NATPE Budapest 2025 Unveils Lineup of Speakers

NATPE Budapest has unveiled its 2025 lineup of speakers, with YouTube’s Andreas Briese to deliver the opening keynote.

Briese, country director for Germany and regional director for Central and Northern Europe at YouTube, will share actionable insights tailored to the CEE market, focusing on how creators and media companies can leverage YouTube to grow audiences and monetize content.

The View from the Top session will feature George Levendis, managing director of ANT1 TV, Mak TV and Antenna Studios (Greece); Stella Litou, CEO of Pro Plus Slovenia and RTL Croatia; Levente Málnay, executive VP of AMC Networks Central Europe; and Magdalena Szwedkowicz, producer of MAG Entertainment. Together, they will share how the industry needs to innovate and collaborate to navigate change and build a strong regional media ecosystem.

On the Formats track agenda, K7 Media’s Clare Thompson will share an exclusive snapshot of the global format landscape and reveal insights behind the content trends.

Sebastian van Barneveld, director of global distribution at Talpa Studios (The Voice, Big Brother), will offer a look at the key elements behind the company’s creative process, global partnerships and international successes.

The new Format Futures case studies strand—curated by Realscreen—will see a discussion between Ákos Erdős, CEO of Paprika Studios Group, and Aleksander Herresthal, CCO of Seefood TV, discuss strategies for developing breakout hits and capitalizing on changes in the global marketplace to drive international sales. Anna Kalyna of Starlight Media, who cast The Bachelor in Ukraine, will share her secret sauce for reinvigorating veteran formats and generating regional hits.

The inaugural NATPE Honors Europe will recognize the bold voices and visionary leaders driving transformation across the European media landscape.

Pitch & Play LIVE! will showcase the CEE region’s most promising original formats in an energetic, interactive competition, and CEE Breakout Hits, led by TV Bizz Group’s Georgi Chakarov, will provide a data-driven look at the region’s top-performing new series and the trends shaping content acquisition.

“NATPE Budapest is partnering with Realscreen, the global authority in the nonfiction and unscripted space, to produce an expanded new Formats track curated for the market reality facing CEE producers,” said Mary Maddever, executive VP of Realscreen and executive content director for NATPE. “We’re also bringing Realscreen’s 30 Minutes With format—more intimate briefings with buyers—to Budapest.”

“We’re excited to offer a dynamic mix of programming and events designed to celebrate innovation, spotlight regional success and foster meaningful industry connections,” added Claire Macdonald, NATPE’s executive director. “From NATPE Honors to fresh and inspired keynotes and both curated and informal networking opportunities, NATPE Budapest delivers a complete market and conference experience.”