MIPCOM 2025 comes to an end today, with the booths opened till midday and the last meetings till early afternoon. Yesterday organizer RX FRANCE announced 10.600 delegates, vs. 10.500 in 2024, among other interesting figures. PRENSARIO will develop its own wrap-up tomorrow, today it is important to comment the battle -now playing!- that will define the future of digital content business: YOUTUBE vs. TIKTOK.

RX France stressed that the 10.600 participants have been mainly from UK, USA, France, Germany, Turkey, Canada, Italia and Japan. They include 3440 buyers, who came first from USA, UK, France and Spain. There have been 350 companies exhibiting in and around the Palais des Festivales, 88 of which have taken space for the first time. MIPJUNIOR, the pre-event kids oriented at the weekend, joined 940 attendees from 60 countries.

Lucy Smith, MIPCOM and MIPLONDON director, said: ‘This has been the biggest step change in a generation for MIPCOM. We’ve brought the Creator Economy into the heart of the market, welcomed YOUTUBE for their first major presence at the market, and staged our first brand funded content summit in BrandStorytelling which alongside a resurgence of sales and distribution activity has made for an energised market’. MIPLONDON will take place 22-24th February 2026, three days from Sunday to Tuesday, before the LONDON SCREENINGS turn intense since Wednesday 25th.

Why has YOUTUBE has had so intense presence at Mipcom for the first time? One of the reasons could be that it is not alone any more at the podium of digital video business. TIKTOK with its rolling short video system, continues gaining share in advertising budgets, and challenges the future of consumer habits. Will people select the videos to watch or will keep themselves following the automated rolling video selections?

Of course both, but the evolution of percents each changes business. Jack Ojalvo, CEO at Copyright Capital (head YOUTUBE partner and investment fund, Switzerland) explains the current picture: ‘This ‘battle’ must be seen in a multiple-screen scenario, not just one. In mobile ecommerce, transactions, TIKTOK is the leader. In videos to watch on TV, YOUTUBE has no rivals. But now they confront strongly in microdramas. There, YOUTUBE arrived first, is ready for business, while TIKTOK is making its technology mature. Let’s see… microdramas monetization for both platforms turn similar to TVOD games, pay-per-use’.

Something new in FAST? The traditional pay TV operators are beginning to integrate FAST channels in its offering. The Channel Store (Spain) agreed with Vodafone Spain to provide 30 FAST channels to its TV schedule, added to another deal with 02 Germany, where the company manages 80 channels. Also, OTTera (USA) is offering FAST managed services, providing content owners full packs of programming, AI tools, delivery and monetization management.

What do the buyers look for at Mipcom? Facundo Bailez, Sky UK: ‘To enter early in drama projects to gain market intelligence and promotion’. Edina Balogh, TV2 Hungary: ‘We have 1 free TV and 14 pay TV channels. We don’t buy digital rights separated from linear, yes catchup rights’. Avi Himatsinghani, Rewind Networks, Singapore: ‘Among our 4 lines, we make focus now on recent but not new cinema hits. Good niches define business’. Eugenia Velez, RCN Colombia: ‘Dating shows, realities of adventure and survival’. Kris Imai, U-Next Japan: ‘To get more productive our current output deals’.

Nicolás Smirnoff, Alberto Buitron y Francisco Ferreyra

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