MIPTV 2017: good or bad? Fresh answers

• Yesterday, Disney and Lionsgate introduced their new series before LA Screenings, the traditional Hollywood event that will take place in Los Angeles next month. The US Studios gathered 350 buyers at the Grand Auditorium, organized by Reed Midem.

Disney presented six products, from which Marvel series Inhumans and the new superheroes couple Cloak&Dagger were the most outstanding, according to attending buyers. Lionsgate showed four, especially the series Ten Days in the Valley and the game show Candy Crush Saga, which has been commissioned by CBS for the US market. Prensario talk with other studios in Cannes: they liked the idea and are analyzing to participate next year.

• While drama is the most important topic of the tradeshow, entertainment has also found ways to reinforce its market. The wall from Endemol Shine Group, Five Gold Rings from ITV (UK) and the mentioned Candy Crash Saga from Lionsgate drive the new wave this MIPTV. They are all game shows within flashing scenarios: shiny floors, big interactive rooms and screens where the unusual is possible.

Mike Beale, EVP global development and formats at ITV UK: ‘Game shows are back with an original twist: clever playgrounds, with real people doing real things and discussing real situations. Also, we look for varying origins, production technics and periods of TV evolution’.

Lisette Van Diepen, VP of non-scripted format acquisitions, Sony (USA): ‘The Wall is very original, the freshest format I’ve seen in Cannes. The environments are intelligent, shiny… fast and furious’. Vivian Yin, CEO at Fremantlemedia China: ‘It is amazing how technology is changing TV viewer experience. We have Lost in time, for instance: it is next generation content, a full new media thinking’.

• Digital media: Samsung Electronics and Rakuten Wuaki (Spain/Japan) launched TV Plus, a hybrid system between linear TV and TVOD for 4K UHD Smart TVs. The service, available in 12 European countries, allows users to navigate and access premium movies straight to TV, including 4k HDR channel (6.99€), new releases and kids (4.99€).

• Co-productions are always a hot topic at MIPTV: Kanal D announced its first co-development deal with a Latin American company: Mega/Discovery (Chile). Creative teams from both are already working together to develop ‘innovative and universal stories’, was stressed during the presentation.

Also Conecta Fiction was announced: it is the very first trade show that aims to increase the co-production business between the Americas and Europe: organizers ICEX, Agadic and Xunta de Galicia expect 300 participants and 60 investors (TV channels and producers). It will be structured in four pillars: international co-productions, author projects, conferences/panels, and screenings. HBO, FOX, Televisa (Mexico) Univision (USA) and Telefe (Argentina) and TF1 (France), Mediaset (Italy) and Bavaria (Germany) are confirmed from Latin America and Europe, respectively.

• So… is this MIPTV good or bad? Most of the people, consciously or not, compare the April show to Mipcom, and of course it is another story. Comparing to previous MIPTVs, we can say there are less exhibitors and developments in general. But talking about business, there is better energy than last year. With moves as Hollywood pre-LA screenings and the Cannes Series to come, future can be better.

Nicolás Smirnoff, Fabricio Ferrara and Rodrigo Cantisano

MipTV 2017 Coverage
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