Mipcom 2026 in Cannes, France, continues as the main event of the content calendar. This year are expected about 12.000 attendees, including +3500 buyers. These are usual good figures for the market, even before the pandemic, so Mipcom is steady driving the evolution of content business. What can be said about fresh market trends? Let’s see a good map of what is important to know, to have a good market.
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
