Grupo Globo is preparing initiatives for its centennial year - O GLOBO

Founded on July 29, 1925, by Irineu Marinho, a newspaper gave rise to Brazil's largest media and communications conglomerate. For nearly a century, it has chronicled the lives of Brazilians through print, websites, radio, TV, streaming, cinema, and digital platforms. The centennial of Grupo Globo, to be marked on July 29, 2025, will be celebrated throughout the year by all its brands, highlighting their journeys while demonstrating that the core values and essence inherited from Irineu Marinho continue to guide the company toward the future, driven by innovation.

— Always inspired by Irineu Marinho, my father, Roberto Marinho, built Grupo Globo over the years with three core values: a connection with Brazilian people and their culture, attracting top talent, and a passion for communication. This passion has permeated our teams for decades. We take immense pride in the passionate dedication of our entire company. Another of his traits was an optimistic attitude, investing in everything new, always building the future — emphasizes João Roberto Marinho, President of Grupo Globo.

In 2025, alongside the centennial of O GLOBO, several other milestones will be celebrated: the 60th anniversary of TV Globo (April), the 25th anniversary of the newspaper Valor Econômico (May) and globo.com (March), the 10th anniversary of Globoplay (November), the 40th anniversary of the magazine Globo Rural, and the 50th anniversaries of Vogue Brasil and Casa Vogue. Starting today, the centennial logo—already in use by O GLOBO since July 29, 2024—will appear across all Grupo Globo products.

The first film for the centennial campaign will air on January 1, 2025, following a special report on Jornal Nacional. From January 2 onward, it will be featured on Globo’s digital platforms and those of Editora Globo. Narrated by journalist Pedro Bial, it showcases the group's evolution from the founding of O GLOBO to iconic scenes from TV shows and streaming services.

— Our continuous evolution and quest for innovation enhance our ability to create and tell great stories for all Brazilians, which is our main mission. Stories that have Brazil as both inspiration and destination. We want to keep improving in this respect. We aim to be present in every medium, in every way of connecting with Brazilians — states Paulo Marinho, CEO of Globo and grandson of Roberto Marinho. — We believe in the contribution we can continue to make to the country, serving as a space for meeting and respecting one another.

The centennial celebration of O GLOBO, now Brazil's largest newspaper, will take many forms. Editorially, alongside debates, special digital sections, and historical features, readers will revisit notable stories from decades past both in print and online.

Two books offering distinct perspectives on O GLOBO's history will be released by Globo Livros in the first half of the year. The first, curated by columnist Míriam Leitão, will explore how the newspaper has delivered key national and international events to its readers and emphasize O GLOBO's innovative role at various times.

In 11 chapters, journalists who have been part of the newspaper's history—including Míriam herself, Agostinho Vieira, Ancelmo Gois, Antonio Nascimento, Arthur Dapieve, Ascânio Seleme, Cora Rónai, Flávia Oliveira, Lauro Jardim, Merval Pereira, and Pedro Doria—will recount initiatives like “O GLOBO Expedicionário,” a series of newspapers sent daily to Brazilian soldiers in Europe during World War II. Or the active campaign for the construction of Maracanã and support for Carnival since the 1930s. This includes promoting a samba school championship and the Estandarte de Ouro Award, established in 1972. Not forgetting the creation of Bonequinho in 1938, which became synonymous with film criticism in Brazil.

The second book, organized by Maria Amélia Mello, known for her work with prominent publishing houses, will be an anthology featuring more than 30 luminaries who have graced the newspaper's pages with their columns. This star-studded lineup ranges from Nelson Rodrigues to João Ubaldo Ribeiro, Guimarães Rosa to Aldir Blanc, Augusto Frederico Schmidt to Thiago de Mello, Antonio Maria to Arnaldo Jabor, Elsie Lessa to Fernanda Young, Rubem Braga to Artur Xexéo.

In the realm of events, the Aquarius Project, launched in 1972 and bringing classical music to broader audiences across the country, will have a special edition in July. The Faz Diferença Award, presented by O GLOBO and reaching its 21st edition in 2024, will feature special categories in 2025 to commemorate the centenary. Additionally, an exhibition is in the works.

The newspaper's journey will also be captured in a four-episode documentary series, created by Pedro Bial and produced by Globoplay, TV Globo, and O GLOBO.

Speaking of newspapers, Valor is preparing to celebrate its 25th anniversary by expanding its brand ecosystem, consolidated through strategies like internationalization with events abroad and the English-language site Valor International (now employing artificial intelligence); education and executive training; and personal finance. New initiatives include launching communities such as CEO debate forums and marketing professional networks.

Planned actions also include a special edition of the "Rumos" seminar, addressing economic challenges. In May, the anniversary month, a special 25th-anniversary issue and a dinner with a prominent keynote speaker are scheduled. Valor's major awards will also see new developments.

For six decades, present in Brazilian homes, delivering information and entertainment and shaping behaviors, TV Globo, the long-held dream realized by Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965, plans an extensive anniversary program. From Friday, April 25, to Sunday, April 27, all network programs will honor the 60th anniversary with a 60-hour marathon.

On the 25th, the traditional Sessão da Tarde will feature an original movie from Estúdios Globo. On Saturday, the exact anniversary day, the entire lineup, from entertainment to news programs, will celebrate the network. The highlight arrives in the evening: a live show with numerous special guests will be broadcast from a major stage at Estúdios Globo, spanning various scenographic cities.

However, the kickoff for the celebrations will occur on the upcoming 7th with the premiere of "Grande Sertão," a four-episode miniseries adapted from Guel Arraes' film based on the work of Guimarães Rosa. January will also bring updates to BBB, celebrating its 25th edition. Hosted by Tadeu Schmidt, the reality show will premiere on the 13th with a set paying homage to landmark programs and, in an unprecedented twist, will be contested in pairs.

Another reality show, "The Masked Singer Brasil," will launch its fifth season a day earlier, hosted by Eliana, who shares the stage with Kenya Sade. This time, the masked singers will be dressed as unforgettable telenovela characters, such as Nazaré Tedesco (from "Senhora do Destino") and Odete Roitman (from "Vale Tudo")—the latter so iconic in Brazilian drama history that it will receive a new version by Manuela Dias, set to premiere in March. In the realm of telenovelas, a new work by Rosane Svartman, author of the hit "Vai na Fé," will air at the 7 p.m. slot in April.

— Restlessness is what drives us. We are celebrating our 100-year history, thinking daily about the next 100, with great optimism. Sixty years ago, at the inauguration of TV Globo, my grandfather noted that a company is never finished. We are never satisfied — says Roberto Marinho Neto, CEO of Globo Ventures. — We look beyond our media ecosystem, betting on Brazilian talents and entrepreneurs who can strengthen Grupo Globo and bring innovations to our market. We invest heavily in the country, and Globo, a Brazilian company made by Brazilians for Brazilians, thrives only with the success of our Brazil.

Speaking of success, Globoplay celebrates its ten-year journey with the acclaimed "I'm still here" by Walter Salles, the first Globoplay Original film. Praised by both audiences and critics, the story of Eunice Paiva's fight for justice for her husband, Congressman Rubens Paiva, detained and killed by the military dictatorship in the country, has already secured nominations for the Golden Globe and the Goya and is still vying for an Oscar spot.

Beyond the documentary series about O GLOBO, 2025 on Globoplay will be marked by other original productions, including the telenovela "Guerreiros do Sol"; "Dias Perfeitos," an adaptation of Raphael Montes' suspense novel; and "Raul Seixas: Eu Sou," a biographical drama about the musician who would have turned 80. New reality shows also debut: "Terceira Metade," featuring Deborah Secco, and "Minha Mãe com Seu Pai," hosted by Sabrina Sato, focusing on different aspects of romantic relationships.

— As we mark 100 years, Grupo Globo remains the same, connected to Brazilians, investing in top talent, innovating to tell the best stories, through our editorial products and dramaturgy and sports content, across all technologically enabled platforms — concludes João Roberto Marinho.

The translation of this text into english was carried out by Project Irineu, O GLOBO's initiative to develop artificial intelligence tools. Here is the link to the original report.