Mipcom 2022is again a full content event, for the first time since the pandemic. Everybody was expecting this moment. Though the post covid times are with less volume and austerity, now we’ll see what the industry has to show, all together. Some surprises and twists may appear.What tip & trends can be mentioned, for a start?
About the event itself, on one side we can say that Mipcom will be very strong but following the main rules of the post pandemic times: less volume, less budgets, lower profiles. People learnt during the blackouts that many stereotypes can be avoided, that many things can be done on the distance. But one the other side, industry people are eager to join again and do business, all recent events were very healthy. The networking of the events can’t be replaced, was another masterclass of the pandemic. And especially at Mipcom.
So, from traditional 12.000 Mipcom attendees, we could expect 65/70% attending and 30/35% staying at home. This is not bad for the event: some less people but most of everybody important, makethe market better, time more productive. The post pandemic times push a natural depuration of business.
About product trends this year, globally it is clear that broadcasters prefer entertainment formats, to handle local content which is their main arm vs. OTT platforms. In fictions, the main US studio trend is internationalization: if in the past most of the new shows were for US networks, now at least half are produced for overseas partners, mainly Europe. About genres, we saw thatmainly thrillers, crime dramas, procedural, supernatural plots for young audiences,global comedies are the most requested options.
Specific trends about Europe? Many broadcasters and producers see that the OTT bubble is beginning to explode, with important budget and production reductions. On the opposite, the ‘generalistic TV’ is better, because it is more stable in these chaotic times and joins the family. It is also good to stress the moment of Cinema, that for instance in Spain has generated USD 100 millions in one year, and shows many months of progressive growth.
Too, with the reinforcement of free TV, the entertainment formats are better again, after a lack of creativity period. So, some producers that came from unscripted and produced fictions for OTTs the last year, are back on entertainment again. This is a good moment for cost-efficient formats. Let’see the market…
What more can we add about the media game? The global content market is polarizing between free TV broadcasters, which want to handle own OTTs, and the OTT platforms, which launch AVOD and FAST systems which are a non-linear free TV, wishing free TV advertisement budgets. Now it is difficult to see Pay TV referents, who were the top buyers of content not so long in the past.
Nowadays, the Pay TV players are usually a second tier of free TV or digital platforms. The all-together evolution converges to AVOD, in one sense, but we’ll continue watching alive all current media. No media will disappear. In fact, as we said this is a great moment of theatrical releases, with millionaire box offices that give them back priority in both producers and distributors.
The future is back? In some senses, yes, if we take these revivals.In others, recent trends continue very strong: both at free TV and big OTTs, everything must be mainstream, to call the attention. The costs are upper and upper, you can’t reduce quality in any market segment. As news, now the content can choose many different audiences: free TV, OTT, niches, young people, etc. Andthe essence of the post pandemic times areausterity, optimization, as we’ve stressed. So, new business formulas, new twists are needed. Co-productions, odd alliances, are on the way. Mipcom is a unique parade to see around and enrich the own venture.
Nicolás Smirnoff
