Record Numbers for MIPCOM Attendance

CANNES: Reed MIDEM released attendance numbers for MIPCOM, which wraps in Cannes today, with total participation up to more than 13,700 delegates, including a record 4,800 buyers.

The 4,800 buyers included 1,600 acquisition executives from digital and SVOD platforms. At MIPJunior, meanwhile, there were 590 buyers out of a total of 1,400 delegates.

“It’s been a very active and busy market,” said Laurine Garaude, director of the television division at Reed MIDEM, at a press briefing this morning. “It's been extremely buoyant and reflects the diversity of the ecosystem. Standout drama was extremely visible [as was the] rise in OTT and SVOD. All of that is linked. More channels, more standout content.”

The market opened on schedule on Monday morning, despite the torrential rains and flooding that hit the area on Saturday night.

“Our clients showed remarkable understanding and with their help, coupled with that of the Palais des Festivals, the Mayor's office and all our Cannes partners, MIPCOM took place with a minimum of disruption,” said Reed MIDEM CEO Paul Zilk, in a MIPCOM wrap press release. “Our thoughts are with all those who were affected by this terrible event."

Highlights of the week included high-profile drama screenings, among them The Last Panthers and The X-Files (which attracted a record 1,000 delegates on Tuesday night in the Grand Auditorium).

Given the rising importance of screenings, Reed MIDEM is launching MIPDrama Screenings the Sunday before MIPTV begins. The screenings will be invitation only for buyers. There will be an emphasis on European dramas, but the event will not be limited to shows from the continent.

Turkey took center stage this week. The country is currently reaping $300 million a year in content exports. The MIPCOM Country of Honour aims to hit $1 billion in content export revenues by 2023. The spotlight on the country attracted a record number of Turkish delegates—more than 400, double the number of attendees in 2014.

Other trends highlighted by Garaude included the need to take risks to generate successful content; the importance of partnerships with new content creators; and the use of television and other media to address social issues.

“It was a really great MIPCOM because there was so much happening and so many deals,” Garaude said. “All that with a lot of solidarity and compassion for the city of Cannes. In a way new bonds formed within the community. Everybody had their story [about surviving the rain], and did a lot of business.”