Responding to the rise in global popularity of Korean content, the K-Content Expo in Spain 2022 last week showcased TV dramas, unscripted shows and animations at the Novotel Madrid Center in the Spanish capital, the Korea Creative Content Agency said Tuesday.

The Hallyu-themed event, which ran Oct. 4 to 7, was hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KOCCA. Industry representatives discussed changes in platform industries and the expo offered both online and offline meetings for buyers from countries including France, Germany, Spain and the UK.

South Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM and leading comics publisher Haksan Publishing were among the 31 content companies that participated.

“The agency was able to promote Korean content to the wider audience in Europe. As Korean TV dramas, variety shows, animations and cartoons continue to receive more international recognition, we seek to support the domestic content companies in their overseas expansion,” Ji Kyeong-hwa, director of KOCCA’s global business division, said in a press release Tuesday.

A total of 358 business consultations took place at this year's event, resulting in an estimated $53 million in deals, the agency said.

Among them, Korean mobile and console game publisher the Balance signed a memorandum of understanding with Spanish game companies Chorrusgames and Desarrollo Espanol de Videojuegos, according to KOCCA. Korea's Skywalk and Italian production company Mondo TV also signed a memorandum.

The K-Content Expo has supported the export of works by domestic production companies and promoted Korean content to emerging and potential global markets since 2016.

K-Content Expo in Spain 2022 was the second offline event of this year, following a similar show held in Singapore in July that mainly targeted the Southeast Asian content market.