Natpe Miami 2022 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 cases explosion, just one week before its dates. What happened? Distributors and buyers continued with the agreed meetings, but online, and new meetings were arranged adapting the time zones. About 2000 meetings were set up, 70% in the Natpe week (last week) and the others in the two weeks around. About 40% of them were about the US domestic market, 40% Latin America (the most active region) and 20% from Europe and Asia. Outcome? It was not the same, the events can’t be replaced in networking and exposure, but the reaction of the industry was huge. There are health and strong content demand these days.

Natpe Miami is one of the main content events of the Americas, usually with about 5000 attending people and 1200 buyers. Prensario made two online surveys, one answered by 326 buyers and the other by almost 100 distributors. You have the results in the graphics 2 and 3: more than 70% of the participants said that this free event was useful for them, totally or partially. And the average of meetings per buyer was about 20, with cases of 30 or more. About distributors, the range was wider, from 10 to +50 meetings according to their market share. The producers, from 10 to 15, saying that they kept all the meetings they needed. Above all, considering the free and unorganized event, any result is great.

Prensario has also collected more than 70 testimonials from buyers and distributors. About market trends, the most interesting tip is that in every segment, most of the players are doing mainly the same. See Graphic 1: big OTTs are mostly focused on original fictions, the producers in developing projects for the OTTs, the distributors to enter in production business, because now is more profitable than canned distribution. The broadcasters are all producing in house entertainment formats, even the smallest ones. For sure, it is their ID for the audience. The Pay TV channels compete directly with OTTs, many launching own OTTs. And the cable operators and telcos, are turning into ‘aggregators’: to be the main access to big OTTs and ‘all the content’. For any segment, freshness and business twists are the keys to make the difference.

The last graphics (4 and 5) show the feedback results at PrensarioZone, the new system of themed websites we’ve launched to replace traditional print publications from now. In graphic 4, the figures compare the visits and page views at MIPCancun 2021 (a complete and face-to-face event) and at the free Natpe week event. The numbers grew from 40 to 50%, showing apart from the acceptance of PrensarioZone, that the free market was strong and healthy. Graphic 5 reflects the origin of visits, confirming that USA and Latin America were the main regions, but also countries of Europe were participating well.

The rest of the events this year? At the FRAPA board meeting last week, it was said that MIPTV will be physical for sure, not only because the new covid wave will be more controlled, but also because many top executives that weren’t at Mipcom, decided to attend this MIPTV. The format will be like in October, with everybody joined in two ventilated pavilions with small booths. The cancellation of Natpe Miami also can empower LA Screenings, it is said that Natpe will recover its fallen event there. Everything is different and moving, these days.

Nicolás Smirnoff and Fabricio Ferrara

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