Today, Sunday 16th, the 30th edition of MIPJunior ends as prelude to what will be the return of a complete MIPCOM after three years. The market showed itself healthier than expected, with a significant presence of both independent producers and commissioners and buyers worldwide, with strong focus of European and Asian players.

Jessica Bishop, WarnerMedia Discovery Kids & Family (Latin America): “The global team is here and very optimistic about the new projects we can find. However, we must know that this MIPJunior is not a comparison parameter with other editions”.

Among the main global trends, the appearance of spin-offs and remakes with a twist for older audiences stands out, as well as reboots with a multi-platform look in order to expand the viewership and IPs possibilities. In addition, there is a growth of formats for kids like “Last Family Standing” (The Netherlands) or “The Big Tiny Food Face-Off” (YouTube Kids) and projects that seek to show the gap between previous and current generations.

As has been seen in recent years, science and nature have gained a place as axes of discussion, as well as the deepening of role models. However, one of the differentials of the children's market is the ability to bet on new genres: “Kids have the power to imagine whatever they want, and this opens up a range of possibilities. All trends can be mixed, such as live action with cartoon, science and fantasy, etc.”, said Avril Blondelot, Glance Media (France).

But how did the pandemic impact the youngest? On the one hand, the consumption of OTT content increased, but exposing the lack of stickiness as a challenge for those who seek absolute control of the rights. In addition, they went from consuming content of 5' to 1' or less and the need for "feel-good stories, which show that normality has been reached" grew, a buyer said.

Rick Clodfelter, Disney: “We look for shows that speak with the magic of Disney, from the emotional impact side. We are brand specific but platform agnostic. We look for content that completes the originals, specially sitcoms, feeling-good holiday classics and new IPs”. Cecilia Persson, BBC Studios Kids and Family (UK): “We have an open door policy, always attentive to new ideas and catalog for older. We want to expand animation and drama, while we are also looking for formats and game shows for kids”.

Luca Milano, Rai Raggazi (Italy): “We invest more than 25 million euros a year in independent production and around 7 million in in-house shows. Reputation and relevance is key for us, and under this, we started to invest in live action series to address hot topics regarding to adolescence. We started with live drama series four years ago and now it represents one third of our inversion. We also look for TV specials and short films to be contemporary and animations and IPs with rights for both linear and digital TV”.

During the event, the MIPJunior Project Pitch Kids – Pre 11 years old was also celebrated, with “Ava” as winner, and both the lunch and the closing of the first day were in charge of NBCUniversal Kids and Family.

Simultaneously, and before MIPCOM starts, Eccho Rights presented in Istanbul its renewed line up, including three new Turkish dramas (Hear Me, Golden Boy and Redemption) and three news seasons (Chrysalis, The Promise and Legacy) combined with eight brand-new British (Desperate Measures, Granite Harbour, The Vanishing Triangle and Compulsion), Nordic (Everyone but us, As Long as we Leave…, Honour and Crypto Kings) and European dramas (ProTV’ The Clan, based on Insider). The Saturday screening session was attended by almost 100 global buyers from 40 countries, and concluded with a celebration of the company's 10th Anniversary in a boat through the Bosphorus River.

Nicolás Smirnoff and Fabricio Ferrara

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