MIPTV 2014: the light side wins

Reed Midem estimates 11,000 participants all in all… if in fact they are about 2,000 less or so, MIPTV continues as the second event of the content calendar, for far.

Yesterday, MIPDoc and MIPFormats have both shown a good schedule of where business is going at these segments. At MIPDoc sessions, Benjamin Noot, global acquisitions manager of National Geographic Channel, said: ‘HD is the must-have. 4K is interesting, we are starting to look at content that is 4K, but HD is where we are at the moment'. LIC China’s CEO, Leland Ling: ‘HD is very much essential for the Chinese market, and second: docu-reality shows will be a trend’.

Some buyers checked by Prensario said that MIPDoc product offering made more focus on classics and traditional proposals (World War II, wildlife, etc.) than innovative bets. Two formats were mentioned by some buyers as a new thing: Colors 4 desires (Korea) dedicating chapters to the meaning of colors in different cultures, and My life made in France, about people consuming just French products at all times (France). 

At MIPFormats sessions, Gary Carter, Shine’s chairman Northern Europe, said: ‘Nobody knows anything except the consumer, because in hit-driven businesses, the consumer decides. The next big thing is unpredictable from within the industry that both generates and relies on it'. Rob Clark, director, global entertainment development, at Fremantlemedia: ‘TV is all about the formats. Actually it’s all about the programs… To have truly creative companies you need big broad production base, which won’t come just from making Idols, X Factors’.

Banijay Group has signed a deal with David Goldberg, ex president of Endemol USA, to set up Banijay Studios North America developing original entertainment content across multiple genres for that market. Marco Bassetti, CEO of Banijay, during MIPFormats: ‘We aim to develop new formats which we will roll out globally through our growing production capabilities. We continue to increase our production presence in English speaking markets, a strategic priority for us now and during next year’.

Rising Star from Keshet International (Israel), already sold to over 25 territories, generated 1.5m app downloads and 10m votes in last season in Israel. Yesterday, Sunday 6 at 10.30pm, had its first international premier on Globo (Brazil), as Super Star.  Keshet's next hits? Elevator Pitch, stepping into an elevator to deliver a pitch of a lifetime to business tycoons, and the game show Boom!, which scored 41.2% share and 26.7% (HH) rating in Israel, and it had it first sell to TF1 in France. 

The Wit (Switzerland) highlighted Success Stories Around the World, about the top scripted formats of the world between 2003 and 2013. Latin America plays a key role: three out of five distributors are from this region: Telefe (27 adaptations), Televisa and Telemundo (19 each). Among the top 5 formats on 2010-2014, two are from Telefe (Argentina): the series The Man of Your Life and the telenovela Graduates. And Ugly Betty (RCN Colombia) is among the top 5 scripted formats ever with 20 adaptations. 'Scripted formats are one of the top trends nowadays', stressed Virginia Mouseler, CEO at The Witt. 

The Producer’s Toolboox: how to monetize your IP? was held by Reed Midem in partnership with FRAPA, the main format association. Vivian Yin, chief representative & VP of Star China spoke about the #1 format in that country: Sing My Song, on air on CCTV1. ‘It is a successful talent show both in traditional and new media. We generate incomes from innovative sources: generating original albums with the participants (in which we are part of) and receiving revenues with original soundtracks done for Chinese movies’. 

The day closed with a screening & cocktail of Velvet, a co production between Beta Film (Germany) and Bambú Producciones for Antena 3 (both from Spain), and has been already sold to M6 in France and RAI Italy (the canned version). Beta is in charge of international sales. 'It is in the middle between the Hollywood TV dramas and Latin telenovelas, with intense own spirit', producers said.

Nicolás Smirnoff and Fabricio Ferrara