MIPCOM 2025 PREVIEW MAGAZINE

The Creator Economy supercharges

MIPCOM CANNES 2025 (41st edition)

The creator economy has arrived at MIPCOM CANNES 2025 . From Dhar Mann Studios and Inoxtag, to YouTube, Twitch, Snapchat, and so many more, in 2025 you’ll discover new voices across every stage, event and exhibition hall. Everything we are staging this year is planned and scheduled to bring together mainstream media and the creator economy.

This includes YouTube — celebrating its 20th anniversary — which will have its first major presence in the Palais, including daily workshops, mainstage talks and events, all with a singular focus to partner with television producers and broadcasters to reach new audiences and monetise content.

Make sure to check out the creator economy programme in our newly branded MIP Creative Hub on the beach where we bridge the gap between television creatives and digital creators. And don’t miss our first BrandStorytelling Summit taking place on Monday and Tuesday.

AI too represents a generational shift with our Monday AI Summit, kicking off our cutting-edge tech-meets-content agenda covering global streaming strategies and hosting top-tier matchmaking events.

TV remains the heart of MIPCOM CANNES with all the world’s major studios and biggest brands from over 100 countries returning to the market. In 2025, we will be welcoming 320 exhibitors, 3,000 buyers and more than 10,500 delegates to MIPCOM CANNES. Our biggest Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evening screenings of highly-anticipated series from Paramount, Sony Pictures Televison and ZDF promise to surpass all expectations with elite talent in attendance. And finally, many congratulations to Globo on its 100th anniversary and ITV on its 70th.

I look forward to seeing you at the Merzigo x MIPCOM CANNES Opening Night Party in the Majestic hotel on Monday, at 19.00.

Wishing everyone a productive and successful market.

Lucy Smith Entertainment Division Director, RX FRANCE Director of MIPCOM CANNES & MIP LONDON

“The creator economy marks the biggest generational shift

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YouTube’s Pedro Pina with the BBC’s Jasmine Dawson and Evan Shapiro 10

Mattel’s Robbie Brenner and Josh Silverman

Mindscope’s

Leading international industry figures take to the Cannes stage throughout the week to give their insights on current and future trends. Inside we hear from: The Creator Economy will be a key talking point at MIPCOM CANNES. Inside we hear from key players taking part in these and other sessions:

Spotlight: The Creator Economy From UGC To IP

The Rise Of Independent Creators On Streaming Platforms Investing In The Creator IP Boom

Crafting Originals With Cultural Impact Why Digital Media Studios Will Dominate The Future Sports & Live Events: Creators Changing The Game

MIP INNOVATION LAB

In AI: Creative Innovation Showcase Storytelling In The Imagination Age Live Audience Predictions With AI In Conversation With DAZN From SVOD to YouTube And Back Again FAST/AVOD Strategies

The New Frontiers Of TV Attention BBC: Powerful Storytelling For A Global Stage Inside Micro Drama

Being Bold In Doc And Factual

Sony Pictures Television’s The Miniature

PREMIERE SCREENING ZDF’s Ku’damnn ‘77

Inside we meet key players from the brand storytelling ecosystem who are contributing to the brand-new MIPCOM CANNES summit

We hear from top executives from the UK’s leading independent broadcaster

YouTube in Cannes to grow TV partnerships

YOUTUBE will have a major presence at MIPCOM CANNES, celebrating its 20th anniversary with activations including a branded hospitality space, daily workshops, hosted events and a keynote with Pedro Pina, vice-president, YouTube EMEA, and Jasmine Dawson, senior vice-president, digital, BBC Studios, Monday, October 13.

Pina said the partnership with MIPCOM CANNES marks “a significant milestone. It’s a strategic move to bolster our international TV collaborations and demonstrate YouTube’s role in supporting media companies amidst evolving content consumption”. He said the company sees its relationship with traditional media as complementary, not competitive. “YouTube is not a content producer, but rather a distribution and monetisation partner that provides the technology and reach to help creators and partners — including broadcasters — achieve their goals. Our business

model is built on partnership, and we succeed only when our partners do.”

Jasmine Dawson told the MIPCOM CANNES Preview that she will be explaining “how we have built fandom around our con-

STUDIOS, BROADCASTERS & YOUTUBE: CHANGING VIDEO LANDSCAPE AND HOW TO BEST WORK WITH STREAMING PLATFORMS GRAND AUDITORIUM MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 11:45-12.15

ing — by encouraging people not just to watch but to care and engage. It means they are more likely to buy.”

For Pina, partnerships with major media organisations including “the BBC, RTL, and others

‘Our close working relationship with YouTube has allowed us to explore the way in which an engaged fandom can open opportunities’

tent, and what that has meant for other lines of business”. She said that BBC Studios has had a close working relationship with YouTube for over 10 years “and that has allowed us to explore the way in which an engaged fandom can open opportunities in ecommerce, subscriptions, brand partnerships and licens -

are designed to help them reach new audiences, particularly younger and more global ones. For example, the BBC leverages YouTube to drive audiences to its services like iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Similarly, RTVE in Spain uses YouTube to drive traffic to its own digital platform. We also work with US studios and SVOD

streamers through products like Primetime Channels, which allows users to find, subscribe to, and watch content from their favourite streaming services on the YouTube app.”

Pina said his key message for MIPCOM CANNES delegates “is that YouTube is a strategic imperative for broadcasters to expand their reach, deepen audience engagement, and unlock new monetisation opportunities. The way people consume content has changed, and our platform allows broadcasters to adapt to this new environment.”

YouTube’s attendance at MIPCOM CANNES coincides with a robust presence from the creator community. On the creator economy, Pina said: “Creators are the lifeblood of our platform, and we are committed to supporting them. We partner with everyone from the largest media companies to individual creators just starting out. We believe that creator content is professionally

HE GAVE HIS LIFE TO STRANGERS.

SHE NEEDS TO FIND THEM TO GET HER OWN LIFE BACK.

produced content, and we are seeing top creators build stateof-the-art studios. We provide a powerful monetisation ecosystem for creators, having paid over $100bn to creators, artists and media companies in the last three years (2021-2023). This revenue-sharing model ensures that we have a natural, long-term incentive to help our creative community succeed.”

Dawson said that being on stage at MIPCOM CANNES with Pina marks a watershed: “I think it’s incredibly significant. It really highlights the importance of creators and fandom to this overall industry. I also think it underscores the partnership we’ve had with YouTube — how we listen to each other and how our success is their success.”

BBC Studios has activated iconic properties including Top Gear, Doctor Who and Bluey via social media for several years. But the emphasis on fandom “has really flipped the switch”, Daw-

son said. “It has to be a two-way relationship. You have to give fans the power to help shape the brands and the content pipeline. So it’s not just about listening to how people comment and share, it’s thinking about how they can play with our brand.”

Media cartographer Evan Shapiro will moderate the on-stage presentations of Pina and Dawson.

Shapiro told the MIPCOM CANNES Preview that, for him, the event would be one of the highlights of his week in Cannes. “During that session, I’m going to challenge them both to explain to the rest of mainstream media how to wake up and lean into what I refer to as the ‘affinity economy’.”

Shapiro said the ‘affinity economy’ is about seizing all of the opportunities that exist to commercialise IP across all channels: “The companies who know how to traverse both existing and new platforms are going to be truly successful.

“When you look at someone like Mr. Beast, his success isn’t that he’s simply a creator, it’s that he is also a huge television star. Jake Paul, Alex Cooper and Inoxtag in France have achieved similar breakthroughs, and there are also examples that started in the TV business, ranging from Peppa Pig to Gordon Ramsay.”

During a busy week, Shapiro will also be co-hosting the opening party with tech innovator Merzigo; broadcasting a special live edition of his Media Odyssey Podcast with journalist and podcaster Marion Ranchet; and participating in an Innovation Lab workshop, Broadcasting To Next-Gen Audiences Via YouTube. “During these activities, I’ll be talking to some really interesting companies like Whalar Group and Film Hub.”

YouTube @ MIPCOM CANNES

The YouTube View, fifth Floor, Palais des Festivals

IN ADDITION to the Monday MIP Headliner keynote, here are some of the other events at which you can engage with YouTube across the week:

• In a fireside chat, Banijay France’s CEO, Alexia Laroche Joubert, and YouTube country lead, France, Justine Ryst, will talk about their Creators Lab partnership. The session Reinventing TV Shows With Creators is in the MIP Creative Hub on Tuesday, October 14, at 17.30. YouTube country lead for Germany Andreas Briese will also be a key presence during the week.

• A workshop, Boost Your Audience By Crafting Compelling Content, in the MIP Innovation Lab, October 13, at 14.30, will delve into content strategy on YouTube, covering everything from shorts and long form to AI tools and automation.

• In the workshop, YouTube for Rights Holders: A Strategic Guide To Revenue Growth, on Tuesday, October 14, at 09.40 in the

MIP Innovation Lab , YouTube partner sales teams will share insights into how IP owners can turn their media library into a global revenue powerhouse.

• In a third workshop, in the MIP Innovation Lab, on October 15, at 14.00, Evan Shapiro leads the session Broadcasting To Next-Gen Audiences Via YouTube, providing tools and insights for studios and broadcasters to act like creators in a user-centric era.

• During a Happy Hour delegates can network with the YouTube team at the MIP Creative Hub on Tuesday, October 14, at 18.00.

Pedro Pina said the packed programme is “designed to foster deeper connections between the creator community and the traditional television ecosystem. We will also have a dedicated branded space — the YouTube View — on the fifth floor, Palais des Festivals, which will serve as a central point for meetings and networking.”

Mattel team shares

secrets of longevity

Robbie Brenner, president and chief content officer at Mattel Studios, and Josh Silverman, Mattel’s chief franchise officer, will deliver a joint keynote at this year’s edition of MIPCOM CANNES

ROBBIE Brenner, producer of the cultural tour de force movie Barbie, said hers and Silverman’s Cannes presentation is an opportunity to “highlight how Mattel’s storytelling is captivating audiences around the globe, pushing the boundaries of creativity and crafting narratives that honour the rich legacy of our brands while forging entirely new paths forward”.

Silverman said: “It is a momentous time, in our 80th anniversary year, to be participating in MIPCOM CANNES and underscoring Mattel’s commitment to expanding our beloved IP across cutting-edge entertainment platforms — wherever our fans play.”

Speaking to the MIPCOM CANNES Preview Magazine on the eve of the market Brenner said their presentation “will offer an exclusive look at how we’re scaling a unified film and TV banner, and how this opens new creative opportunities for storytellers and fans around the world. We’ll also share announcements about upcoming premium TV content.”

Silverman said the two Mattel chiefs “want delegates to see how storytelling sits at the centre of Mattel’s franchise strate -

gy. We’ll share how we approach partnerships across different verticals. We’re always looking to connect with creative and commercial collaborators who share our fan-first mindset.”

Explaining how the company has stayed relevant across eight decades, Silverman added: “Mattel’s longevity is driven by constant innovation. Our franchise ecosystem ensures everything, from

‘We’re giving fans the tools to express themselves within our worlds’

films and consumer products to digital and live activations, works together to build a cohesive, emotionally resonant universe for fans.”

Brenner said there is also a creative dimension to Mattel’s success: “We remain relevant by

MIP HEADLINERS

MATTEL STUDIOS

ROBBIE BRENNER AND JOSH SILVERMAN

GRAND AUDITORIUM

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 10.30-11.00

working with visionary creators who bring new perspectives to familiar IP. When you trust bold storytellers, you tap into what’s culturally meaningful today without losing what made a brand resonant in the first place.”

Barbie is the quintessential example of this, Brenner said. “Greta Gerwig created something both deeply personal and globally resonant. It became a cultural touchstone because it didn’t shy away from complexity. We’re applying that same approach across properties like Barney, Matchbox and Masters of the Universe.”

Silverman said Hot Wheels Let’s Race is another case in point. “Born from the toy shelf, but now a top-performing series on Netflix, it’s inspiring publishing, experiences, and more — even new toys. Our participation in the creator economy and our engagement on YouTube through digital specials like Barney’s I Love Me Too also showcase how we’re meeting kids and families where they are.”

MIPCOM CANNES will see a lot of buzz around the creator economy, an area Mattel also embraces, Silverman said. “From innovative digital experiences on platforms like Fortnite and Roblox to manga publishing and live events, we’re giving fans the tools to express themselves within our worlds. Barbie Dreamhouse Tycoon, for example, has seen nearly half a billion visits on Roblox.”

Lea Karam: ‘You have to build communities’

Lea Karam, founder and CEO of behavioural science consultancy Mindscope, will give a keynote speech at this year’s MIPCOM CANNES. She spoke to us before taking to the Palais stage

BEHAVIOURAL science consultancy Mindscope was formed “to bridge a critical human understanding gap in our industry”, according to founder Lea Karam. “I saw a disconnect between what behavioural science tells us about how humans think, feel and connect, and how entertainment, media and brands were actually engaging audiences,” she said. Karam describes Mindscope as “the human compass that helps companies navigate the friction between tradition and transformation, bridging old and new worlds. As I was told when I launched Mindscope: ‘This is when timing and vision align’ — and that is exactly the timely challenge we are here to solve.”

Headquartered in London, plans for Mindscope to grow internationally are under way: “Our client work now spans Europe, the US and the Middle East, and we’re building partnerships with networks and brands across Dubai and New York City,” Karam said. “The ambition is clear: to make Mindscope the go-to behavioural partner for global content and media players. Human behaviour is universal, but culture is local — and our work thrives at that intersection.”

She is on record as having said she “could never really work with

someone that’s destroying the world”, and the reason for that is “simple: I won’t work with companies whose business models depend on harming people or the planet — whether that’s unsustainable extraction, spreading misinformation or fuelling division. Can they be stopped? Yes, if enough of us draw that line. The industry has power: if content creators, brands and platforms choose not to en-

‘Human behaviour is universal, but culture is local — and our work thrives at that intersection’

dorse destructive players, we collectively shift the standard.”

Mindscope’s work brings together behavioural observations and data, by combining “digital traces — what people watch, share, comment, search — with psychological frameworks and cultural signals. It’s about decoding patterns across groups. And yes, it’s a kind of silver bullet, but not because the data gives answers on

MIP HEADLINER THE SCIENCE OF ENGAGEMENT: BEHAVIOUR, CULTURE AND CONTENT GRAND AUDITORIUM TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 16:30-17.15

its own. The magic happens when behavioural science (so magic!) interprets the data to reveal motivations, identities and cultural undercurrents. That’s when strategies truly transform.”

During her MIPCOM CANNES keynote, Karam said she will show that “true engagement and longevity isn’t just a stroke of luck — it’s when you actually meet the audience where they are, and as they are. No more forcing narratives. It’s not about chasing audiences and hoping for the best — it’s about putting them first and then naturally attracting them in your ecosystem and ethos. Delegates will hear how behaviour, culture and identity can be harnessed to transform content from a momentary distraction into a movement. “My core message is: in today’s creator and attention economy, it’s no longer enough to work off outdated assumptions of behaviours, and especially with the rise of new formats, you have to build communities. That’s where loyalty, advocacy and long-term impact are born.”

Karam described MIPCOM CANNES as “a hub of collaboration”, where she’ll be “meeting with global partners, exploring cross-industry alliances, and listening, of course — because MIPCOM is where you feel the pulse of what’s on everyone’s minds. For Mindscope, it’s about sparking conversations that can shape the future of media, tech, content and culture.”

Karam will also welcome a guest to the stage, a senior executive from SNAP Inc.

Creators are ‘core to the future of entertainment’

ONE OF THE hottest sessions at MIPCOM CANNES will be Spotlight: The Creator Economy, a showcase that celebrates the talents, platforms and studios rewriting the rules of entertainment — pioneering new formats, funding models and fan experiences.

Hosted by Shira Lazar, CEO, What’s Trending, the session will meet some of the digital-native talents redefining how stories are told, shared and experienced. Headliners will include After Party Studios co-founders Ben ‘RVBBERDUCK’ Doyle and Callum ‘Callux’ McGinley; Dhar Mann Studios founder Dhar Mann, alongside studio CEO Sean Atkins; Tubi’s recently appointed vice-president, creator partnerships, Kudzi Chikumbu; and digital stars Nella Rose and Specs Gonzalez.

Lazar is a digital-first force in her own right, having spent over 15 years building social-first brands, scaling communities, and advising media companies and IP owners on how to engage digital-native audiences. She told the MIPCOM CANNES Preview that creators are now “driving cultural trends faster than traditional players can keep up with. I hosted the MIP Digital Fronts in 2015, when creators were still fighting for legitimacy. Returning as host of these digital creator upfronts feels full circle because creators are no longer a side story — they’re core to the future of media”. She has no doubt that more content

and creators will start to migrate to traditional TV: “Some social-native formats won’t translate, and not every creator wants or needs to be ‘TV-ified’. We’ll see missteps, but also breakout successes because creators already have builtin audiences. The smartest media companies and IP owners will work with creators from the start rather than just ‘porting’ existing digital IP. Creators like MrBeast

Traditional media companies bring world-class distribution networks, infrastructure and decades of production expertise’

Dhar Mann

or Emma Chamberlain now have the leverage to be selective about partnerships, which flips the traditional power dynamic.”

Speaking to the MIPCOM CANNES Preview, Dhar Mann said: “It’s incredibly validat-

ing to see the creator economy headlining MIPCOM CANNES, and it underscores how the market has shifted decisively. For years audiences have voted with their time and attention, choosing digital-first stories that feel authentic, timely and relevant to their lives. What we’re witnessing now is the industry acknowledging what billions of viewers around the world already know: creators are at the forefront of the future of entertainment.”

Mann and Atkins will also feature in a session entitled: Bet On Positivity With Dhar Mann Studios, the #1 Digital Scripted Studio Globally. Atkins said this will spotlight “how emotionally driven, cross-generation storytelling has become one of the most effective and scalable formats in today’s streaming era. With 143 million followers across 100+ countries, over 10 billion annual views and one of the highest attention rates in streaming, Dhar Mann Studios is redefining what TV looks like for the next generation.”

In terms of making collaboration between traditional companies and digital creators work, Mann said: “Partnerships thrive when they’re built on a shared purpose. Traditional media companies bring world-class distribution networks, infrastructure and decades of production expertise. Creators bring agility, cultural fluency, and — most importantly — deeply trusted relationships with audiences.”

SPOTLIGHT: THE CREATOR ECONOMY GRAND AUDITORIUM

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 11.30-12.45

Creator economy and traditional media are ‘actively converging’

ONE OF the key questions in the content industry right now is whether digital-first and creator content can be developed into the kind of lucrative long-lasting franchises on which the MIPCOM CANNES community thrives. At a MIP Creative Hub session, leaders in the IP business will discuss how broadcasters, streamers and distributors are partnering with creators to build scalable, monetisable content brands.

Participants include Helen O’Donnell, director of development, TalentWorks, BBC Studios and Lucas Green, chief content officer, operations, Banijay Entertainment. Speaking to the MIPCOM CANNES Preview magazine, Green said: “The creator economy and traditional media are no longer operating in parallel, they’re active-

ly converging, and it makes sense that creators now have a prominent place at MIPCOM CANNES. These worlds are colliding, and it’s vital that we work together. “

Banijay Entertainment is best known for megabrands like Deal Or No Deal and MasterChef, and Green said: “We’re leaning into the creator economy to modernise our brands, re-establish dormant formats and reach new audiences.”

Green’s view is that the best model involves partnerships which respect what both sides bring: “Creators thrive on authenticity, speed and direct audience connection, and we can support this with professional scaffolding to bring depth, scale and polish.”

Helen O’Donnell has been working with creators since 2015 and recalls

Streamers find ‘new respect for creators’

DIGITAL-FIRST creators are becoming key content partners for streamers, moving from their heartlands of TikTok and YouTube to FAST channels and AVOD platforms. In a timely MIP Innovation Lab session, streaming leaders will explore how creator-led IP is being developed, scaled and monetised globally. The session is moderated by Geoff Clark, CEO, acTVe Streaming. His company specialises in partnering with brands, creators and celebrity talent “acting as their ‘network-in-a-box’ — a turnkey solution that seamlessly extends their reach from social media, websites and YouTube into the CTV and

FROM UGC TO IP: TURNING CREATORS INTO SCALABLE CONTENT

MIP CREATIVE HUB WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 10.35-11.00

Lucas Green, Banijay Entertainment

Helen O’Donnell, BBC Studios

broader streaming ecosystem. We handle every aspect of the process, end-to-end,” Clark said. “For those looking to expand their audience onto streaming platforms and directly onto TV screens, what was once impossible, due to high costs and industry gatekeepers, is now entirely achievable.”

Clark dates the new respect for creators to “the introduction of new statistical analyses that elevated the awareness and importance of their work. Nielsen’s The Gauge report pulled back the curtain on just how successful YouTube truly is. This data instantly gave creators, particularly top performers, significantly more clout.”

how the BBC brought Joe Sugg and Caspar Lee to MIPCOM CANNES as relative outsiders: “They now have sometimes larger and more engaged audiences than traditional talent.”

BBC Studios TalentWorks was formed in 2018 to focus on the Creator Economy. Today, “we work at the intersection, building partnerships to produce and bring to life compelling creator-led ideas. We also work with creators on original IP and creative projects,” O’Donnell said.

Like Green, she emphasises the importance of collaboration: “If traditional media wants to work with creators effectively, it must be a partnership of equals. Creators are brands, businesses and storytellers in their own right.”

Also on the panel is Paul McGrath, senior director of entertainment strategy and audience development, CBC; and Charles Wachter, executive producer, The MediaPro Studio (executive producer and showrunner of titles including Million Dollar Secret, Beast Games and Holey Moley, among others).

Clark said it’s only natural that streamers should be interested in creators: “In today’s attention economy, where cord-cutting accelerates and free-to-watch content surges in popularity, creators are perfectly positioned to thrive.” Key is to recognise that many creators are operating powerful businesses in their own right.

“The big takeaway is that creators thrive when given the resources, reach and respect of traditional media, without sacrificing the direct connection they’ve built with their audience. The media companies that understand and enable this balance will win.”

Joining Clark on the panel are:

Colin Petrie-Norris, Fairground Entertainment; Jonitha Keymoore, Radial Entertainment; Joe Ochoa, Creator Television; and Sarah Nelson, Samsung TV Plus.

THE RISE OF INDEPENDENT CREATORS ON STREAMING PLATFORMS MIP INNOVATION LAB TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 15.30-16.00

Geoff Clark, acTVe Streaming

‘When something goes viral it’s essentially market-tested IP’

MIPCOM delegates attending the MIP Creative Hub will have a priceless opportunity to meet some of the dynamic digital-first companies that are helping finance and scale the current surge in creator-first content.

As platforms like YouTube mature into launchpads for globally scalable IP, this session will bring together leading voices in content funding, syndication and IP development, from scaling creator brands into multimedia franchises to underwriting risk.

Taking part in the panel is Tobias Hoss, senior vice-president, operations, management team, Lunar X, who says that the internationally focused digital-content studio “helps creators go beyond content, turning YouTube channels into studios, social formats into episodic IP and audience relationships into product, event

and music businesses”.

Hoss is convinced now is the perfect time for MIPCOM CANNES to be placing the spotlight on the digital-first economy: “The relationship between creators and traditional media has evolved from co-existence to convergence. We’ve hit a tipping point where creators are no longer peripheral to the entertainment industry, but central to

its future. If you’re looking to invest in scalable content or source the next big franchise, start by partnering with creators who are already building it from the ground up.”

Joining Hoss is Jonathan Shrank, vice-president, streaming and content partnerships at TheSoul Publishing, a pioneer in digital-first content. He agrees that the industry is witnessing “major shifts in

INVESTING IN THE CREATOR IP BOOM MIP CREATIVE HUB

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 09.45-10.15

audience preferences, particularly among younger generations, who increasingly seek authentic, relatable digital content over traditional, passive formats. Creators are now central to both cultural conversation and commercial strategies.”

In his role as vice-president of streaming and content partnerships at TheSoul Publishing, Shrank sits at the intersection of creators, technology and global audiences. From this vantage point, he says there is no question that TV and streaming platforms should be paying attention to the creator economy: “Platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram have become real-time testing grounds for content. When something goes viral or builds sustained engagement, it’s essentially market-tested IP. Traditional media needs to stop treating digital-first media as a side hustle or youth experiment.”

It’s about funding new content, and fast

A KEY theme at the MIP Creative Hub will be an emerging model of storytelling that prioritises cultural relevance, community and authenticity.

During the session Audience-first: Crafting Originals With Cultural Impact, leading digital-first studios and commissioners will unpack how they develop original IPs that resonate deeply across platforms, tap into underserved audiences —

especially women — and build sustainable content ecosystems.

Participating is Fawkes Digital founder Lucy Smith, whose production company is behind projects including LinkedIn adventure format CEOs Go Wild; Channel 4.0 dating show Baddest In The World; and dance competition Move It: The Dance Off.

Smith said a key factor in the company’s growth is its willing-

AUDIENCE-FIRST: CRAFTING ORIGINALS WITH CULTURAL IMPACT MIP CREATIVE HUB

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 10.10-10.35

ness to look beyond the traditional channels: “We don’t distinguish between channels and tourism boards, broadcasters and beauty brands, commissioners and social media managers; for us it’s all about finding the fastest and most lucrative way of funding new IP.”

Gielen predicts ‘consistent flow of content from digital to linear and streaming’

AS PART of a packed MIP Creative Hub agenda, Matthew Gielen, CEO, Silver Berry Studios, will explain why he believes digital media studios will develop into the powerhouses of the entertainment business.

Speaking to the MIPCOM CANNES Preview, Gielen said now is the perfect time for companies and talent from the creator economy to have greater prominence at MIPCOM CANNES. “Multiple factors have collided to break down the wall between traditional and digital including a massive drawdown in production spending by the traditionals, the success of many different types of shows from digital creators on streaming,

and most notably YouTube’s dominance in streaming.”

Gielen has spent his career at the intersection of creators and traditional media. Most recent-

‘YouTube is probably the purest meritocracy on the planet’’

ly, he exited his company Electric Monster, which acquired and built businesses around digital media studios that made

long-form YouTube content. “The key message I’d like to share is the massive opportunity available to build and scale businesses for original IP on YouTube. It’s not the same as traditional, and it’s even harder to get a project funded, but it’s probably the purest meritocracy on the planet.”

The Silver Berry CEO isn’t expecting a flood of digital projects to enter the traditional media sphere. But he is confident that “we’ll see a more consistent flow of projects appearing on linear and streaming services. Content from digital media companies is high-quality, engaging and fresh. It also costs significantly less to produce.”

Creators bring new energy to sports

SPORT has emerged as one of the most dynamic segments of the creator economy, with digital-first talent injecting energy and entertainment to the mix. At the MIP Creative Hub, pioneers in creator-led sports entertainment will share their first-hand experience and insights with delegates.

Joshua Barnett, managing director, After Party Studios, recalls visiting MIPCOM around seven years ago to sell a documentary about The Sidemen.

Today his company is at the forefront of sports entertainment programming — producing branded entertainment programming for clients including Sky Sports, as well as delivering live coverage of The Sidemen’s charity match from Wembley. Barnett said: “It’s great that MIPCOM CANNES has been embracing the creator community more over the last couple of years.”

But the increased interaction between sport and creators comes

SPORTS AND LIVE EVENTS: CREATORS CHANGING THE GAME MIP CREATIVE HUB

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 09.30-10.00

as no surprise: “The introduction of creators into the mix allows us to see a different side to sports stars, not just the elite lifestyle that is typically presented.”

The session is moderated by Andy Stack, venture partner, Creator Capital, and panelists include content creator Antoine ‘Totoche’ Tourneux, Radja Cre ators; Soraya Hidalgo, TikTok; and Robbie Lyle, GFN.

WHY DIGITAL MEDIA STUDIOS WILL DOMINATE THE FUTURE MIP CREATIVE HUB TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 09.15-9.40

Matthew Gielen, Silver Berry Studios

Joshua Barnett, After Party Studios

AI won’t replace storytellers, it’s here to empower them

VISITORS to the MIP Innovation Lab will be treated to a series of in-depth insights into the way AI is transforming how entertainment professionals create, distribute and monetise content.

Kicking off an action-packed session is Verena Puhm, head of Luma AI’s Dream Lab in Los Angeles. As a presenting sponsor of the event, she said: “We’re thrilled to be part of The Innovation Lab because it reflects exactly what excites us about this moment in media: the convergence of technology and storytelling. At Luma AI, we believe we’re at the beginning of a new creative era where filmmakers, studios and advertis -

ers can bring ideas to life using state-of-the-art technologies. The Lab is a perfect stage to not only showcase these breakthroughs but also to learn from peers who are equally focused on pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.”

According to Puhm, Luma AI sits squarely at the intersection of entertainment, advertising and technology. “Our flagship product, Dream Machine, enables creators to generate, modify, and scale video content at a level of speed and quality previously unimaginable. For broadcasters, streamers and brands, this means faster production cycles, lower costs and more room to experiment creatively.”

Don’t be scared of AI: embrace it

FOLLOWING Luma AI’s Verena Puhm are presentations by Mantis.AI and Kling.AI. A lead sponsor of the MIP Innovation Lab, Mantis.AI CEO Vini Gholmie called it “a crucial space for the future of media. What excites us is that this is a space for practical, applied solutions, not just visionary concepts. Our focus isn’t on the distant future; it’s on how AI can be used today to transform workflows, unlock value and solve real, complex problems.”

Gholmie said Mantis.AI is an ‘orchestrator’ in the media ecosystem. “We’re a flexible, integrated layer designed to adapt to each cli-

Vini Gholmie, Mantis.AI

ent’s challenges. Our key message to delegates is that we turn raw content into real outcomes by ap-

plying business and editorial rules to automate workflows and deliver structured, actionable insights.”

Gholmie said that Mantis.AI is as relevant to the creator economy as it is to traditional producers: “For creators and content production companies, we can help turn their video archives into structured, searchable collections, enabling them to reuse, repurpose and find new ways to monetise their content.”

While some people might see AI as a magical solution, “our focus is on the operational reality” he added. “We’re here to talk about the real challenges of massive

NEXT IN AI: CREATIVE INNOVATION SHOWCASE MIP INNOVATION LAB MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 15.30-16.15

A writer-director herself, Puhm said: “The key message we want to share is that AI is not here to replace storytellers; it’s here to empower them. AI has moved so quickly that many people’s first instinct is either to be dazzled or intimidated. For me, the key is understanding how this technology fits into the bigger picture of storytelling, production and education. I’ve had the privilege of working with AI tools not just as experiments, but at scale, building out an AI content studio at Luma AI in Los Angeles and partnering with AI artists, independent filmmakers and Hollywood studios. What I’ve seen is that AI isn’t a gimmick or a shortcut; it’s becoming infrastructure.”

NEXT IN AI: CREATIVE INNOVATION SHOWCASE MIP INNOVATION LAB MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 15.30-16.15

content loads, inefficient manual processes and monetisation opportunities that are often missed. We want to show delegates how to monetise more effectively.”

Mantis.AI advised delegates not to be scared of AI — but to embrace it: “AI is not about replacing humans but about giving teams superpowers by handling repetitive tasks and surfacing new opportunities. Our advice is to stop thinking about AI as an abstract concept and start focusing on its practical applications.”

MIP Innovation Lab: focusing on AI creativity and nextgen storytelling

THE MIP INNOVATION Lab gives delegates the opportunity to hear from experts on a range of current topics, via panels, one-onone interviews, interactive roundtables and informal networking opportunities. Highlights include a presentation by Infinite Studios founder Adrienne Lahens on Monday, October 13, who previously held key positions at TikTok, BuzzFeed and Influential.

Lahens’ session is entitled Infinite Creativity: Storytelling In The Imagination Age, during which she will explore how AI is transforming creativity, expanding the ecosystem beyond institutions to include creators everywhere and enabling stories to be

told at cinematic scale. She will reveal how AI is redefining what it means to be a studio, a storyteller and a brand, while reimagining the models of monetisation that underpin the creative economy.

Speaking to the MIPCOM CANNES Preview, Lahens said: “What excites me most is not just talking about what’s possible at the intersection of AI, creators and monetisation, but showing how these forces are already reshaping entertainment. AI is an instrument that democratises creativity, enabling new voices around the world to produce cinematic-quality IP without massive resources. The real opportunity is building bridges between legacy

INFINITE CREATIVITY: STORYTELLING IN THE IMAGINATION AGE

MIP INNOVATION LAB

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 09.45-10.10

Industry should ‘approach AI as a partner’

HIT OR MISS? LIVE AUDIENCE PREDICTIONS WITH AI

MIP INNOVATION LAB

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 10.20-10.50

ANOTHER highlight in the Innovation Lab line-up is Hit Or Miss? Live Audience Predictions With AI, a presentation by Sami Arpa,

CEO of lead sponsor Largo.ai, who will showcase how simulated focus-group tech is revolutionising content evaluation. “Understanding audience preferences and market trends doesn’t have to be at odds with originality,” Arpa said, “it can actually empower risk-taking by giving creators confidence in how their work will resonate”.

Arpa says he is excited to return to The Innovation Lab “because it brings together the people shaping the future of content and technology, which creates an atmosphere of openness, curiosity and collaboration. For Largo.ai, it’s the perfect setting to demonstrate how innovation can directly empower creators, producers and distributors.”

According to Arpa, Largo.ai’s role is to “build AI-powered tools that

media and the creator economy.”

The Innovation Lab covers a lot of ground, but two themes stand out in Lahens’ mind: “AI’s role in next-generation storytelling and the convergence of the creator economy with traditional media. It’s not just about efficiency, it’s about empowerment for artists who never had access to Hollywood pipelines. And creator-led IP being incubated by traditional media signals a hybrid model: one where creators, brands and studios build IP that is culturally resonant and commercially scalable.”

Creators are a big focus at MIPCOM CANNES. “Creator-led IP is becoming a development pipeline for streamers, through co-productions, format licensing and talent partnerships. Creators bring authenticity and built-in audiences; streamers provide scale and global distribution. The real question isn’t ‘Will creators compete with streamers?’ but ‘How can streamers harness creator-driven IP to fuel their next wave of growth?’,” Lahens said.

put storytelling and content decision-making in the hands of creators and producers. AI will be transformative, but not in the way some fear. It won’t replace storytellers, it will amplify them. Delegates should approach AI as a partner that can free them from repetitive tasks, provide insights and unlock creative possibilities they might not have imagined.”

THE packed Lab schedule includes a roundtable programme, the key theme being Global FAST & AVOD. Leading the roundtables are: Connie Hodson, director of content acquisitions & partnerships, Little Dot Studios; Teresa Alonso Lopez, Whale TV; Greg Barnard, director of content acquisition at Vizio; Dean Delvin, co-founder, Electric Entertainment; Steve Crombie, CEO, Totem Global; Geoff Clark, CEO, acTVe; and Camille Dupeuble, executive vicepresident international TV and digital distribution, Studio TF1.

OCTOBER 14, 2025 | FROM 5 TO 7 P.M. CANADA PAVILION, R8.E1

DAZN defines new trends for future of sports streaming

IN AN ERA of widespread digital disruption, one of the media industry’s leading innovators has been DAZN, which shook up the live-sports rights markets and ushered in a new model for global sports streaming. At MIPCOM CANNES, Innovation Lab attendees will get the chance to hear from Alice Mascia, CEO DACH & Belgium, as she shares her vision for the future of sports streaming. Mascia said she is looking forward to the opportunity “to engage in meaningful dialogue about how innovation is reshaping audience experiences — especially in sports. As DAZN continues to evolve from a pure streaming service into a global sports-entertainment destination, the Lab offers a space to share ideas, challenge assumptions and col-

laborate on what’s next”.

As CEO of DAZN for the DACH region, and now also overseeing Belgium, Mascia’s role involves driving innovation in how the platform acquires, produces and distributes, “while ensuring we remain fan-first in everything we do. At MIPCOM CANNES, I want to highlight how sports is undergoing a digital renaissance. From embracing FAST and AVOD models to integrating creator-led IP and AI-driven personalisation, we’re redefining what it means to be a sports broadcaster in the streaming era.”

Looking at hot trends, Mascia said: “Two themes stand out for me: the rise of FAST channels in sports and the application of AI in content strategy. Sports on FAST is a game-changer — it democra-

‘Netflix carries ads, so are they AVOD?’

IN AN intriguing MIP Innovation Lab session, Digital i chief analytics officer Matt Ross will share exclusive viewing data with delegates, lifting the lid on the streaming shows and YouTube channels making the biggest impact. Ross said the analysis is based on proprietary data covering YouTube and SVOD across 20 countries. “There will be a focus on the content that drives value for these services and the important measures of success. There will also be an investigation into how users interact and

IN CONVERSATION WITH DAZN FROM RIGHTS TO REACH: SPORTS IN THE STREAMING AGE MIP INNOVATION LAB TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 12.00-12.20

tises access, expands reach and opens new monetisation avenues. AI, meanwhile, is revolutionising how we understand audiences and optimise content. Whether it’s predictive analytics for viewer engagement or tools that simulate audience reactions, these innovations are helping us make smarter, faster decisions.”

Mascia says creators are playing an increasingly important role in DAZN’s thinking. “At DAZN, we see creators not just as influencers but as storytellers who bring fresh perspectives and authentic engagement. Their ability to build communities aligns perfectly with our mission to deepen fan connections. Integrating creator-led content into our strategy allows us to diversify our offering and stay culturally relevant.”

move between services, particularly YouTube and SVOD.”

Ross said there has been a big shift in perception of what streaming actually is, with the distinction between platforms like YouTube, Tubi and Netflix evolving. “This is in part driven by insights gathered from audience measurement. But another clear factor is the pivots each streamer is making commercially, which in turn makes it more difficult to differentiate their offerings. Netflix now carries ads, so are they also AVOD?”

GLOBAL VIEWER JOURNEY: FROM SVOD TO YOUTUBE AND BACK AGAIN MIP INNOVATION LAB, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 09.30-10.00

A big theme at MIPCOM CANNES is the rise of the cre ator economy. Ross said: “A blurring of the lines between the spaces creators’ operate in vs global media business is oc curring — Mr Beast on Amazon, Sidemen on Netflix to name a couple. This makes it easy to bring the creator economy into the conversation. However the trick is to understand it well enough to harness the power of it, which is where we can help.”

Matt Ross, Digital i

Market becomes more complex as streaming grows in popularity

THE FAST and AVOD sectors continue to evolve rapidly and will be the subject of a series of dedicated sessions in the MIP Innovation Lab. In one action-packed session, former Samsung TV Plus content director Jennifer Batty will talk to some of the media industry’s heavyweights about how they are leveraging their existing expertise in content and audiences to build robust new businesses. Executives on the panel include Vicki Liao, director, content acquisition, Roku; Parul Goel, territory head Europe, Zee Entertainment and Laura Florence, senior vice-president, Global Channels, Fremantle.

Speaking to the MIPCOM CANNES Preview, Florence said: “Fremantle sits at the intersection of iconic content and next-generation distribution. We’ve evolved from a traditional content creator into one of the world’s leading curators of FAST channels, operating more than 200 channels across 18 territories and 25 platforms. By digitising and curating our vast library, we can create new genre-specific networks while also extending into AVOD and other emerging platforms.”

Among the key brands that Fremantle has taken into FAST are Got Talent, The Price Is Right, Family Feud, Baywatch and Jamie Oliver. Explaining why, Florence said: “We’re focused on building sustainable monetisation models — whether through smarter data-driven targeting, new ad formats or innovative partnerships.

Our goal is to ensure that FAST becomes not just a distribution model, but a space where premium content and compelling audience experiences thrive.”

For a while, streaming was synonymous with the SVOD segment — Netflix and Amazon, for example. But increasingly the term is being used to encompass other platforms — YouTube, FAST and AVOD, for example. Roku’s Liao believes consumers want simplicity not complication: “When we look out at the streaming ecosystem, what we’re seeing is a lot of consumer confusion, higher prices and more interrupted viewing,” she said.

‘What we’re seeing is a lot of consumer confusion, higher prices and more interrupted viewing’

“While streaming TV has grown in popularity to officially surpass broadcast and cable viewership earlier this year, so too have the prices and ad loads of subscription and ad-supported services. Consumers are looking for simple and

FAST/AVOD STRATEGIES, PARTNERSHIPS, AND GLOBAL GROWTH

MIP INNOVATION LAB TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 14.30-15.15

affordable ways to access great TV and movies. That was our motivation behind unveiling Howdy, our brand-new, low-cost and ad-free streaming service by Roku, packed with almost everything you want to watch, which serves as a perfect complement to both The Roku Channel and existing premium services on our platform.” She added: “Coming on the heels of streaming surpassing broadcast and cable in TV viewership, we’re confident that we’re moving to the world we anticipated at Roku where all TV will be streamed.”

On the creator economy — the big theme at MIPCOM CANNES — Liao said: “There is no question that creator-produced content is just as popular — and sometimes even more popular — compared to traditional television series and movies, especially among younger audiences, who are increasingly streaming AVOD. Streaming platforms such as The Roku Channel, with over 90 million households reached, offer creators a new audience and revenue stream for their content.”

She added: “The Roku Channel is always looking for ways to innovate and modernise our content offerings based on customers’ tastes. We believe that there will be a continuation in this trend and are looking forward to building on our current viewing options and building upon the incredible reach of our existing partnerships with the likes of Mr. Beast, Alan Chikin Chow, Hot Ones, and Good Mythical Morning.”

The streaming ecosystem is transforming... and then there’s AI

A KEY TRACK within the MIP Innovation Lab is The New Frontiers Of TV Attention, a series of C-level conversations about the shifting power dynamics between content, platforms and advertisers. Leading the way is moderator Alan Wolk, co-founder/lead analyst, TVREV, who said there are some major shifts taking placing in the streaming business. “Firstly, there is the ongoing debate over whether YouTube is part of the streaming ecosystem, whether it’s something else, or if it’s half-in/half-out. The other area is AI and the impact it is going to have once people start creating their own movies and TV series with it. Right now, you can do some basic video, and that’s enough for a lot of smaller advertisers, so we’re seeing AI move in there, letting TV brands offer up self-serve platforms for small and medium businesses that allow them to compete with Facebook and Google. It’s a multibillion-dollar business.”

Advertisers are a focal point of the New Frontiers track and Wolk said there is work to be done on connecting them with emerging platforms: “There are still too many silos, no standard ways to measure shows or ads across platforms, and agencies still split teams into TV and programmatic. That needs change, but there’s not much movement — too many think they are going to ‘win’ rather than co-operating with each other — where everyone wins.”

A panel titled The Art Of Seamless Brand Integration on Wednesday, October 15, brings together Adam Puchalsky, president, Brand Studio, Blink49 and Herman Campbell, president & CTO, Aurbit by Adease Media Intelligence. There will then be interviews with industry leaders including: Tony Marlow, CMO, LG Ad Solutions; Judith Diaz Pons, Titan OS; and Jackelyn Keller, CMO, Comscore. Marlow said FAST and AVOD has been a “transformative trend, as audiences increasingly balance choice and value, while advertisers embrace CTV as both a brand and performance channel”.

He also said that the old distinctions between SVOD, AVOD, FAST and social are breaking down. “Audiences don’t think in those categories — they think in terms of content, convenience and value. The companies that succeed will be those that recognise streaming not as a collection of separate models, but as a connected ecosystem where consumers move seamlessly across experiences.”

According to Marlow, LG Ad Solutions sits at the intersection of content, technology and advertising as the exclusive media and advertising partner for LG smart TVs globally. Surveying the sector from this perspective, he said: “My message to delegates is that CTV is no longer the future, it’s the present. We’re now in the CTV-first era, where marketers must prioritise strategies built specifically for streaming envi-

ronments rather than adapting legacy TV playbooks.”

Like Wolk, he also expects AI to feature more prominently: “From content discovery and recommendation engines to creative optimisation and shoppable formats, AI is powering a more personalised, measurable and engaging streaming experience.”

Comscore’s Keller agreed that the landscape has changed. “When Comscore published its first State of Streaming in 2017, the focus was on Netflix and a handful of other subscription players. Streaming was still viewed as a paid alternative to linear TV. Now, streaming has become an ecosystem spanning SVOD, AVOD, FAST, YouTube, live sports and more — with the average US household en-

THE NEW FRONTIERS OF TV ATTENTION MIP INNOVATION LAB WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 15, 10.15-11.00

gaging with 8.5 services, slightly more of them free than paid.”

He said his message to delegates is simple: “Streaming growth is undeniable, but so is fragmentation. The companies that succeed will be the ones who can prove the full value of their audiences — across linear, streaming, digital and social. SVOD giants have introduced ad tiers, broadcasters have launched FAST channels, and sports leagues are experimenting across multiple platforms. But consumers still feel the seams. A third of sports fans say it’s harder to find live games now than five years ago. To truly move fluidly, companies need trusted data and a common currency.”

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BBC: ‘Backing the best of British storytelling’

Powerful storytelling is key to the branding of a broadcaster or a streamer in an increasingly competitive global landscape. So what is the BBC’s strategy to gain or maintain leadership in the context of this competition? We hear from Kate Phillips and Janet Brown ahead of their MIPCOM CANNES session

FOR KATE Phillips, the BBC’s chief content officer, “putting the audience first is our number-one priority. We tell authentic stories, important stories and stories that the audience may not necessarily expect from the BBC.”

And at the BBC “it’s all about the mix. No genre goes neglected. Yes, we have true-crime docs and dramas but that’s just one part of our portfolio. As well as being the leading commissioner for specialisms such as science, religion, arts and history in the UK, we also see the value in addictive factual-entertainment competition shows with narrative arcs which drive linear and BBC iPlayer, and in studio talent and competition shows with big family appeal.”

While pressure on budgets is an ongoing issue for public broadcasters the world over, Phillips said it’s crucial “to ensure that increasing financial pressures doesn’t stifle the BBC’s creative ambition.” She added: “Partner-

ships with like-minded broadcasters across the globe are key and we continue to build on the successes we’ve had with these collaborations to date.

BBC president of global content sales, Janet Brown, sees the positives here too: “Pressure

‘Putting the audience first is our numberone priority’

Phillips

around production budgets is healthy discipline and rigor and not at the expense of great storytelling,” she said. “Producers are being realistic with budgets given the market and ensuring the best possible translation of

POWERFUL STORYTELLING FOR A GLOBAL STAGE

MIP CREATIVE HUB MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 10.30-11.00

budget to the screen. Everyone is working together to make the best shows happen at the most efficient budget level possible.”

During the session Brown will focus particularly on strategic collaboration across the BBC Group. She stressed that Group’s core mission is “to back the best of British storytelling. Typically, the way we work together is that BBC Public Service commissions content and BBC Studios will partner to make that vision a reality. We will work with the producer and public service to put together the financing plan for the project and ensure that the creative execution is as globally appealing as possible.”

Then they take the show out to buyers around the world, finding the right partners that will help the title connect with the largest possible global audience and maximise financial returns back to the Group.”

Phillips and Brown will be speaking from the advantageous position of having the fastest growing long-form streamer in the UK and the country’s biggest channel. “These platforms, added to our many others across digital and audio, enable us to make real impact with our programmes that can reach everyone in the UK and beyond.”

Exploring the potential of micro drama

Micro drama, also referred to as vertical drama, has emerged as a dynamic new entertainment format, with creators from around the world pushing the limits of storytelling on mobile devices. At MIPCOM CANNES, experts in the sector will explore the potential of vertical fiction — and what it means for the industry

THE MIP Creative Hub session kicks off with a presentation by K7 Media non-executive director Clare Thompson, who said: “The rise of short-form platforms like TikTok has changed viewing habits, with audiences increasingly watching on the move. Short dramas in vertical format have flourished in China, evolving from low-quality clips to high-quality productions, with market size and revenue growing rapidly, and the trend is spreading across Asia, but also the US. Easy and economical to produce, they are attractive in today’s climate, where everyone is looking for new ways to generate revenue.”

Also on the panel are two representatives from China: Zhou Yuan, founder and CEO, Content Republic, and Cassandra Yang, CEO of vertical drama pioneer RisingJoy. Discussing the difference between micro dramas and more traditional dramas, Yang said: “They are fundamentally different products which require producers to completely rethink their conventional approaches. While production quality matters, the critical ques-

tion is: ‘how do we grab mobile viewers’ attention within the first six seconds, deliver emotional highs through concentrated storytelling, and leave them desperately craving the next episode with powerful cliffhangers?’”

This year is RisingJoy’s first time at MIPCOM CANNES and Yang says she is “excited to get involved in the process of reshaping the global media landscape”.

Explaining the company’s capabilities, she said: “We collaborate with top-tier talent and studios worldwide to develop locally tailored vertical dramas. We provide data-proven hits to international partners. To date, we’ve empowered over 30 international platforms and apps to launch their micro-drama businesses.”

One intriguing question is whether micro dramas can act as ‘pilots’ for more traditional long form dramas. Yang says there is not much evidence so far to suggest this is possible. She doesn’t rule it out but stresses that these are two distinct product categories with entirely different audience engagement DNA.”

INSIDE MICRO DRAMA: NEXT GEN STORYTELLING MIP CREATIVE HUB WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 15.15-16.00

Thompson said: “At the moment, the greater opportunity lies in adapting traditional dramas for vertical storytelling (as with the recent ReelShort version of Pride And Prejudice), through re-pacing, adding cliffhangers and refocusing on key characters for mobile viewers. Some Asian broadcasters are already experimenting with this approach, bringing classic dramas to younger audiences or using vertical series as a cross-over to extend the life cycle of unscripted IP, though it is in the testing phase.”

Drama powerhouse Turkey is also emerging as a key market for micro drama. Joining the panel is Hasret Ozcan, president of Inter Medya. “Demand for short, fast and mobile-friendly content has surged significantly in recent years,” Ozcan said. “As the market expands, we believe Turkish vertical dramas will gain more importance and influence. At Inter Medya, our goal is to leverage this new format not only to grow in our core markets but also as a tool to gain traction in new ones.” Ozcan says there are several viable business models in micro drama, for example global or regional licensing, exclusive production agreements, co-productions and revenue-sharing models. But echoing Yang, she notes that the sector has not grown up via traditional content channels: “Mobile app publishers, especially those who have already reached millions through hyper-casual games and mobile platforms, have played a major role in popularising vertical dramas. Their marketing capabilities have helped bring this content to large audiences. What started in Asia is now rapidly expanding to other key markets such as the US, MENA and Latin America.”

Docs market ‘requires bravery and skills to survive and thrive’

THE SESSION Being Bold In Doc And Factual, will be exploring the many challenges currently facing documentary and factual producers. Ironically, these same challenges are occurring alongside a creative renaissance in new formats, in a landscape where survival lies in the producer’s ability to adapt creatively and financially.

According to Alexandra Jousset, deputy editorial director at Studio TF1’s CAPA, it’s mainly about being ahead of the curve — and timing: “Being the first to bring a new angle or vision, whether that’s revisiting the Bertrand Cantat case to reveal it as a turning point in French society, or recognising drink spiking as an emerging theme that reframes many sexual assaults rather than some random event, or being the first to introduce a new style or format as with the series Sources, it’s important to realise that pitching editorial vision and narrative form too early risks failing to convince broadcasters, while pitching too late risks being outpaced by the competition.”

Solange Attwood, CEO, Serial Maven Studios, agreed that authenticity and access are key factors:

“By definition, the current market requires bravery and a diversity of skills to survive and thrive. Access, authenticity, talent — both in front and behind the scenes — and premium storytelling are the pillars of our industry. But even then, you still need the capacity to deliver on creative deal-mak-

ing and partnerships, and that often takes many forms. Our focus on exceptional content, blended with strategic commercial minds, is allowing our business to deliver meaningful growth. Serial Maven Studios was born in the digital era, and we are leaning into a willingness and openness to work collaboratively and to work differently. In addition to our production label, Cantina Media, Serial Maven Studios will also be doubling its distribution offering to 500 hours of premium programming.”

Bo Stehmeier, CEO of independent production company Off the Fence — recently acquired by Insight TV — stresses the importance of acknowledging that we are standing at a precipice and we must let go of what use to be: “Now is the moment to take time and space to consider the present and the near future. And although we’ve always assessed opportunities through certain filters, ultimately they are a historic lens that doesn’t capture where the market pulse truly is or where new trends are emerging today. That means being willing to leap into new spaces unfettered by old marketplace assumptions, to remain open to inspiration from new audiences, curators, and to advertisers who are increasingly agnostic towards topic, format, or production conventions. It’s a bit like asking a bricklayer what kind of bricks he should use in a world moving toward 3D-printed houses. The craft is still relevant, but the context has shifted. We must

keep one foot firmly on the edge of the precipice — still nurturing the thriving factual ecosystem where traditional rules continue to apply — while letting the other foot dangle over into the unknown.”

For Fremantle global head of documentaries and factual, Mark Reynolds, being bold in doc and factual is “about having creative ambition to deliver a production that is the best that it can be and that creates a fresh perspective

BEING BOLD IN DOC AND FACTUAL MIP CREATIVE HUB

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 14.30-15.00

Solange Attwood, Serial Maven Studios

and new insight into its subject matter.” He added: “That could mean blending genres, as seen in the critically acclaimed Jane Austen: Rise Of A Genius.”

Reynolds also cites Fremantle’s The Zelensky Story, from its label 72 Films, as an example of bold programming, which “has an incredible level of access to Zelensky himself, his wife and friends. During the conflict there was the additional challenge of securing interviews and archive.”

KICKING OFF LONDON’S BIGGEST CONTENT WEEK.

New Summit charts future of brand-funded storytelling

A highlight of MIPCOM CANNES 2025 is a ground-breaking partnership with BrandStorytelling, which will see a special two halfday edition of the inaugural BrandStortytelling Summit, on Monday and Tuesday. We heard from some of the event’s contributors

For MARK BOOK, executive vice-president, head of content, at Digitas Pictures, North America, the Summit “should be a signal that brand entertainment has matured into something bigger than just marketing add-ons. For too long, brands were seen as interrupters of culture — this is about showing they can be partners in the creation of it.”

A good outcome for the Summit would see the industry “walking away with proof points and partnerships that legitimise brand-funded content at the highest level — work that could sit alongside anything coming out of Hollywood,” he said. “If the Summit can establish that standard and help us collectively raise the bar for what branded storytelling can achieve, then it will have done its job.”

Digitas “was born out of a recognition that brands can’t just interrupt culture — they have to create it. We’ve been helping clients create long-form brand content for years, but wanted to formalise it into a studio model that could develop, finance and distribute with the same rigor as Hollywood. Book added that the Summit, “represents a further evolution in aligning meaningful funding models that benefits financiers, producers and brands. We are acting as a signal to distributors that our content is of the highest quality.”

SAM GLYNNE, head of EMEA, entertainment and culture marketing at the Beverly Hillsbased United Talent Agency (UTA), said there is a challenge getting everyone to sing off the same song sheet: “I’ve seen many iterations of bringing brands and TV producers and distributors together. They all speak slightly different languages, and work with different business models. However, the need for branded entertainment — due to decreasing broadcaster and platform budgets, combined with a general acceptance that it can be done well — is forcing stakeholders to find ways of interacting.” UTA is at the forefront, helping brands like Ancestry, Vinted, Google, Lush and Gymshark navigate TV, movies and entertainment to show up in those moments that will be part of culture. “We work across branded entertainment, prop and product placement, talent deals and event partnerships.” Unscripted is “usually the easiest way to bake in a brand,” according to Glynne. “My favourite UTA examples include Vespa in The White Lotus and Coca Cola in The Bear.”

FOUNDED and directed by producer, publisher and media entrepreneur RICK PARKHILL, BrandStorytelling has developed into one of the world’s leading events supporting the growth and maturing of brand-funded programming in the US and beyond. The latest edition at the Sundance Film Festival saw over 450 practitioners from global brands, platforms and producers and creators share case studies and strategies.

The jointly programmed two half-day summit will bring together brands, content creators and television creatives with the aim of nurturing, producing and funding new brand-led stories. IPG Mediabrands Entertainment Spain has signed up as sponsor and attendees include Banijay Entertainment, Blink49 Studios, BBC StoryWorks, Dentsu, Digitas, Forbes, Fremantle, Indeed, K7 Media, Toys“R”Us, TRAVERSE32, Scenery, Sub-Genre and UTA.

“Brands are increasingly behind some of the biggest stories on our screens internationally,” Parkhill said. “MIPCOM CANNES is the ideal partner and business platform for brands to further integrate into the global content ecosystem alongside the biggest studios and television companies from around the world.”

He added that there is nothing inherently new about brand storytelling “but in the past few years, it has taken on a new life that is garnering the attention of C-level executives representing the world’s largest advertisers. Enticed by the notion that brands can leverage their own IP and marketing muscle to be valued partners in the entertainment ecosystem, many are putting their toes in the pool while a few are diving in headfirst.”

New York City november 24

Honoring

DANA WALDEN

JOÃO ROBERTO MARINHO & Co-Chairman

Disney Entertainment Chairman & President Grupo Globo

CARLOTTA ROSSI SPENCER, global head of branded entertainment business development at Banijay, has also seen an evolution: “It used to feel like brands and producers were speaking entirely different languages. Now, there’s a much greater understanding of how valuable branded entertainment can be, not just in terms of visibility, but in reinforcing brand values, integrity and affinity, all while aligning with commercial goals. This shift is clearly demonstrated by the increased visibility of platforms like YouTube at the market this year, which is a marked change in the environment, aligning with the surge in branded content activity across these digital platforms.”

She stressed that the best branded entertainment “is marketing designed not to interrupt, but to entertain. It’s unskippable because it’s engaging. For producers, this model is complementary to our core business. And when we can bring the right creative idea, production values and brand partner to the table, it becomes an attractive proposition for broadcaster partners too. Especially in a climate where budgets are squeezed, having premium content with funding attached is a win-win.”

Rossi Spencer said the shift to branded entertainment also dovetails well with the new streaming landscape: “In the era of FAST, YouTube and AVOD, where discoverability and retention are key, branded storytelling can cut through the noise.”

FARRA KOBER, vice-president, content studio, BBC StoryWorks, BBC Studios, said that the relationship between brands and the content ecosystem has matured. “What once felt like experimental collaborations has evolved into a more integrated dialogue, with brands, agencies, and producers increasingly seeing themselves as co-creators rather than just buyers and sellers.”

She said it’s crucial that these relationships are genuine collaborations: “Audiences are overwhelmed by inauthentic or uninspired content and brands are seeking deeper, more organic ways to connect and to build trust by aligning with the media and entertainment habits their audiences genuinely value.”

The most successful partnerships “are not just about a single film or series but about the world that grows around it: marketing and promotion, live events, licensing and merchandise, and shoulder-content extensions where brand messaging can live.”

BRANDSTORYTELLING EVENTS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13

BRANDSTORYTELLING SUMMIT 09:30 - 12:45

WELCOME BREAKFAST SERVED FROM 09:00

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW 09:30 - 09:40

BRAND ENTERTAINMENT: WHY NOW? 09:40 - 10:20

MIP HEADLINER: KIM MILLER, CMO, TOYS ‘‘R’’US & PRESIDENT, TOYS‘‘R”US STUDIOS 10:20 - 10:45

CASE STUDY 10:50 - 11:15

BRAND-FUNDED ENTERTAINMENT: WHAT’S THE DEAL? 11:15 - 11:55

MIP HEADLINER: DOUG SCOTT, FOUNDER, UNXNOWN 12:00 - 12:25

BRANDS IN ACTION CASE STUDY WITH PUBLICIS REBELS 12:25 - 12:45

BRANDSTORYTELLING NETWORKING LUNCH 12:45 - 13:30

K7 MEDIA non-executive director CLARE THOMPSON said there has long been a tendency to think of brand funding “as a silver bullet every time commissioning spend is tight, and then be disappointed when it isn’t. But the difference now is the combination of added factors — from more measurable digital media to AI tools and further pressure on advertising — that are making it imperative for producers and brands to explore these models.”

The beauty of this new paradigm, she added, is that brands “can get involved at every price point, and in most genres. From very cost-effective, entry-level digital content that can nonetheless gain a lot of traction (see JD Sports, Foot Asylum and others), to primetime TV series like Cooking With The Stars on ITV and big-budget global reality contests on Prime Video like The World Cook, there are now plenty of options to choose from. So far non-scripted has proved easier for direct funding than scripted, but the prop and product placement opportunities in scripted are becoming ever more attractive to brands wanting to become part of the entertainment zeitgeist.”

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ADAM PUCHALSKY, president, Brand Studio, Blink49 Studio, said he’s “fired up about the Summit because it should start redefining what brands mean to entertainment.

“Soon,” he added, “’integration’ will feel like a bad word. The future isn’t about product placement, it’s about brands as characters, actively driving stories forward.”

Puchalsky also spoke of the benefits of the international nature of the Summit: “With a global audience in the room, the conversations won’t just echo Hollywood — they’ll tap into the full spectrum of culture. I see a future where brands aren’t passive funders but true creative partners, shaping narratives that connect, inspire and resonate with audiences everywhere.”

Blink 49’s model focuses on the business of the brand: “We don’t start with a show and look for alignment… we flip the script. We start with a brand’s business challenge and design entertainment that delivers business outcomes. Our collaborative studio model creates a safe space... a true creative sandbox where diverse voices drive the storytelling and business goals fuel the strategy.”

Backed by Bell Media and Fifth Season, and operating across Canada, New York and LA, Puchalsky said Blink 49 is “uniquely positioned to bridge creators and global partners — unlocking culture-shaping stories that make an impact on screen and in the real world.”

DOUG SCOTT, who heads up production company Olliewood and the UNXNOWN agency, said the “BrandStorytelling Summit is establishing a true bridge between brands, creators and distributors, helping us move beyond surface-level sponsorships and media-driven integration into original content development and strategic production partnerships”.

The industry has been talking for years about convergence, he said, but what’s needed now is “a framework where a brand’s narrative ambitions align with the creative and commercial realities of today’s entertainment ecosystem. If this summit can spark those conversations leading to new content marketing models, it will be a success.”

He described his team at Olliewood as “cultural provocateurs that bring together brands and creators to develop and produce original properties with the same ambition and authenticity as studios, but with the agility of digital publishers”. He added: “Our goal is to create stories that have both commercial impact and cultural credibility, going beyond disposable marketing campaigns and building sustainable media ventures and owned IP.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14

BRANDSTORYTELLING SUMMIT

TUESDAY OCTOBER 14 14:00 - 17:05

OPENING REMARKS 14:00 - 14:10

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY BY K7 MEDIA 14:10 - 14:30

MIP HEADLINER 14:30 - 14:55

CASE STUDY 14:55 - 15:20

MEASURING ROI: WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE BRAND 15:20 - 15:55

BRANDED CONTENT IN SOUTH AFRICA 15:55 - 16:20

MIP HEADLINER 16:20 - 16:45

WHAT’S NEXT IN BRAND STORYTELLING? 16:45 - 17:05

BRIAN NEWMAN, founder of strategic consultancy Sub-Genre, said a key development is that “brands are interested in being involved much earlier, and want to have close value alignment and a really strong fit. I see a lot more collaboration on the creative direction, meaning that just pitching the same powerpoint presentation deck to multiple brands rarely works, as there needs to be greater alignment. It’s more about real alignment and less about product placement or tangential connections.” Newman said there is no question execs in the content business are keen to explore brand involvement: “People are practically begging for brand support to replace other funding sources. But brands don’t want to be the next source of ‘dumb money’, they want meaningful engagement. With the rise of FAST/ AVOD etc. there’s room for smart collaboration. It doesn’t feel great for a brand to finance a show, only to have their competitor’s ads show up around it.”

ITV: ‘We believe in the growth of the content market’

UK media giant ITV is 70 years old this year during which time it has evolved from being the UK’s first advertiser-funded TV channel into a global operation with a diverse portfolio of linear, streamer, social and FAST outlets

ITV’s PRODUCTION and distribution division, ITV Studios, can trace its lineage back to the mid-1950s — with the launch of Northern powerhouse Granada Productions.

The Granada brand was later subsumed into today’s enlarged ITV entity, but its legacy is secure thanks to iconic productions including Coronation Street — its flagship soap that is still running — Brideshead Revisited, World In Action and Seven Up!. The same is true for other fabled ITV divisions including LWT, Thames, Yorkshire and Anglia, whose collective contribution down the years included Survival, Upstairs Downstairs, Heartbeat, The Sweeney, Minder and a stream of shows fronted by UK national treasures including Bruce Forsyth and Cilla Black.

Roll forward to 2025, and after several phases of evolution, ITV

Studios now produces around 7,000 hours of content annually via a network of 60 production labels in 13 countries — with hit shows including Love Island and The Voice. It also has a vast content archive of around 95,000 hours, which is aggressively monetised by ITV Global Partnerships.

ITV CEO Carolyn McCall said investment in ITV Studios has been core to her strategy since she became the first female leader of the company in 2018:

“Our strategy has been very clear for the last seven years,” she said, “to be the leading UK advertising-funded broadcaster and streamer, responding to viewer needs with both distribution and content. Expanding ITV Studios was central to that, as it plays a huge role in provid -

‘We’re always open to new collaborations’

ing content to the ITV network as well as to our many clients and partners around the world.” Many analysts believe ITV’s production and distribution capabilities are where the future of the business lies — and McCall is bullish about this segment of the operation. “We believe in the growth of the content market long-term; it is still growing globally despite a tough couple of years, and ITV Studios itself has grown nearly 40% over seven years. It’s a strong model that diversifies ITV Group’s revenue away from the structural shift in linear advertising.”

Drilling down into ITV’s external content strategy, McCall said the aim is to be diversified by geography, customer and genre. “More than half of our business is outside of the UK. With pro -

duction bases in countries like Australia, America and France; acquisitions like Cattleya, Plano a Plano and Lingo Pictures; and our finished programming and format sales team making the riches of our catalogue available all over the world, we are a truly global company.”

The day-to-day job of leading ITV Studios falls to managing director Julian Bellamy, who said the tough climate has not changed the need for content: “Channels and platforms will always need great content and there’s still a lot of opportunity to grow share if you have the right ideas and talent. There are also specific elements of the market seeing good growth, many of which play to our strengths. For example, unscripted spend among the global streamers, digital distribution or spending on acquisitions and licensing.”

Bellamy says the range and depth of ITV Studios’ global output is its real strength, but there are two genres that really stand out in his mind. “First, ambitious, quality scripted television like Tomorrow Studio’s One Piece for Netflix, Happy Prince’s Rivals for Disney+, Cattleya’s Gomorrah — The Origins for Sky and Big Talk’s Ludwig for the BBC. Second, big entertainment and reality — we’re proud of hits like The Voice and Love Island, but our pipeline of new shows like Celebrity Sabotage and Nobody’s Fool is a key strength.”

For MIPCOM CANNES Bellamy says: “We’re always open to new collaborations, from co-production opportunities through to partnering with our distribution and commercial arm, Global Partnerships and Zoo 55.”

Analysing what makes a great international partnership, he

adds: “Flexibility is increasingly important. In a complex, interconnected and fast-moving global market, creative deal-making is becoming more important than ever.”

A big theme at MIPCOM CANNES this year is the creator economy, and Bellamy is keeping a watchful eye on developments. “It’s an area we’re focussed on in a number of ways — from partnership opportunities in production through to collaborations with creators to drive additional value in our IP and catalogue.”

As president of the recently formed Global Partnerships division, Ruth Berry’s role is key to the company’s international activities. She said the new division has energised ITV Studios’ IP exploitation by aligning formats, tape, digital and ancillary rights. “For example, if you think about Love Island over the summer on air with domestic versions in the US and UK — that fuelled activity across our global mobile game, global retail sales of water bottles, digital social viewing and sales of the international versions back across those markets, like the UK and Australian tape in the US.”

This year will see one of ITV Studios’ noisiest MIPCOM CANNES campaigns for many years, Berry said. “Drama-wise, we’ll be unveiling the stonking new female-led heist drama Frauds, co-created and starring Suranne Jones alongside Jodie Whittaker; the emotionally intelligent spy thriller Betrayal, starring Shaun Evans; and A Taste For Murder starring Warren Brown. We’ll also be unveiling seven new formats including Celebrity Sabotage and Nobody’s Fool.” In non-scripted, Berry’s team will be showing

‘More than half of our business is outside of the UK’

buyers productions including Operation Dark Phone: Murder By Text, Extreme Earth and Secret Garden.

Berry also has oversight of ITV’s digital division Zoo 55, which centralises digital exploitation of the company’s brands and IP. “It has already delivered huge success. It manages over 170 social channels globally, including 50+ YouTube channels all of which delivered 25 billion views in 2024. In the world of FAST we now have 20 channels generating 160 feeds. In the gaming space we have 20 active mobile games including the Love Island mobile game and at the end of 2024 we launched Hell’s Kitchen on Roblox to huge success.” A varied slate has always been key to ITV’s content proposition and this is reflected in the personal taste of the company’s leading executives. Asked to name her favourite ever ITV show, Berry goes with the iconic Krypton Factor “as I remember watching it as a family playing along at home and always wanting to be a contestant ‘when I grew up’... never too late?!” Bellamy picks out Death On The Rock “because it inspired me to get into TV. It was a brilliant investigative documentary in 1988 examining the deaths of three IRA members. I remember being in awe of how the programme caused a huge controversy and how it penetrated the collective consciousness.”

Using her prerogative as CEO, McCall cites two shows: “Inspector Morse, a fantastic series as good as anything else on screen. And I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here — a brilliantly entertaining show hosted by the fantastic Ant and Dec that brightens up our screens in the dark days of British winters.”

THE WOMEN IN GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT LUNCH WITH A+E GLOBAL MEDIA MAJESTIC HOTEL MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, BY INVITATION

Top executives headline Women’s Lunch

The Women in Global Entertainment Lunch, co-hosted with A+E Global Media, is back at MIPCOM CANNES. At this year’s event, three key executives will be interviewed by UK comedian and TV personality Cally Beaton

THE WOMEN in Global Entertainment Lunch has been a regular fixture at MIPCOM CANNES for over a decade. Co-hosted by A+E Global Media, this social occasion also has a serious side, every year introducing key female executives and talent to the gathering, there to share their experiences of the industry.

This year a panel comprising three leaders in their field, will be moderated by author, comedian and podcaster Cally Beaton. Cally has held senior management positions at some of the biggest media companies in the world. Early in her career she headed an independent television production company that was bought by ITV where she quickly became the youngest and only female member of the ITV board. She left to set up creative consultancy company, Road Trip Media, followed by a 10-year shift as senior vice-president at the US studio giant ViacomCBS — where she oversaw a multi-million dollar budget for brands including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount, and during which time she introduced South Park and SpongeBob SquarePants to the world.

It was while working for Comedy Central that she was inspired to move into performance after a chance meeting with the late

comedy legend Joan Rivers. Beaton was a 45 year-old single parent when she first took to the stage. During the lunch Beaton will interview a panel of star executives that features: BBC chief content officer Kate Phillips; managing director of YouTube France and Southern Europe, Justine Ryst; and Hulu/Disney general manager Lauren Tempest.

KATE PHILLIPS

Kate Phillips was appointed chief content officer in June this year, after a period as interim chief content officer following the departure of long-serving Charlotte Moore from the BBC earlier this year. Phillips has been with the Corporation for 12 years. In a previous role as director of unscripted, she has been responsible for many of the BBC’s top-performing shows, including Strictly Come Dancing, The Traitors and Gladiators. She was controller of BBC One, overseeing a huge slate of programmes across drama, comedy, arts and music, all of factual, current affairs, daytime, sport and entertainment.

JUSTINE RYST

Justine Ryst became managing director of YouTube France in 2017 and Southern Europe in 2024. Prior to that she led the development of Twitter in France, provid-

ing support to organisations and public figures in media, politics, sports, music and entertainment in their use of the platform. Before joining Twitter in 2013, she served as director of digital and diversification at Endemol-Shine France. There her role involved developing digital offshoots of TV formats as well as original productions for new media.

LAUREN TEMPEST

Lauren Tempest was named general manager of Hulu in July 2023taking on responsibility for the Hulu business as well as global licensing for Disney Entertain-

ment’s direct-to-consumer services. Under her leadership, Hulu enjoyed considerable global successes including recent hits Shōgun and Only Murders In The Building. She previously served as Hulu’s senior vice-president, of content partnerships, acquisitions and scheduling, where she oversaw the company’s robust library of content, working closely with The Walt Disney Company’s content engines including Disney Television Studios, Hulu Originals, FX, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures.

WHERE LATAM MEETS THE WORLD.

BOSTON BLUE WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING GRAND AUDITORIUM

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 18.00-19.15

DOORS OPEN AT 17.30

Wahlberg returns as

Boston Blue’s Reagan

MIPCOM CANNES will see the World Premiere Screening of Boston Blue, the eagerly awaited universe expansion from long-running drama Blue Bloods, presented by Paramount Global Content Distribution

BOSTON BLUE lead and executive producer Donnie Wahlberg and star Sonequa Martin-Green will attend the World Premiere Screening of the new series in Cannes on Sunday, October 12. They will then take to the stage of the Grand Auditorium to talk about the series.

Boston Blue sees Wahlberg reprising his role as NYPD Detective Danny Reagan, who takes a position with the Boston Police Department. Lisa Kramer, president, international content licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution (PGCD) said Wahlberg’s Danny Reagan “is one of the most beloved characters” from the original show. “Joining Wahlberg is fan favourite Sonequa Martin-Green, who most recently starred in Star

Trek: Discovery. And bridging the legacy of Blue Bloods and the new beginnings of Boston Blue, Bridget Moynahan reprises her role as Erin Reagan as a guest star in the premiere episode.”

Kramer said MIPCOM CANNES’ timing is ideal for a fourth-quarter launch and added that PGCD is “excited to bring Donnie Wahlberg and Sonequa Martin-Green to Cannes to help us unveil the first episode of Boston Blue. CBS Studios continues to lead in creating iconic procedurals with which audiences around the globe connect, and we look forward to working with licensees to build out the Blue Bloods universe.”

Despite all the talk of disruption at MIPCOM CANNES, Kramer said

‘It is the selfcontained episodic nature of procedurals that audiences embrace’

Lisa Kramer

the procedural “will always be an important genre for international buyers. Procedurals have stayed dominant as audiences around the globe flock to them both on streaming and linear platforms. It is the self-contained episodic nature of procedurals that audiences embrace and at the same time the serialised story arcs allow them to be binge-friendly.”

In the US, Boston Blue premieres on CBS then is available for streaming on Paramount+, “which is an attractive model to mirror in international markets,” Kramer said. “For example, the series has been licensed to CTV in Canada. It will launch on CTV and will then be available the next day on their streaming platform Crave.”

Boston Blue is produced by CBS Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Television. Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis are showrunners and executive producers; Jerry Bruckheimer, KristieAnne Reed and Wahlberg also serve as executive producers.

EXCLUSIVE SCREENING

SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

THE MINIATURE WIFE GRAND AUDITORIUM

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 18.00-19.15

DOORS OPEN AT 17.45

Buyers get exclusive preview of dramedy

The Miniature Wife

All MIPCOM CANNES delegates are invited to an Exclusive Screening of Sony Pictures Television’s new dramedy series that will be followed by a Q&A with cast members Matthew Macfadyen, O-T Fagbenle and Sian Clifford. The series premieres in the US on Peacock in 2026

PRODUCED by Media Res and distributed by Sony Pictures Television, The Miniature Wife is described as “a high-concept dramedy” that examines the power dynamics between spouses. Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen play husband and wife Lindy and Les, a scientist who ‘accidentally’ miniaturises his wife to the size of a coffee cup. As the story unfolds, she takes revenge on him in ways that reveal the gender and power dynamics in their relationship.

The series’ USPs are its “star power, undeniable chemistry between Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen and razor-sharp

writing”, Mike Wald, co-president, distribution and networks, at Sony Pictures Television, said.

Inspired by a short story by author Manuel Gonzales, The Miniature Wife series is created by Jennifer Ames and Steve Turner, who also serve as showrunners and executive producers. Greg Mottola, who directs the first two episodes, is also an executive producer. Michael Ellenberg and Lindsey Springer are executive producers for Media Res. Banks and Macfadyen are joined by Zoe Lister-Jones (Slip, Beau is Afraid), O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale, Presumed Innocent), Sian Clifford (Fleabag, The Ballad

‘Buyers everywhere are chasing bold content that commands attention and delivers marketing muscle’

Of Wallis Island), and Sofia Rosinsky (Paper Girls, Death And Other Details) as series regulars; and Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show, Crazy Rich Asians), Aasif Mandvi (Evil, The Daily Show), Rong Fu (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Hello (Again)) and Tricia Black (Small Achievable Goals, Pretty Hard Cases) in recurring roles.

“Buyers everywhere are chasing bold content that commands attention and delivers marketing muscle,” Wald said. “With The Miniature Wife, you start with a high-concept idea that is both fresh and wildly inventive, add in huge star power led by Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen, and you have a series that will overdeliver for any service on which it lands — a truly universal and commercially appealing show that is well suited for any platform, from streaming to pay TV to broadcast. There is simply nothing else like it at this market.”

Dance school students — and cast newcomers Dorli (Carlotta Bähre) and Friederike (Marie LA Becker) take a break for a joint

WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING

ZDF STUDIOS KU’DAMM ‘77

GRAND AUDITORIUM

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 18.00-19.15

DOORS OPEN AT 17.45

New Ku’damm series gets Cannes premiere

ZDF Studios is to present the World Premiere Screening of the UFA Fiction-produced historical drama Ku’damm 77 at MIPCOM CANNES. Three of the series creators spoke to us ahead of the screening in the Grand Auditorium

FILMED in Berlin, Ku’damm 77 follows the the hit series Ku’damm 56, Ku’damm 59 and Ku’damm 63, which have enjoyed ratings success in Germany, and in over 30 countries around the world.

Centred on Caterina, the owner of a dance school and her family, the Schöllacks, this latest in the Ku’damm series is set in 1970s Berlin, where the dreams of the young clash with the expectations of the old. Although retired, Caterina is worried about the dance school’s reputation and stays involved. When her youngest daughter returns from prison, her comeback upends the family dynamic. The series shows that however fiercely the Schöllacks fight with each other, they fight for each other harder. For ZDF deputy director of pro -

grammes, Heike Hempel, her desire to work with writer Annette Hess was central to the genesis of the series.

“UFA CEO Nico Hofmann and I were eager to work with Annette after her magnificent series Weissensee. It became instantly clear that we wanted to tell a story from the time our mothers were young and what it meant to be female in late 1950s Germany,” Hempel said. “After multiple discarded ideas, inspiration struck when one evening Annette took her daughter to dance school. We realised it was the perfect setting. Annette then developed the story of a dance school owner and her three daughters of marriageable age in 1950s Germany.”

Hess said the story was partly born

out of personal experience. “The main character, Monika, is modeled after a rebellious friend of my mother,” she said. “The head of the family, Caterina, is like I remember my grandmother: bitter, strong and traumatised. The West Berlin dancing school for me was the most attractive spot to unite family, society and entertainment. The role and empowerment of especially young women was the initial spark of the series over 10 years ago. And — sad enough — the topic is even more important today.”

For UFA Fiction producer Marc Lepetit, the strong female message is one of the keys to the series global success: “A good story is always a universal story,” he said. “Ku’damm is about the difficult relationship between generations in post war times. About the suppression of women in society — what’s happening nowadays, even with a horrifying backlash. So it’s no wonder that, especially daughters and mothers all over the world, can relate to the Schöllack family.”

Your chance to find the next breakout global hit from Japan

THE BROADCAST Program Export Association of Japan (BEAJ), with the support of Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, will once again host the Japanese Format Showcase – Treasure Box Japan at MIPCOM CANNES.

This year, 10 leading Japanese broadcasters will bring world-premiere debuts of their latest unscripted formats, offering international buyers and producers a rare chance to spot the next breakout hit in just one session.

Makito Sugiyama, executive director of BEAJ and co-moderator, has observed a strategic shift in how Japan develops shows. “There is a stronger emphasis on creativity over scale,” he said. “Producers are developing cost-efficient ideas that can be easily reproduced, a situation that is well-suited to non-scripted formats.” That evolution now routinely includes working with overseas partners — from tailoring proven domestic hits for new markets to co-developing original IP from the outset — so concepts land with impact while retaining a Japanese spark. Japan’s global track record is deep and diverse: from America’s Funniest Home Videos and Dragon’s Den/Shark Tank to Iron Chef and SASUKE/Ninja

Warrior. Beyond these megahits, over 90 Japanese formats have been adapted into hundreds of localised versions, yielding thousands of episodes worldwide.

Virginia Mouseler, CEO of The WIT and co-moderator of

‘Japanese shows are spontaneous, lively, colourful and uninhibited’

Virginia Mouseler, The WIT

TREASURE BOX JAPAN HI5 STUDIO

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 16:15-17.15 FOLLOWED BY A COCKTAIL

Virginia Mouseler

Treasure Box Japan, emphasises their lasting appeal: “Japanese shows are spontaneous, lively, colourful and uninhibited — totally in service to having fun.” Adding further weight to this year’s event are guest commentators Tim Crescenti, CEO of Small World IFT, and Vasha Wallace, executive vice-president Global Acquisitions and Development at Fremantle. For Wallace: “There’s an appetite for fresh, noisy, original IP,” she

said. “Japanese formats thrive here, blending ideas in bold new ways. They deliver creative entertainment that perfectly complements Fremantle’s portfolio of formats.”

The 10 companies who will bring world premiere debuts of their latest unscripted formats to the Treasure Box Japan presentation are:

• Kansai Television Co.

• Tokyo Broadcasting System

• Nippon Television

• Fuji Television Network

• Mainichi Broadcasting System

• TV Asahi Corporation

• ABC Frontier

• NHK / NHK Enterprises

• Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation

• TV TOKYO Corporation

Merzigo on the lookout for partners ready to thrive in the digital space

Istanbul-based Merzigo is a leading distributor of premium video on YouTube and Meta, with clients including Disney, Fremantle, Warner Bros. Discovery, RTVE, Sony Pictures, Viacom18 and Zee. The company is partnering with MIPCOM CANNES for the Opening Night Party. Merzigo CEO Yiğit Doğan Çelik spoke with us ahead of the event

MIPCOM CANNES 2025 marks Merzigo’s fourth consecutive year at the market, and for CEO Yiğit Doğan Çelik, “it will be our most significant presence to date.

For Merzigo, MIPCOM CANNES is an essential platform to connect with leading content creators — producers, platforms, distributors and brands — who not only recognise the major shifts taking place in the media landscape, but also want to be at the forefront of driving that change.”

Çelik said that in Cannes, his company will be focused on meeting partners whose catalogues “have the scale and quality to thrive globally in the digital space. This includes leading broadcasters, major distributors and top production houses — as well as strong independents and regional players with sizable libraries ready to grow. Whether they’re already on YouTube, looking to maximise revenue, or just beginning to unlock the full value of their content, Merzigo can help them scale smarter and faster.”

According to Çelik, partnering with Merzigo means “unlocking the full potential of their content.

Our in-house capabilities, from localisation and editing to rights management and community engagement, combined with the insights we gain from managing over 5,000 digital channels, allow us to maximise revenue opportunities

‘We help extend brand awareness and drive audience engagement on a global scale’

like no one else.”

But it’s not all about the money: “We help extend brand awareness and drive audience engagement. Our goal is to build long-term partnerships, create new and growing revenue streams, and stand with our partners as we navigate the ever-evolving media landscape together.”

The company turns seven this year, starting in 2018 in a small office in Istanbul. Today, with hubs in LA and London, Merzigo is now “strategically positioned at key media

MERZIGO X MIPCOM CANNES 2025 OPENING NIGHT PARTY OPEN TO ALL MAJESTIC HOTEL MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 19.00-22.00

hubs to drive innovation and continue expanding our partnerships”. Çelik said one the company’s “proudest success stories to date” is Qesma w Naseeb, a drama series Merzigo created exclusively for YouTube. “Unlike much of the digital-first content out there, we approached this project with the full discipline and production values of television,” he said. “The series has generated billions of views and built a loyal fan base.” Qesma w Naseeb is now in its fourth season, and has been adapted into new languages, with Spanish and Farsi versions already live, and more on the way. And Çelik hopes MIPCOM CANNES can lead to more such successes: “We believe Cannes

Product News

Here we highlight some of the content from around the world, on sale during MIPCOM CANNES

3DD PRODUCTIONS

CLASSIC Christmas Movies (6 x 60 mins) is a new series from 3DD, in co-production with Sky Arts UK, that profiles films that have become must-see holiday viewing. Each episode tells the story of’ one film, an affectionate look at the trials and triumphs encountered during the making of these films. Hosted by film journalist and author Ian Nathan with a team of contributors, the series has been pre-bought by broadcaster SBS Australia and Sky NZ.

GAD

COMPLETED factual shows from France’s GAD include: The Black Ocean: The New Minefield (1 x 52 mins/90 mins/4K), an investigation into the economic and political conflict of deep-sea commercial mining; Ballhouses, Europe’s Mighty (1 x 55 mins/HD), looking at the history of tennis venues; Strong, Beautiful & Healthy! (1 x 52 mins/4K), about fitness movements; Royal Table (8 x 52 mins/4K); Dolphins: Human Gazes (1 x 53 mins/ HD), featuring the Mediterranean Sea; and Package For You! (2 x 52 mins/HD), an series that follows letter carriers in remote communities.

WHITE LIGHT DISTRIBUTION

AFTER success at the box office, White Light Distribution brings Pink Floyd At Pompeii – MCMLXXII to MIPCOM CANNES, and the entire Pink Floyd film catalogue, including Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour – Live At Circus Maximus, Rome and Roger Waters’ concert special This Is Not A Drill: Live From Prague. White Light also brings to Cannes the complete visual programme catalogue for Queen, and: Luther Vandross: Never Too Much; Simply Red Live In Santiago; Cyndi Lauper’s farewell show from Las Vegas; and Raye live at The Royal Albert Hall.

TERRANOA

TWO NEW completed series are presented at MIPCOM CANNES by France’s Terranoa. God And Science (4 x 48 mins) questions the rich dialogue and complex relationship between science and religion. How Money Shaped The World (4 x 52 mins) offers a journey through time and geography. Another priority currently in production, Lady Liberty: Secrets Of An Icon (1 x 95 mins/52 mins), is due for delivery in May 2026 and open for prebuys. In production is Saving Glaciers: A Race Against Time (1 x 90 mins/52 mins).

ABC COMMERCIAL

AUSTRALIA’s ABC Commercial brings a line-up of family-friendly factual entertainment to MIPCOM CANNES. Dr Ann’s Secret Lives (6 x 30 mins), explores the hidden worlds of animal species; Muster Dogs (6 x 60 mins) returns for its fourth season; Killer Whale: Australia’s Megapod (1 x 60 mins) reveals an ‘Aussie accent’ within an orca community; and Eat The Invaders (6 x 30 mins) considers turning the global biodiversity crisis into a culinary journey. New format Crime Night! (6 x 30 mins) taps into the global appetite for true crime, with a comedy twist.

PBS DISTRIBUTION

PBS DISTRIBUTION returns to MIPCOM CANNES with a slate including: We Want The Funk (1 x 90 mins), the history of funk music, from African, soul and early jazz roots, while tracing funk’s influences on new wave and hiphop; The American Revolution: A Film By Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein And David Schmidt (6 x 120 mins), about the eight-year war; Terror On The Space Station (2 x 60 mins/1 x 90 mins), in which crew members tell stories of disasters avoided; Trump’s Power & The Rule Of Law (1 x 90 mins); history travelogue The Orient Express (4 x 60 mins); Syria After Assad (1 x 60 mins); Ultimate Crash Test (2 x 60 mins/1 x 90 mins); and kids show Weather Hunters (40 x 30 mins).

BIG MEDIA

LEVIATHAN (1 x 90 mins) explores rare whale sightings, mass strandings and shifting predator-prey dynamics. Two further titles from Big Media featured in Cannes are: Royal Gardens (6 x 60 mins), following Professor Suzannah Lipscomb on a tour including Hampton Court, El Jardín Real, Sanssouci and Schloss Hof, with stories behind many of the gardens’ royal, wealthy and infamous owners; and Unthinkable: Moments That Shocked The World (6 x 60 mins), exploring significant news events of recent history.

PRIMITIVES

BELGIUM-based distributor Primitives returns to Cannes with a fresh slate of formats. Convoy (8 x 55 mins) is a road trip where four families cross Europe, facing fast-paced quizzes and challenges at stunning locations to claim a luxury holiday. Team Spirit (6 x 60 mins) features six 12- to 15-year-olds with cognitive and physical disabilities who train together for a sporting event. History Hunters (6 x 60 mins) sees two celebrity duos compete in puzzles and challenges. Returning highlights include The Ultimate Celebrity Car Park Showdown, 99 To Beat and Zero Stars.

NIPPON TV/GYOKURO STUDIO

HAVING launched in June of this year, Nippon TV’s Gyokuro Studio is at MIPCOM CANNES the with brand-new unscripted game-show format Mega Catch. It has one single rule: catch it and survive — miss it and you’re out, until one player wins the cash prize. These are jaw-dropping challenges — for instance, a giant ball comes crashing down from the sky or a sandbag swings like a wrecking ball. The company also brings kids reality format Secret Little Assistant, where children sneak into their parent’s workplace, trying to help and not be caught; and Big Bad Bluff, a game show where classic fairy tales turn into mind games.

GRUPPO ALCUNI

DYNAMIC TELEVISION

MIPCOM sees Italy’s Gruppo Alcuni showcasing their CGI production The Black Diamond Race (9 x 45 mins/18 x 22 mins). Co-produced with Rai Kids, RTVE, Motion Pictures and Broadvision Perspectives, the series follows car-racing youngsters in 1929, who are dragged into a challenge against wicked Mister K in a race across Europe and India for a jackpot of four priceless diamonds. Another priority is the pre-school Mini Pet Pals series, with the fifth season of spin-off series Mini Pet Pals & Mini Dinos (26 x 6 mins), co-produced with Rai Kids, featuring eight MiniDinos who are grappling with the Wackysaurs.

BIG TIME DECENT INTERNATIONAL

ROMANTIC series The 12 Dates Of Christmas (6 x 45 mins) features Kate (Mae Whitman), an American designer in London stuck in a rut. Caring for her stubborn father (Nathaniel Parker) as he recovers from injury, her friend signs her up for a Christmas-themed dating service. Kate embraces the chance to rediscover her spark. The series also stars Jane Seymour, Julian Morris and Toby Sandeman. Other titles from LA-based Dynamic include: Revival (10 x 60 mins), which follows mysterious events in Wisconsin where the recently deceased are suddenly ‘revived’. When a local officer is investigating a murder she must make sense of the chaos, with the living and the undead as suspects; and Art Detectives (6 x 45 mins), a crime series set in London’s Heritage Crime Unit.

THE BLIND Surfer (1 x 60 mins/2 x 60 mins) follows Derek Rabelo — a man born completely blind — who risks everything to surf the deadliest waves at Nazaré, Portugal. In a location that has claimed many lives, including his close friend Marcio Friere. Big-wave surfing icons Garrett McNamara and Carlos Burle take on the role as Rabelo’s mentors as he trains. The documentary is brought to Cannes by new outfit Big Time Decent International.

ITV STUDIOS

A FORMAT priority at MIPCOM CANNES for ITV Studios is Nobody’s Fool, a reality game show that takes contestants to a Smart House where they must convince each other of their intelligence. They take part in secret individual quizzes that test various types of intelligence, building a communal prize pot. However, only they know their scores. Withholding, bending or exaggerating results becomes part of the strategic gameplay. From the unscripted catalogue comes Secret Garden, telling the stories of the wild characters on our doorsteps. A scripted highlight is Frauds, a story of survival, deception and revenge set in southern Spain, starring Suranne Jones as a terminally ill con-woman recently released from prison and Jodie Whittaker as her best friend.

PVP DISTRIBUTION

CANADA’s PVP Distribution is at MIPCOM CANNES with new show L.A L.A End, a 70-minute documentary and haunting journey through the forgotten movie palaces in Hollywood. Guided by a Marilyn Monroe lookalike, it retraces the rise and fall of these iconic cinemas, now faded ghosts in the heart of Los Angeles. With its poetic narrative and creative vision, the film is a timely highlight ahead of the 2026 centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth.

HG DISTRIBUTION

L.A.

LET’S PARTY Around The World (10 x 60 mins) is a vibrant look at how parties connect cultures around the world, hosted by Canadian actor Schelby Jean-Baptiste who crashes dazzling parties to uncover their unique traditions, music and flavours. Further titles from the Quebecois distributor include: Anomaly Detection (1 x 70 mins), following an international team of young physicists that is racing to build the first AI capable of spotting the unknown in our data deluge; Mr. Santa: A Christmas Extravaganza (1 x 98 mins), set in Harlem, where three teens, team up with the mysterious Mr. Santa Cruz to save their school’s holiday show; and Privier (6 x 60 mins) a sci-fi series about an obsession with life after death.

SIDELINE PRODUCTIONS

IN BALLROOM Boom (1 x 80 mins), produced for RTE, U2’s Adam Clayton explores the rise and fall of Irish showbands in the 1960s, when over 700 bands and thousands of musicians — including Van Morrison and Rory Gallagher — performed chart hits most nights of the week. Irish-born Bill Fuller promoted showbands in Las Vegas and opened up ballrooms across North America and Britain for Irish emigrants who gave birth to an extraordinary generation of UK talent — including Dusty Springfield, The Beatles, Oasis, Johnny Rotten and The Smiths. But one shocking event tore the Irish music scene apart. In 1975, three members of The Miami — then Ireland’s most popular showband — were murdered across the Northern Irish border by rogue British soldiers. Survivor Steve Travers recalls that tragic night.

CHINA HUACE FILM & TV

SWORDS Into Plowshares is a drama set during the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, when the world was in great chaos. Zhao Kuangyin (Founding Emperor of Song), Qian Hongchu (King of Wuyue), and Guo Rong (Later Zhou Emperor) are three young men who fought together to defend their city and shared the bitter hatred against the enemy of the royal court. They turn their thoughts to national unification as they take up their responsibilities. In the end, for the unification of the Northern Song Dynasty and the wellbeing of the people, Zhao Kuangyin and Qian Hongchu abandoned war and finally accomplished the peaceful unification of the country in 978 AD.

SEVEN.ONE STUDIOS INTERNATIONAL

A NEW format brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Seven.One Studios International is Match My Ex. Set in a luxury villa, it sees reality TV stars and former lovers compete while matchmaking. Also launching at the market is drama series The Cooking Academy (120 x 30 mins), where talented chefs are trained for the world of haute cuisine. The combination of brilliant young people working closely in an idyllic setting, under pressure and fighting for recognition, sets the scene for rivalries, friendly and familial entanglements and love stories.

GROUPE ENCORE

IN CROWS (10 x 45 mins) a series of murders shakes the Québec City region. Young investigator Gabrielle teams with Clémence, a hardened agent on the verge of retirement. What is thought to be a teenage suicide is in fact a murder as a crow’s bone is found in the back of his throat. A terrifying race against time begins as the murders continue. Also from Montreal-based Groupe Encore comes Room For Change (12 x 22 mins), a drama about a group of Gen-Z friends living in an untidy apartment.

GAUMONT TELEVISION

PRODUCED by Les Films Pelléas and Gaumont, and created by Jean-Stéphane Bron and Alice Winocour, The Deal (6 x 60 mins) is a thriller set in the diplomatic world, against the backdrop of a moving love story. The story unfolds during the 2015 last-chance nuclear talks between the US and Iran. The Deal stars Veerle Baetens, Juliet Stevenson, Arash Marandi and Fenella Woolgar.

POORHOUSE INTERNATIONAL

POORHOUSE is bringing Peter Brook – Showman & Shaman (1 x 57 mins/HD), a portrait of one of the great stage and film directors of the post-WW2 era, to MIPCOM CANNES. He became the youngest director ever to be associated with the Royal Shakespeare Company. He also directed opera at the Royal Opera House and created a box-office hit with Irma La Douce in London and on Broadway. Some of his most celebrated productions were his King Lear with Paul Scofield and his film adaptation of Golding´s Lord Of The Flies. After traveling the world he settled in Paris, where he took over an abandoned Vaudeville Theatre, staging performances at moderate ticket prices. It was here where The Mahabharata was born, an adaptation of the Indian epic. Filmmaker Reiner Moritz was deeply involved in the filming, with the support of Brook´s son, who made available family archives and precious footage.

SERIOUS KIDS

THE UNREAL (8 x 26 mins) follows young Kevin Kelly who discovers a strange VHS tape while on a family camping holiday. The tape unleashes the chaotic Pooka, a creature that wreaks havoc. Kevin is blamed, and only an eccentric caretaker believes him. Together they plan to return the Pooka to its video world, but Kevin finds another VHS of an old sitcom called The Kellys and the family realises that they too have escaped from fiction into reality — and the caretaker plans to erase them too. A second series is in production and the series is brought to MIPCOM CANNES by London-based Serious Kids.

SOMETHING SPECIAL

KOREA’s Something Special is showcasing three seasons of competition Iron Squad (12 x 60 mins). The show features male military reservists, who compete for the title of Best Special Force Unit through a series of challenges testing stamina, mental strength and co-operative skills. The franchise has been extended with The Iron Squad W (female version/one season) and The Iron Earth (exploration-themed/two seasons). The Korean company also highlights performance talent competition Martial Arts: The Show (8 x 90 mins).

RAIN FROG

THE TRIPLETS (26 x 11 mins) is a reboot of the classic brand created by Roser Capdevila in the late 1990s. The three imaginative and mischievous sisters travel magically to different times and places where they meet fantasy and historic characters, while avoiding the evil Bored Witch. The series is a co-production between Spanish studio Peekaboo Animation, Italian producer Rain Frog and Portuguese studio Sardinha em Lata. The first season is commissioned by the pubcasters RTVE, 3CAT, RAI and RTP. A pilot is due by the second quarter of 2026, with delivery of the first season expected by Q4 2026.

SLINKSET

THE PHANTOM Particle (6 x 50 mins) is a drama series that intertwines historical intrigue with ground-breaking scientific discoveries. The story unfolds across two timelines: in 1938, young Fascist officer Nicola is tasked with investigating the disappearance of brilliant physicist Ettore; in 2029, researcher Adriana uncovers clues that could change the destiny of science. The series is produced by Slinkset and Eolo Film Productions, and is filmed between Italy, Germany and the US.

ALL3MEDIA INTERNATIONAL

FEDERATION KIDS & FAMILY

DISTRIBUTOR Federation Kids & Family is premiering 20 Dance Street (26 x 26 mins), its brand-new animation series currently in production. Produced by Cottonwood Media (with co-pro partner ZDF Studios) the CGI kids drama series, greenlit by ZDF and France Télévisions, is an adaptation of a book series by Elizabeth Barféty. It centres around 11-year-old Maya who leaves the Caribbean to join the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet School. The CGI incorporates ultra-realistic dance scenes performed in motion capture by professional dancers.

NEW FORMAT The Inheritance combines wit, willpower, persuasion and betrayal as a group of strangers arrive at a grand estate, lured by the opportunity to inherit a fortune from a benefactor known as The Deceased. Players must work as a team to complete challenges, but to win the game they must persuade all others that only they should be entrusted with the money. The show is launching on Channel 4 with Elizabeth Hurley and Rob Rinder hosting. Further highlights from All3Media include: The Moonies: Married To A Cult (1 x 90 mins/working title), a documentary featuring unprecedented access to insiders, including Rev Moon’s son speaking out for the first time; and Trespasses (4 x 60 mins), starring Lola Petticrew, Tom Cullen and Gillian Anderson, set in 1970s Belfast, a blend of deep emotion, dark comedy and drama.

BOMANBRIDGE MEDIA

SINGAPORE-based Bomanbridge Media brings a blue-chip one-hour documentary to MIPCOM CANNES from producer OceanX. Mysteries Of The Red Sea profiles a unique body of water, a young sea, still actively forming, with some of the highest water temperatures and salinity levels in the world. And yet, this narrow strip of water boasts one of the most diverse marine ecosystems on Earth, and despite its historical importance, the Red Sea remains one of the least explored and studied water environments.

BLOODY Game, a high-stakes survival reality series co-produced by Korea’s MBC and Wavve, has been successful in the Nordic region, with local adaptations by Mastiff Norway and Nordisk Film TV. The format sees competitors pursue a cash prize by living together in a secret house and facing a series of challenges, while they have no contact with the outside world. They must employ strategic alliances and tactics to avoid eviction. A new season has just launched in Sweden on SVT.

ELECTRIC ENTERTAINMENT

AMONG the series brought to Cannes by Electric Entertainment are: two seasons of The Librarians: The Next Chapter (24 x 60 mins), about a Librarian who inadvertently releases magic and is given a new team to help him clean up; three seasons of sci-fi drama The Ark (24 x 60 mins/with a third season in production), in which remnants of humanity establish a new planetary home; eight seasons of crime series Leverage: Redemption (116 x 60 mins); two seasons of Almost Paradise (20 x 60 mins); and comedy series The Poly Couple (9 x 30 mins), Sideswiped (8 x 30 mins) and animation Sloane And The Cosmic Schlep (8 x 30 mins). The company also brings One Big Happy Family (1 x 82 mins), about a woman on a journey of self-discovery alongside her Jewish mother.

RTE PROGRAME SALES

NARRATED by actor Colin Farrell, From That Small Island – The Story of The Irish (4 x 60 mins/1 x 90 mins), brings to life the extraordinary story of the Irish people, from the first inhabitants to the global diaspora of over 80 million people. Shot on location in 17 countries, the narrative continues through time, identity and the enduring spirit of a people whose story continues to shape the world.

XIXI PICTURES

ABOUT PREMIUM CONTENT (APC)

APC STUDIOS distributor About Premium Content (APC) is launching four new scripted series at MIPCOM CANNES. French crime saga Blue Gold (8 x 52 mins) is set in Provence and features three generations of women who hold a secret, linked to water, that the 2024 drought brings to light. The Big Fuck-Up (8 x 45 mins) is a Belgian Flemish drama set in the 1980s that follows a Gendarme Unit, headed by an American CIA agent, as they turn to criminality. Cold Haven (8 x 52 mins), is a thriller about a Portuguese woman who moves to an isolated Icelandic island with her teenage daughter and is subsequently murdered. Seasons (4 x 52 mins) is a French-language series 15-year-old Camille who meets Martin and Alexandre and is torn between these two friends in a 30-year love story.

WILDBEAR INTERNATIONAL

IN THE fight for dominance on the battlefields in World War II, no tool proved more vital than the tank, the pinnacle of military technology. Brought to Cannes by Australia’s WildBear International, The Tank: The Ultimate Weapon Of WWII (6 x 60 mins) is an exploration of the critical role of tanks, using global archive and cutting-edge graphics and offering insights into campaigns from every theatre of the war.

CHINA’s Xixi Pictures is showcasing two new drama series at MIPCOM CANNES. With a fresh perspective on modern relationships, Xiaofang is Xixi Pictures’ newest coming-of-age romantic comedy. The story follows a spirited young woman who finds she is expecting a baby. The two families clash and she decides to continue dating, attracting unexpected admirers and funny chaotic events. Shine On Me follows Nie Xiguang, a young woman from a well-off family who works with the enigmatic Lin Yusen. Over time a long-buried misunderstanding comes to light which opens the door to healing, growth and unexpected romance.

MURDER In G Major sees American woman Gethsemane moving to Ireland to be a music teacher. She is confronted by the ghost of famous composer Eamon McCarthy who begs her to find his murderer. The film is the first of the Haunted Harmony Mystery movies (4 x 90 mins) brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Canada’s Muse Distribution. The series is completed by Buried At C, Key To The Castle and Execution In E. Another highlight is The Wish Swap (1 x 90 mins), a romantic comedy featuring two strangers who simultaneously blow out their birthday candles, and when their wishes get swapped they reluctantly spend the next few weeks together.

BBC STUDIOS

SCRIPTED highlights from the UK’s BBC Studios include: Waiting For The Out (6 x 50 mins), about a philosopher who teaches men in prison while confronting memories of his violent father; and a comedy series from the team behind W1A and Twenty Twelve, Twenty Twenty Six (6 x 30 mins), in which Hugh Bonneville reprises his role as Ian Fletcher, this time in Miami as Director of Integrity during a soccer tournament. Unscripted titles include: Kingdom (6 x 50 mins), following families of leopards, hyenas, wild dogs and lions in Zambia; Matriarch (working title/2 x 60 mins), about an alpha-female chimpanzee, narrated by naturalist Dr Jane Goodall; Free Nelson Mandela (working title/1x 90 mins/3 x 45 mins), the story of the biggest campaign for a single prisoner in history; and Civilisations: Rise And Fall (4 x 60 mins). Factual titles include Pete Wicks: For Dogs’ Sake (15 x 60 mins), Nisha Katona’s Home Kitchen (10 x 45 mins) and Rob And Rylan’s Passage To India (3 x 60 mins).

Kingdom (BBC

SIC INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION

PORTUGAL’s SIC Distribution is highlighting two dramas at MIPCOM CANNES. The Last Will is an intense and emotional family saga, where secrets from the past, ambition, love and betrayal become entangled. Sofia’s unexpected inheritance triggers a series of conflicts and surprising revelations. Long-running drama Vitória, is an adaptation of Turkish format Gülperi, in partnership with Disney+, bringing together a leading TV station (SIC) and two streaming platforms, Opto and Disney+, in a multiplatform premiere.

ESCAPADE MEDIA

FEEL-GOOD format Wedding Dancers (10 x 60 mins/4K) follows couples across the UK in the six months leading up to their wedding. The series is a cross-cultural, inter-generational series celebrating every kind of wedding; gay, straight, trans, religious, secular, military, winter, summer, in a castle, on a beach, in a cathedral, an airbase or in a registry office — and is workable in any territory and language. The series is brought to market by Australia’s Escapade Media.

3BOXMEDIA INTERNATIONAL SALES

SPANISH-German distributor 3boxmedia presents a new slate of documentaries in Cannes. King Puma (1 x 55 mins/90 mins) is about a visionary soccer sports marketer. Scars Of Growth (1 x 56 mins/90 mins) analyses Europe’s struggle to secure rare metals, reducing dependence on Chinese resources. Among new wildlife titles are: Beauty And Seduction In Nature (1 x 50 mins); Greenland Giants (1 x 48 mins), featuring the musk ox and polar bear; and The Strongest On The Savannah (1 x 50 mins), portraying a remarkable hippo group. Wallace: The Other Darwin (1 x 48 mins) profiles a key figure in the theory of evolution long overshadowed by Darwin. Finally, A Song For My Land (1 x 56 mins) follows schoolchildren protesting the spraying of agrochemicals close to their school.

PARAMOUNT GLOBAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION

NEW FROM Paramount Global Content Distribution, Sheriff Country is a spinoff of drama series Fire Country, which stars Morena Baccarin as straight-shooting sheriff Mickey Fox, the stepsister of Cal Fire’s division chief Sharon Leone (Diane Farr). The company also brings: DMV, a single-camera comedy set in the Department of Motor Vehicles where employees deal with awkward customers; and CIA, starring Tom Ellis, is a one-hour crime drama about unlikely partners – a rule-breaking case officer and a by-the-book FBI agent.

DRAMA series Dear Life (6 x 60 mins), brought to MIPCOM CANNES by the UK’s Hat Trick International, follows the ramifications following one violent moment that results in 11 life-saving transplants. A young doctor is killed while treating a patient, and his donated organs transform lives across the country. Eight months later, Lillian, the doctor’s fiancée, is lost in a storm of grief, legal battles and family pressure, when an anonymous thank-you letter arrives from her partner’s heart recipient.

MIP. FOR THE LOVE OF STORYTELLING.

ARTE DISTRIBUTION

ARTE Distribution presents a diverse line-up across music, global issues and history for MIPCOM CANNES. The new Music Live collection includes Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds At Accor Arena (1 x 95 mins) and Mozart’s Requiem At The Château De Versailles (1 x 83 mins). Environmental stories take centre stage with Oceania, The Ocean’s Protectors (1 x 52 mins/90 mins) and PFAS: The Poison Of The 21st Century (1 x 52 mins). History titles include The Mystery Of The Desert Kites (1 x 52 mins/2 x 45 mins) and Yamnaya: Our Forgotten Ancestors (1 x 52 mins/90 mins).

LINEUP INDUSTRIES

AMSTERDAM-based distributor Lineup Industries brings an NRK hit format to the international market at MIPCOM CANNES. Stripped daily across the week for one month, the light-hearted competition Oh No It’s Summer features competing celebrities who are given 250 questions from the Big Five Personality Test, the results of which will predict how they will perform in a series of tasks — but are they able to outperform their own limitations?

DCD RIGHTS

THE UK’s DCD Rights is showcasing Bill Bailey’s Vietnam Adventure (6 x 60 mins) at MIPCOM CANNES. The series follows the comedian, raconteur, actor, TV presenter and musician as he travels the length of Vietnam on the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of the US forces from Saigon. Immersing himself in its rich culture, stunning landscapes and complex history he uncovers what makes the country tick.

DARO FILM DISTRIBUTION

MONACO-based Daro Film Distribution offers explosive new action thriller Midnight to buyers at MIPCOM CANNES. Starring Rosario Dawson, Mila Jovovich and Alexandra Shipp, the story follows a blind woman, forced to fend off a group of heavily armed intruders, who learns that she is anything but helpless. Daro holds rights for Eastern Europe, CIS & Baltics and Benelux. Other Daro highlights include Prisoner Of War, starring Scott Adkins and Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, which tracks a downed British pilot who organises an escape from a ruthless Japanese POW camp during the Second World War. Daro holds rights for Eastern Europe, CIS & Baltics, English-speaking Africa, Portugual and Portuguese Africa.

ZONE3

ZONE3 is at MIPCOM CANNES with two gripping new dramas. Psychological thriller Drifting (8 x 60 mins) follows a renowned pianist haunted by childhood trauma. After collapsing on stage, he retreats to his family’s country house only to spiral into unsettling revelations. In Getting Under Your Skin (8 x 30 mins), a queer teen seeking emancipation gets involved in an undercover operation targeting synthetic opioids in his school. The Montreal-based outfit also brings two returning competition formats. Epic (12 x 60 mins) sees teams face grueling challenges in breathtaking natural landscapes, and in Build It To Win It (40 x 30 mins) 12 couples take part in a two-house renovation where the winning couple’s dream to become homeowners is realised.

BOSSANOVA MEDIA

ANCIENT Autopsy (4 x 60 mins), produced by Yeti Television for Channel 4 UK and brought to Cannes by London-based BossaNova Media, is an innovative historical investigation series uncovering the truth behind the deaths of four legendary ancient figures using cutting-edge digital technology, original sources and reconstructions. Did Cleopatra really die from a snake bite? Was Alexander the Great poisoned? Could the death of Genghis Khan involve marmots? And what really caused the sudden end of boy-king Tutankhamun? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb becomes a forensic detective, re-examining the final moments of four of history’s most iconic figures.

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HAZARDOUS History With Henry Winkler (8 x 60 mins) looks back to the outrageous toys and daredevil playground antics that once defined growing up — including explosive science kits and high-flying kite tubes, among other jaw-dropping blasts from the past. A + E Global Media also brings: Secrets Declassified With David Duchovny (10 x 60 mins), which explores government secrets we may have suspected but that were never confirmed — from black ops and bizarre experiments to deadly cover-ups and nefarious gadgets; WWII With Tom Hanks (20 x 60 mjins), which offers a comprehensive view of World War II thanks to new scholarship and rarely seen archive, with vivid accounts, including the realities of racism in the US Armed Forces and the horrors of the Holocaust; and procedural drama Homicide Squad New Orleans (15 x 60 mins).

RAI COM

NEW PRODUCTIONS lined up for MIPCOM CANNES from Rai Com include: period drama Before Us (10 x 50 mins), produced by Wildside, Rai Fiction and Rai Com, which follows three generations of the Sartori family from rural Friuli to industrial Turin, blending drama with Italy’s social evolution; The Cases Of Lawyer Guerrieri (8 x 50 mins/4 x 100 mins), a legal drama about a sharp attorney facing ethical and societal dilemmas; documentary Story Of A Legend – Pininfarina (1 x 60 mins), showcasing the brand’s impact on automotive style; and the highlight of Rai Com’s performing arts slate, La Scala’s opening night in Milan in December, 2025, featuring Dmitri Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth from the Mcensk District, conducted by Riccardo Chailly.

MEDIAWAN RIGHTS

FROM the fiction slate of Mediawan Rights, Riot Women (6 x 52 mins) — produced by Drama Republic (Mediawan) and directed by Sally Wainwright for the BBC & Britbox — follows the fortunes of a punk-rock band. As they juggle demanding jobs, grown-up children, complicated parents, runaway husbands and disastrous dates, the band becomes the catalyst for change in their lives. Belphegor (4 x 52 mins) is about an art restorer at the Louvre, who finds herself involved in a series of inexplicable disappearances for which she has no memory. After Us (6 x 45 mins) is about climate acitivists and their plot to kidnap the children of CEOs from polluting companies. Documentary highlights include: Open Brain (1 x 52 mins), looking at neuroscience developments for top athletes; and In Ghosts We Trust: Tales Of Asian Ghosts (1 x 52 mins).

RTVE

TWO NEW dramas are brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Spain’s RTVE. Sin Gluten (8 x 55 mins) follows a chef with an alcohol problem who loses his very successful position after a night of heavy drinking. He has to return as a teacher to the cooking school where he began his career. His students help him rediscover his passion for cooking and reconnect with a simpler life. In La Fronters (5 x 60 mins), set in 1987, a captain of the Guardia Civil discovers an imminent ETA attack in Paris and, seeing that the Spanish government decides not to intervene, he acts on his own with a French policeman.

TVF INTERNATIONAL

A PROGRAMME highlight in Cannes for London-based TVF International is China’s Wild Secrets (4 x 45 mins), from bili bili for WDR/ARTE. Narrated by Sir Stephen Fry, this series journeys into the hidden wildlife havens of China, revealing the secrets of a variety of rare and remarkable creatures. With unparalleled access, each episode features one of China’s five national parks, showcasing some of the world’s most diverse ecosystems: from panda kingdoms and lush island rainforests to wildernesses where Siberian tigers roam. The series was filmed over a threeyear period in UHD.

RADIAL ENTERTAINMENT

SCRIPTED content brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Radial Entertainment includes Medici (24 x 60 mins), an Italian Renaissance saga starring Dustin Hoffman; and Z Nation (69 x 60 mins), a sci-fi series set in the wake of a zombie apocalypse. Reality shows include remastered true-crime series Forensic Files (395 x 30 mins); and Futcrunch (120 x 30 mins), featuring a FIFA fanatic and creator who takes on challenges, builds teams and meets football stars. The US company also highlights two film catalogues: the Golden Princes Movie Library, featuring 156 Hong Kong classics; and the Millennium Films library of 297 films.

MEDIASET DISTRIBUTION

CRIME series Alex Bravo (12 x 50 mins) is brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Italy’s Mediaset Distribution. The series mixes humour and action with a charismatic lead performance by Marco Bocci. Alex Bravo is an unconventional police officer whose chaotic personal life mirrors his unpredictable cases. Alex often clashes with his boss, though he has his supporters — including his colleague Sofia (Federica De Benedictis), who secretly harbours feelings for him.

FRANCE TV DISTRIBUTION

BETA FILM

GERMANY’s Beta Film brings a line-up of scripted content to MIPCOM CANNES, including: Mozart Mozart (6 x 60 mins), giving voice to the musical genius’ overlooked sister; Velvet New York – The New Empire (96 x 60 min), set in the glamorous world of a Spanish fashion house in New York; prequel Gomorrah – The Origins (6 x 60 mins); Babylon Berlin (48 x 60 mins), the final season; suburban thriller The Couple Next Door – Deadly Attraction (6 x 60 mins); and The Great Chimera (6 x 60 mins), a tragic journey of love, yearning and death based on the 1953 novel by M. Karagatsis.

FRANCE tv distribution’s light-crime line-up has expanded with new series Curious By Nature (6 x 90 mins), which follows Fred, a fiery ex-war reporter turned local journalist, juggling a chaotic family life while investigating hidden crimes with her clumsy cameraman and adopted daughter. In High Season (1 x 90 mins/6 x 52 mins), police reinforcements in Biarritz face a scam and a mysterious body during a hectic summer. Crime & Therapy (1 x 90 mins) features a charming psychiatrist and profiler with dark secrets, partnered with an officer who becomes curious about his past. The company also highlights the new season of Bright Minds alongside fresh episodes of Alex Hugo, Captain Marleau, Murder In and The Wagner Method.

ALBATROSS WORLD SALES

ON THE slate from Germany’s Albatross are: Europe: One Continent – Five Worlds (6 x 50 mins), which visits important and fascinating wildlife habitats; The Right Whale – Tales Of Resilience And Hope (1 x 52 mins), moving from sub-Antarctic calving grounds to oceans in the north; Oases – Islands Of Life (5 x 52 mins), discovering plants and animals that battle with environmental extremes; and The Philippines – Secrets Of A Tropical Archipelago (3 x 52 mins), which explores the rich and diverse wildlife across three strikingly different islands.

OFF THE FENCE MEDIA

STAGED (10 x 60 mins) is a documentary series that profiles a series of strange cases — including a hanging in a motel, the shooting of a police officer, a car accident and a burglary gone wrong — which are found to be meticulously staged. The series blends dramatic recreation, archival footage and unprecedented access to victims’ families, law enforcement and experts, peeling back the layers of each orchestrated event and exposing the shocking reality. The series is brought to Cannes by Amsterdam-headquartered Off the Fence Media.

KIDSCAVE STUDIOS

KITTI Katz (10 x 22 mins) is a CGI series following three friends who gain the magical ability to transform between cute kittens and powerful super-cat-girls as they attempt to save the world from an evil Egyptian Goddess. Another title from producer KidsCave Studios is Robozuna (40 x 22 mins), about an orphan boy and his robot friend as they compete in a tournament to free their country from an evil empire. The series has a range of related products with master toy partner Bandai and the brand is included within the Roblox gaming platform. DeAPlaneta Kids & Family is the sales agent for both series.

TGC GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT

CHINESE format Gold Rush (12 x 70-90 mins) features a nationwide search to discover the next generation of entrepreneurs. Student-led startups battle through a four-stage competition designed to turn ideas into real-world breakthroughs. They pitch to peers, negotiate with industry titans and face the country’s top investors live on television. It is produced by Hunan TV, broadcasts on Hunan TV and Mango TV and is brought to MIPCOM CANNES by the US’ TGC Global Entertainment.

DAEHAN MEDIAWORLD

ONEGATE MEDIA

HEAVEN, Hell And Halleluja is a new drama brought to Cannes by Germany’s OneGate Media. After being a rural pastor, Hans is reassigned to a struggling parish. Faced with half-empty pews he is determined to turn things around, introducing unconventional methods: offering free beer at parish festivals, bringing live animals into services and giving young environmental activists a platform. His approach soon attracts new faces, including single mother Lisa who becomes a friend. However, the Cardinal becomes uneasy with the reforms.

LOOKS INTERNATIONAL

Heaven, Hell And Halleluja (OneGate Media)

WITH Chernobyl – Utopia In Flames, history specialist Looks International presents a documentary that traces the story from the dream that the power plant and its city Pripyat represented to the Soviet people, to the disaster that blew everything up. The German company also brings political true-crime title Terror At The Embassy, about the 1975 hostage crisis in Stockholm, examining left-wing terrorism in Europe, reconstructing how members of the Baader-Meinhof-Gang seized the embassy. La Belle – The Beauty And The Bomb is a new project, open for co-pro and prebuys, that will shed light on the 1986 bomb explosion at a Berlin club popular with US soldiers, as well as looking at the involvement of Libyan agents.

SND FILMS

KOREA’s Daehan Mediaworld returns to Cannes with a line-up of factual entertainment including: Cutting-edge Of Defense (1 x 52 mins), looking at defence technology in Korea, a country that has become one of biggest arms exporters in the world; and Seeds, The Future Deposit (1 x 52 mins), looking at the search for endangered wild plants, the collection of seeds and storage in preparation for the climate crisis, and showcasing the mysterious appearance of wild seeds.

FRANCE’s SND Films — the production and distribution arm of French broadcaster M6 — brings to Cannes a library of 500+ films and is introducing two brand-new series. My Wife Is A Spy (4 x 50 mins) is a high-concept action-comedy. Isabelle, a suburban mother of two, suffers a head injury which unlocks forgotten skills from her former life as a French secret agent. Juggling family and covert missions, she’s thrown back into a world of espionage. Hotel Bartoli, a daily 26-minute series, is a family drama set in a luxurious hotel in southern France. The Bartoli patriarch vanishes at sea and his daughter takes charge. The sudden return of her enigmatic niece reignites old tensions.

ENTERTAINMENT’S

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STUDIO BOZZETTO

AT MIPCOM CANNES Studio Bozzetto is showcasing: two seasons of The Game Catchers, about a group of child aliens led by Mr Moustache who explore new planets and discover their favourite games; three seasons of Tip The Mouse, based on a book series; Mr Rossi, a character created in the 1960s by Bruno Bozzetto, returns with a brand-new short and the launch of the production of a full series; and pre-school series Pino & Shinoby (26 x 5 min), an Italian-Japanese co-production, about a cheerful little ninja.

TEAM ENTERTAINMENT

ITALY’s Team Entertainment returns to Cannes with two projects in development. No Pets! (26 x 11 mins) is the story of an inquisitive eight-year-old boy who secretly looks after the smallest and unnoticed creatures.

Poppet (26 x 11 mins) features a young street artist who is living proof that joy and art can change the world.

NEW DOCS

GERMANY-based distributor New Docs presents its latest line-up of films at MIPCOM CANNES. A highlight is AI –Death Of The Internet (1 x 52 mins), which investigates socalled AI “slopification” — the endless stream of meaningless, often harmful AI-hallucinated content online. Another standout is Hitler’s Reich – A German Journal (4 x 52 mins), following eight individuals through diary entries between 1933 and 1945. Endometriosis – Hope For New Therapies (1 x 52 mins) is about an often undiagnosed condition that affects nearly 200 million women of reproductive age.

BANIJAY ENTERTAINMENT

HALF Man (6 x 60 mins) is a drama created by Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer). Gadd and Jamie Bell star as estranged ‘brothers’ Ruben and Niall. When Ruben shows up unexpectedly at Niall’s wedding, it leads to an explosion of violence that catapults the narrative back through their lives, spanning almost 40 years. Other scripted titles include: Falling (6 x 60 mins), a love story starring Keeley Hawes as a devoted nun and Paapa Essiedu as a Catholic priest; and A Woman Of Substance (8 x 60 mins), starring Brenda Blethyn. A format highlight is game show Let’s Play Ball (8 x 64 mins), and from the factual slate comes an investigation into the state of the UK, Akala: Divided Kingdom? (1 x 90 mins/working title).

MEDITERRANEO MEDIASET ESPANA

THE SCRIPTED slate from the Spanish distributor includes: the 13-espisode Spanish adaptation of the French format Call My Agent; Marusía: Naval Academy, weaving mystery and complicated relationships; and Damn Soul, an emotionally charged drama about a charismatic priest who becomes captivated by his cousin’s wife. From the unscripted side comes: El Camino, which follows 10 participants as they try to transform their broken parent-child relationships; and Warrior Games, in which 12 aspiring MMA fighters enter a training camp, guided by professional coaches.

STUDIOCANAL

ONE OF the highlights at MIPCOM CANNES for StudioCanal is This Is Not A Murder Mystery (6 x 60 ins). Set in 1936, the series is a visually stunning whodunit set against the backdrop of the rise of surrealism. A young René Magritte is invited to participate in an exhibition at an English estate owned by the flamboyant Lord James. Fellow guests include Salvador Dali, Lee Miller, Man Ray and Max Ernst. But, after a wild night, he wakes up beside a dead young woman, with no memory of what happened. From the company’s kids slate comes brandnew pre-school series Miffy And Friends (78 x 7 mins), the first CGI animation of the iconic bunny who has evolved into a complex, funny and engaging character.

STUDIO TF1

SCI-FI drama We Come In Peace (6 x 52 mins) tells the story of a mysterious shape appearing in the sky above Stockholm. The Prime Minister and the head of emergency response manage public fear and foreign interference, while dealing with personal issues. Tests reveal the object is a creature that releases a powerful energy source, spreading smaller creatures that blend with human DNA. As tensions rise, they must decide if they are a threat to the world or humanity’s salvation. The series is brought to MIPCOM CANNES by France’s Studio TF1.

ORF-ENTERPRISE

DW TRANSTEL

DW TRANSTEL’s MIPCOM CANNES line-up offers a mix of factual programming across science, culture, history and current affairs. The Great Outdoors – Our National Parks takes breathtaking journeys through protected landscapes from Canada to Mozambique.

The Mysteries Of The Brain explores how music, memory and emotion shape minds. Reaching For The Stars delves into black holes and Martian geology. Tricks Of The Trade reveals the hidden costs of consumerism. Sudan – A Hospital In The Shadow Of War is a frontline report. The Haydn Expedition is an exploration of Haydn’s symphonies.

FIFTH SEASON

VIENNA-based ORF-Enterprise returns to Cannes with a content line-up that includes: Guatemala – The Sacred Animals Of The Maya; The Red Sea – Evolution’s Magic Garden; and Mothers Of The Minotaur, highlighting a mysterious civilization, female leadership and downfall, with re-enactments. The drama catalogue features two seasons of Days That Never Were, the third season of young-adult drama School Of Champions, set for release later this year, and the return of crime drama Soko Linz.

YOMIURI TV

AMERICAN Classic (8 x 30 mins), starring Kevin Kline, Jon Tenney and Laura Linney, follows broadway star and narcissist Richard Bean (Kline) who suffers a spectacular public meltdown and returns to his hometown and family-run theatre. He is horrified by the town’s economic downturn and that the theatre, now run by his brother and wife, has become a second-rate dinner theatre. Richard decides to save the town and theatre. Another priority from Fifth Season is Untitled Earth, Wind & Fire Film, an exploration of one of the first Black bands to have mass crossover appeal, directed by Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson.

JAMBIKA DOCS

JAPAN’s Yomiuri TV is at MIPCOM CANNES with a new format, 6 Gens Game. From teenagers to sexagenarians, family members join forces in the game show where their collaboration is key. Each challenge draws from different eras, testing knowledge and teamwork. Fogdog (10 x 30 mins) is a stylish mystery drama featuring Kiri, a brilliant investigator with face blindness and a photographic memory, and Hibiki, a hot-headed but dedicated detective. The two are paired as an unlikely detective duo that solves cold cases.

ON THE Jambika Docs MIPCOM CANNES slate are: Selling Superman (4 x 55 mins), which reveals a hidden family secret and how a $4m comic sparked a journey to repair a broken legacy; Left Write Hook (1 x 55 mins), following survivors of childhood sexual abuse in a programme blending boxing and creative writing; Diary Of An Orphan Elephant (1 x 52 mins), the story of an albino calf; LOOT: A Story Of Crime And Redemption (1 x 55 mins), exploring Cambodia´s looted temple treasures; Open Wounds: Latin America’s Silent Wars (4 x 50 mins); and My Chemical Information System (1 x 52 mins), examining the clash between science and finance.

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COTTONWOOD MEDIA

TWEEN spy series The Lady Grace Mysteries (10 x 24 mins) is brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Cottonwood Media. The story follows Lady Grace Cavendish, the world’s first female teenage detective working as a private spy for Queen Elizabeth I who navigates the dangerous waters of royal politics in an English court full of plots, threats and mystery. With her best friends – the savvy Ellie, and the dazzling performer Masou at her side – she must deal with the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl, while investigating perilous mysteries. The Lady Grace Mysteries is a Cottonwood Media and Coolabi Group production, in co-production with ZDF Studios.

JUST FOR LAUGHS DISTRIBUTION

A NEW season of Gags is brought to MIPCOM CANNES by Just For Laughs Distribution, bringing in the total of 26 seasons, 375 30-minute episodes. A Quebec-based troupe uses the city as its stage and its inhabitants — or victims — as characters, in non-dialogue practical-joke styled short clips.

IBRIDO STUDIO

NEW 2D series Anselmo Wannabe (26 x 7 mins), a slapstick animation brought to Cannes by Italy’s Ibrido Studio, is produced by Ibrido Studio with Aim Creative Studios and is commissioned by RAI and RTP. Anselmo, a 10-year-old boy, and Letizia, his brilliant classmate, live challenging and comic misadventures confronting themselves with different professions. By experimenting various professions, they will show how every job, if done with passion and dedication, can be the greatest job ever.

WOODCUT INTERNATIONAL

HEADING UK distributor Woodcut International’s slate are two history documentaries produced by Woodcut Media. To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of rail, Britain’s Railway Revolution In Colour (2 x 47 mins) moves from the first tentative experiments with steam power, through the boom years at home, to the exporting of this new technology to every corner of the globe. The Manhattan Project In Colour (1 x 47 ins) follows the team led by Robert Oppenheimer who developed technology never used before and built cities and factories that had never existed before the war. Thousands of photographs and hundreds of reels of film survive and using the latest technology the images are transformed and the Manhattan Project comes to life.

SPORTOUTDOOR.TV is a 24/7 HD FAST channel dedicated entirely to the outdoor worlds — sports, mountains, cruises and tourism. Programming on show in Cannes includes; cruises in destinations including Antarctica, the Caribbean, the Norwegian fjords, the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Arabic Gulf, Patagonia, China, European river cruises and Greenland; highlights from the most important winter sports competitions, including the lead-up to the 2026 Winter Olympics; and the most beautiful mountain destinations, including the Dolomites.

AMC NETWORKS

CONTENT from AMC Networks includes: Irish Blood (6 x 60 mins), in which Fiona (Alicia Silverstone) investigates her father’s disappearance, only to discover a web of family secrets; The Audacity (8 x 60 mins), a Silicon Valley drama set in the world of jaded billionaires, psychiatrist-gurus and bio-hacked tech bros; Murder Before Evensong (6 x 60 mins); four seasons of Western noir Dark Winds; three seasons of Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale; spy thriller Anne Rice’s Talamasca (6 x 60 mins); anthology horror The Terror: Devil In Silver (6 x 60 mins); and reality series Love After Lockup and The Braxtons.

FEDERATION ENTERTAINMENT

UPCOMING drama Reckless (4 x 52 mins), from Federation Entertainment, sees high-powered lawyer June and her hapless brother Charlie accidentally run over and kill an old man. They make a split-second decision to cover it up, but when the dead man’s niece starts sniffing around and a neighbour refuses to mind her business, their lives begin to unravel. As guilt festers and suspicions mount, old wounds are poked and tension between the siblings reaches boiling point. With the truth threatening to burst out, June and Charlie find out just how far they’re willing to go to get away with murder.

ADR MEDIA

ITALY’s ADR Media highlights Wild Food Of The World (6 x 24 mins), about an ethnobotanist and anthropologist exploring the relationship between humans and nature through wild food around the world. A second season is in production. Two further highlights are: Stop! Venice Control (12 x 30 mins/in production), profiling the operations centre responsible for police on water and land, healthcare teams, flood monitoring, maritime traffic control, deliveries and urban services; and The Arandora Star – A Casual Tragedy (1 x 52 mins/90 mins/in development), about the ship that was torpedoed in 1940.

BOAT ROCKER

THE RIDGE (6 x 60 mins) features anaesthetist Mia, who travels from Scotland to New Zealand to attend the wedding of her estranged sister, only to discover that she’s gone missing while hiking on a local mountain. Mia’s worst fears are realised when her dead body is recovered. The deeper Mia investigates, the more convinced she becomes that her sister was murdered. Another scripted highlight from Boat Rocker is Last Second (10 x 60 mins), about the battle between a ruthless bomber and an investigator. From the unscripted slate comes (Great Estates From Above (4 x 60 mins) and Abandoned Inventions (10 x 60 mins).

TVCO

TVCO, part of the Italian Pavilion, is showcasing a new kids comedy film BOOM! After a skateboarding accident, 13-year-old Hugo gains magical powers and becomes the coolest kid in school — until fame tests his friendship with Tom. In the drama Glass House a Sicilian fisherman returns home to sell his family house, but clashes with Binta, an immigrant who is living there with her son, until an unexpected bond builds between Binta’s son and Salvo. Wild Alps: Love, Survival And Symbiosis reveals the secrets of the animals that inhabit these mountains.

ZDF STUDIOS

UNSCRIPTED titles from ZDF Studios include: Pharaohs At War (4 × 50 mins); Into The Universe (8 × 50 mins); Indonesia’s Volcanic Islands (3 × 50 mins); and Song Trip (5 x 45 mins), in which pop and rock stars embark on a musical journey around the world. From the drama slate comes Ku’damm 77 (9 × 90 mins/18 × 45 mins); The Puzzle Lady (3 × 90 mins/6 × 45 mins); Lume (6 x 50 mins); Weiss & Morales (4 × 90 mins/8 × 45 mins); Love Sucks (8 × 30 mins); Detective Von Fock (8 × 45 mins); and King Of Šumava (9 × 45 mins).

MINERVA PICTURES

FOR MIPCOM CANNES Minerva Pictures presents a new slate, including: Ice Skater, a thriller about a young girl stranded on a drifting ice floe; Elena’s War, based on a true story during WWII, about a courageous woman who defies social conventions and the fascist regime; Tu Quoque, featuring Italian comedian Maurizio Battista who shares his everyday struggles with Julius Caesar; and RIP, an irreverent ghost story that uses comedy to explore death.

MOBO DIGITAL FACTORY

PRODUCTION has begun on Melody & Momon (52 x 7 mins), a 3D animated pre-school series full of music, dance and magic. Everyday, as soon as she’s home from school, Melody summons Momon, her yellow furry friend, using her special microphone and he appears in a rainbow of colourful notes. The series is due for delivery by the end of 2026 and will be distributed internationally by Moonkeys. The pre-sale to Rai Kids has been already confirmed.

NBCUNIVERSAL GLOBAL TV DISTRIBUTION

TOP HIGHLIGHTS at MIPCOM

CANNES from NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution include: Ponies (8 x 60 mins), set in Moscow, 1977, featuring two ‘ponies’ (persons of no interest in intelligence speak) who work as secretaries in the American Embassy — until their husbands are killed under mysterious circumstances and the pair become CIA operatives; The Burbs (8 x 60 mins), about a young couple who uncover deadly threats in their neighbourhood; Under Salt Marsh (6 x 60 mins), a crime thriller set in Wales; family drama The Five-Star Weekend (8 x 60 mins); The Copenhagen Test (8 x 60 mins), where an intelligence analyst realises his brain has been hacked; nature series Surviving Earth (8 x 60 mins), a journey into pre-history; and comedy The Fall And Rise Of Reggie Dinkins (10 x 30 mins), featuring a disgraced former football player (Tracy Morgan) trying to rehabilitate his image.

MEDIATOON DISTRIBUTION

MEDIATOON Distribution highlights kids animation Montclair & The Mechanical Mysteries (26 x 22 mins) at MIPCOM CANNES. Currently in production with delivery expected in the second quarter of 2026, and commissioned by France Télévisions, the series targets children aged six to nine. Set in early 20th-century Paris, young inventor Montclair is thrown into challenges with Hector de la Tour, a clumsy villain. Montclair is joined by Abigail, a ghost escaped from a Scottish castle, along with intrepid neighbours Lison and Emile. Their missions unfold across Paris’s most iconic landmarks.

ORANGE SMARTY

ORANGE Smarty brings Supercruising: Life At Sea to MIPCOM CANNES, which showcases breathtaking destinations and delves into the complex operations required to operate luxurious vessels. Other titles include: Michael Palin: Venezuela (working title); Bomb Squad: Zero Hour, which follows the men and women who put their lives on the line to disarm bombs; Jasmine Harman’s Renovation In The Sun follows the presenter and her husband as they renovate a Spanish villa; and Mind Menders investigates whether psychedelic drugs can treat anxiety.

THE TELEVISION SYNDICATION COMPANY (TVS)

TVS PRIORITIES in Cannes include: It’s A Beautiful World (19 x 30 mins), hosted by explorer Jeff Fuchs, taking journeys across diverse cultures, cuisines and landscapes; The Best We’ve Got: The Carl Erskine Story (1 x 88 mins ), chronicling the remarkable life of Brooklyn Dodgers great Carl Erskine — World Series champion, teammate of Jackie Robinson and advocate for disability rights, inspired by his son Jimmy; Women Rising (39 x 30 mins), amplifying women’s voices through powerful storytelling, empathy and transformation; and The Kids Of Byron Bay: Growing Up In The Golden Cage (5 x 60 mins), a 15-year chronicle of 18 children growing into adulthood in Australia’s coastal playground.

MAGIC FRAME ANIMATION

UK-BASED Creation Entertainment Media and Magic Frame Animation present their new CG-animated film Spinned (1 x 96 mins) at MIPCOM CANNES. The film tells the story of a trio of evil witches plotting against the King and then two undercover agents embark on a race through the most beloved fairy tales to stop the witches and break the curse.

BLUE ANT STUDIOS

JUDI Dench: Shakespeare, My Family And Me (1 x 60 mins) profiles actor Dame Judi Dench, who has long been captivated by William Shakespeare. In this journey, she seeks to uncover whether her ancestor met Shakespeare in 1606 — the year he wrote three of his greatest plays, plague struck England and Londoners reeled from the Gunpowder Plot. Another priority for Canada’s Blue Ant Studios is Becoming Taylor Swift (2 x 60 mins/90 mins/working title), a documentary portrait of the pop star, songwriter, businesswoman and cultural figurehead.

VIAPLAY

VANGUARD (5 x 45 mins) features 35-year-old Jan Stenbeck who appears to have it all: a prestigious career, a glamorous life in New York, and a budding romance with an American socialite. But when tragedy strikes his family in Sweden, he is thrust into a leadership role at Kinnevik, the family’s industrial firm. Further titles from the streaming service include: A Life’s Worth (6 x 44 mins), a drama inspired by the first Swedish UN battalion in Bosnia in 1993, a story of moral dilemmas and brutality, but also of friendship, love and trust; Sport Vs. Money With Simon Jordan (4 x 47 mins), a documentary telling the inside story of the crossover between football and big business; and WWII espionage documentary Raoul Wallenberg Missing In Action (1 x 86 mins).

MAGA ANIMATION STUDIO

THE UK’s Attraction is showcasing a range of programming at MIPCOM CANNES, including: drama Surf Bay (10 x 20 mins), about a professional surfer who sees her life upended when she is driven to take radical action to protect the wild nature of her hometown; teen drama The Unstoppable Jenny Garcia (8 x 20 mins), whose diagnosis of cancer doesn’t curtail her big dreams; family comedy The Parents (169 x 30 mins); and crime drama Mr. Big (10 x 43 mins), about a unit that organises elaborate ploys to extract confessions from suspects of serious crimes.

ITALY’s Maga Animation Studio brings a profile of Italian virtual idol Nora (accompanied by the Japanese kanji for her name ノラ) to Cannes. The V-Idol embodies positivity and carefree style. Her music video is conceived as a narrative work where the Italian-French character, singer and dancer with a passion for j-pop music, encounters alternative versions of herself in a dreamlike dimension. Nora’s first music single Beat Of A Romance Cha Cha Cha is streaming on all major platforms. From the company’s kids slate comes The GoGoPig, starring a clumsy but determined piglet coached by a cunning green cat. With over 50 episodes across three seasons (Winter Sports, Soccer and Classic Olympic disciplines), the show blends humour, action and sports education for kids aged six to 10.

MACISTE

HEADING the catalogue of Italy’s Maciste are two documentaries. Siro is a film focusing on the extraordinary life of Siro Brugnoli, a man devastated by polio at the age of four, leaving him irreversibly paralysed. Ho Sedotto Il Potere tells the story of Olga Bisera, an international actress, journalist and writer. The company also brings three comedies in the style of ‘Italian sexy comedy’, a popular genre from the 1970s to 1990s: Il Natale Della Vergogna, La Veggente Dei Miracoli and Il Cilindro.

ALPHA GROUP

CHINESE children’s content specialist Alpha Group operates three state-of-the-art toy factories as well as five creative studios. Headquartered in Guangzhou, the company’s office in Paris spearheads the global distribution of Alpha’s content. Highlights at MIPCOM CANNES include franchises Super Wings, Quantum Heroes Dinoster, Infinity Nado and Screechers Wild.

MARKET OPEN MONDAY TO WEDNESDAY FROM 08:30 TO 19:00 THURSDAY FROM 8:30 TO 16:00

MIPCOM & MIPJUNIOR Registration Opens Friday 10 October at 16:00 Palais des Festivals, Cannes Full programme including speakers line-up go

09:00 - 09:45

Unlocking Audience & Content Dynamics: Who is Watching, What, How & Why?

Presented by Glance

09:45 - 10:15

Balancing Risk, Reach & Resilience in International Drama

10:30 - 11:00

The BBC: Powerful Storytelling for a Global Stage

11:45 - 12:15 MIP Headliner Studios, Broadcasters & YouTube: The changing video landscape and how to best work with streaming platforms

13:00 - 14:00

Fresh TV Formats

Presented by The WIT

09:30 - 09:45

Presenting Partner: Luma AI

09:45 - 10:10 MIP Headliner Infinite Creativity: Storytelling in the Imagination Age

Presented by Adrienne Lahens

10:20 - 10:50 Hit or Miss? Live Audience Predictions with AI Presented by Largo.ai

11:00 - 11:45

Monetizing Content in The Age of AI

12:30 - 13:00 Entertainment, Flipped: Vertical Series and the Future of Global Storytelling Presented by Holywater

14:15 - 15:15 FRAPA Formats Summit

15:15 - 17:15 MIP Headliner C-Suite Conversations

Presented by MIPCOM CANNES & Variety

15:15 - 15:45

Elisabeth d’Arvieu, CEO, Mediawan Pictures

15:50 - 16:20

Keith Le Goy, Chairman of Sony Pictures Television

16:30 - 17:15 Variety Vanguard Award & Fireside Chat Marco Bassetti, CEO, Banijay Entertainment & Banijay Live

18:00 - 19:15

The Miniature Wife MIPCOM CANNES Exclusive Screening Presented by Sony

17:30 - 18:00 Freedom Reimagined: AI, Vertical Drama & the Turkish Wave Presented by Vitpepper Studios

18:00 - 19:00

Creator Economy Happy Hour In partnership with Tubefilter

8:00

14:30 - 15:15

Boost Your Audience by Crafting Compelling Content on YouTube Workshop hosted by YouTube

15:30 - 16:20

Next in AI: Creative Innovation Showcase Presented by Kling AI, Luma AI, Mantis-AI

16:45 - 18:00 Happy Hour Reception Hosted by VIMEO

10:15 - 11:00

Verrière Grand Auditorium Global FAST & AVOD Roundtables

Pre-registration Required

10:30 - 11:30

15:30 - 16:30

From 19:00 Hôtel Barrière

MARKET OPEN FROM 8:30 TO 19:00 - CLOSES AT 16:00 ON THURSDAY - Palais des Festivals, Cannes

10:30 - 11:00 MIP Headliner

Mattel Keynote

Robbie Brenner, President of Mattel Studios & CCO and Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer, Mattel

11:30 - 12:45

MIPCOM CANNES Spotlight: The Creator Economy Presented by After Party Studios, Dhar Mann Studios, Tubi

09:00 - 09:15

The NOW of Content: Viral Trends 2025

09:15 - 09:40

Why Digital Media Studios Will Dominate the Future

09:45 - 10:15

Investing in The Creator IP Boom

09:40 - 10:20

YouTube for Rights Holders: A Strategic Guide to Revenue Growth Workshop hosted by YouTube

10:30 - 10:45

Reimagining CTV: Transparency, Objectivity & the Future of Streaming

10:45 - 11:15

I Want My CTV. Does Advertising via CTV Live Up to the Hype?

11:30 - 11:45

11:15 - 11:45

A Fireside Chat with Disney

12:15 - 12:45

Production Funding: Closing the Budget

15:30 - 16:05 MIP Headliner

The Walking Dead, 15 Years & Still Walking (In All Kinds of Interesting Places...)

16:15 - 16:45 MIP Headliner

The Science of Engagement: Behaviour, Culture and Content

Lea Karam, Founder and CEO, Mindscope & Ronan Harris, EMEA President, SNAP INC

14:00 - 17:00

BrandStorytelling Summit

14:00 - 14:20

State of the Industry, by K7 Media

14:25 - 14:45

Case Study

14:50 - 15:15 MIP Headliner Douglas Scott, Founder, UNXNOWN

15:20 - 15:40

Beyond labels: A Fresh RomCom and a Groundbreaking Co-Production Model

15:45 - 16:05

A look at storytelling through Sport and Wilderness, by Fell & Company

16:10 - 16:30 How Mission Driven Story Meets Journalist Meets Brand, by Storybones Media

16:35 - 17:00 What’s Next in BrandStorytelling?

17:30 - 18:00

Reinventing TV Shows with Creators: The tale of Creator Lab – a partnership between Banijay France & YouTube

18:00 - 19:00

18:00 - 19:15

Ku’damm77

MIPCOM CANNES World

Premiere Screening Presented by ZDF Studios

Happy Hour Hosted by YouTube

Unlocking Europe’s AdSupported Streaming Future Presented by OKAST

11:45 - 12:00

The Game-Changing Rise of Sports on FAST Presented by XUMO

12:00 - 12:20

In Conversation with DAZN From Rights to Reach: Sports in the Streaming Age

14:30 - 15:15

FAST & AVOD Strategies, Partnerships & Global Growth

15:30 - 16:00

The Rise of Independent Creators on Streaming Platforms

12:45 - 14:00 Verrière

MIPCOM CANNES Programme Partners

Programme as of 29 September 2025

MARKET OPEN FROM 8:30 TO 19:00 - CLOSES AT 16:00 ON THURSDAY - Palais des Festivals, Cannes

11:15 - 11:45 MIP Headliner

Reshaping Entertainment in a Creator-Led Future

Christian Bombrun, CEO, Webedia in conversation with Creators

09:30 - 10:00

Sport & Live Events: Creators Changing the Game

10:10 - 10:35

Audience-First: Crafting Originals with Cultural Impact

10:35 - 11:00

From UGC to IP: Turning Creators into Scalable Content

11:10 - 11:50

Down Under on Top: The New Wave of Australian Storytelling

13:15 - 14:00

Fresh TV Fiction Presented by The WIT

12:00 - 12:30 MIP Headliner MIPCOM SDG Awards In Partnership with the United Nations

09:30 - 10:00

The Global Viewer Journey: From SVOD to YouTube & Back Again

10:15 - 10:45

The New Frontiers of TV Attention Hosted by TVREV

14:30 - 15:00

Being Bold in Doc & Factual

15:15 - 16:00

Inside Micro Drama: Next Gen Storytelling

16:15 - 16:45

The Media Odyssey Podcast #2 Hosted by Marion Ranchet & Evan Shapiro Presented by The Lighthouse, Whalar Group

17:00 - 17:45

Facing the new content reality: the future of TV, streaming and social distribution

Presented by Ampere Analysis

12:00 - 12:30

The Media Odyssey Podcast #1 Hosted by Marion Ranchet & Evan Shapiro Presented by FilmHub

14:00 - 15:00

Broadcasting to Next Generation Audiences via YouTube Workshop hosted by Evan Shapiro

15:15 - 15:45

Reimagining Storytelling and Distribution Presented by Vimeo

08:30 - 10:30 Verrière Grand Auditorium International Mentoring & Networking Breakfast for Women in Entertainment In Partnership with médiaClub’Elles

Pre-registration Required

Ambassador Lounge, Palais 4 Diversify TV 10th Anniversary Cocktail By Invitation only Wednesday 15

12:00 - 13:00

Matchmaking Area Speed Matchmaking

Session: Scripted

Pre-registration Required

12:45 - 14:00

14:00 - 15:00

Auditorium K Nurturing Future Creative Leaders with AI Presented by Korea Arts & Culture Education Service

Thursday 16 Oct. 2025

Programme as of 29 September 2025

MARKET OPEN FROM 8:30 TO 19:00 - CLOSES AT 16:00 ON THURSDAY - Palais des Festivals, Cannes

08:30 - 10:00

Verrière Grand Auditorium

09:40 - 10:20

09:00 - 09:15

The NOW of Content: Viral Trends 2025

09:15 - 09:40

Why Digital Media Studios Will Dominate the Future

10:00 - 10:30

09:45 - 10:15

10:30 - 11:00 MIP Headliner

Mattel Keynote

Robbie Brenner, President of Mattel Studios & CCO and Josh Silverman, Chief Franchise Officer, Mattel

11:30 - 12:45

MIPCOM CANNES Spotlight: The Creator Economy Presented by After Party Studios, Dhar Mann Studios, Tubi

Best of Fresh TV Presented by The WIT

Investing in The Creator IP Boom

10:45 - 12:00

10:45 - 11:15

Workshop: Capitalizing on the Creator Economy

A Conversation: How to Make Magic in Formatland in 2025

11:15 - 11:45

A Fireside Chat with Disney

12:15 - 12:45

Production Funding: Closing the Budget

YouTube for Rights Holders: A Strategic Guide to Revenue Growth Workshop hosted by YouTube

10:30 - 10:45

Reimagining CTV: Transparency, Objectivity & the Future of Streaming

10:45 - 11:15

I Want My CTV. Does Advertising via CTV Live Up to the Hype?

11:30 - 11:45

Unlocking Europe’s AdSupported Streaming Future Presented by OKAST

11:45 - 12:00

The Game-Changing Rise of Sports on FAST Presented by XUMO

12:00 - 12:20

In Conversation with DAZN From Rights to Reach: Sports in the Streaming Age

14:00 - 17:00

BrandStorytelling Summit

14:00 - 14:20

State of the Industry, by K7 Media

14:25 - 14:45

Case Study

14:50 - 15:15 MIP Headliner

Douglas Scott, Founder, UNXNOWN

15:30 - 16:05 MIP Headliner

The Walking Dead, 15 Years & Still Walking (In All Kinds of Interesting Places...)

16:15 - 16:45 MIP Headliner

The Science of Engagement: Behaviour, Culture and Content

Lea Karam, Founder and CEO, Mindscope & Ronan Harris, EMEA President, SNAP INC

16:50 - 17:15 MIP Headliner In Conversation with Twitch Annabel Dewar, Head of Brand Partnership Studio, Europe

18:00 - 19:15

Ku’damm77

MIPCOM CANNES World

Premiere Screening Presented by ZDF Studios

15:20 - 15:40

Beyond labels: A Fresh RomCom and a Groundbreaking Co-Production Model

15:45 - 16:05

A look at storytelling through Sport and Wilderness, by Fell & Company

16:10 - 16:30

How Mission Driven Story Meets Journalist

Meets Brand, by Storybones Media

16:35 - 17:00 What’s Next in BrandStorytelling?

17:30 - 18:00

Reinventing TV Shows with Creators: The tale of Creator Lab – a partnership between Banijay France & YouTube

18:00 - 19:00

Happy Hour Hosted by YouTube

MIPCOM CANNES Programme Partners

14:30 - 15:15 FAST & AVOD Strategies, Partnerships & Global Growth

15:30 - 16:00

The Rise of Independent Creators on Streaming Platforms

16:15 – 16:45 Dive into innovation projects funded by Creative Europe MEDIA

International Drama Co-Production Summit: "May We Have Your Attention, Please?!" By invitation only

09:00 - 09:30

Auditorium K

Gold Rush Screening — Unveiling China’s Hit Entrepreneurship Reality Show

Presented by Hunan TV & Mango TV

10:00 - 11:00

Auditorium K

Black Caviar

Presented by Unico Rights

11:00 - 12:00

Auditorium A

K-Content & Format Showcase

Presented by KOCCA

12:45 - 14:00

Verrière Grand Auditorium

Creator Economy Leadership Lunch & Mixer In Partnership with Luma AI By Invitation only

14:30 - 15:30

Matchmaking Area Speed Matchmaking Session: Unscripted Pre-registration Required

15:00 - 16:00

Verrière Grand Auditorium LATAM CoProduction & Partnership Summit Powered by MIP CANCUN By Invitation only

11:45 - 12:45

Auditorium K The American Revolution A film presented by PBS Distribution

13:30 - 14:30

Auditorium K

Kling AI NextGen Creative Contest: Winner Showcase Presented by Kling AI

14:30 - 15:30

Auditorium A

Japanese Animation: New Business Opportunities Presented by JETRO

15:30 - 16:30

Auditorium K

Reel Rivals Presented by FishPond Studios

16:30 - 17:30

Auditorium A Screening

Presented by Fifth Season

FUELLING THE FUTURE OF CONTENT ONE STORY AT

A TIME.