also undergone changes. The announcement of the departure of William Bonner from the bench of Jornal Nacional after 29 years had the effect of a bomb in public opinion. This generated musical chairs in the channel’s newscasts, with César Tralli promoted to replace Bonner and Roberto Kovalick succeeding Jornal Hoje.
Abroad, talk shows have seen a significant decline. Historically critical of US President Donald Trump, comedian Stephen Colbert, who has run the Late Show for 15 years, has discovered the program will end in May next year. Jimmy Kimmel Live!, in turn, was suspended after its host made a joke about the death of influencer and Trump supporter Charlie Kirk.
It was also a year of losses of symbolic figures on national television. One of the greatest idols of Brazilian drama, Francisco Cuoco died at the age of 91, two months after telling Leafin an interview, that he was proud of his journey and ready to “drive the boat”.
This year, Brazilian television also said goodbye to Berta Loran, a veteran actress who had been working since the 1950s and who directed “A Escolinha do Professor Raimundo”, and to the actress Lúcia Alves, of “Irmãos Coragem” and “O Cravo ea Rosa”.
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