The series arrives at the market backed by a highly consolidated digital audience. Rockolandia Las Cabritas has already earned a YouTube Silver Play Button, amassing over 170 million views and 234,000 subscribers on YouTube alone, alongside a broader community of more than 250,000 followers across all platforms.

Targeted at children aged 4 to 6, the series follows seven singing and dancing little goats who use their teamwork and ingenuity to thwart the plans of a clumsy Big Bad Wolf. The standalone episodes blend humor and music with core themes of family, friendship, and self-confidence. The first season features 10 11-minute episodes in Spanish, with each episode including two original songs. Development is also actively underway for a 26-episode second season.

Siesta Entertainment will present Rockolandia Las Cabritas to international buyers through a distribution agreement with Dakiti Productions, the Puerto Rican company that created and owns the IP. KaizenPop, a shareholder in Dakiti Productions, co-manages the brand alongside Cristina Carrión and is co-producing the second season, contributing to its creative development, production, and financing, with Ailing Zubizarreta serving as co-showrunner.

The international expansion will initially focus on the Hispanic market—including the United States, Puerto Rico, Latin America, and Spain—before Siesta Entertainment guides the property into broader global territories.

“Being Latino is in fashion, and Rockolandia Las Cabritas has its own identity that we want to share with the world. Its music, humor, and Puerto Rican roots won us over. At Siesta Entertainment, we are committed to bringing that energy to children and families beyond any border,” said Natalia Hebel, Chief Sales Officer of Siesta Entertainment.

Cristina Carrión, co-creator and showrunner of Rockolandia Las Cabritas and CEO of Dakiti Productions, reflected on the brand’s legacy: “Rock’O’Landia was created by my family in the 1980s for a Puerto Rican audience. For me, it has been a source of pride to revive Rockolandia Las Cabritas for new global generations. Hand in hand with Siesta Entertainment, the magic of the show will have the opportunity to reach children all over the world through its charm and cultural authenticity.”

“Something very important is happening. Today’s global pop culture is, at its core, multilingual, multicultural, and international,” added Ailing Zubizarreta, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of KaizenPop, and co-showrunner for the second season. “The little goats have a Latino heart with a global vision, tailor-made for what today’s audiences crave.”

The diverse lineup reflects Winsing’s continuous expansion across multiple formats, including cinematic animation, traditional TV series, short-form content, preschool entertainment, and emerging production technologies. Key highlights include the Annecy-selected feature Into the Mortal World; the dialogue-free comedy Mongo; the new GG Bond Racing film and series; the flagship preschool property Gogobus: Mars Trip; the newly launched AIGC (AI-Generated Content) animation project GG Bond: Lost Era; and several other original IPs ready for global distribution.

Leading the theatrical offering is Into the Mortal World, an animated feature heavily inspired by Chinese mythology. Blending cutting-edge 3D cinematic animation with a distinctive 2D ink-wash visual style, the film presents rich Chinese cultural elements through universal themes of family, friendship, and personal growth. Following its domestic theatrical release in China, Into the Mortal World has continued its international journey with festival screenings and overseas theatrical premieres. The film is currently exploring new opportunities with theatrical partners, TV networks, and streaming platforms in global markets.

Winsing will also spotlight the latest additions to its massive GG Bond franchise, presenting GG Bond: Race Through Time, the 11th feature film in the property, alongside the upcoming 11th season of the GG Bond Racing series. Building upon the established universe of the television show, the new feature expands the franchise’s concept and narrative scope. GG Bond: Race Through Time is currently gearing up for its international theatrical rollout, with several distribution partnerships already secured.

In a major technological leap, another standout title is GG Bond: Lost Era, the first sci-fi pet-themed animated series produced using AIGC. Having premiered domestically on Mango TV at the end of August, the series represents Winsing’s ambitious exploration into AI-assisted animation production and innovative creative workflows. The groundbreaking series will make its official international debut at MIPCOM.

Continuing its foray into pet-themed storytelling, the company will introduce Mongo, a character-driven series of dialogue-free animated shorts starring adorable pets and their everyday adventures. Designed specifically to eliminate language and cultural barriers, Mongo offers immense flexibility for international TV, digital platforms, and short-form content distribution, while presenting strong potential for character-based IP development and licensing.

On the preschool front, the studio will present Gogobus: Mars Trip, the newest iteration of its successful edutainment brand. The fresh content is part of Winsing’s broader strategy to continually revitalize its established IPs with new narratives, visual settings, and consumer product opportunities, creating fresh possibilities for international distribution.

Ultimately, the diversity of the programming slate at MIPCOM 2026 reflects a broader evolution in Winsing’s international strategy. Moving beyond a sole focus on exporting finished animation, the company is increasingly seeking to build long-term, global alliances centered around content development, IP expansion, and brand building.

Created by Fabrice Ravier, Benny and the Bin Buddies is a 3D comedy tailored for upper preschool audiences. The series follows three raccoon garbage collectors and Benny, their highly expressive truck, as their daily rounds across Nicelittletown inevitably turn into increasingly chaotic situations. Millimages is utilizing the MIPCOM market to present the project to international partners as the studio continues to build out its financing and distribution strategy.

Calypso, meanwhile, is a 2D fantasy comedy adventure aimed at a broader kids’ demographic. The series centers on an 11-year-old girl whose dreams and nightmares magically come to life each morning, creating unexpected consequences as she navigates family, friendship, and the everyday challenges of growing up.

These two distinct projects build upon Millimages’s long-standing relationship with M6/Gulli while simultaneously expanding the studio’s original slate across different age groups and animation formats. At this year’s market, the studio will focus heavily on securing international partners for both titles, alongside showcasing its wider development and production lineup.

The flagship series explores themes of identity, belonging, and friendship through the eyes of a young girl caught between the past and the present. Other standout titles in the catalog include the moving football drama Chameleon (28×12’) and the gripping thriller Somebody’s Lying (49×15’).

The Girl Who Fell Through Time marks the first Beta Kids & YA production in Irish Gaelic, directed by Eamonn Norris and Bruno Oliveira (Payback). The plot follows a 17th-century Portuguese girl who suddenly appears in modern-day Ireland, where she befriends three teenagers. Together, they help her navigate an unfamiliar modern world and figure out a way to return home. Slated for a 2027 premiere, the series is produced by Tailored Films in co-production with BeActive Media and Éiru Films for TG4, NOS, ICA, Screen Ireland, and Coimisiún na Méan. The cast features Michelle Ní Fátharta, Jeaic Breathnach, Roisín Murphy, Jeaic Ó Scanláin, João Jesus (Cats Don’t Have Vertigo), and Carolina Carvalho (Bem Bom).

Also on the slate is Chameleon, a series that tells the story of four young football talents sharing the same dream while grappling with issues of class, race, and inequality. Directed by Tonje Voreland and Ingvild Nielsen, Chameleon is an NRK production that earned a nomination for Best Children’s and Youth Program at the 2026 Gullruten Awards. Starring Lucas Lopes Patey, Daniel Matteo Kielland, Philip Strand Ottersen, and Ylva Røsten-Haga, the series showcases the complexities of friendship, the pain of exclusion, and the universal desire to fit in—experiences shared by teenagers worldwide.

Bringing the emotional intensity of Skam and the fast-paced suspense of Riverdale, the award-winning series Somebody’s Lying (NRK) is a character-driven youth thriller and mystery told from a young adult perspective. Directed by Miriam Sunde and Eirin Nilssen Vikøren, Somebody’s Lying won the International Youth Jury Award (11-15 years category) at the 2026 Prix Jeunesse. The cast includes Andrea Tveit-Schjerven, Heine Røsten-Haga, Edwige Simakala, Matias Hagerup Kacelnik, Camilla San Miguel Bjørneng, Robin Levent Akay, and Anette Hoff (Home for Christmas).

Other notable titles in the Beta Kids & YA lineup include:

Between the Beats (26 x 3 min) is a microdrama exploring what happens when K-pop meets Romeo and Juliet. This music-centric, vertical coming-of-age series directed by Tatjana Wenig follows an aspiring dancer torn between her parents’ expectations, a forbidden first love, and the future she longs to build for herself. The series stars Gio Yoo, Alexander Schmidt, Lisa Junick, and Kotti Yun. Produced by Saxonia Media Filmproduktionsgesellschaft GmbH, Radio Bremen, and Saarländischer Rundfunk (ARD).

Just Call Me Frida (1 x 2 h) follows Samuel, who, after being declared cured of an illness, resumes his life but finds himself terrified of losing it again. When he meets Frida, a young apprentice of Death, their relationship gets off to a rocky start; however, they soon learn the courage and joy of living from one another. The film is directed by Katja Benrath—an Oscar nominee for Watu Wote: All of Us and director of Rocca Changes the World—and features performances by Arian Wegener (Sisi), Kelani Rose, Golo Euler (The Grand Budapest Hotel), and Lucie Heinze (Professor T). Produced by Neos Film, Tellux Film, Mideu Films, IT Media, Gretchenfilm, Tellux 1-13, Medienproduktion, SWR, BR, MDR, Beta Film, Katholisches Kirchenwerk, D Facto Motion, Guesswho FX, and Magic Media Production.

Bibi Blocksberg – Witches Unite! (1 x 2 h) is a live-action family feature directed by Gregor Schnitzler (School of Magical Animals). The film stars Nala, Rosalie Thomass, Heike Makatsch (Love Actually), and Friedrich Mücke (Balloon). Bibi, a teenage witch, and her friends crash the grand International Witches’ Gathering. But when Bibi’s magic spirals out of control, she must fix the mess before a strict headmistress seizes power and silences the young witches forever. KINOZEIT praised the film as “family cinema with heart.” Produced by Wiedemann & Berg Film, Kiddinx Studios, and EPO-Film.

With School of Magical Animals 4 (100 min), the beloved franchise returns. Previous installments grossed over $64.5 million at the German box office alone. Nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 2026 German Film Awards, the movie is directed by Maggie Peren (The Forger) and Bernhard Jasper. Ida’s friend Miriam stays at the Winterstein school for three months, but a secret threatens to tear them apart. To make matters worse, the school is up for sale, putting the entire magical community in danger. Could an upcoming school challenge be the key to saving the day? Produced by Kordes & Kordes Film Süd, Leonine Studios, and Lightburst Pictures.

Pumuckl’s Big Mix-Up (90 min) is the first feature film spin-off of the hit series The New Adventures of Pumuckl. Produced by NEUESUPER, the story finds summer in full swing and the adventures never-ending. However, when Pumuckl and Master Eder suffer a massive misunderstanding, their friendship is put to the ultimate test. Directed by Marcus H. Rosenmüller, the film stars Florian Brückner, Ilse Neubauer, and Gisela Schneeberger.

Leading the animated lineup for older kids (6-12) is Chill Out, Zeus! (52 x 12’). Produced by die film gmbh in co-production with ARD, HR, and Spain’s COZ AIE, the series offers a humorous, contemporary spin on Greek mythology. Inspired by Frank Schwieger’s children’s books, the story centers on the legendary temper of Zeus and the chaotic fallout his teenage children—Aphrodite, Athena, Heracles, and Hermes—must navigate.

Also targeting the 6-to-11 demographic is Louca (26 x 24’), an adaptation of Bruno Dequier’s best-selling French comic series. Produced by French Media Valley in partnership with Belgium’s Belvision, the series follows an ordinary boy who, guided by the ghost of a confident athlete named Nathan, stumbles into football glory while navigating the complexities of growing up and first love.

Expanding the comedy-adventure offering is Living Wild (52 x 11’), a high-energy 2D animated series about three spoiled city pets—a ditsy cat, a goofy dog, and a bossy bird—stranded in the wilderness without basic survival instincts. Aimed at 6-to-11-year-olds, the project is a massive international co-production from Gaumont Animation, Enanimation, and Toonz Media Group, backed by major broadcasters France Télévisions and RAI.

For the 5-to-8 demographic, Studio 100 International is presenting Mortina (52 x 12’), a 2D mystery-comedy based on Barbara Cantini’s internationally successful book series. Nine-year-old zombie Mortina and her “alive-alive” friends form the Mystery Squad to solve strange cases around Crumbling Manor. The series is co-produced by Cartobaleno and Treehouse Republic, and was commissioned by RAIKIDS and RTÉ, with Canal+ on board for France.

Shifting to live-action, the distributor is showcasing Gifted (10 x 28’), an adventure series for 8-to-14-year-olds adapted from Marilyn Kaye’s novels by award-winning screenwriter Emma Reeves. Produced by Black Camel Pictures and Media Valley, and commissioned by CBBC in association with NDR and ARD, the series follows a diverse group of teenagers in Edinburgh who discover they possess unique superpowers and must unite to face a dangerous organization known as Bodkin.

Finally, the company will highlight the continued global expansion of Vegesaurs. Produced by Cheeky Little Media and Studio 100 International, the blockbuster preschool hit continues to grow across broadcast, digital, and consumer products. The franchise now spans five seasons and 100 episodes, airing in more than 120 territories, as it continues to deliver playful lessons about friendship, teamwork, and healthy eating through the adventures of Ginger the Tricarrotops.

25 Years of You, which originally aired in primetime on Nippon TV, is a romantic thriller built around a 25-year secret bond. The narrative follows a man who has secretly protected his childhood love for over two decades after a kidnapping attempt irrevocably linked their lives. When her former kidnapper resurfaces and corporate rivals begin mysteriously disappearing, the protagonist becomes a prime suspect while desperately trying to keep her safe. The gripping series averaged a stellar 2.4 million views per episode on Japan’s TVer AVOD platform and is currently streaming worldwide on Netflix.

Also joining the catalog is Punch-Drunk Woman, a high-stakes drama centering on a disciplined female prison officer. Her structured routine is completely upended by the arrival of a new inmate accused of murdering his wealthy father—a man who turns out to be her former lover. After the inmate becomes entangled in a failed prison escape linked to a deadly cult, the officer discovers evidence pointing to a massive conspiracy and ultimately crosses the line to help him break out. The show’s thrilling first season proved to be a major draw, averaging 1.4 million views per episode on TVer.

“Both 25 Years of You and Punch-Drunk Woman deliver high-stakes suspense seamlessly blended with deep emotional romance,” stated Sayako Aoki, Head of International Sales, Content Business and Distribution at Nippon TV.

In addition to its highly anticipated scripted highlights, Nippon TV will also use the Cannes market to showcase three brand-new unscripted formats developed by Gyokuro Studio.

Based in Los Angeles, Matt Vassallo will take charge of sales across LATAM, Australia, and New Zealand. He joins V10 Entertainment after a prominent tenure as Head of Series Acquisitions & Distribution Strategy at Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, where he spearheaded acquisitions and go-to-market strategies for global platforms. His extensive background also includes serving as the Executive Vice President of International Distribution at MGM Studios.

Operating out of London, Michelle Payne will lead the company’s sales efforts across the EMEA region. She most recently consulted for FOX to help develop its local sales operations. Prior to that, Payne served as Senior Vice President at ViacomCBS, where she successfully oversaw distribution across the UK, Ireland, Africa, Benelux, and wider EMEA markets.

Meanwhile, Malaysia-based Poh Lin Ho has been tapped to handle sales for Southeast Asia. She brings over 35 years of robust industry experience in content acquisition, regional syndication, and media investment, including spending more than three decades as the CEO of a prominent Southeast Asian entertainment marketing and distribution company.

This newly expanded sales structure will operate under the guidance of Samantha Cooper and Josh Vodnoy, Co-Heads of Global Licensing and Distribution at V10 Entertainment.

The dedicated sales team will arrive at MIPCOM to present a diverse international slate that features classic unscripted hits like America’s Funniest Videos and America’s Funniest People. The catalog also highlights premium content such as Hooligans: The ARCH Racing Project—featuring Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger—and live MotoAmerica races, alongside highly adaptable clip-show formats targeted for local customization in additional territories.

The platform is now chaired by original investor Silvia Kusnirova, a former journalist, strategic communications coach, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Kusnirova acquired the business’s assets in 2024 and re-engaged Flint at the end of 2025 to drive the platform’s new direction. The executive team is supported by former co-founder Chris Drumgoole, who serves as an advisor, alongside Marc Rashba, who is advising on Business Development for the Americas. Former CEO Ian McKee, who departed when the company closed in 2023, is not involved in the new venture.

Moving beyond its initial e-commerce marketplace framework, the rebuilt Vuulr now operates as a comprehensive, end-to-end rights transaction platform. The updated infrastructure integrates AI automation to assist with targeted discovery, matching, and localized delivery. Furthermore, the platform has expanded its scope, complementing traditional television and film offerings with creator-led content and microdramas. Throughout 2026, the team has focused on rebuilding the technology, assembling an experienced staff, and expanding its product suite ahead of its official launch in Cannes.

“The original Vuulr was built around an idea that was arguably ahead of its time: that the international content industry needed its own e-commerce infrastructure. What has changed today is the market around us. Buyers and sellers are under pressure to move faster, find new opportunities, and extract more value from every piece of content they own,” said Ben Flint, CCO of Vuulr. “We’ve had an extraordinary opportunity to start again with everything we learned from the first Vuulr, but without being constrained by it. We are building for the industry as it exists now – and, importantly, for where we believe it is going next. Our ambition remains very simple: to make buying and selling content easier, faster and more efficient.”

Silvia Kusnirova, Chair of Vuulr, emphasized the timing and technological advantages of the relaunch. “As an original investor, I had seen first-hand both the potential of Vuulr and the appetite within the industry. When the opportunity arose to acquire the assets in 2024, I believed there was something genuinely valuable worth preserving – but I also knew that simply restarting the old business wasn’t the answer,” Kusnirova commented. “Broadcasters, platforms, distributors and producers are operating under unprecedented pressure to do more with less… When you factor in how AI can enhance workflows, accelerate discovery, promotion and communication – for example, matching clients with content – the opportunity today is considerably greater than it was when Vuulr first entered the market. I am so excited to back Ben and the team for ‘Vuulr 2.0’, fully confident that it will now be a long-term sustainable business!”

Ahead of its official rollout at MIPCOM, Vuulr is actively re-engaging its existing global network of approximately 15,000 customers. The company is currently updating catalogue listings and developing additional product offerings to complement its core transaction platform.

Directed by Giacomo Campiotti and produced by Movie Magic International in co-production with RTI, the 100-minute drama stars Samuele Carrino as Carlo Acutis, alongside Lucia Mascino. The film follows Acutis from his childhood through his final days, authentically portraying his normal teenage interests in computers, video games, and football, seamlessly intertwined with his deep faith, friendships, and commitment to solidarity.

The narrative also places a strong focus on Acutis’s early understanding of the Internet as a powerful tool for communication and outreach. This positioning effectively places the character at the unique intersection of youth culture, technology, and religion. The approach gives the biographical drama a highly contemporary angle while remaining completely centered on the young figure, who has recently become an internationally recognized symbol of faith among younger generations.

Riding the momentum of its stellar Italian broadcast performance, Il mio nome è Carlo will make its official international market debut as the flagship title in Mediaset Distribution’s premium lineup at MIPCOM 2026, running in Cannes from October 11 to 15. The highly anticipated title will be presented to international buyers with its dominant domestic ratings serving as a powerful initial market reference.

Spanish public broadcaster RTVE detailed its upcoming television fiction strategy recently, emphasizing a pivot toward broad, family-oriented audiences. However, this expansive programming ambition arrives during a period of notable deceleration for the network’s scripted slate, which currently features very few projects in active development or production for the upcoming seasons.

During its presentation at Conecta Fiction this year, RTVE showcased trailers for its latest releases on the flagship La 1 channel, including the comedy Sin gluten, the historical drama Ena, and the social dramedy Barrio Esperanza. Addressing the industry audience, Mar Díaz, Executive Producer of Fiction at RTVE, framed these titles as the benchmark for the network’s editorial direction moving forward.

‘We are looking for stories that touch our hearts, that we can identify with, that tell who we are, what our society is like, things from our history, real events that have happened, and to tell it in the most open way possible’, Díaz stated.

Noting that the public broadcaster is celebrating its 70th anniversary, Díaz underscored the network’s goal of reviving co-viewing habits. ‘We want to gather people of all ages in front of the television’, she added, highlighting the core objective to ‘sit the whole family in front of the television to watch our series’.

This strategic push for wide-reaching demographics does not exclude specific formats. Díaz clarified that the network remains open to all genres—including dramedies, comedies, thrillers, procedurals, and historical dramas—provided they are executed with an accessible and inclusive approach.

Despite these long-term ambitions, company’s immediate pipeline remains constrained. Currently, the only major upcoming series officially in production is Rojo sobre blanco (8×70′). Billed as a ‘luminous police thriller’, the project is being produced by Good Mood, the production company led by Daniel Écija and backed by the French media group Mediawan.

Four new-age axles, three European titan pillars

• The content industry has today 4 new-age axles: one, YouTube and the creators economy, that bring new rules, ideas, people to content industry. TV needs to be profitable in YouTube and social media contents are an opportunity to refresh TV screens. Two, Micro-dramas, which everybody wants to hear about. Many players need more than producing original content, how to adapt traditional programming to vertical. The Chinese apps are leading the global market, the challenge is to extend the life cycle of the users. 

Three, AI, which is like the cloud, it doesn’t provide own products, it is everywhere to improve and change most of the traditional distribution and production pillars. And four, but the most important for many, Branded Content, which is the most direct and ‘easiest’ way to surpass the current funding cross-roads. This year Publicis, one of the US ad agencies focused on contents that connect big brands with projects, got USD 1.5 million per episode in branding, for an Amazon Prime project. 

• The European format titans, at the same time, have three big pillars to push business: just premium content, to have real success chances in the market; fresh creativity, based on the Digital First people and contents, plus new origins (more exotic, better) to change the current perspectives; and collaborations, with co-productions, co-developments, co-marketing, as a main key factor to move forward globally in contents. Nobody, from Hollywood Studios to Google, can alone at these times. 

Varied content trends

• Unscripted genres up? At the London Screenings, we saw many Survivor alike formats, always on top recently; dating shows, growing again; cooking shows keep their good moment; and physical competences more than quiz shows… prime time audiences prefer not to think so much nowadays. Big broadcasters of main European countries, like shiny floor show options.

• The recent big hit? ‘Traitors’, the All3Media’s mystery reality format hit, continues having twisted versions. In fictions, the ’just premium content’ trend is visible, with Fox’s ‘The Faithfull: women of the Bible’, as a good example. In London we’ve seen mainly dramas and thrillers, far more than comedies. To launch spin-offs, sequels, prequels, reduces risks. Both in unscripted and scripted, all genres, to generate celebrity contents pays very well these days.

• Other year tips: podcasts are a segment not so usually mentioned, but it is taken in mind more and more as another option to refresh media. During the first half also appeared the concept of ‘Hyper distribution’, which is the new way that public broadcasters, medium producers and players in general, have to surpass traditional limitations in distribution: social media, online communities… global niche consumers come progressively.

• During the different markets this year, broadcasters required mainly two issues: to continue receiving traditional products for their channels —procedurals, big entertainment shows, etc.— and to make them easier the digital transition: formats that have specific social media or product placement developments, thought branded content options. Beyond digital, monetization, fundings, are always the top issues.

Six fresh trends

During May LA Screenings and the European June events, Prensario was interacting with many European buyers. What are fresh trends seen by them? Many can generate surprise… one, the program developers are back to the job stories as in the 70’s (doctors, lawyers, policemen, etc) but now the jobs are expanded (plumbers, mechanics, etc) and these make easier Branded Content and Product Placement options, with the suppliers of products, solutions involved. Second, there is no more hard discussions about windows, now platforms and broadcasters agree easier each other the order or simultaneous releases. The top thing is to have the product, not the first window.

Three, the hooks to push up a content are more and more on the screen: famous actors especially. No main promotional value to directors, writers, etc, except if they are celebrities. Four, in genres, the platforms point out more to gain young audiences, with comedies, horror contents, apart from thrillers. Five, the European fictions are now more sporadic in Free TV screens, that are now gained by entertainment formats and live programming.

And six, as a main tip about developments, the main production players are requesting paper formats. There is no money for main hits, so it is better to develop from zero and then to sell abroad. This is the model of John de Mol and Talpa, where even without success, the projects are profitable (House of the Seek, etc.). ITV from England, TF1 from France, RAI from Italy, are all in the same direction. 

So? Evolution… to digital, to branded content, to collaborations, to paper formats, but always to move from traditional business to new formulas. Who moves faster and gains new spaces first, will enjoy a good time of emergent segments with good opportunities.

Nicolás Smirnoff

However, independent analyses present a starkly different reality for the individuals powering this growth, highlighting a profound concentration of wealth within the creator economy. According to the 2025 Creator Earnings Report, more than half of all creators earn under $15,000 annually, and the majority of full-time creators fall below the US living wage. The Oxford Economics $60 billion figure utilizes a ‘gross basis’ methodology via the IMPLAN input-output model, meaning it measures all economic activity generated through the platform without subtracting the alternative economic value those creators might have produced in salaried jobs elsewhere. Furthermore, income inequality on the platform is accelerating; the top 10 percent of creators captured 62 % of all ad payments in 2025, reflecting a power-law distribution rather than a traditional bell curve.

Despite this K-shaped income distribution, YouTube’s structural monetization architecture remains a central pillar of the digital video industry. For traditional long-form video, eligible creators earn a non-negotiable 55 percent of advertising revenue, the most favorable rate offered by any major distribution platform at scale. For YouTube Shorts, however, the split is inverted, with the platform retaining 55 percent and distributing 45 percent among creators based on their proportional share of total views, establishing a meaningfully lower revenue ceiling for short-form content.

The evolution of these consumption habits and the platform’s expanding role in the audiovisual chain were central themes at the recent MIPCancun market in Mexico. During his keynote address, Juan Pablo Robert, Director of Media Companies for YouTube Latin America, emphasized the platform’s transformation over its two-decade history. “We have gone from creators making vlogs in their bedrooms to sophisticated business strategies,” Robert stated, noting the blurring lines between premium television and user-generated media.

With 20 million videos uploaded daily, the algorithmic distribution of attention has fundamentally shifted industry power dynamics. “Today it is the viewers, and not the studios, who increasingly decide on the content,” Robert explained. He added that personal relevance now drives engagement, particularly for younger demographics, noting that 65 percent of Generation Z and Millennials value content that is personally relevant over what is simply popular. This fragmentation of the traditional prime time has led to the rapid adoption of varied formats, from Shorts for quick viewing to Podcasts and live streams for deeper engagement.

Ultimately, traditional broadcasters and rights holders are increasingly utilizing YouTube not as a rival, but as an essential distribution partner. Addressing the industry executives at MIPCancun, Robert was blunt about the challenge of fighting audience consumption habits. “YouTube is a powerful and valuable tool for the growth of a business,” he concluded, positioning the platform as an unparalleled engine for discovering new audiences, promoting intellectual property, and generating additional revenue in a rapidly changing digital landscape.

Platform Infrastructure and monetization

Large social platforms operate as the core infrastructure of the creator economy, dictating both distribution reach and monetization viability.

YouTube: Google’s video platform remains one of the most mature and powerful environments for creators. The service registers over 2.7 billion monthly active users and hosts more than 2 million creators within the YouTube Partner Program. Since the inception of its revenue-sharing model, YouTube has paid creators over $70 billion.

TikTok: The short-form video format has become one of the fastest-growing online content categories, propelling TikTok to over 1.6 billion global users. Its algorithmic discovery model has enabled creators to build multi-million-follower audiences within condensed timeframes compared to legacy platforms.

Instagram: Meta’s network remains a critical hub for influencer marketing. The platform currently hosts over 200 million creator and business accounts, facilitating influencer collaborations that generate billions of dollars in annual brand partnerships. SharkPlatform’s ongoing tracking of Instagram influencer revenue models further highlights how these major platforms continuously compete to provide the most viable monetization and growth opportunities for creators.

Rather than viewing microdramas as a replacement for established media, Oh defines them as a distinct entertainment category shaped by mobile consumption patterns and the convergence of storytelling and commerce. ‘I think it is a distinct genre’, he noted at a recent conference.

The format’s growth is supported by market data. According to the H2 2026 Global Non-Gaming App Trends Report by Mintegral and Insightrackr, global downloads of Short Drama applications reached 1.45 billion in the first half of 2026, representing a 95.5 percent year-over-year increase. Emerging markets drove this expansion, accounting for 83 percent of global downloads, led by Southeast Asia and Latin America.

For brands and marketers, the appeal of microdramas lies in their ability to bridge the gap between traditional entertainment and social media. Oh explained that conventional branded entertainment often moves too slowly for fast-paced industries like fashion and beauty. ‘It takes such a long time for a brand to work on a long-form series or a movie’, he said. Conversely, standard social media content lacks durability. ‘Social media content lasts for three days, maybe one week’, he observed. For him, microdramas offer narrative depth while matching the speed of modern marketing cycles.

The structural requirements of vertical storytelling necessitate a departure from traditional production methods. The executive cautioned against simply repurposing horizontal content for mobile screens. ‘Don’t try to put something that’s already done into vertical’, he advised. ‘Think of it from a mobile-first perspective’. This approach requires a fundamental shift in narrative pacing. ‘Traditionally, when you write a script, you start with the backstory and the journey and everything else’, he explained. ‘With microdramas, you start with the emotion’.

This focus on immediate emotional connection is dictated by the mobile viewing environment, where audiences make rapid decisions about engagement. ‘You need to get invested with emotion very quickly’, the COL Group General Manager stated. He emphasized that vertical narratives must prioritize relevance, noting, ‘when you write a story in a micro format, you always have to be relevant to the viewer’. This involves integrating audience demand directly into the creative process: ‘You don’t build demand around the show; the show is built around demand’, he concluded.

Analysts also anticipate deeper integration of microdramas with commercial platforms. ‘In five years’ time, it’s going to be super integrated into commerce’, an investor told Prensario, envisioning a landscape where content, discovery, and purchasing merge seamlessly. He also highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to introduce interactive elements into these narratives: ‘People will be able to interact with the shows like a game. They will be able to choose outcomes’, he suggested.

Despite these technological advancements and shifting consumption habits, industry executives like Oh maintain that the core of the business remains intellectual property. ‘It all goes back to building IP’. The primary challenge for creators is not simply increasing production volume, but developing narratives that genuinely resonate with audiences across formats.

According to a comprehensive industry analysis tracking the historical impact of technological shifts, the mass adoption of generative AI could trigger a massive financial realignment. If the deployment of artificial intelligence mirrors past disruptions—such as the transition to digital cinematography or the rise of home video—market researchers estimate that up to $60 billion in annual industry revenue could be redistributed across the sector within five years of the technology achieving mainstream scale.

A squeeze on legacy economics

This technological wave is crashing into an industry that is already hemorrhaging traditional viewership and facing severe financial headwinds. Data analyzing media consumption trends from 2022 to 2024 reveals a stark migration in audience behavior. According to recent market reports, daily viewing hours for linear television in the United States plummeted by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4 percent during that period. Conversely, digital alternatives surged, with streaming viewership climbing by 13 % and social video platforms jumping by 14 %.

Compounding this fragmentation of attention is a tightening of Hollywood’s purse strings. Analysts project that spending on original content in the United States—which accounts for more than half of all global production expenditures—will contract by 2 percent annually as networks pivot toward live sports and cheaper licensing deals. Crucially, this forecasted decline does not even account for the looming financial shockwaves that AI automation might introduce.

While long-term scenarios remain highly speculative, the immediate effects of AI are already visible in specific operational trenches. Production companies experimenting with generative algorithms are reporting productivity boosts ranging from 5 to 10 percent in select workflows this year, according to industry surveys.

Currently, the most aggressive implementation is happening at the bookends of the manufacturing process: pre-production and post-production. Visualizing scripts, storyboarding, and A/B testing narrative beats are highly compatible with today’s AI capabilities. By streamlining these early phases, producers are attempting to shift the old industry adage of ‘fixing it in post’ to ‘fixing it in pre’. Meanwhile, post-production tasks like localization, digital dubbing, and visual effects rendering are being rapidly automated.

However, physical production—the actual on-set shooting and set construction—remains largely insulated for now. Industry leaders point to a mix of inadequate tool quality, fierce union protections, and a fundamental desire to maintain creative integrity as barriers keeping AI off physical sets. Nevertheless, the financial incentive to digitize these stages is immense. Analysts forecast that by the year 2030, roughly $10 billion of American original content budgets will be directly exposed to AI-driven workflow modifications.

The democratization threat and financial cannibalization

Historically, breakthroughs in production technology—from CGI to advanced cameras—have concentrated wealth at the top, benefiting large tech vendors and major distributors. Currently, just seven corporate buyers control 84 percent of all US content spending. If AI simply makes the existing studio system faster and cheaper, these mega-distributors are positioned to absorb the lion’s share of the profit margins.

However, artificial intelligence represents a unique historical anomaly: it possesses the capacity to democratize professional-grade cinematic creation. If independent creators and smaller studios can suddenly generate blockbuster-quality visuals from their laptops, the resulting tsunami of content could fundamentally dilute the market share of legacy IP owners.

The financial threat of this democratization is severe. Industry modeling suggests that if user-generated, AI-empowered open platforms capture just a 5 % incremental share of current TV and film viewership, legacy distributors would suffer a devastating $13.2 billion revenue wipeout. Because open-web platforms monetize audiences at significantly lower rates than premium subscriptions or theatrical releases, those platforms would only generate $7.5 billion from that captured attention. The result would be a net destruction of $5.7 billion from the global media economy, vaporized simply by a shift in where audiences choose to spend their time.

Ethical minefields and labor pushback

Despite the economic allure, the road to algorithmic production is littered with legal and ethical landmines. The recent strikes by Hollywood’s writers and actors underscored a deep-seated labor panic regarding job displacement and the unauthorized replication of digital likenesses. Talent agencies are actively scrambling to establish new legal perimeters to protect their clients from unauthorized deepfakes and algorithmic cloning.

Furthermore, major studios are locked in fierce legal battles with tech companies, alleging that foundational AI models were illegally trained on copyrighted cinematic libraries. Executives warn that any commercial content utilizing AI must navigate strict “nutrition labels” regarding its training data to avoid catastrophic copyright infringement liabilities. Beyond legalities, the technology still wrestles with algorithmic bias—such as generating stereotyped casting suggestions or homogenous marketing imagery—which requires intense human oversight to correct.

The audiovisual industry is standing at a technological crossroads. Whether artificial intelligence merely trims 10 % off the budget of the next blockbuster, or entirely dismantles the studio system by empowering millions of bedroom creators, the economic architecture of entertainment is irreversibly changing.

A prominent example of this shift is the recent Oscar-winning live-action short Two People Exchanging Saliva. Directors Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh utilized the flagship Galeries Lafayette in Paris outside of business hours to shoot their dystopian narrative. While the retailer provided initial development capital and Chanel joined as a creative collaborator, the directors maintained complete artistic independence, deliberately omitting corporate logos from the narrative to avoid the appearance of branded content. Similar financial crossovers include the fashion label YSL backing Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Pérez and automobile manufacturer Hyundai injecting $1 million into Stephanie Ahn’s 2026 Sundance victor Bedford Park, leveraging the involvement of their brand ambassador, actor Son Sukku.

Industry strategists emphasize that these alliances offer benefits that eclipse mere monetary funding. Jae Goodman, whose firm Superconnector Studios recently partnered with LVMH to establish the production entity 22 Montaigne, points out that corporations bring vast cultural heritage and massive consumer databases to the table. Access to established loyalty programs, such as Sephora’s mailing lists, can provide a significant marketing push for a new cinematic release. Furthermore, WME’s Sinead Dean highlights that integrating a corporate ethos into a rich narrative creates a depth of emotional consumer engagement that standard marketing campaigns simply cannot replicate.

Different organizations are adopting varied approaches to this convergence. While Nike has launched its own content division, Waffle Iron Entertainment, to develop projects like the Apple TV feature Running, other entities take a purely philanthropic route. Fondazione Prada allocates an annual $1.8 million budget to support up to a dozen independent films. Guided by Paolo Moretti, this initiative imposes no demands for editorial input or on-screen visibility, having recently backed works by prominent auteurs such as Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Tatiana Huezo to combat the structural fragility of independent cinema.

The non-fiction sector also presents a natural alignment for corporate values. Industry consultant Brian Newman notes that documentaries allow companies to subtly support issues relevant to their business models. He points to Oatly’s backing of The Price of Milk, a Tribeca-premiered series directed by Yoni Brook and Nicholas Bruckman that examines the struggles of independent farmers against corporate dairy. In such agreements, the directors retained complete creative control and final cut rights.

As European producers increasingly emulate their American counterparts in seeking corporate equity, the demand for specialized legal and strategic mediators is rising. Paris-based attorney Elsa Huisman observes a growing willingness among French filmmakers to accept these alternative revenue streams. For these hybrid partnerships to succeed long-term, experts advise integrating corporate partners during the earliest development stages and fostering mutual trust, ensuring that both the artistic vision of the filmmaker and the narrative goals of the brand are respected.

The era of commissioning cheap reality television simply to plug prime-time gaps is dead. Facing unprecedented audience fatigue, buyers are exclusively hunting for high-impact intellectual property that cuts through the noise. For the format titans, this translates to a “just premium” mandate: high-budget, polished unscripted formats with cinematic production values.

A prime example is Talpa Studios’ The Floor. Instead of a standard, low-risk studio game, the format demands a massive, visually spectacular LED floor and high-stakes gameplay, deliberately engineered as an unmissable television event. Because it was scaled as a premium offering, it was rapidly acquired by major networks like FOX in the U.S., France 2, and Antena 3 in Spain. Similarly, the cinematic execution of The Traitors (All3Media) proved that broadcasters are willing to invest heavily if a format promises appointment-viewing urgency. The new industry mantra across executive boardrooms is strict: fewer, bigger, and better.

While legacy formats remain reliable cash cows, future-proofing a catalog requires tapping into the rapid-fire engagement of the creator economy. Titans are no longer treating social media as a secondary promotional window; they are using it as a primary incubator for ‘fresh creativity’. This means adapting the visual hooks, pacing, and talent of YouTube and TikTok directly into traditional television structures.

Amazon MGM Studios provided the ultimate case study for this by partnering directly with YouTube giant MrBeast to create Beast Games, successfully bridging the gap between creator-led agility and a massive streaming budget. In the UK, Channel 4’s digital-first brand, Channel 4.0, has built a thriving pipeline of unscripted formats incubated entirely with internet personalities. Meanwhile, giants like Banijay have aggressively expanded their digital divisions to develop IP natively designed for vertical screens and FAST channels before scaling them up for linear television. By bringing digital-native creators into the development room, studios are injecting a necessary jolt of unorthodox storytelling into the unscripted space.

The financial realities of the current media landscape mean that no single broadcaster or streamer wants to shoulder the entire risk of a massive new format rollout alone. Consequently, ‘collaboration’ has evolved from a corporate buzzword into the industry’s primary financial engine.

Format titans are actively dismantling traditional silos to share the financial burden. We are now seeing unprecedented transatlantic co-commissions, such as the BBC and NBCUniversal partnering early to co-fund and co-develop the Belgian adventure reality format Destination X (created by Geronimo). Furthermore, branded entertainment has matured far beyond simple product placement. Shows like ITV’s Cooking with the Stars are fundamentally powered by deep, co-financing partnerships with major retailers like Marks & Spencer. Brands are now acting as co-producers, integrating directly into the DNA of the formats. By pooling financial resources, intellectual property, and distribution networks, format creators can mount ambitious, premium productions that would be economically impossible under legacy solo-funding models.

While Connected TV maintained its position as a dominant device for ad consumption, the European market demonstrated the fastest expansion, posting a rapid 33% year-over-year increase in CTV ad views. This outpaced the 11% growth seen in the U.S. and brought Europe’s share to exactly half (50%) of its total ad views. This regional acceleration has been supported by the deployment of automated CTV buying platforms designed to simplify publisher-advertiser connections, alongside live programming, which secured a steady 25% share of European CTV ad views.

Programmatic transactions grew significantly in the region, with European programmatic ad views climbing 38% YoY, compared to a 28% increase in the U.S. This automated ecosystem saw a 21% global influx of unique programmatic advertisers, indicating that automated delivery is successfully lowering the barrier to entry for a more diverse pool of buyers. Programmatic channels now represent 22% of total advertising traffic in Europe, growing by 3% year-over-year. Emmanuel Josserand, Senior Director of Brand, Agency, and Industry Relations at Comcast Advertising, noted that automation tools are shifting the supply chain toward predictive systems for VOD and real-time autonomous interoperability between buyers and sellers.

The report also highlighted the role of metadata signaling in driving programmatic marketplace transparency across European borders. Content owners are increasingly enriching the bidstream to prove inventory value to buyers. On the site dimension, ‘AppBundle’—a unique application store identifier—served as the most common field, appearing in 53% of metadata-enriched endpoints. For video content characteristics, ‘Genre’ remained the dominant field at 56%. Despite these figures, the relatively low adoption of other metadata fields suggests that European publishers have a remaining opportunity to better define and clear the value proposition of their premium inventory.

Targeting strategies showed a distinct geographic split, with European campaign execution heavily favoring behavioral targeting, which led demographic data by a 60% to 40% margin. Conversely, U.S. programmatic delivery showed the inverse trend, with a slight 54% to 46% preference for demographic targeting over behavioral methods.

This strategic shift is mapping out distinctly across different geographic regions. According to research from Ampere Analysis covering 20 major global markets, HBO Max currently leads the streaming bundling landscape with 60 unique partners spanning pay-TV, telcos, and other streaming platforms, featuring in 303 different packages. The regional footprint reveals targeted strategies: while Disney+ drives the most partnerships in North America (52 unique partners globally) and Netflix leads in Western Europe (47 partners), HBO Max’s footprint is heavily concentrated in Central and South America and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Notably, 44% of HBO Max’s partnerships take the form of “hard bundles”—packages where the streaming service is a fixed, non-disaggregated component, such as its upcoming integration with Sky Ultimate TV in the UK.

Telecom gatekeepers and the European “frienemy” dynamic

In Europe, telecom operators are aggressively utilizing premium entertainment to differentiate their convergent packages. Vodafone Spain recently intensified this battle by offering customers subscribing to selected fibre and mobile packages access to major streaming platforms—including Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max—at no additional cost until 2027. This move mirrors strategies from local competitors like Telefónica’s Movistar Plus+, Orange, and MasOrange, which have heavily expanded their entertainment bundles to boost long-term customer loyalty.

Further east, the CEE region presents a unique landscape where global digital trends blend with regional specifics, resulting in a strong “frienemy” relationship between international streamers and local pay-TV operators. While traditional television viewing time has decreased among younger demographics over the past decade, full-scale cord-cutting has not materialized. Pay-TV penetration remains exceptionally high, reaching 90% in Romania and Hungary, and 75% in Poland.

Paradoxically, streaming is actively supporting this legacy broadcast segment. In Romania, 37% of SVOD customers purchase their streaming access directly through their television operators. This centralized purchasing model is particularly popular among the over-55 ‘silver viewer’ demographic, for whom legacy pay-TV serves as a trusted gateway into the broader streaming ecosystem. In this market, platforms like SkyShowtime are capitalizing on cost-conscious bundling, while local players like VOYO and Canal+ Polska fiercely leverage national content quotas to hold their ground alongside global giants.

The platform super-bundle and consumer economics

Beyond telecom partnerships, streamers are increasingly bundling with one another to offer platform-centric aggregation. In the United States, Amazon Prime Video launched a massive five-service streaming bundle combining AMC+, BritBox, MGM+, PBS Masterpiece, and Starz. Priced at $29.99 per month, the package offers a 39% savings compared to individual subscriptions. This intra-platform bundling gives customers an unprecedented breadth of niche and mainstream entertainment at a fraction of the cost, consolidating billing and discovery within the Prime Video interface.

This structural simplicity addresses a major consumer pain point: the economic sustainability of fragmented digital subscriptions. According to the 2026 ‘best bundle’ report by Hub Entertainment Research, financial constraints are now the primary determinant in media consumption. With streamers continuously raising prices, 50% of surveyed consumers strongly agree their available budget is the defining metric when selecting entertainment services, and 44% identify the simplicity of maintaining a single monthly invoice as a primary value driver.

The demand for ‘skinny bundles’ and live TV

Despite the shift to on-demand content, audiences are not entirely abandoning traditional viewing formats; rather, their expectations for how it is packaged are changing. Recent consumer research from Parks Associates, The New Live TV Model: Skinny Bundles, Sports, News, indicates that 51% of US internet households prefer a package that combines live TV with their desired streaming services. Specifically, 27% want a full live-TV bundle combined with streaming, while 24% prefer a ‘skinny bundle’—a cheaper package featuring a limited number of core channels focused on specific content types like sports or news.

Furthermore, 68% of streaming pay-TV subscribers utilizing vMVPD services such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream find the skinny bundle concept appealing. These smaller channel packages act as a middle ground between expensive traditional cable and fragmented streaming-only options.

For media companies, the operational incentives to participate in these consolidated ecosystems are deeply tied to subscriber retention. As noted by Jason Platt Zolov, Senior Consultant at Hub Entertainment Research, studios are highly aware that bundles deliver stronger retention and reduce churn, creating immense incentives to push consumers toward these ‘stickier’ subscription deals. Whether through a telecom operator in Spain, a hard bundle in the UK, or a five-service discount inside Amazon Prime, aggregation has proven to be the definitive route to streaming sustainability.

According to new research from Ampere Analysis, APAC captured a massive 36% share of all first-run scripted TV orders placed by the ‘Big Six’ global streaming platforms—Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, and Paramount+—during the first half of 2026.

The raw numbers highlight a stark regional divide. Between January and June 2026, the APAC region secured 70 first-run scripted commissions. By comparison, North America trailed significantly with 46, and Western Europe recorded 44. All other global regions combined managed just 34 orders.

The engines of eastern growth

This historic shift is being aggressively engineered by Netflix and Amazon. While both streaming giants kept their first-run orders in North America and Western Europe essentially flat compared to early 2025, they have dramatically accelerated their spending in the East.

India has emerged as the beating heart of this commissioning boom, securing 25 new series orders to become APAC’s busiest market. Much of this surge was fueled by Prime Video, which heavily ramped up its investments across multiple Indian languages. South Korea held its position as the region’s second-largest market by volume, with Netflix maintaining a dominant grip on local commissioning.

However, the real surprise of 2026 lies in the rapid activation of emerging streaming territories. As mature markets like Japan and South Korea focus on retaining subscribers, platforms are utilizing emerging markets for aggressive audience acquisition. Taiwan registered nine new scripted commissions in the first half of the year, with Netflix quadrupling its local output to greenlight projects like the medical drama How to Survive Med School and the crime series Million-Follower Detective. Simultaneously, the Philippines secured seven commissions, bolstered by Amazon ordering five new series, including the romance drama The Loyalty Game.

Creatively, audience appetites in the region are evolving. Crime and thriller titles dominated the 2026 slate, accounting for a third of all APAC commissions, while drama reached a record 25% share. Conversely, sci-fi and fantasy—which led the region just a year prior—saw a sharp decline.

More importantly, global platforms are recognizing that these shows are no longer just for local consumption; they are highly exportable assets. ‘Asian content is increasingly finding audiences far beyond its home markets’, explained Cyrine Amor, Senior Research Manager at Ampere Analysis. Recent examples include Netflix’s Thai original My Dearest Assassin and the South Korean thriller The Great Flood. This global appeal has prompted streamers to lock down long-term pipelines, evidenced by Prime Video extending its worldwide distribution pact with South Korean entertainment giant CJ ENM into 2026.

The North American contrast: retreating to the IP safety net

This explosive, risk-taking growth in the East starkly contrasts with the defensive posture currently dominating the United States and North America.

While North America did experience a scripted commissioning recovery in 2025—with total commissions rising 3% year-on-year and pushing production volumes back to 76% of the 2021 ‘Peak TV’ heights—that rebound was built almost entirely on brand safety rather than original risk-taking.

To mitigate the financial hazards of launching untested shows, North American commissioners have become heavily reliant on pre-existing intellectual property. In 2025, adaptations and franchise-based projects accounted for a staggering 44% of all scripted commissions in the region. This trend was even more pronounced among commercial FTA broadcasters, who drove a 22% surge in scripted orders by tying 57% of their slate to established IP—the highest share seen in five years.

‘Commercial players are fighting back after several challenging years’, Amor noted regarding the Western market. ‘With continued pressure on content budgets, IP is becoming increasingly central to commissioners’ greenlighting process. Shaping content around pre-existing IP helps mitigate some of the risks… [and] basing scripted shows on established franchises or literary brands is now a key strategic priority’.

Ultimately, Ampere’s data paints a picture of an industry operating on two distinct tracks. In North America, platforms and broadcasters are leaning heavily on established franchises to protect their bottom lines and navigate budget constraints. But in the Asia-Pacific, streamers are unleashing unprecedented capital into fresh, locally produced storytelling—proving that the next era of global television is being written in the East.

This renewal of the unscripted genre is being heavily driven by the undeniable influence of digital content creators. As highlighted in a recent report covering comedian and creator Munya Chawawa’s Alternative MacTaggart lecture, traditional television is losing ground because legacy media has lost its willingness to take creative risks. Chawawa pointed to a staggering metric that defines this new reality: while Netflix’s premium drama Squid Game achieved a colossal 265 million views, YouTube creator MrBeast garnered 850 million views simply by recreating the show’s concept as an unscripted competition on his channel. To survive, Chawawa argues that the television industry must partner with digital creators, using traditional budgets to scale up the raw, agile formats that have already proven successful online.

This creator-driven pacing is now directly informing a massive pivot within the vertical microseries market. In addition, according to an industry analysis published by TheWrap, the micro-drama industry—which built its multibillion-dollar foundation almost entirely on soapy scripted tropes like secret billionaires and werewolves—is now pivoting toward unscripted reality television. Developers are injecting the unpredictable nature of reality TV into the mobile format, abandoning traditional 45-minute broadcast structures in favor of high-stakes, two-minute installments.

Adapting unscripted content for smartphone screens requires a fundamental editorial reinvention. Unlike scripted microseries, where major cliffhangers are meticulously pre-planned in a screenplay, unscripted vertical content relies entirely on the editing room to distill reality into rapid-fire engagement. Jenna Rosa, SVP of Unscripted Development at Bravo and Peacock, explained that her team focuses on capturing ‘emerging stories’ that naturally produce authentic surprises and major life decisions, ensuring those required hooks are organically built into the narrative.

Because monetization models for mobile series typically offer the first 10 episodes for free before prompting users to pay via subscriptions or digital credits, producers have no time for slow-burn character development. Unscripted editors must aggressively scrub out all narrative ‘fat’, bypassing deep backstories to instantly hook viewers and convince them to pay for the next minute of content.

Traditional entertainment conglomerates are already testing the waters with this new unscripted playbook, blurring the line between studio television and creator-led content. Fox Entertainment became one of the first major players to leverage its existing unscripted IP for vertical platforms, partnering with the Holywater-owned app MyDrama to slice the third season of its reality dating show, Farmer Wants a Wife, into 101 bite-sized vertical episodes.

Simultaneously, NBCUniversal’s Peacock is rolling out original unscripted microseries designed to capitalize on its established Bravo reality universe while mimicking creator-style intimacy. The streamer launched Salon Confessionals, hosted by Southern Charm star Madison LeCroy, and Campus Confidential, featuring Georgia Gay from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Independent producers are also developing native unscripted formats, such as a Big Brother-style house competition titled Camp Bop. By embracing the agility of content creators and the addictive pacing of mobile edits, the unscripted genre is proving it can reinvent itself for the vertical economy.

According to a 2026 report by the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM), “Keeping the Score: Industry Perspectives on Innovations in Sports Media Measurement”, audience measurement is no longer just a tool for calculating advertising transactions. Instead, it has evolved into a critical form of market infrastructure that dictates how rights are priced, how streaming platforms compete, and how capital is allocated across the video ecosystem. 

The fragmentation challenge 

The migration of sports programming across broadcast television, cable networks, direct-to-consumer streaming apps, and social platforms has created a highly complex measurement environment. Stakeholders are currently grappling with severe fragmentation; a single league’s rights can be split across regional sports networks (RSNs), national broadcasters, and streaming platforms, creating significant challenges in producing unified, deduplicated audience metrics. 

The CIMM report identifies nine persistent measurement challenges confronting the industry. Chief among these is the difficulty of aggregating viewing in a fragmented ecosystem, alongside measuring second-screen usage, OOH consumption, and the valuation of in-game sponsorships. The lack of unified cross-platform measurement can introduce a ‘fragmentation discount’, wherein uncertainty surrounding total reach and frequency puts downward pressure on advertising pricing. 

Furthermore, unauthorized streaming via unlicensed sites and social messaging platforms has emerged as a significant structural hurdle. This piracy shifts a portion of viewing outside measurable environments, complicating audience estimation and potentially distorting the perceived true market value of sports rights. 

The economics of attention and co-viewing 

The sports media market is undergoing a structural revaluation as advertisers increasingly differentiate between gross audience delivery and the quality of viewer attention. Sports content routinely generates higher attention scores than average streaming programming, driven by the real-time, high-stakes nature of live competition. 

Moreover, sports broadcasts exhibit unusually high levels of co-viewing and social consumption. The CIMM report highlights that football broadcasts, for example, can experience co-viewing rates exceeding 68%, outperforming non-sports content. Traditional ratings frameworks, heavily reliant on household-level metrics, often undercount the actual number of individuals watching a game, particularly when consumption occurs out-of-home in bars, restaurants, or workplaces. 

Outcomes and sponsorships 

Advertisers are demanding more from their high-priced sports inventory. The conversation is rapidly shifting from whether audiences simply saw an advertisement to whether the exposure generated measurable business outcomes. New measurement approaches are integrating exposure data with location analytics, identity-resolution frameworks, and retail transactions to estimate downstream behaviors such as store visits, search activity, and online purchases. 

This push for deeper accountability extends to sports sponsorships. Assets like in-stadium signage and digital broadcast overlays were historically evaluated using estimated media value. Today, advances in computer vision and AI are enabling granular, quantifiable tracking of logo visibility, prominence, and duration, transitioning sponsorships from brand-building tools into performance-optimized inventory classes. 

Innovation vs. standardization 

To address these challenges, the industry is pioneering multi-layered analytical architectures. These emerging solutions include hybrid panel-plus-big-data systems and the integration of platforms’ first-party data into syndicated currencies. 

However, as the CIMM report cautions, this innovation comes with profound governance risks. The increasing reliance on proprietary platform data, probabilistic modeling, and clean-room environments raises questions about methodological transparency and competitive neutrality. The ultimate test for the industry will be balancing the rapid pace of technological innovation with the rigorous standardization required to maintain market confidence and comparability across a deeply fragmented global ecosystem. 

This localization strategy is rooted in the premise that global success requires domestic resonance. Tanz emphasized that productions such as the UK’s Adolescence and Baby Reindeer, or Spain’s La Casa de Papel, rely heavily on established local television ecosystems. ‘There has never been a show that went global that didn’t work at home first’, Tanz noted. He pushed back against narratives portraying the platform as a disruptive foreign entity, arguing that Netflix operates as an embedded local business that reinvests its revenues into the regional creative economy. However, the executive also warned against increasingly rigid European regulatory frameworks regarding investment obligations and intellectual property ownership. He argued that a ‘one-size-fits-all approach, where IP always defaults to local producers by law’, could discourage the platform from taking risks on new voices and ambitious original stories. 

Parallel to its evolving content strategy, Netflix has overhauled its physical production pipelines to support simultaneous, multi-territory shoots. Speaking at the recent IBC edition, Anna Mallett, Vice President of Production for Netflix EMEA, outlined the deployment of the company’s MPS. Launched in 2020 during the final season of La Casa de Papel, MPS was designed to replace linear post-production schedules with a cloud-based infrastructure. ‘We ended up moving close to a petabyte of data to the cloud, across camera footage, editorial and post’, she explained. This system was later tested at scale during the production of Society of the Snow, allowing six distinct visual effects studios to operate concurrently while principal photography took place across three countries. 

The platform’s technological roadmap now focuses on integrating machine learning algorithms directly into the production workflow. For the ninth season of the docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive, MPS algorithms were utilized to automatically tag and transcribe footage upon reaching the cloud, enabling production crews to instantly search for specific on-track incidents or dialogue. Mallett detailed that the system is expanding to include a Tool Library, which allows third-party software to plug into the Netflix ecosystem. ‘We are now opening the door to existing tools… and bringing them into our Netflix ecosystem through our Tool Library’, she stated, adding that these integrations allow departments to previsualize stunts, test lighting, and generate concept art efficiently. 

Both executives addressed the integration of artificial intelligence within the industry, positioning it as an operational tool rather than a substitute for human creativity. Tanz asserted that any new technology must pass a basic test of helping creators make better stories and making them easier for audiences to find. Mallett reinforced this perspective by highlighting Netflix’s involvement with industry bodies like the Academy Software Foundation to develop shared frameworks and Open Standards. ‘It’s not the tools that make the story — it’s the people who use them, and the role of all the innovation I’ve talked about today is to make sure nothing stands in the way of creators telling the stories only they can’, Mallett concluded. 

Addressing the company’s operational framework during the presentation, a Prime Video spokesperson stated: “We have built a model grounded in solid partnerships with leading players in production and acquisitions, and in a constant experimentation with new production approaches.” This collaborative strategy is reflected in the platform’s upcoming slate, which leans heavily on co-productions with established European entities such as Gaumont, Fremantle, Banijay, and Lucky Red.

In the scripted sector, Prime Video is structuring its Italian output around genre diversification and established intellectual property. The platform announced upcoming romantic comedies like Come distruggere l’ex and Blame It on Rome, alongside the psychological thriller Un’altra madre. The company is also aiming for cross-border reach by developing English-language originals out of Italy, including Masterplan, a French-Italian heist co-production, and Love Me Love Me 2, based on a Wattpad literary property. Additionally, the commissioning of Two Hearts for Rent, an adaptation of Felicia Kingsley’s novel, indicates a continued reliance on pre-existing fanbases to mitigate the financial risks of new local productions.

Unscripted entertainment continues to function as a core pillar of Prime Video’s Italian catalog, heavily dependent on the localization of proven international formats. The streaming service confirmed the renewals of strategic reality properties such as The Traitors Italia and The 50, alongside comedy variations like the LOL Halloween Special and Roast in Peace.

To complement the entertainment catalog and drive subscriber retention, Amazon is aggressively utilizing live sports rights. The platform confirmed it will retain exclusive live coverage of the best Wednesday match of the UEFA Champions League through the 2030–31 season. It has also secured a 10-year deal for NBA broadcasting rights, which includes regular-season games, the playoffs, and the NBA Finals in selected years. Coupled with targeted pricing tactics—such as a 50% subscription discount for the 18-to-24 demographic—the content strategy demonstrates Amazon’s structural effort to consolidate its market share in Italy through a mix of localized volume and high-profile sports acquisitions.

The company’s financial results for the first half of 2026 clearly illustrate this structural transition. MBC Group reported a 24.6% drop in overall revenue to SAR 2.3 billion ($613.3 million), while advertising revenue fell by 20.8% to SAR 617.6 million. This contraction was largely driven by regional volatility, which prompted advertisers to reduce budgets and shorten booking lead times, alongside an unrealized fair-value loss on the group’s investment in Arabian Contracting Services resulting in a net loss for the period.

Conversely, the streaming platform MBC Shahid moved in the opposite direction. Shahid’s overall revenue rose by 18.5% to SAR 825.5 million, fueled by a 23.3% surge in subscription revenue. Generating a net profit of SAR 54.2 million for the half-year, the platform is now projected to achieve full-year profitability in 2026, a year ahead of schedule. Shahid alone currently generates more revenue than the group’s entire legacy advertising business.

Led by CEO Mike Sneesby, the group—which listed on the Saudi Exchange in 2024 and operates under a 54% controlling stake from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund—is leaning into this momentum. Sneesby identified Shahid as the company’s primary growth engine, emphasizing strong subscription momentum and international expansion while maintaining commercial efficiency in a volatile market. The group is also redefining its scope beyond the screen; the MBC Academy has trained over 18,000 regional media professionals since 2020, and the newly minted MBC Game Studio recently debuted its first major title in Germany.

Moving forward, MBC is operating less like a traditional broadcaster with a streaming offshoot, and more like a comprehensive entertainment conglomerate with a linear broadcasting arm. This shift carries immediate implications for content acquisition and development, signaling a higher demand for premium originals, subscriber-retaining exclusive series, and adaptable intellectual property, alongside tighter scrutiny of conventional linear filler. Thirty-five years ago, MBC’s ultimate advantage was its satellite footprint; today, its power relies entirely on a dedicated subscriber base and what that audience is willing to pay to watch.

A significant component of this systemic strategy is the BBC’s focus on video podcasts. Cooke highlighted the convergence between traditional media and new formats, pointing out that podcasts increasingly behave like talk shows, while social apps function more like television programs. ‘There’s lots of evidence to suggest that video podcasts aren’t just a passing trend and that they’re actually here to stay’, she observed, noting that competitors like Netflix and Spotify are also investing heavily in the format. 

From a production standpoint, video podcasts offer a cost-efficiency argument, aligning with the industry’s move toward higher-volume, lower-cost commissioning with potentially higher returns on investment. Furthermore, this format allows the BBC to creatively build and expand existing intellectual properties. For instance, the BBC is currently developing a companion podcast to sit alongside the reality series Race Across the World. Cooke explained that video podcasts cater to various audience needs simultaneously: ‘You can consume just the audio more passively on your commute. You can consume snips of the video, while scrolling. You can sit down on the sofa and watch the whole series’.

To effectively integrate these formats, the BBC is adapting its operational processes, aiming to bring audio and television teams together under a single commissioning lead responsible for the editorial vision. The corporation is also addressing user experience challenges, particularly concerning discovery within the extensive BBC iPlayer catalog, which houses over 40,000 episodes. The curation team is experimenting with artwork and terminology—such as deciding whether to label the content as “visualized podcasts”, “video podcasts”, or simply “podcasts”—to manage audience expectations. Crucially, the content strategy remains flexible; audio-only versions of these video podcasts are published on BBC Sounds to accommodate the significant portion of consumers—over 50 %—who still prefer pure audio experiences. While consumption is fluid, research indicates that audio-only formats tend to attract slightly older demographics, whereas video podcasts appeal more to younger audiences.

In addition to systemic commissioning across its proprietary platforms, the BBC is expanding its digital footprint through a targeted YouTube-first strategy. The broadcaster recently announced plans to launch up to 15 new YouTube channels over the next year, with more than half led by the BBC’s public service content division. Cooke clarified that this is not merely a distribution strategy for repurposing traditional content, but rather a deliberate commissioning approach aimed at audiences under the age of 20. She emphasized that this initiative builds upon the BBC’s 20-year history and existing network of 160 YouTube channels. Despite this expansion onto third-party platforms, the executive reaffirmed that the broadcaster’s owned and operated services, such as iPlayer, remain the primary priority, and all YouTube-first content will also be available on its platform, ensuring the strategy is ‘YouTube first, not YouTube only’.

‘We’re trying to focus on where we have a right to win’, Rodzko stated, explaining that TF1 is developing a comprehensive view encompassing both its linear channels and its streaming platform, TF1+. With the introduction of micro-payments alongside its core advertising business, the company is refining its key performance indicators (KPIs). Rodzko noted a shift away from singular subscriber counts toward engagement depth and profitability. ‘Frequency definitely is a KPI that we look at more and more, like how many times per month people come on our platform’, he said. Furthermore, the executive emphasized the necessity of analyzing financial returns across different monetization models: ‘We’re trying to look at the total value that we generate from the consumers. And not only from a revenue perspective, but also from a margin perspective because the margins profiles are very different between advertising and paid offers’.

Addressing the persistent challenge of audience retention—often characterized as subscriber churn in subscription models, but viewed through the lens of frequency in advertising-first businesses like TF1—Rodzko identified content programming and technological infrastructure as the primary levers for maintaining viewer loyalty. On the content side, TF1 prioritizes recurring and serialized programming, such as daily soaps, supplemented by ‘companion shows’ that offer highly engaged fans new daily content built around established franchises.

Simultaneously, the company is investing in technology to streamline content discovery, aiming to reduce the friction users experience when navigating the platform. ‘Recommendation is key to make better discovery, but better choices as well on the platform’, Rodzko explained, noting that effective Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is critical for driving engagement outside the platform environment. ‘Making sure you push the right content to the right people at the right moment is really what we’re focusing on to increase frequency’, he added.

Implementing these data-driven strategies within a legacy broadcasting organization requires significant internal realignment. Rodzko acknowledged the complexity of unifying editorial, product, technology, and commercial teams, estimating that ‘like any transformation, 70% of the success is about change management, and the rest is just technology and tools and processes’. He stressed the importance of demonstrating that data analytics and creative instincts are not mutually exclusive but mutually reinforcing. ‘Creativity is great, and we need to make them understand that it’s gonna be accelerated by data-driven insights’, TF1 delegate asserted.

To bridge the gap between traditional broadcast expertise and modern digital capabilities, TF1 is actively seeking ‘integrators or translators’—professionals capable of understanding both worlds to facilitate cross-functional collaboration. The strategy team is establishing transversal task forces that operate on a test-and-learn methodology to accelerate time-to-market, particularly as new technologies like Artificial Intelligence demand rapid deployment. While integrating new roles such as growth hackers alongside seasoned editorial staff presents challenges, Rodzko remains resolute on the necessity of this cultural shift: ‘Bring[ing] these people to work together is something we do with transversal teams, and we need to work like this because the time to market is getting shorter and shorter’.

Title Options:

From Subscribers to Margins: TF1’s Florent Rodzko Outlines New Streaming KPIs and Retention Strategies

Bridging Broadcasting and Data: How TF1 Group is Restructuring its Strategy for the Streaming Era

Change Management and Cross-Functional Teams: Inside TF1’s Push for Strategic Agility in 2026

The international rollout brings a library of approximately 160,000 hours of content, featuring premium subtitles and dubbing across more than a dozen Asian languages. While the platform offers a deep catalog of regional cinema and a new slate of original productions, the company’s high-value sports properties—most notably the broadcasting rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament—are excluded from this international launch package.

To differentiate its offering in saturated streaming markets, JioStar’s business strategy relies heavily on interactivity and integration with its linear television networks, which include Star Plus, Colors, and Asianet. The platform is implementing market-specific viewing features, such as providing subscribers in Canada and Singapore with early access to linear TV shows prior to their broadcast window. Additionally, the reality franchise Bigg Boss will feature live voting capabilities for international subscribers for the first time, supplemented by continuous 24/7 feeds in select regions.

Amit Malhotra, head of international business at JioStar, detailed the strategic pivot driving the platform’s new architecture, emphasizing a shift away from pure volume-based competition.

‘Streaming has spent the last decade competing on the size of its catalogue’, Malhotra stated. ‘We believe the bigger opportunity now is to reimagine how audiences experience entertainment; not just what they watch, but how they discover, engage with and shape the experience in real time. South Asian audiences have a deep connection with Indian entertainment across languages, generations and households. At the same time, audiences globally are increasingly seeking stories and cultures beyond their own’.

The company is positioning JioHotstar not merely as a diaspora-focused service, but as a platform aiming to capture a broader demographic interested in cross-cultural narratives. Operating with a claimed baseline of 500 million active users primarily driven by its domestic market, JioHotstar’s product ecosystem now incorporates conversational voice discovery and potential avenues for in-app commerce.

‘As we expand internationally, our ambition is to show what becomes possible when scale, language, cultural diversity, personalisation and deeper audience participation are built into the streaming experience from day one’, added.

On the monetization front, JioStar has restructured its pricing strategy for the three new markets by introducing a quarterly billing cycle, aiming to offer a shorter commitment window alongside traditional annual plans. Existing Hotstar users will be automatically migrated to the new technological infrastructure with their credentials intact, while new subscribers can complete the onboarding process entirely within the mobile or connected TV applications.