A panel at MIPJunior this weekend saw Nickelodeon\u2019s Jules Borkent, Cartoon Network\u2019s Adina Pitt and BBC\u2019s Jackie Edwards weighing in on the future of the children\u2019s media business and discussing their content remits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t have unlimited budgets\u2014we have good budgets, but they have to stretch further and further,\u201d said Borkent, the executive VP of content management and network strategy at Nickelodeon. \u201cFor us, that\u2019s been about figuring out the best partnerships we can enter into. That has become far more forefront in how we look at content on a global level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Linear is here to stay, Borkent said, adding, \u201cthe question is what those channels will look like.\u201d<\/p>\n
He went on to note that Nick\u2019s multiplatform strategy is shifting: \u201cNot all content is right for every single platform. Some content might stay on the app or the VOD service and not go on the linear channel.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another new development for Nickelodeon is its experimentation with Latin American tween telenovelas, following parent company Viacom\u2019s acquisition of Argentina\u2019s Telefe. \u201cThe live-action drama genre is opening up,” Borkent said.<\/p>\n
Edwards, the head of BBC Children\u2019s acquisitions and independent animation, also believes that \u201cTV will survive. There is an absolute need for us to respond to children\u2019s changing habits and be thoughtful about making additional content for different platforms. It\u2019s a circle of goodness we have to perpetuate to survive. TV is first and foremost, but we have to respond to the audience\u2019s changing habits.\u201d<\/p>\n
On BBC Children\u2019s programming remit, Edwards noted, \u201cOur primary pocket of money is spent on commissioning content which reflects the lives of U.K. audiences.\u201d The acquisition budget at CBeebies is mostly spent on pre-buying animation. For older kids, \u201cwe have a mixed bag of requirements. We buy animation and drama. We pre-buy and [acquire] off the shelf. And we\u2019re looking for content for 6- to 16-year-olds\u2014that\u2019s quite a broad sweep.\u201d For older kids audiences, acquisitions are usually just for the iPlayer and not also for the linear channel.<\/p>\n
Pitt, VP of content acquisitions and co-productions at Cartoon Network and Boomerang, said, \u201cWe all have very brand-specific targets we want to hit. We\u2019re very focused on what the consumer wants and consumer behavior. We\u2019re mindful of how that has shifted. We\u2019re focused on building brands and franchises. It\u2019s not just looking for new partnerships and experimenting with conversations about models, but also staying true to our brand and finding things we think can be brands in the future, that can sit alongside our vast library of originals.\u201d<\/p>\n
On financing shows, Pitt noted that models continue to evolve. \u201cSometimes our budgets are cut, sometimes we have an abundance, and it really forces us to rethink. There are certain things we need, and we have to make those budgets work. One of the things I think is going to be very important for us is having a scope of rights for whatever it is we make or acquire. That could mean the model shifts because we have to pay more and pick up less, or maybe not. It depends on what [the producer] comes to the table with. A lot of times people expect us to do that math for them. We know what our budgets are, we have co-production models, acquisition models, pre-buy models. Each one of those is different. So when you come to us with an idea, we will ask you, What’s your budget? What do you bring to the table? Do you have some financing in place? And then we figure it out together. I don’t think that is going to shift extraordinarily in the future. It will be a continuation of that. It\u2019s just a matter of how are we partnering: Is it 50-50, 20 percent, a straight acquisition? It could be a number of things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pitt says she frequently tells producers not to be hesitant about partnering with distribution companies. \u201cThey come to the table with an understanding of what the global marketplace can tolerate and whether or not you can monetize that show you are making.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A panel at MIPJunior this weekend saw Nickelodeon\u2019s Jules Borkent, Cartoon Network\u2019s Adina Pitt and BBC\u2019s Jackie Edwards weighing in on the future of the children\u2019s media business and discussing their content remits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":15196,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[3677,81,433,494,4082,4081,96],"class_list":["post-15195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-adina-pitt","tag-cartoon-network","tag-cbbc","tag-cbeebies","tag-jackie-edwards","tag-jules-borkent","tag-nickelodeon","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n