DISCOP Africa Touts 150-Percent Attendance Increase

LOS ANGELES: The seventh edition of DISCOP Africa garnered record-breaking attendance, with a total of 1,248 delegates for the three-day event.

There were 173 exhibiting companies and 304 broadcasters, pay-TV platforms, mobile operators, broadband-based services, closed-circuit networks and distributors operating in Africa. The total delegates represented 672 companies from 86 countries. There were 195 independent production and distribution companies as well. The event also saw the inaugural edition of the Formats from Africa pitching competition, which gave the top awards to Kenyan producers.

“With 2.5 times more participants year-on-year, all of them busy throughout the three-day program, we can conclude that Africa has now become the world’s fastest growing digital entertainment marketplace,” said Patrick Jucaud-Zuchowicki, the general manager of event organizer Basic Lead. “The consensus amongst veteran distributors was that 90 percent of Africa’s key content buyers were at the market and that sales were significantly stronger than ever before.”