Once again, the global content industry converges on Lille since today until March 26th as Series Mania Forum --the dedicated three-day professional market of Series Mania Festival-- officially opens its doors. Despite a widely acknowledged contraction in the broader audiovisual sector, marked by budget restrictions and shorter formats, this year edition of the Forum is holding its ground as Europe's premier TV marketplace. For this year, the event expects to welcome over 5,000 industry professionals from 75 countries, representing a slight but significant uptick in global footprint compared to last year’s 72 countries, proving that while production volumes may be adjusting, the appetite for international co-production is stronger than ever.

‘Series Mania Forum is taking place in a rather unexpected context, which, it must be said, is more fragile for our industry’, stated Laurence Herszberg, Managing Director of Series Mania, and Francesco Capurro, Director of the Forum. ‘Between mergers and acquisitions, reorganizations, and geopolitical tensions... we are all going through a period of accelerated transformation. In this context, the role of Series Mania Forum is more essential than ever. At a time when international collaboration is key, the Forum provides a unique platform for industry professionals from around the world to connect, share perspectives, and shape new strategies’.

Also, Anne Bouverot, President of Series Mania, echoed this sentiment, framing the event as a ‘necessary sanctuary for creators and executives alike’. ‘At the heart of this upheaval, the festival asserts its central role as a place of respite and resistance’, she noted, adding that the event claims its place as ‘the beating heart of series creation, attentive to the world, open to others, and resolutely turned toward the future’.

Following yesterday’s highly exclusive Buyers’ Upfront --which gave top-tier acquisition executives a sneak peek at high-potential series in post-production, kicking off with the renowned BETA Brunch-- the market floor is already fully operational today.

Today’s program places a special emphasis on South Korea, this year's Country of Honor. Coinciding with the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Korea, the delegation is led by KOCCA (Korea Creative Content Agency) alongside eight major local powerhouses, including CJ ENM, SLL Joongang, and KBS Media. The schedule features the highly anticipated “Coming Next From Korea” showcase, giving buyers an inside look at the next wave of K-dramas.

Additionally, the Co-pro Pitching Sessions feature 15 series projects seeking international financing, selected from nearly 400 applications spanning 65 countries. The lineup includes projects from six new territories: Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus, Uruguay, Panama, and Malaysia. Executives will be watching closely as these producers pitch to key decision-makers, vying for a €50,000 development prize awarded by an industry jury.

Marking its debut, the Innovation Talks track explores how rapid technological shifts are impacting the industry. These sessions feature 20-minute pitches from tech companies and AI studios offering concrete tools for scriptwriting assistance, image generation, and data-driven marketing, alongside heated debates on the booming, yet polarizing, micro-drama market.

Conversations also kick off today on the exhibition floor --featuring major players like BBC Studios, Banijay, Mediawan, and Studiocanal-- and will culminate on Thursday with the 8th edition of the “Lille Dialogues”.

This year’s summit theme, "The New Alliances," perfectly captures the mood of the 2026 market. As the US market turns increasingly inward, the Forum is highlighting how European and international players are adapting. The panels will explore how former rivals --commercial broadcasters and on-demand platforms-- are now forming strategic coalitions to maximize visibility, share costs, and combat the advertising drain caused by unregulated content-sharing platforms.

If you want to receive our Daily Reports, please send an email to newsletter@prensario.info with your email and contact details