MIP-TV is traditionally a whirlwind of activities. And this year promises to be even more hectic due to the addition of the new CanneSeries. But the market is ultimately about doing business — exhibitors and content acquisition executives go to there to sell their shows. And buyers attend to purchase much-needed TV fare. For VideoAge, facilitating the buying and selling process is of primary importance, and for this reason it reached out to Laurine Garaude, director, Television Division of MIP-TV organizer, Reed MIDEM, to detail this process.
VideoAge International: How many buyers do you expect to attend?
Laurine Garaude: We are currently tracking at the same level as 2017, so we expect around 3,800 buyers, of which some 1,104 are acquiring digital rights. The new Junior@MIPTV, with its focus on live-action programming, has generated a lot of interest from acquisition executives working in the Kids genre. The combination of CanneSeries with its 10 world premieres in competition, alongside MIP-TV, and its MIPDrama Buyers’ Summit, which includes six world premieres of international drama series in production, and the new In Development initiative to promote early-stage drama projects, has been particularly well received by program buyers.
VAI: Can you divide percentages by territories?
LG: The breakdown of attending buyers looks like this — Western Europe: 53 percent; Eastern Europe: 20 percent; Northern Europe (Scandinavia): seven percent; Mediterranean Europe: 20 percent; Asia Pacific: 14 percent; Americas: 11 percent; Middle East and Africa: seven percent.
VAI: In addition to programs to buy, what else will attract buyers to MIP-TV this year?
LG: Obviously, the 3,800 buyers who attend MIP-TV are in Cannes to acquire shows. In addition, the wide range of programming available and the multitude of broadcasters that attend the event from over 100 countries means that acquisition executives can track new programming trends that may influence their acquisition strategies in the months to come.
One of the advantages of attending MIP-TV as a buyer is that it provides access to projects at every stage of development. While some companies may focus on completed programming, others may want to take the co-production path or buy into a project at the development stage.
MIP-TV’s array of pitching sessions, co-production forums, and conferences provide invaluable insight into new projects and programming trends which are of significant value to buyers. In the drama sector, 2018 offers unparalleled opportunities for buyers to keep in touch with new projects via the new In Development, the Cannes Creative Drama Forum, the Drama Co-Production Summit, and the ever-popular Fresh TV Fiction presentation revealing the trends and hot dramas from around the world.
VAI: Why do you think that this MIP-TV is going to be the best ever?
LG: MIP-TV has an established reputation for bringing together the international companies operating in television and digital content from over 100 countries each April.
From a business point of view, it is the leading event of its kind in the first half of the year, with MIPCOM leading the way in the second half. This year sees the launch of the new CanneSeries international series festival with its public screenings and competition celebrating the best series from around the world. CanneSeries adds a further level of glamour and discovery of these series both for industry experts and the general public.
Together, MIP-TV and CanneSeries are launching an exciting new initiative called In Development, a two-day Cannes Drama Creative Forum to fast-track drama production on an international level.
When you take the vast array of new programming across all genres, the various screenings offered by CanneSeries, MIPDoc and the MIPDrama Buyers’ Summit, the exciting Médailles d’Honneur celebration of great industry leaders, the expanded Junior@MIPTV program with the International Emmy® Kids Awards, and the range of breath-taking new VR, AR, 4K or 8K technology, you begin to see why we believe MIP-TV 2018 will be an exceptional event.
VAI: Finally, how many exhibitors do you expect?
LG: We expect over 1,450 exhibiting companies, including over 60 new exhibitors.
In conclusion, VideoAge can report that, with 3,800 buyers and 1,450 exhibiting sales companies, MIP-TV offers a buyer-to-seller ratio of about 3:1 (5:1 is considered the highest level for the TV sector). In addition, based on past editions, MIP-TV also offers good “Total Order Value” results.
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