MIPCOM 2024 finished yesterday with more questions than answers. The situation of the industry is good or bad? Is it full of newcomers and tech opportunities or the winter is coming to consolidate the big current players at the most? Will the central markets return to what they were or now the emergent countries will be more and more relevant? Will Artificial intelligence (AI) change everything or is another bubble? As the future --between bricks and online, in person and videocalls, free TV and OTTs-- will be hybrid, what is coming in the content industry is a mixture of all of these. More than ever, it depends on every player to win or lose at the market, taking progressive right decisions.

Because of this ‘multiverse’ reality, we’ve had this Mipcom a sensation of less people and odd realities for many traditional big players or sub-events, but at the same there were full agendas as in the great editions and opinions from head buyers saying that the market was excellent for them, with a lot of new quality product and big opportunities to make business better. The global trend that the content industry runs to the future but making focus on the past to gain profitability, is the best proof that there are opportunities for everybody, if you combine wisely to evolve with keeping healthy the basics.

Apart from Spain the ‘Country of Honor’ that held a full program of activities, the main parties with stars outside the Palais were made mainly by Turkish distributors. Inside the Palais, by Asian players, especially Japan and Korea. Central Europe, MENA, Latin America were also very active, while USA, UK, Germany, France have been flat or down… of course this is a very special momentum, the big markets will continue leading. But they must learn lessons from the smaller territories, especially their capacity to generate fresh content, sometimes equal or even better, with far fewer people, costs and structures. The main reason of giants recession or reduction, is that they have not been so efficient and flexible as the new ages demand.

The tech future? Omdia at the SoFast summit, said for instance that Tiktok, Youtube and Instagram are the big winners of the new digital advertising era; that Roku is the aggregator earning more incomes vs the other big competitors due to its US market share; that bundling (to mix platforms in one offering) will have a quarter of the SVOD market in 2029; and that Connected TV (CTV) seems to be the best content-tech option for the future, because it will work in every TV set replacing operators with AI automated apps. It is growing so fast in the U.S., that Samsung and LG are reaching Sky TV in set top boxes.

What have buyers been looking for at Mipcom? Facundo Bailez, Sky UK: ‘Mainstream programming, contents for -35, premium docs, True crime’. Nuno Vaz, TVP Portugal: ‘Formats and all programs that can have digital course’. Jorge Balleste, Televisa Univision/VIX, USA: ‘Realities, Turkish and Korean series’. Erika Tothova, TV Joj, Slovakia: ‘Proved formats for 2025, scripted prime time series and kids programming’. Yezim Yerdimez, Kanal 7, Turkey: ‘Asian dramas (from India) and unscripted for daytime’.

Adrián Ortega, TV Azteca, Mexico: ‘Entertainment formats, especially realities and game shows’. Chuan-Chin Chang, Tempo Taiwan: ‘Fresh documentaries, animation, factual’. Eddie Ruiz, A+E Networks, USA: ‘Lifestyle and product that performs for sure beyond promotion, just for the current times’. Revi Lavi, Cosmoblue Media, Suiza: ‘Miniseries and kids content, for our channels’. Patricia Daujotas, Channel 10 Uruguay: ‘Formats to be local. They are also better to sell and allocate different kinds of advertising’.

Nicolás Smirnoff, Alberto Buitrón and Francisco Ferreyra

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