As buyers touch down at Lax for the annual LA Screenings, it will be a case of a return to the norm following the unusual circumstances of last year. The Hollywood labor strikes not only threw confusion on what would be a realistic purchase, but also stopped acquisitions executives getting face time (and a quick selfie) with acting and writing talent — something many value as part of their buying process.
There will be no such issues this year, and the studio sales bosses are relishing a return to the norm. “We’re really excited, it feels like we’re really back after the strikes and firing on all cylinders,” says David Decker, President of Content Sales for Warner Bros. Discovery (Wbd). “We have an abundance of titles that run the gamut of broadcast and streaming in drama and comedy. We’ll be showing the best of what Wbd stands for.
There will be no such issues this year, and the studio sales bosses are relishing a return to the norm. “We’re really excited, it feels like we’re really back after the strikes and firing on all cylinders,” says David Decker, President of Content Sales for Warner Bros. Discovery (Wbd). “We have an abundance of titles that run the gamut of broadcast and streaming in drama and comedy. We’ll be showing the best of what Wbd stands for.
- 5/17/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
When an estimated 1,000 international TV buyers descend on Los Angeles for the annual TV event known as the LA Screenings, they will see a contracted market still recovering from the twin Hollywood strikes of last year and, to a somewhat lesser extent, the pandemic.
It kicks off with the LA Screenings Independents, held May 15-17 for smaller studios and distributors at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, which are then followed by screenings at the major studios’ respective lots across May 18-22 where they present their latest shows. They may also host a variety of events for their clients during those days, which may include cocktail receptions and luncheons or dinners with talent and executives.
While stalled projects ramped up as soon as the strikes ended, some delays were inevitable. “A couple of months ago I was wondering if we were going to be entertaining [buyers],” says Lisa Kramer, president, International Content Licensing,...
It kicks off with the LA Screenings Independents, held May 15-17 for smaller studios and distributors at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, which are then followed by screenings at the major studios’ respective lots across May 18-22 where they present their latest shows. They may also host a variety of events for their clients during those days, which may include cocktail receptions and luncheons or dinners with talent and executives.
While stalled projects ramped up as soon as the strikes ended, some delays were inevitable. “A couple of months ago I was wondering if we were going to be entertaining [buyers],” says Lisa Kramer, president, International Content Licensing,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
The Banff World Media Festival has added CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach to its ‘In Conversation With’ session lineup ahead of its 45th edition in June.
On Thursday, the Canadian Rockies festival also announced as additional speakers Lisa Kramer, president, international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution; Asif Sadiq, chief global diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Warner Bros. Discovery; and Cori Wellins, William Morris Endeavor partner, for the June 9 to 12 gathering in Banff, Alberta.
Also joining the Banff lineup is Gold House CEO Bing Chen and Sandra Dewey, COO of Media Res as festival headliners during a conference expected to focus this year on international financing and co-productions for global TV content.
Banff earlier announced that Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group chairman and CEO, and Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment keynote speakers this year. Their appearance in Banff comes as Hollywood’s studios and streamers emerge...
On Thursday, the Canadian Rockies festival also announced as additional speakers Lisa Kramer, president, international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution; Asif Sadiq, chief global diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Warner Bros. Discovery; and Cori Wellins, William Morris Endeavor partner, for the June 9 to 12 gathering in Banff, Alberta.
Also joining the Banff lineup is Gold House CEO Bing Chen and Sandra Dewey, COO of Media Res as festival headliners during a conference expected to focus this year on international financing and co-productions for global TV content.
Banff earlier announced that Channing Dungey, Warner Bros. Television Group chairman and CEO, and Rob Wade, CEO of Fox Entertainment keynote speakers this year. Their appearance in Banff comes as Hollywood’s studios and streamers emerge...
- 4/18/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Banff World Media Festival has added more names to its lineup.
The event, which runs June 9 – 12 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada, has added executives including CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach.
Reisenbach will sit down for an In Conversation With session to speak about the network’s 2024/25 programming strategy.
Elsewhere, Bing Chen, CEO & Co-Founder, Gold House, Sandra Dewey, COO, Media Res, Lisa Kramer, President, International TV Licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution, Asif Sadiq, Chief Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery and Cori Wellins, Partner, William Morris Endeavor.
They join the likes of Fox CEO Rob Wade, Warner Bros. TV boss Channing Dungey, Lionsgate’s Television Chair and Chief Creative Officer Kevin Beggs, Universal Television Alternative Studio President Toby Gorman, Universal International Studios and UCP President Beatrice Springborn and Universal Television President Erin Underhill at the event.
“We’re thrilled to welcome these...
The event, which runs June 9 – 12 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alberta, Canada, has added executives including CBS Entertainment President Amy Reisenbach.
Reisenbach will sit down for an In Conversation With session to speak about the network’s 2024/25 programming strategy.
Elsewhere, Bing Chen, CEO & Co-Founder, Gold House, Sandra Dewey, COO, Media Res, Lisa Kramer, President, International TV Licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution, Asif Sadiq, Chief Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery and Cori Wellins, Partner, William Morris Endeavor.
They join the likes of Fox CEO Rob Wade, Warner Bros. TV boss Channing Dungey, Lionsgate’s Television Chair and Chief Creative Officer Kevin Beggs, Universal Television Alternative Studio President Toby Gorman, Universal International Studios and UCP President Beatrice Springborn and Universal Television President Erin Underhill at the event.
“We’re thrilled to welcome these...
- 4/18/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Good afternoon Insiders, Jesse Whittock with you in London, where the TV world has decamped this week for a series of screenings. Read on, and sign up for the newsletter here.
Unpacking The BritBox Deal & London TV Screenings
Beeb bags BritBox: As we expected, the big news in international entertainment came out of London this week. However, while we were assuming the biggest deal would be a program package emerging from the London TV Screenings (more on that below), BBC Studios and ITV surprised everyone this morning with some tasty M&a. A regulatory statement to the London Stock Exchange revealed the BBC’s commercial arm had paid £255M ($322M) to acquire ITV’s 50% shareholding in their joint venture, best-of-British streamer BritBox International. This, we hear, is the biggest single transaction in BBC Studios’ history and marks a new direction for the seven-year old streamer, which is profitable and has...
Unpacking The BritBox Deal & London TV Screenings
Beeb bags BritBox: As we expected, the big news in international entertainment came out of London this week. However, while we were assuming the biggest deal would be a program package emerging from the London TV Screenings (more on that below), BBC Studios and ITV surprised everyone this morning with some tasty M&a. A regulatory statement to the London Stock Exchange revealed the BBC’s commercial arm had paid £255M ($322M) to acquire ITV’s 50% shareholding in their joint venture, best-of-British streamer BritBox International. This, we hear, is the biggest single transaction in BBC Studios’ history and marks a new direction for the seven-year old streamer, which is profitable and has...
- 3/1/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The news when Deadline speaks to Lisa Kramer is the launch of a Paramount+ branded hub with African pay-tv giant MultiChoice. But a conversation with the President, International TV Licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution (Pgcd), offers a much wider insight into the world of TV in 2024.
The African launch is a case in point. The tie-up sees the Showmax owner ink a deal for a Paramount+ hub, bringing a raft of the studio’s content together in a branded block that will be available across the pay TV giant’s pan-African footprint. The deal puts the Paramount+ brand front and center, and hands MultiChoice content from CBS, Showtime, Paramount+ and Paramount Pictures ranging from Yellowstone to Poker Face to Special Ops: Lioness and Survivor.
The deal is indicative of a new approach to Paramount+. Rolling out a standalone Paramount+ service comes with hefty launch and operational costs and...
The African launch is a case in point. The tie-up sees the Showmax owner ink a deal for a Paramount+ hub, bringing a raft of the studio’s content together in a branded block that will be available across the pay TV giant’s pan-African footprint. The deal puts the Paramount+ brand front and center, and hands MultiChoice content from CBS, Showtime, Paramount+ and Paramount Pictures ranging from Yellowstone to Poker Face to Special Ops: Lioness and Survivor.
The deal is indicative of a new approach to Paramount+. Rolling out a standalone Paramount+ service comes with hefty launch and operational costs and...
- 2/26/2024
- by Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
With its streaming operations facing scrutiny as 2024 gets under way, Paramount Global continues to pursue a diversified approach to distributing its flagship, Paramount+.
Pam Kaufman, President and CEO, International Markets, Global Consumer Products & Experiences, and Lisa Kramer, President, International TV Licensing, elaborated on the strategy during an appearance Wednesday at NATPE Global in Miami.
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish, who rose through the ranks at the company as an international exec, has evinced the potential of “hard bundles” in many territories. In addition to those deals with Canal Plus and other operators, the company is selling Paramount+ direct to consumers and also looking to create “brand hubs” via licensing deals in places where P+ is not otherwise available.
During the session, Kramer announced two new branded hub partners: Tap Digital Media Ventures in the Philippines and JioCinema in India. Tap Dmv will create a Paramount+ brand extension for licensed Paramount content on its SVOD service,...
Pam Kaufman, President and CEO, International Markets, Global Consumer Products & Experiences, and Lisa Kramer, President, International TV Licensing, elaborated on the strategy during an appearance Wednesday at NATPE Global in Miami.
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish, who rose through the ranks at the company as an international exec, has evinced the potential of “hard bundles” in many territories. In addition to those deals with Canal Plus and other operators, the company is selling Paramount+ direct to consumers and also looking to create “brand hubs” via licensing deals in places where P+ is not otherwise available.
During the session, Kramer announced two new branded hub partners: Tap Digital Media Ventures in the Philippines and JioCinema in India. Tap Dmv will create a Paramount+ brand extension for licensed Paramount content on its SVOD service,...
- 1/17/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The Banff Television Festival Foundation has added Paramount Global’s Lisa Kramer, Bing Chen of Au Holdings and A+E Networks’ Patrick Vien to its board of directors.
Kramer is president, international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution, while Chen serves as executive chairman and founder and Au Holdings and CEO and co-founder of Gold House. Chen was earlier YouTube’s global head of creator development.
Rounding out the new additions is Vien, group managing director, international, at A+E Networks, whose brands include A&e, History, Blaze, Crime & Investigation and Lifetime.
The trio will join the board of directors led by Lionsgate Television Group head Kevin Beggs ahead of the 45th edition of the Banff festival to run June 9 to 12, 2024. To make way for the new board members, Sandra Dewey, former WarnerMedia president of business operations and productions for HBO Max, TNT, TBS and truTV, is stepping down from her position in the boardroom.
Kramer is president, international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution, while Chen serves as executive chairman and founder and Au Holdings and CEO and co-founder of Gold House. Chen was earlier YouTube’s global head of creator development.
Rounding out the new additions is Vien, group managing director, international, at A+E Networks, whose brands include A&e, History, Blaze, Crime & Investigation and Lifetime.
The trio will join the board of directors led by Lionsgate Television Group head Kevin Beggs ahead of the 45th edition of the Banff festival to run June 9 to 12, 2024. To make way for the new board members, Sandra Dewey, former WarnerMedia president of business operations and productions for HBO Max, TNT, TBS and truTV, is stepping down from her position in the boardroom.
- 1/11/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Conference
An in conversation event with Paramount Global executives Pam Kaufman, president and CEO of international markets and global consumer products and experiences, and Lisa Kramer, president of international TV licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution, has been added to the NATPE Global conference.
Jens Richter, Fremantle’s CEO of commercial and international and Paulo Koelle, head of Prime Video Latin America, Amazon Studios have also joined the speaker lineup. Other executives who have recently been confirmed include Jeff Sagansky, Sky’s group director of acquisitions, Katie Keenan, Acf Investment Bank’s Richard Gray, Satmohan Panesar, commissioner, factual, ITV Studios, Michael Schmidt, president, Sipur and Ilan Arboleda, co-founder and producer, CreativeChaos vmg.
Speakers also include Patricia Jasin, country manager Colombia and head of international distribution for Warner Bros. Discovery, Latin America/U.S. Hispanic, Sandra Smester, executive VP, programming and content, NBCUniversal Telemundo, Susanne Frank, director of Drama at Zdf Studios and Lindsay Stewart,...
An in conversation event with Paramount Global executives Pam Kaufman, president and CEO of international markets and global consumer products and experiences, and Lisa Kramer, president of international TV licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution, has been added to the NATPE Global conference.
Jens Richter, Fremantle’s CEO of commercial and international and Paulo Koelle, head of Prime Video Latin America, Amazon Studios have also joined the speaker lineup. Other executives who have recently been confirmed include Jeff Sagansky, Sky’s group director of acquisitions, Katie Keenan, Acf Investment Bank’s Richard Gray, Satmohan Panesar, commissioner, factual, ITV Studios, Michael Schmidt, president, Sipur and Ilan Arboleda, co-founder and producer, CreativeChaos vmg.
Speakers also include Patricia Jasin, country manager Colombia and head of international distribution for Warner Bros. Discovery, Latin America/U.S. Hispanic, Sandra Smester, executive VP, programming and content, NBCUniversal Telemundo, Susanne Frank, director of Drama at Zdf Studios and Lindsay Stewart,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Good afternoon Insiders. We’re back after a busy week in Cannes and Max Goldbart is here helming your weekly dose of news and analysis. Read on and sign up here.
Conflict Week Two
Here for the long haul: We are approaching the two-week anniversary of the bloody Hamas massacre on Israel, and there is now a terrifying recognition that the region is in it for the long haul. This week has been about attempted damage limitation as Israel takes revenge on its attackers and Western nations rush to stem the flow of a crisis that is so far estimated to have claimed around 5,000 lives. Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have both visited, attempting to walk a tightrope in pledging their support for Israel while stressing the need for international law to be observed and innocent Palestinian lives to be spared. Biden was the most successful, securing...
Conflict Week Two
Here for the long haul: We are approaching the two-week anniversary of the bloody Hamas massacre on Israel, and there is now a terrifying recognition that the region is in it for the long haul. This week has been about attempted damage limitation as Israel takes revenge on its attackers and Western nations rush to stem the flow of a crisis that is so far estimated to have claimed around 5,000 lives. Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have both visited, attempting to walk a tightrope in pledging their support for Israel while stressing the need for international law to be observed and innocent Palestinian lives to be spared. Biden was the most successful, securing...
- 10/20/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Another Mipcom is nearing the finish line, with tired and weary sales execs catching their flights or following up on leads from the comfort of their own homes or offices today. Set against a backdrop of ongoing labor action in the U.S. and a European TV sector hit hard by recession, the annual Cannes confab was billed as one that would prove content licensing was back with a bang (more on that below) and there was evidence of this on the ground. The focus on co-productions and emerging technologies such as AI and Fast channels also pointed to a mixed ecology for international TV, as sales houses looked for new ways to distribute their content. There was much talk of how the era of content mega-spend is over, with expensive limited miniseries not expected to be a key focus for streamers going forwards.. Here, we’ve boiled down the key trends and talking points from telly’s biggest get-together.
Correction & contraction L to R: Paramount’s Dan Cohen, Lisa Kramer and Bob Bakish
It was all anyone could talk about really. As buyers sniffed out the best deals and sellers gathered to flog their wares, there was an across-the-board recognition that never again will the market be able to sustain the mass proliferation of content that hit the TV industry in the early part of this decade. With market correction comes falling budgets and content licensing has only become more crucial (remember the forecasted death of distribution?), attendees said time and time again, reiterating the importance that Mipcom plays in the annual TV calendar. Paramount boss Bob Bakish (above right) used his Personality of the Year acceptance speech to passionately reaffirm the Yellowstone giant’s commitment to content licensing. “While our peers were pulling back content and putting up walled gardens, we never left,” he said. BBC Studios distribution boss Rebecca Glashow, meanwhile, was bullish in the face of the contraction, positing that “moments like this are when creativity comes back for the industry” on a panel alongside content boss Ralph Lee. Those Deadline spoke with in private were perhaps a little less bullish, with many uncertain about the futures of their respective local production businesses and the wider international TV sector. With the actors strike rumbling on, there was a general feeling of concern that buyers are rowing back to the extent that the production sector may have to quite dramatically shrink, while commissioners’ current penchant for risk aversion was repeatedly raised as “problematic.” The death of the high-end limited series was floated by many, as buyers stressed the need for populist content that can be returnable at a decent price point. The phrase “escapist content” was uttered to us more than once. This also follows the line we’ve heard several times over recent months that while the labor strikes could have alerted U.S. producers to the cheaper costs of shooting in Europe, it hasn’t actually played out that way. On a Deadline-chaired panel yesterday, The X Files EP Frank Spotnitz said budgets had become “obnoxious” in recent years following the entrance of the streamers, as he communicated fears that recent industry diversity gains could be impacted by these shifts. There was a sense, from producers, that they will need to hold firm and ride this out, with commissioning levels over the coming 12 months very hard to predict.
Eva the professional Eva Longoria and Cris Abrego during their keynote on Monday
Delegates crammed into the Grand Auditorium on Monday afternoon to catch sight of Desperate Housewives actress, producer and activist Eva Longoria, who used her keynote alongside Banijay Americas Chair Cris Abrego to announce a Banijay-backed venture, Hyphenate Media Group. The name represents the multi-hyphenate working lives of its owners — Longoria referred to herself as a “producer-director who fell into acting,” while Abrego is known for his formational role in Hollywood-made reality TV, C-suite roles and as a best-selling author. “That multi-hyphenate is not surviving in Hollywood because the industry wants you to stay in your lane, particularly women,” said Longoria of why she launched the new biz. “I realized it’s not just me who feels this way. I know creators who are being suffocated by the system so Hyphenate will create the ultimate model.” Abrego remains in his role at Banijay, which brought dozens of top-level execs to Cannes, and will divide his time between the jobs. Hyphenate has also consolidated Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment into the fold. On stage, the pair used the word “hyphenate” a dizzying amount of times, with Abrego explaining that both have had to duck and weave through Hollywood to become two of the town’s highest profile Latino entertainment figures. Elsewhere, the ever-captivating EbonyLife CEO Mo Abudu touched on similar themes of othering when she called out commissioners for refusing to consider African stories — and, by extension, budgets — in the same breath as those from the U.S. and Europe.
To the Max
At Deadline Towers at least, there had been real anticipation about Gerhard Zeiler’s Monday Morning Media Mastermind address. Appearing alongside Emea streaming chief Leah Hooper Rosa, the Warner Bros. Discovery (Wbd) President of International came into his talk off the back of a series of top-levels management departures and with the industry itching to learn when they could expect Max to replace HBO Max internationally. Zeiler dealt with the second point in detail but not the first. He revealed 22 Max launches in Europe next year (these territories already have HBO Max) along with a second wave later in 2024 that will include France and Belgium. Zeiler also touched on synergies. When Warner Bros and Discovery merged, David Zaslav talked about $3B in savings through synergies, and though the company has faced huge criticism for thousands of redundancies, yanking shows off of streamers and cancelling film releases to service that strategy, the figure has steadily risen. Zeiler, somewhat provocatively, revealed the $3B figure was now “on the way” to $5B, adding: “Who knows where we will end up?” However, there was nothing was said on the exits of Priya Dogra, Robert Blair and others in Europe, which was somewhat surprising given the high-profile nature of these departures.
Kids are alright “Cocomelon”
Never has owning recognizable IP been more important, and in few genres is IP more important than in children’s. With a well-attended Mip Junior once again preceding the main confab, multiple sources told Deadline they were eager to push into the sometimes-lucrative kids content game, and execs from the likes of Candle Media-backed Cocomelon outfit Moonbug spoke confidently. The recent rejig in streamer focus from subscriber growth to retention is a boon for kids content, one producer suggested. “Now it’s all about keeping families on the platform, and you need a strong children’s library to do that,” they added. Recent moves from some of the European majors in this space have been intriguing. Just prior to Mipcom, Studiocanal promoted TV boss Françoise Guyonnet to CEO Copyrights Group and EVP Kids’ Brands, signaling a move into children’s IP, while BBC Studios’ Lee and Glashow talked up the outfit’s recent decision to commercialize its kids production outfit. “Broadcasters and commissioners are falling back behind known IP,” added Lee of the thinking behind the decision. Kids IP is certainly known, and it appears we’ll be hearing plenty more from this section of the market over the coming months.
Deals & projects
Mipcom has changed a fair bit over the years and TV deals really have become a 365-days-per-year business but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some juicy handshakes and buzzy projects for delegates to their teeth into through the early part of the week. Leading the charge, we revealed James Franco-starring Mena TV series penned by Shades of Blue scribe Adi Hasak. On Sunday, we told you about Beach House Pictures doc Lost and Banijay Rights taking on Shine director Scott Hicks‘ projects about musician Ben Folds. Mediawan struck European deals for high-profile premiere series Zorro, Fremantle did similar for Channel 4 format The Piano and Planet Earth III sold to Australia. Perhaps the most fun market project doing the rounds was our exclusive on The Wombles being remade for TV, while we also brought news of Fast & Furious star Sung Kang’s The Ride Life doc series, a feature on Israel’s Supernova Music festival – site of the October 7 massacre – and Vix’s Todo Lo Que Fuimos. Plenty more here.
By the numbers Valery Hache/Afp via Getty Images
According to organizer Rx France, the 39th edition of the international sales and co-pro market attracted 11,000 executives from 100 countries, up by 200 from the 2022 figure. It’s always hard to know exactly how accurate figures like this are with an event of this scale, but it’s impossible to deny there wasn’t buzz and activity around non-stop. Keynotes were well attended and occasionally standing-room only but some still have seating sections closed off to fill space closer to speakers. Crucially, Rx noted more than 3,500 buyers were in town, which is important given all the talk around the return of third-party sales and co-pros. “Given the buzz from the stands, what the leaders have said on stage, and the sheer volume of content deals done, it is clear that third party sales and distribution are back,” was the way Mipcom Cannes Director Lucy Smith put it in a statement. “That concentration of activity in one place, at one time, can only be a catalyst to the international market overall,” she added. One criticism we heard on the ground from several sources was a perceived lack of U.S. companies present — though with the likes of Paramount and NBCUniversal coming out in force, and Disney back on the block in a more visible way, Rx might push back against that. Deadline also understands Netflix sent a small delegation, who kept fairly under the radar. The company can also point to its statistic that U.S. buyers made up the largest chunk, followed by the UK, France, Germany and Spain. Other numbers to chew on: More than 320 companies exhibited in and around the Palais des Festivals, including 31 pavilions (50 made their market debuts). China sent its biggest delegation since 2019 as it was named Country of Honour, comprising more than 300 delegates from 40 companies. Middle Eastern participation was up 50% year-on-year, a surprising stat given Israeli companies didn’t attend due to the ongoing conflict there, but we hear there was more presence from Turkey, the UAE and the wider Gcc region offsetting that fall. Security was tight with France on high alert following the murder of a school teacher following the Hamas-led attack on Israel, and queues to enter the Palais often snaked well back towards the marina. As Deadline headed out of town, eight airports (six when at the time of reporting yesterday) including the Cannes-friendly Nice, were evacuated as security threats were identified. Smith addressed the conflict just prior to Zeiler’s Monday keynote, saying her heart goes out to the thousands who have died and stressing the additional security.
Correction & contraction L to R: Paramount’s Dan Cohen, Lisa Kramer and Bob Bakish
It was all anyone could talk about really. As buyers sniffed out the best deals and sellers gathered to flog their wares, there was an across-the-board recognition that never again will the market be able to sustain the mass proliferation of content that hit the TV industry in the early part of this decade. With market correction comes falling budgets and content licensing has only become more crucial (remember the forecasted death of distribution?), attendees said time and time again, reiterating the importance that Mipcom plays in the annual TV calendar. Paramount boss Bob Bakish (above right) used his Personality of the Year acceptance speech to passionately reaffirm the Yellowstone giant’s commitment to content licensing. “While our peers were pulling back content and putting up walled gardens, we never left,” he said. BBC Studios distribution boss Rebecca Glashow, meanwhile, was bullish in the face of the contraction, positing that “moments like this are when creativity comes back for the industry” on a panel alongside content boss Ralph Lee. Those Deadline spoke with in private were perhaps a little less bullish, with many uncertain about the futures of their respective local production businesses and the wider international TV sector. With the actors strike rumbling on, there was a general feeling of concern that buyers are rowing back to the extent that the production sector may have to quite dramatically shrink, while commissioners’ current penchant for risk aversion was repeatedly raised as “problematic.” The death of the high-end limited series was floated by many, as buyers stressed the need for populist content that can be returnable at a decent price point. The phrase “escapist content” was uttered to us more than once. This also follows the line we’ve heard several times over recent months that while the labor strikes could have alerted U.S. producers to the cheaper costs of shooting in Europe, it hasn’t actually played out that way. On a Deadline-chaired panel yesterday, The X Files EP Frank Spotnitz said budgets had become “obnoxious” in recent years following the entrance of the streamers, as he communicated fears that recent industry diversity gains could be impacted by these shifts. There was a sense, from producers, that they will need to hold firm and ride this out, with commissioning levels over the coming 12 months very hard to predict.
Eva the professional Eva Longoria and Cris Abrego during their keynote on Monday
Delegates crammed into the Grand Auditorium on Monday afternoon to catch sight of Desperate Housewives actress, producer and activist Eva Longoria, who used her keynote alongside Banijay Americas Chair Cris Abrego to announce a Banijay-backed venture, Hyphenate Media Group. The name represents the multi-hyphenate working lives of its owners — Longoria referred to herself as a “producer-director who fell into acting,” while Abrego is known for his formational role in Hollywood-made reality TV, C-suite roles and as a best-selling author. “That multi-hyphenate is not surviving in Hollywood because the industry wants you to stay in your lane, particularly women,” said Longoria of why she launched the new biz. “I realized it’s not just me who feels this way. I know creators who are being suffocated by the system so Hyphenate will create the ultimate model.” Abrego remains in his role at Banijay, which brought dozens of top-level execs to Cannes, and will divide his time between the jobs. Hyphenate has also consolidated Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment into the fold. On stage, the pair used the word “hyphenate” a dizzying amount of times, with Abrego explaining that both have had to duck and weave through Hollywood to become two of the town’s highest profile Latino entertainment figures. Elsewhere, the ever-captivating EbonyLife CEO Mo Abudu touched on similar themes of othering when she called out commissioners for refusing to consider African stories — and, by extension, budgets — in the same breath as those from the U.S. and Europe.
To the Max
At Deadline Towers at least, there had been real anticipation about Gerhard Zeiler’s Monday Morning Media Mastermind address. Appearing alongside Emea streaming chief Leah Hooper Rosa, the Warner Bros. Discovery (Wbd) President of International came into his talk off the back of a series of top-levels management departures and with the industry itching to learn when they could expect Max to replace HBO Max internationally. Zeiler dealt with the second point in detail but not the first. He revealed 22 Max launches in Europe next year (these territories already have HBO Max) along with a second wave later in 2024 that will include France and Belgium. Zeiler also touched on synergies. When Warner Bros and Discovery merged, David Zaslav talked about $3B in savings through synergies, and though the company has faced huge criticism for thousands of redundancies, yanking shows off of streamers and cancelling film releases to service that strategy, the figure has steadily risen. Zeiler, somewhat provocatively, revealed the $3B figure was now “on the way” to $5B, adding: “Who knows where we will end up?” However, there was nothing was said on the exits of Priya Dogra, Robert Blair and others in Europe, which was somewhat surprising given the high-profile nature of these departures.
Kids are alright “Cocomelon”
Never has owning recognizable IP been more important, and in few genres is IP more important than in children’s. With a well-attended Mip Junior once again preceding the main confab, multiple sources told Deadline they were eager to push into the sometimes-lucrative kids content game, and execs from the likes of Candle Media-backed Cocomelon outfit Moonbug spoke confidently. The recent rejig in streamer focus from subscriber growth to retention is a boon for kids content, one producer suggested. “Now it’s all about keeping families on the platform, and you need a strong children’s library to do that,” they added. Recent moves from some of the European majors in this space have been intriguing. Just prior to Mipcom, Studiocanal promoted TV boss Françoise Guyonnet to CEO Copyrights Group and EVP Kids’ Brands, signaling a move into children’s IP, while BBC Studios’ Lee and Glashow talked up the outfit’s recent decision to commercialize its kids production outfit. “Broadcasters and commissioners are falling back behind known IP,” added Lee of the thinking behind the decision. Kids IP is certainly known, and it appears we’ll be hearing plenty more from this section of the market over the coming months.
Deals & projects
Mipcom has changed a fair bit over the years and TV deals really have become a 365-days-per-year business but that doesn’t mean there weren’t some juicy handshakes and buzzy projects for delegates to their teeth into through the early part of the week. Leading the charge, we revealed James Franco-starring Mena TV series penned by Shades of Blue scribe Adi Hasak. On Sunday, we told you about Beach House Pictures doc Lost and Banijay Rights taking on Shine director Scott Hicks‘ projects about musician Ben Folds. Mediawan struck European deals for high-profile premiere series Zorro, Fremantle did similar for Channel 4 format The Piano and Planet Earth III sold to Australia. Perhaps the most fun market project doing the rounds was our exclusive on The Wombles being remade for TV, while we also brought news of Fast & Furious star Sung Kang’s The Ride Life doc series, a feature on Israel’s Supernova Music festival – site of the October 7 massacre – and Vix’s Todo Lo Que Fuimos. Plenty more here.
By the numbers Valery Hache/Afp via Getty Images
According to organizer Rx France, the 39th edition of the international sales and co-pro market attracted 11,000 executives from 100 countries, up by 200 from the 2022 figure. It’s always hard to know exactly how accurate figures like this are with an event of this scale, but it’s impossible to deny there wasn’t buzz and activity around non-stop. Keynotes were well attended and occasionally standing-room only but some still have seating sections closed off to fill space closer to speakers. Crucially, Rx noted more than 3,500 buyers were in town, which is important given all the talk around the return of third-party sales and co-pros. “Given the buzz from the stands, what the leaders have said on stage, and the sheer volume of content deals done, it is clear that third party sales and distribution are back,” was the way Mipcom Cannes Director Lucy Smith put it in a statement. “That concentration of activity in one place, at one time, can only be a catalyst to the international market overall,” she added. One criticism we heard on the ground from several sources was a perceived lack of U.S. companies present — though with the likes of Paramount and NBCUniversal coming out in force, and Disney back on the block in a more visible way, Rx might push back against that. Deadline also understands Netflix sent a small delegation, who kept fairly under the radar. The company can also point to its statistic that U.S. buyers made up the largest chunk, followed by the UK, France, Germany and Spain. Other numbers to chew on: More than 320 companies exhibited in and around the Palais des Festivals, including 31 pavilions (50 made their market debuts). China sent its biggest delegation since 2019 as it was named Country of Honour, comprising more than 300 delegates from 40 companies. Middle Eastern participation was up 50% year-on-year, a surprising stat given Israeli companies didn’t attend due to the ongoing conflict there, but we hear there was more presence from Turkey, the UAE and the wider Gcc region offsetting that fall. Security was tight with France on high alert following the murder of a school teacher following the Hamas-led attack on Israel, and queues to enter the Palais often snaked well back towards the marina. As Deadline headed out of town, eight airports (six when at the time of reporting yesterday) including the Cannes-friendly Nice, were evacuated as security threats were identified. Smith addressed the conflict just prior to Zeiler’s Monday keynote, saying her heart goes out to the thousands who have died and stressing the additional security.
- 10/19/2023
- by Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Europe’s major players in TV and film attending Mipcom Cannes sensed a wave of opportunity coming at them from across the Atlantic, as Hollywood muddles through a period of strategic uncertainty and steep losses from the transition to streaming platforms.
The extended labor strife in the U.S. this year, with the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA waging historic and concurrent strikes, has Euro producers touting the appeal of lensing on the continent with a strong pool of skilled talent accustomed to working at much lower price points.
Also looming over Mipcom was the intense security protocol deployed around the Palais and headlines of bomb scares in France. The country has been on high alert in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the murder of a high school teacher a few days later. Despite the tense geo-political backdrop, the overall mood of marketgoers seemed livelier than last year,...
The extended labor strife in the U.S. this year, with the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA waging historic and concurrent strikes, has Euro producers touting the appeal of lensing on the continent with a strong pool of skilled talent accustomed to working at much lower price points.
Also looming over Mipcom was the intense security protocol deployed around the Palais and headlines of bomb scares in France. The country has been on high alert in the wake of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and the murder of a high school teacher a few days later. Despite the tense geo-political backdrop, the overall mood of marketgoers seemed livelier than last year,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Cynthia Littleton, Elsa Keslassy and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
NATPE, under new management after encountering turbulence during the pandemic, has appointed a new advisory board and is firming up plans for the return of its signature U.S. conference next January in Miami.
The conference organizer was rescued out of bankruptcy at the start of 2023 by Brunico, the Canadian company behind events like the Realscreen Summit and Banff World Media Festival. The flagship NATPE conference, rooted in Miami over the past decade-plus, had managed to weather massive industry disruptions over nearly six decades but couldn’t survive Covid. The 11th-hour decision to cancel the 2022 edition due to the Omicron wave left NATPE on the hook for hefty fees to hotel operators and vendors, prompting management to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last October.
The retooled January conference, now called NATPE Global, is returning to Miami but not to the event’s longtime South Beach base at the Fontainebleau. Instead,...
The conference organizer was rescued out of bankruptcy at the start of 2023 by Brunico, the Canadian company behind events like the Realscreen Summit and Banff World Media Festival. The flagship NATPE conference, rooted in Miami over the past decade-plus, had managed to weather massive industry disruptions over nearly six decades but couldn’t survive Covid. The 11th-hour decision to cancel the 2022 edition due to the Omicron wave left NATPE on the hook for hefty fees to hotel operators and vendors, prompting management to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last October.
The retooled January conference, now called NATPE Global, is returning to Miami but not to the event’s longtime South Beach base at the Fontainebleau. Instead,...
- 8/17/2023
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
WGA members attended the glitzy event but ceded the spotlight to cast and non-guild colleagues.
The 62nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival wrapped in Monaco on Tuesday night (June 20) having found creative ways to manoeuvre around the limits placed on visiting US talent by the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.
The festival managed to wrangle international stars and US studio execs to the event and sidestepped any controversy relating to project promotion. WGA members are prohibited from making promotional appearances during the strike but can hold press conferences in their capacity as directors or producers.
Novelist and showrunner Harlan Coben,...
The 62nd Monte-Carlo Television Festival wrapped in Monaco on Tuesday night (June 20) having found creative ways to manoeuvre around the limits placed on visiting US talent by the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike.
The festival managed to wrangle international stars and US studio execs to the event and sidestepped any controversy relating to project promotion. WGA members are prohibited from making promotional appearances during the strike but can hold press conferences in their capacity as directors or producers.
Novelist and showrunner Harlan Coben,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: International buyers will remain cautious over how the writers’ strike impacts program availability, as the ongoing industrial action dominated chatter at the LA Screenings.
A week of international sales showcases brought hundreds of buyers to LA as the likes of Paramount, Disney, Sony, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros Discovery and Fox screened film and TV line-ups against a backdrop of picket lines at the studio gates.
Before the event, a number of international buyers told us a key issue in negotiations would be what clarity they could get on new shows entering production as the writers’ strike rumbles on — we’re now at nearly a month since it began. The studios acknowledge it’s a “fluid” situation and the topic was top of mind for many on the ground last week.
“The writers’ strike is a factor as some of the shows we saw won’t be able to go into production for a while,...
A week of international sales showcases brought hundreds of buyers to LA as the likes of Paramount, Disney, Sony, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros Discovery and Fox screened film and TV line-ups against a backdrop of picket lines at the studio gates.
Before the event, a number of international buyers told us a key issue in negotiations would be what clarity they could get on new shows entering production as the writers’ strike rumbles on — we’re now at nearly a month since it began. The studios acknowledge it’s a “fluid” situation and the topic was top of mind for many on the ground last week.
“The writers’ strike is a factor as some of the shows we saw won’t be able to go into production for a while,...
- 5/30/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Cannes — News of the death of Mip-tv looked greatly exaggerated if the 2023 edition, which played out over April 17-19 in Cannes, was anything to go by, with Lucy Smith, director of MipTV and Mipcom, Cannes two TV trade fairs, announcing final figures of 5,560 participants, including 5,510 on-site delegates.
That said, attendance was sizeably down on pre-pandemic levels – 9,500 attendees in 2019 – with major European drama sales companies literally counting the cost of attendance and exhibition space versus Mip-driven sales. In a fast-evolving TV landscape, the future and identity of MipTV still remains uncertain. 10 takeaways from this year’s edition:
MipTV: The Impact of Brute Market Forces
Two major macro market trends, both presented by Ampere Analysis’ Guy Bisson’ in an early MipTV panel, go a long way to explaining 2023 MipTV. Global streaming commissions in the fourth quarter of 2022 were the lowest in over two years; unscripted represented 30.35% of streaming commissions last quarter 2019, 50.3% Oct.
That said, attendance was sizeably down on pre-pandemic levels – 9,500 attendees in 2019 – with major European drama sales companies literally counting the cost of attendance and exhibition space versus Mip-driven sales. In a fast-evolving TV landscape, the future and identity of MipTV still remains uncertain. 10 takeaways from this year’s edition:
MipTV: The Impact of Brute Market Forces
Two major macro market trends, both presented by Ampere Analysis’ Guy Bisson’ in an early MipTV panel, go a long way to explaining 2023 MipTV. Global streaming commissions in the fourth quarter of 2022 were the lowest in over two years; unscripted represented 30.35% of streaming commissions last quarter 2019, 50.3% Oct.
- 4/19/2023
- by John Hopewell, Marta Balaga and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
The return of MIPCOM, which wrapped up its 2022 edition Thursday, was an unqualified success.
The studios were back in force — the massive beachside stands for Disney, Paramount, Lionsgate and Warner Bros. Discovery were buzzing with business — and international production giants including Fremantle, Banijay, and All3Media were upbeat about their prospects and the continuing growth in demand for content worldwide.
Fox Entertainment Global, which launched its new worldwide content operation at MIPCOM this year, was the most relentlessly positive, with newly anointed Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade taking up the potential for the group, which bundles programming from Fox, Bento Box, MarVista and TMZ but is looking to partner with outside networks, producers and distributors world-wide “to get out content out there [and] we have our checkbooks with us,” he noted.
Lisa Kramer, President of international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution, talked up...
The return of MIPCOM, which wrapped up its 2022 edition Thursday, was an unqualified success.
The studios were back in force — the massive beachside stands for Disney, Paramount, Lionsgate and Warner Bros. Discovery were buzzing with business — and international production giants including Fremantle, Banijay, and All3Media were upbeat about their prospects and the continuing growth in demand for content worldwide.
Fox Entertainment Global, which launched its new worldwide content operation at MIPCOM this year, was the most relentlessly positive, with newly anointed Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade taking up the potential for the group, which bundles programming from Fox, Bento Box, MarVista and TMZ but is looking to partner with outside networks, producers and distributors world-wide “to get out content out there [and] we have our checkbooks with us,” he noted.
Lisa Kramer, President of international TV licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution, talked up...
- 10/20/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The L.A. Screenings were one of many entertainment industry traditions that were put on hold by the pandemic. After all, an event that brings a few hundred international TV buyers to Los Angeles to huddle for a week in small screening rooms is pretty much the opposite of social distancing.
This year, a smaller contingent of buyers is expected to make like swallows to Capistrano and return to Hollywood during the week of May 23. Day by day, most of the major studios will take turns hosting L.A. Screenings events, giving buyers the opportunity to sample new properties on the heels of the network upfront presentations, which were held the week of May 16 in New York.
But the first L.A. Screenings week held since 2019 will look and feel different for the content scouts for networks and platforms across Europe, Asia, Latin America and more. The biggest changes are...
This year, a smaller contingent of buyers is expected to make like swallows to Capistrano and return to Hollywood during the week of May 23. Day by day, most of the major studios will take turns hosting L.A. Screenings events, giving buyers the opportunity to sample new properties on the heels of the network upfront presentations, which were held the week of May 16 in New York.
But the first L.A. Screenings week held since 2019 will look and feel different for the content scouts for networks and platforms across Europe, Asia, Latin America and more. The biggest changes are...
- 5/20/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
It has taken over 40 years and 39 seasons, but for the first time in the history of Wheel of Fortune, two contestants have taken home the $100,000 grand prize on consecutive nights. “There’s always something new around here, isn’t there? That’s incredible,” said host Pat Sajak on Tuesday’s episode after contestant Mark Baer snagged the $100,000 bonus prize. This came just a day after contestant Lisa Kramer walked away with the $100,000 bonus, a rare feat on the long-running game show. Sajak alluded to the possibility of back-to-back $100k winners earlier in the show, telling the contestants, “On yesterday’s show, we gave $100,000 in the Bonus Round. I checked the rules. It can happen two days in a row. Nothing says you can’t do that.” Whoa, did that just happen?! A Wheel of Fortune first! A second $100,000 winner in a row! 2 Nights 2 Huge Wins! pic.twitter.com/i5MpUJggXC...
- 2/9/2022
- TV Insider
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