The Week at MIPCOM

Despite the sunny skies, the uncertainty hanging over the global content production and distribution business loomed over MIPCOM delegates last week. That uncertainly translated into slightly lower attendance figures; some 10,500 media executives were on site in Cannes, down from last year’s 11,000, although traffic inside the Palais arguably felt thinner.

Speaking to reporters, Lucy Smith, director of MIPCOM Cannes and MIP LONDON at RX, said that decline was due to exhibitors reducing the size of their teams attending. There were 347 exhibitors at the market, up from 320 last year, including 34 country pavilions, ten of which were new. The 3,240-strong buyer contingent was led by U.S. programmers, followed by the U.K., France, Germany and Spain.

The market marked its 40th anniversary this year. “The very first edition of MIPCOM Cannes promised to stage the world’s biggest annual marketplace for television that would be unmissable,” Smith said. “That’s a promise that is as true and relevant today as it was 40 years ago. It’s one that feels particularly important this year, not just because it is an anniversary, but also because for months the single phrase that people have been sharing with me regardless of region or genre is, we really need this one.”

Smith continued, “The industry does have its challenges at the moment. The economic challenges faced are real and lasting. Audience behaviors don’t revert; they do evolve. But the industry is resilient, it regenerates. There are 72 companies taking stands for the first time. Sales and distribution will always be the core of the market. We continue to enjoy their renaissance. Content makers are keen to monetize and find new revenue streams, and there is a new open-mindedness when it comes to windowing. ‘Flexibility’ feels like a new market buzzword. It’s all about finding new ways of working and new opportunities. It’s about adapting, and it’s what we’ve been hearing again and again from around all the stages this week.”

That was a key theme of my session with The Walt Disney Company’s Diego Londono and Paolo Agostinelli at the Producers’ Hub, where they discussed co-production models, windowing evolution and the return of the company to global third-party content distribution business. “We’re open to different models,” Londono noted. “In our early days, there was a lot of focus on full commissions, but as things have evolved, we’re much more flexible in terms of the types of things we do and working with partners.”

This includes Whiskey on the Rocks, a co-production with SVT in Sweden, which has the first window. “We come four months after in Sweden, but in the rest of the world, we’re in first position. That is something we’ll look to do more of,” Londono said. In France, meanwhile, Disney+ is working with TF1 on the French adaptation of BBC Studios’ Ghosts. “We have taken a first position in that, with a second window on TF1. We’re having conversations with broadcasters about different models to bring new content to the platform.”

“Innovation is key,” Agostinelli said as the session wrapped. “Ultimately, we want to maximize value for consumers. Our objective is to create value with our stories for as many people as we can.”

Paramount’s Dan Cohen, chief content licensing officer, weighed in on new licensing models in his MIPCOM keynote conversation with World Screen’s Anna Carugati. Cohen discussed the Paramount+ branded destination deals the company has been signing since its first one with Cosmote TV in Greece, announced at MIPCOM last year. “Consumers would see ‘Paramount+,’ but it is a licensing deal; it isn’t a service our company owns and operates.” It announced a new one with beIN Media Group for the Middle East and Africa. “Last year, we announced the first market; we’ll now be in 80 markets.”

Cohen continued: “It’s really a triple win. It’s great for our licensing business. It’s great for our partners, and the real winner is the consumer because Paramount+ is now in their market faster and in a better business model than if we had to wait until we felt the market justified us coming in and building and operating.”

Cohen also discussed the AVOD and FAST space, noting that Paramount partnered with Frequency Networks to build turnkey premium channels. “We now have seven channels, and we’re working with great brands like Miramax, a movie channel; National Lampoon, a comedy channel; we have two with The CW; and two with Tyler Perry and BET. We’re pleased with the results. It’s another way for us to do business with clients. Typically, we will bundle in with that AVOD content. It’s been heavily U.S.-centric thus far, but I had more discussions about FAST and AVOD the two days I’ve been here this year than prior years.”

There was indeed plenty of FAST and AVOD news out of MIPCOM. BBC Studios entered a partnership with the 9Network in Australia for the launch of six exclusive FAST channels, including BBC Comedy. Samsung TV Plus unveiled a host of new channels and content across news, sports and entertainment that will premiere in Europe as part of its fall lineup; and expanded its offering in Spain with a suite of new Spanish channels. FilmRise launched six new FAST channels, including the first-ever FAST channel dedicated to Sherlock Holmes content. Rakuten TV announced the launch of a new Enterprise Services division, allowing content owners and distributors to launch their own FAST channels and video apps.

Driving innovation was a key theme throughout the week—which also saw ITV Studios expand its digital business by evolving it into its own label, Zoo 55. RX’s Smith highlighted MIPCOM’s addition of the MIP Innovation Lab in the level of the Palais long described as the “bunker.” Smith noted that it was a “big investment. It was somewhere we wanted to place the more tech-led area that is shaping the future of the industry and make it be at the heart of the market. We saw more than 60 companies speaking and chairing roundtables across summits ranging from FAST to AI, streaming and connected TV. It’s brought a host of new exhibitors and companies to the market. We will be continuing to build that out further next year.”

MIPCOM also doubled down on the Producers’ Hub, Smith explained. “It had a bigger, back-to-back conference program going. It’s all about finding new partners, and it did seem to be buzzing all week.”

Spanish attendance overall was up as that country was celebrated as the Country of Honour, with 172 companies accredited. The opening party sponsored by Spain was the biggest ever, Smith explained, with attendance of more than 3,500.

“Having 10,500 registered participants at MIPCOM underlines the need for one definitive annual global market, which takes place here in Cannes each year,” Smith said.

MIPCOM returns to Cannes October 13 to 16, 2025, with MIPJunior set for October 11 to 12. But before that, all eyes will be on the fate of MIP LONDON, with Smith presenting new details about the upcoming event at the Producers’ Hub on Wednesday before sitting down for a Q&A with me about what’s in store for the inaugural conference in 2025.

“MIP LONDON is about more content, more deals, more networking,” Smith said in her opening presentation. “Let’s face it, London in February has become the biggest week in content in the first quarter. We believe that beyond the existing screenings, there’s so much more potential business that can be done during that week to help get a head start on 2025.”

The new event, unveiled earlier this year as RX decided to close the chapter on MIPTV, “has a clear intent,” Smith said: “To open up an international marketplace to everyone, providing more opportunities for sellers, buyers and producers to meet, do deals, form partnerships, create showcases and discover content across the whole week.”

The multi-genre international content and networking marketplace will be staged across the Savoy Hotel and the IET London, with “the single purpose of attracting more international content companies and encouraging more business during that week.”

MIP LONDON will serve as a central hub—near the raft of London TV Screenings events—Smith continued, delivering “meeting spaces that can be adapted, whether you’re a small company or global studio; state-of-the-art screening theaters; and dedicated lounges for buyers and delegates.”

The London TV Screenings was founded by All3Media International, Banijay Entertainment, Fremantle and ITV Studios to tap into the wealth of buyers in town for BBC Studios’ Showcase. It has expanded its lineup of participating companies over the last four years, and the fifth edition in 2025 will feature 36 distributors hosting screening events. “Some of these will likely use the IET as a screening venue or will be involved in MIP LONDON in another way. Another venue on the map.”

Indeed, MIP LONDON and the London TV Screenings are not an either/or Smith said, a point she would return to in her Q&A with me. “We’re setting it up to attract additional buyers to London, to lean into those areas that are currently underserved, such as unscripted, FAST and kids’, and to open up and create a marketplace beyond only buyers and sellers. Again—more people doing more business.”

Some 250 companies from 36 countries have confirmed their participation, Smith said.

Speaking to me on stage about the need to reinvent its annual spring market, Smith explained, “We’d been seeing at MIPTV for several years a declining number of companies feeling that it was important enough in the calendar for them. The choice was becoming MIPTV or the London TV Screenings. At the last MIPTV, there were 3,500 delegates. We all know that is not sufficient for a MIP market of this caliber, and we felt it was time to make a rapid change. We felt that bringing a new and additional event would create a central hub around such a busy moment in the calendar. It was based on what we heard from buyers [about] needing some kind of centralized organization to make it easier to navigate.”

Smith was asked about concerns that with the hectic London TV Screenings schedule, buyers may not have sufficient time to also see the distributors at MIP LONDON. “Our goal is to create an additional new international marketplace. There were 750 buyers at the London TV Screenings last February. There were 1,200 buyers at MIPTV in April. There are 3,200-plus buyers here at MIPCOM. We will be reaching out to all of our buying community, and we’re getting a great response. The London TV Screenings are multi-genre. There are moments where buyers might be going to scripted or unscripted screenings. Not all buyers can go to everything. Not all are invited to everything. So, for buyers, instead of having meetings in a London coffee shop, they can come to a central hub. We’re inviting all of those buyers to join us in London.”

Smith also stressed that MIP LONDON is not being positioned as a competitor to the London TV Screenings. “The first people I spoke to personally a year ago were the founding partners. We consulted them ahead of announcing our plans. They understand why we are doing this. The arrival of a lot of companies around the events in London was already happening. We are being respectful of what they’ve planned. They’ve grown a great event. We’ll be doing intelligent scheduling to make sure we are scheduling content and screenings so that they are not fully in competition with other major events.”

The conversation then moved to the issue of cost. Smith stressed that the expenses are not comparable to the Cannes setup. “We have plug-and-play solutions for anyone who wants to come. We want buyers to feel welcome. For anyone who wants to register today, it’s £450. That gives access to the venue, the programming, the companies having meeting spaces there. You can spend a week in London cafes and spend as much. It’s not an expensive proposition. For companies who want to have a space for meetings, a meeting table with branding and registrations is £3,500. I think it’s accessible. It’s the first year. We understand that change is always challenging. We have companies who also want more private spaces, and that’s possible.”

She added, “We didn’t move MIPTV to London. This is a new conference, networking and screening event and international content marketplace. We’re bringing more business, more companies, more opportunities. We believe the value is clearly there.”

Smith continued, “We know the business is difficult. Executives will tell you they need to meet more often because they have to find new ways to work together. We do think that with everything we’re providing, there’s a lot of opportunity there.”

Missed our genre recaps? Catch up on our deal summaries for formats, drama and factual ahead of our MIPJunior recap tomorrow.