MIPTV 2015: broadcasters, today and tomorrow

Are there fewer people this MIPTV? The first reflex is to compare to last Mipcom. And we must compare it to last MIPTV. We can say there is quite the same volume of participants, but this time, most of industry members agree, there is more energy, intensive deals activity. Beyond ups & downs, this is a good MIPTV.

Let’s go back to broadcasters. What do the buyers look for this MIPTV? Vanessa Tierno, head of acquisitions, SIC Portugal: ‘Entertainment formats, films and series. We are producing more and better’. Pablo Morales, programming director, Chilevision Chile: ‘Formats. I see more exterior formats than studio ones, what it is good’.  Sorina Big, acquisitions manager, Pro TV Romania: ‘Entertainment shows, realities and game shows’.

Evelyn Leng Raymundo, VP program acquisitions, ABS CBN The Philippines: ‘Prime time formats, both fiction (we are very strong and we sale abroad) and entertainment’. Anastasia Korchagina, head of acquisitions, Friday TV Russia: ‘Formats about realities, some travel and cooking shows. No game shows’.

Main Hungarian broadcasters have quite the same opinion. Tibor Forizs, head of program acquisitions, RTL Klub: ‘We look for movies and episodic series, which are very difficult to find. American series are not performing so well, the recent co production announcements between U.S. major studios and European big players is a proof that they need to evolve to keep their position in the market’.

Gabor Fisher, head of acquisitions, TV2: ‘We want alternatives to American series, as Latin telenovelas in fiction and different formats as realities, game shows and constructed realities. This year will be bit better, just a bit, than last year in ads incomes’.

Pubcasters ORF (Austria) and CCTV (China) celebrated the start of production of the major 3-part 4K wildlife series Sky River of the Himalayas, the first co-production between these companies for CCTV10, ARTE (France) and ZDF (Germany), which will be ready on Spring 2017. It will be globally distributed by ORF Enteprises and CITVC (Asia & Africa).

New media? The new platforms are changing the market. Nadav Palti, CEO, Dorimedia (Israel): ‘In our country, we had two VOD platforms —Hot, cable, and Yes, satellite— and from this year we have four more, all OTT/IPTV: from Celcom, Gollan, Partner and one untold. We have to produce a lot of more content’.

Julián Rodríguez Montero, head of acquisitions Grupo Telefonica, Spain: ‘We are very pleased with Movistar Series, our new non linear TV series channel. The idea is to have the brand-new series launched in USA, but to see in VOD, both TV and mobile. It is the first strong twisted offer from extended SVOD model’.

Dragan Petrovic, Visionary Thinking, Serbia: ‘We have now 8 VOD systems in the former Yugoslavian countries. Business is still in its first steps, we expect to have a good VOD market in about 5 years. But we are putting there a lot of energy’.

Regions? MIPs organizer Reed Midem continues betting on Latin America. This year will handle for the second time MipCancun, in Mexico, but now doubling the volume of worldwide distributors and invited Latin American buyers, 80 each side. And it adds conferences. It is held November 18,19 and 20. Also, it is said that Mipcom 2016 ‘Country of Honor’ can be again a Latin American country… Malaysia is still not sure. 

Spain is going through a great moment: on one side, The Wit highlighted as the #1 scripted format exporter in Europe, with new titles launched at MIPTV such us Alli Abajo (Antena 3) and El Ministerio del Tiempo (RTVE); on the other hand, Sony selected five 4K titles to exhibit on its theater inside the Palais: Flamenco and Chef del Mar (Media Medina) and El Prado, El Greco and a short film from Barcelona, from RTVE. 

Africa? Nigerian broadcasters had a panel yesterday about digital free TV channel implementation in the region, which is still beginning. Tolu Ogunkoya, managing director at OMD: ‘We need to focus our strength not just in content, but also in how we distribute it. Now broadcasters sell slots that producers buy. With digitalization, there will be more channels and space for everybody’. Rotimi Pedro, chairman OMG: ‘If content is king, distribution is King Kong’. 

Patrick Zuchowicki, CEO Basic Lead (Discop): ‘Africa is the region with fastest growth now in content business: 70 million TV households, 95,5% of digital reach, Pay TV revenues of USD 6.22 billion TV content wholesale revenues of USD 3 billion, annual GDP growth 5.5%. Everything is to be done’.

Nicolás Smirnoff, Fabricio Ferrara, Rodrigo Cantisano