As a seasoned industry insider with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that the news coming out of Mipcom this year is nothing short of astounding! From Eddie Redmayne gracing our screens in “The Day of the Jackal” to Hugh Bonneville diving into espionage in “The Agency,” it’s clear that we’re in for a treat.
At the grand finale of the Cannes Mipcom conference on Wednesday night, an impressive gathering of celebrities was present, with “NCIS” stars Cote de Pablo and Michael Weyerthley taking the lead in discussing their upcoming spinoff titled “NCIS: Tony & Ziva.” In addition to this anticipated series, several other exciting new shows were announced, such as the epic sword and mace saga known as “Rise of the Raven.” The conference revealed that a total of 10,500 delegates were in attendance.
2023’s version had a drop of approximately 500, but it still maintains the title as the largest TV sales and production market globally in Mipcom.
Business operations continue to move forward, as the market shows definite signs of recovery with deals being finalized. Our major clients were present, even though the Asian participation was a bit less than expected. Mipcom stands out as our biggest fall event according to Helene Aurø, sales and marketing director at REInvent, Scandinavia’s largest international TV distributor.
Although the event attracted a large number of attendees, it also highlighted several challenges within the television industry. These difficulties stem from an oversaturation of programming and pushback from investors as the industry prepares for another adjustment following the peak TV era.
Gleaning insights from this year’s Mipcom, held from October 21st to the 24th in Cannes on the French Riviera, here are key points addressing significant industry hurdles, along with notable responses or promising signs observed during the event:
Is the U.S. Pricing Itself Out of Business?
In his acceptance speech for the EbMaster Vanguard Award, Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Tony Vinciquerra expressed concern over union deals that have led to Hollywood strikes being halted, claiming they are causing film production to move overseas to countries with cheaper labor and incentives for shooting. He stated, “We tried to discuss this issue with the unions and now it’s playing out as we predicted.” This trend is not unique to Vinciquerra; runaway productions have increased as major European countries began offering tax breaks for foreign shoots starting in 2009 (France) and 2015 (Spain). According to Guy Bisson at Ampere Analysis, new union contracts have only served to intensify this trend.
The ‘Broadcastification’ of Streaming
It’s no accident or fluke that Paramount+ showcased the new spinoff of “NCIS” at Mipcom this year, as the series is currently the third longest-running primetime scripted program on U.S. television. According to Ampere Analysis’ Guy Bisson, streaming revenue will increase by 27% from the end of this year to 2029, but with advertising, that growth could reach 46%. Bisson shared this forecast during his Mipcom wrap-up on Thursday, stating that advertising is increasingly important in the market and influencing content demand. He added that long-running crime or medical procedurals are becoming popular again because they keep viewers engaged week after week. Bisson made these comments to EbMaster at Mipcom.
One Thing’s to Sell, Another Is to Sell Well
Business operations continue as usual, with NBCU selling Eddie Redmayne’s thriller “The Day of the Jackal” to almost 200 territories and Fremantle’s “Nightsleeper” to 148. The question remains about numerous other sales regarding the price they fetched. This year’s Mipcom, like previous markets, has seen its fair share of cautionary tales. Producers who began production with expectations of receiving a typical amount during the peak TV boom are now finding that these platforms or broadcasters are offering only a tiny fraction of that sum. Except for popular titles, the buying prices frequently fail to meet the distributors’ initial estimates.
Costs Bedevil Production
The expenses associated with creating high-end television series are escalating, as producers strive to captivate audiences through impressive visual effects, top-notch production quality, and connections to well-known intellectual properties or star-studded casts, both on and off camera. Notably, the overall costs are increasing due to tax incentives, the popularity of U.S. productions moving to Europe for cost savings on crew wages, and favorable tax breaks. To offset these rising costs, producers are negotiating separate licensing agreements for free and pay TV broadcasts in various regions, as well as pre-selling territories one at a time.
And One First-Step Solution: Co-Production
As drama production costs continue to escalate due to the competition among shows for viewer attention, investing in co-production and collaboration has become increasingly important. Fremantle’s Jamie Lynn explained, “In many instances, there was too much burden on the distributor, as they carried a large portion of the budget. We are now focusing on bringing more partners on board early, with an increase in joint productions with suitable partners.” Rise Studios’ Amanda Turnbull emphasized the need for collaboration, stating, “There is a growing trend towards pragmatism when it comes to sharing rights, allowing for a setup where a streaming platform and free-to-air broadcaster can coexist. People are becoming more realistic about how these partnerships function.
The Golden Age of Unscripted
Over the past few decades, unscripted content was often viewed as a sub-category. However, its popularity has surged during the pandemic and Hollywood strikes, as streaming platforms and broadcasters sought alternatives for slots vacated by scripted series and aimed to reduce costs. As the demand for unscripted content increased, so did the production quality of these shows. A seasoned producer commented, “People have come to understand that these shows can provide an escape and enough drama to captivate viewers, and they’re more cost-effective than scripted productions.
Amidst a content-rich market where everyone is vying for attention, formats, remakes, and revivals are flourishing. At Mipcom, EbMaster announced that “The Traitors” will be adapted in South Korea, while Amazon Prime is set to extend “LOL: Last One Laughing” into “LOL in Real Life” in France. Meanwhile, Mediawan Rights and Studiocanal have introduced a new talent competition for sports commentating, titled “Hit the Mic! A New Voice For Sports,” marking an early step by Studiocanal into unscripted productions.
Book to Screen Surge
The path from books to screen has long been traversed, but the appetite for literary intellectual properties (IP) has recently skyrocketed. Many of today’s most popular scripted TV shows originated as novels, like “Slow Horses,” “Shogun,” “A Perfect Couple,” “Fool Me Once,” “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” “Presumed Innocent,” and Alfonso Cuarón’s “Disclaimer.” Bidding wars have become intense over books even a year before their release or completion. In the past few weeks, Lianne Moriarty’s latest book “Here One Day” was acquired by Fifth Season with Nicole Kidman set to star again, and Netflix has commissioned another adaptation of “Pride & Prejudice.” Disney+ premiered “Rivals” to great acclaim. Could we be seeing a Jilly Cooper multiverse soon?
Navigating the Downturn: “Lighter” Procedurals
At Mipcom, it seemed that crime was prevalent throughout the day, or so it appeared for many sellers. Out of the 18 scripted series presented by major players beyond the U.S., eight were procedurals. However, these shows have taken on a new mood. For instance, “The Crow Girl” follows a female Bristol police detective pursuing a serial killer who discards bodies in public areas, but an integral aspect of this drama revolves around her personal life, including a struggling artist husband and their monotonous home life filled with leftover cold pizza evenings. As crime stories have become less grim, Global Screen’s “Recipes for Love and Murder” combines culinary delights with criminal investigations. In “Sherlock & Daughter,” the classic detective Sherlock collaborates with Moriarty using his unexpected offspring as assistance.
“Blue Sky” Dramas
Moving towards a wider range of viewers, murder mystery dramas are expanding their geographical horizons. “Tom & Lola” combines the procedural crime genre with heartwarming family elements, catering to the current trend for lighter crime narratives that incorporate humor and suspense. Mediawan Rights describes one of its most anticipated Mipcom releases in this manner. It’s also based in Aix en Provence, southern France. Similarly, “Weiss & Morales,” a police show supported by German public broadcaster ZDF and Spanish broadcaster RTVE, offers more than just blue skies; it presents the beautiful Canary Islands with their stunning ocean views, the clear Atlantic Ocean frequently featured in promotional materials.
Top-Tier Scripted Content is Still in Demand
Peak TV might be experiencing a decline due to reduced spending by streamers and TV networks; however, there remains a strong demand for premium scripted content. During a conversation with EbMaster’s co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton, All3Media’s CEO Jane Turton mentioned that the company, renowned for “The Traitors,” is planning to increase its production of scripted content, acknowledging that it would be highly competitive and challenging as audiences have grown more discerning. Turton hinted at upcoming announcements, suggesting that they may involve multiple scripted projects or labels. Similarly, major European groups like Mediawan and Studiocanal are investing in tentpole English language series. Mediawan fully financed “The Count of Monte Cristo,” directed by Bille August, while Studiocanal established a label for high-budget shows such as “Paris has Fallen,” which was recently acquired by Hulu. They aim to produce more of these ambitious shows consistently in the future.
Driving Into English-Language Production
Over the past few years, renowned content creators who have produced successful non-English shows for Netflix have faced significant challenges when trying to sell these titles to major U.S. streaming platforms or studios. Given this difficulty, many other production companies besides Mediawan and Studiocanal are now focusing on English-language productions.
*The New Nostalgia
At the Palais, a massive poster of the vintage BBC Studios game show “The Weakest Link” caught your eye, making it seem as though Mipcom had traveled back in time by two decades. However, this nostalgic vibe persisted within the market, with France TV promoting their upcoming “Zorro” series featuring Jean Dujardin (starring as the lead) on Paramount+ and one of the new formats being peddled was a game show inspired by “Friends,” originating from Warner Bros.
Spain: Powerhouse Recognition
The honor bestowed upon Spain as a Country of Honor was accompanied by numerous studies and statistics that affirmed Spain’s rise as a dominant force in European television. Content originating from Spain is estimated to have generated approximately $5.1 billion in global streaming revenue over the past four years, according to a report by ICEX/Parrot. In 2023, Spain ranked second in Europe in terms of investment in original content on global streamers, behind only the U.K., as reported by the European Audiovisual Observatory. The Wit announced at Cannes that Spain held the top spot for non-English language originals in 2024. As streaming platforms increasingly rely on “safe” global languages, Spanish-language orders saw a significant surge of 150% between January and June 2024 compared to the first half of 2023, as reported by Ampere Analysis. Spain also accounted for 49% of Netflix’s Spanish-language offerings, making it the most popular source of Spanish-language content on the platform, according to Omdia at Mipcom.
In Europe, The Global Streamers Aren’t the Only VOD Act in Town
According to research conducted by Glance, European broadcasters’ streaming platforms now boast a more extensive online library than global streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. For instance, BBC’s iPlayer sees approximately 10,000 daily views – a figure that has nearly tripled in the past two years compared to Netflix’s 4,800, Amazon Prime Video’s 2,400, and Disney+’s 900. Interestingly, these streaming platforms are drawing a slightly younger audience than their traditional linear services. To illustrate, the average viewer age on ITV’s linear service is 59 years old, whereas for ITVX (their VOD service), it’s 51. However, there has been an uptick in ITX’s average viewer age by four years since 2023, while the average age of viewers on their linear service remains unchanged.
And the Wheels of Business Are Still Turning
Below, 20 or so of the biggest deals unveiled at 2024’s Mipcom:
MediaPro Studio’s Laura Fernández Espeso and JC Acosta recently revealed an impressive lineup of eight English-language projects. This lineup includes John Turturro, Melissa Leo, the creators of “24” and “The Floor,” an Academy Award winner, executive producers from “Homeland” and “The Handmaid’s Tale,” directors of “Mafia Spies” and “Dear Lemon Lima,” and a novelist whose work is being adapted in “Palm Home Royale.
In a new adaptation, featuring Eddie Redmayne, the internationally acclaimed “The Day of the Jackal” is set to air in almost 200 countries worldwide, with NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handling distribution at Mipcom.
*Made by Euston Films, a Fremantle company, train set BBC One thriller “Nightsleeper,” starring Alexandra Roach and Joe Cole and, will launch in 147 countries around the world. A 90-country roll-out is reckoned a smash hit.
*On Monday at Mipcom, one of the largest European packages is being signaled as “Mozart/Mozart,” a major series from Story House Pictures in Germany, creators of the hit “Sisi” on Beta Film/RTL. This production has been taken on by Germany’s ARD and its Austrian counterpart ORF.
*”Downton Abbey” alum Hugh Bonneville has joined espionage thriller ‘The Agency’ at Showtime.
Beta Film and Grupo Globo have sealed a long-term collaboration in film production, initiating it with “Discipline,” a project from the Sintonia team and Janeiro Studios.
As a passionate movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that Anonymous Content has teamed up with Brouhaha Entertainment, the powerhouse behind “Boy Swallows Universe,” to launch a brand-new collaboration in the lands down under – Australia and New Zealand. This exciting joint venture promises a wealth of captivating cinematic experiences for us all!
Patrick Nebout’s latest production, “DramaNotion,” in partnership with “Leonine’s Odeon Fiction,” is set to produce an English-language satire and murder mystery titled “The Production House.” This project humorously takes aim at the film industry.
*Global Paramount Corporation has sealed a long-term agreement for bulk purchases with the influential media company, BeIN Media Group, based in Qatar.
The suspenseful television series “The Couple Next Door,” produced by Beta Film, has sealed significant distribution agreements in over 55 different countries – including deals with Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and Starz in North America.
ZDF Studios and BlackBox Multimedia are teaming up to create the romantic comedy-drama titled “The Cozy Italian Inn.
As a passionate cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that the hit show “Last One Laughing” is getting a twist! This time, it’s moving into the realm of reality TV, complete with hidden cameras, on Prime Video France. Can’t wait to see the laughter unfold in real life!
As a cinephile, I’m thrilled to share that SAM Productions under Studiocanal has finally set a shoot date for the captivating Danish royal drama, ‘By the Grace of God.’ Additionally, they are busy preparing ‘Britta,’ another intriguing project from the talented Adam Price, who was instrumental in creating the beloved series ‘Borgen.’
Fremantle has started selling “Mozart: Rise of a Genius” in initial key markets, marking the beginning of its release for the BBC documentary.
The Ken Burns’ Leonardo Da Vinci series made its debut at Mipcom, having already been purchased in advance by the U.K.’s BBC, Germany’s ZDF Arte and Sky New Zealand.
Banijay Rights, Diagonal TV (a Banijay Iberia label), and Crescendo Media Production have collaborated on the production of the feature documentary titled “The Silence of the Earth.
Rakuten TV announced their Enterprise Services, designed to aid content owners in establishing streaming applications and Fast-moving video channels.
As a passionate movie enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined forces with ZDF Studios for global distribution of “Lume,” an edge-of-your-seat eco-thriller. This gripping tale unfolds against the backdrop of the devastating wildfires that plague the border region between Portugal and Spain.
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2024-10-24 15:18