“It’s commendable that C21 was able to organize a market in a few short months,” said content buyer Cida Goncalves about the very first Content Americas TV market, which is, at least for this year, taking the place of NATPE (which was typically held in late January). Goncalves, who is at the Miami market, which takes place January 24-26, as an invited buyer of content for her distribution pipe, added: “I think the market is successful and will continue.” Others we spoke with felt similarly.
Still, while it seems clear that Content Americas is being accepted by the international TV industry, what remains to be seen is what Brunico, the Canadian publisher that acquired the NATPE brand, will be doing in 2024. Brunico organizes the Kidscreen market, which will be held February 12-15, 2023 in Miami. Might it return to Miami next year and be combined with NATPE (as a sort of MIP-TV and MipJunior)? If so, the January-February market calendar will be very crowded indeed. Brunico’s top executive has been spotted at the Content Americas venue, the Hilton Downtown Miami, but the purpose of his visit is unclear.
For now, Content Americas is savoring its success, which has been attributed to three main factors. First is the fact that industry people like to be in Miami. Second is that the January market is an ideal place to follow up with folks that people met at the recently concluded MIP Cancun. And last is the fact that the market organizers offered a discount to those who pre-paid (and were never reimbursed) for the NATPE 2022 show that was ultimately cancelled.
That Miami is a favorite venue for a LatAm market is apparent by the fact that only a few exhibitors here at Content Americas have anything new that wasn’t already offered to buyers at November’s MIP Cancun, and yet the same buyers and sellers happily came together again to see each other at this new market. But in Cancun the exhibitors merely showed their new catalogs. Here in Miami, many have reported that they are actually getting contracts signed.
Surprisingly, there is also a good Canadian presence, with companies like Just For Laughs, which attended as a last-minute decision, according to Chief Content Revenue Officer Marina Di Pancrazio. Others, like TLN and Film One Media, had been planning to attend for a while.
Pictured above are a few snapshots from Content Americas, including the registration area, the conference hall, a touch of the L.A. Screenings (the food trucks, a signature during the studios’ screenings), the market floor, and the welcoming party.
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