NEM Dubrovnik 2026 reaches its final day with an overwhelmingly positive outcome and a shared sentiment among buyers, distributors, and executives surveyed by Prensario: this year’s edition exceeded expectations. With packed schedules, back-to-back meetings, and deals sealed, several participants agreed to describe the event as a sort of “mini-MIPTV”, more compact, yet highly effective for generating business in the region.

Although formal activities conclude this Thursday, the market maintains its pace until noon. With no panels scheduled, the spaces at the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel continue to host meetings, negotiations, and last-minute deals, reflecting the dynamism that characterized the entire week. The event reaffirmed Dubrovnik’s role as one of the main meeting points for the audiovisual industry in CEE, where in-person networking remains essential in a landscape marked by audience fragmentation and increasingly global competition.

Wednesday’s session focused on the future challenges facing the industry. Discussions centered on how to adapt to a more complex industry, driven by technological advancements, changing consumer habits, and the need to identify new growth models. Among the key topics were mergers and acquisitions, with executives analyzing how the pursuit of scale is redefining strategies for content, distribution, and international expansion. Advances in artificial intelligence were also discussed, particularly as applied to content discovery, as well as the fight against piracy, a challenge that continues to affect the sector.

One of the most impactful panels was “YouTube as a Distribution Opportunity.” There, experts agreed that the platform is no longer viewed as a threat but has become an additional avenue for monetization and global reach. Milena Djuričić, Co-Founder & COO at Videomite, noted that YouTube must be integrated into a broader distribution strategy. “If the revenue is zero or one, one is always better,” she summarized, explaining how numerous catalogs manage to generate additional audiences and revenue without affecting other business models.

Karina Rompa, founder of Media Hansa, emphasized that there is no one-size-fits-all formula and that each piece of content requires a specific strategy, combining full episodes, teasers, or initiatives to build fan communities. For his part, Aleksandar “Kojot” Ašković, noted that YouTube is now one of the world’s largest distribution networks and pointed out that in the United States, it already accounts for more viewing time than Netflix. He also identified micro-dramas as one of the next major global phenomena, driven by YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and new mobile platforms. As he explained, in China this format already generates more revenue than the box office. The rise of short-form content was another key topic of the day, highlighting both the monetization opportunities and the existing doubts about the long-term sustainability of these models.

Later, the panel “How AI is Redefining Content Discovery” analyzed how artificial intelligence is transforming the relationship between users and content. Antonii Mangov, Programming Director at PRO TV, stated that content discovery is not broken, but has become more complex due to the enormous amount of content available. Michal Stefanski, Head of Partnerships CEE at Google, explained that search is evolving toward intent-based systems and that the quality of metadata will become increasingly important. He also highlighted the potential of multimodal AI to analyze videos and convert that information into useful data for the industry.

The day concluded with a cocktail reception by the pool at the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel and the traditional farewell party. After four days of intense commercial activity, constant meetings, and a very active business atmosphere, NEM Dubrovnik brings down the curtain on an edition that left buyers, distributors, and executives alike satisfied. Now, the true results of the market will begin to be measured in the coming months, as the agreements, contacts, and opportunities that emerged this week turn into new projects and business deals.

Francisco Ferreyra, from Dubrovnik

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