MipJunior Day: kids programming, more strategic than ever in Pandemic times

Also, kids contents are easier to produce during lockdowns. So, to generate good programs for them is a direct way to generate ratings and incomes… and to recover fallen audiences.

Many of these were stressed in a press release by Glance (France) saying that general channels which offer kids programs are performing better, 5 from 11 checked by the study. And between January and June 2020, 43 new kids contents were launched on these platforms, many stressing the social distance or hygienic habits. ‘The new programs must be adapted to the context and to innovate. Ecology, diversity and technology are the new recurrent themes. About tech, there are more contents to watch directly on mobile, or including videogame characters’, expressed Avril Blondelot, from Glance.

On the session ‘Binge Watching: Kids Audience Successes Across The Globe’, the same Glance presented that in 8 territories, the whole programmatic offer for children was formed by 71% animation, 17% unscripted and 12 live action, from 800 titles between September 2019 to August 2020. Digital natives found attractive content on TV during the quarantine, and current issues as the weather and social movements, have empowered the pre-adolescent audience. But classic shows have been again at the top of views, as usual. The shows created for mobile devices are growing, motivated by content that is offered as a second window to see special or catch up content. As other trends, IP-based video game franchises are capturing the attention of young streamers and there is an increase in audience for DIY shows, that promote changes in daily life.

On the session, ‘Making Future a better place for kids’, Jules Borkent, EVP, VCNI Kids & Family at ViacomCBS, highlighted that the company understood the importance of offering global content and different cultures, ‘not just American stories’. Adina Pitt, VP, Acquisitions & Co-productions at Cartoon Network & Boomerang: ‘From CN we stopped to rethink our offer. We want to provide not what worked on digital platforms, but what consumer really needs in linear signals’. Tiphaine De Raguenel, Director of Children & Youth at France Televisions: 'Beyond the global pandemic, we see an ecological crisis, and we, as a public channel, must be a useful tool to generate positive changes'. Luca Milano, ED at Rai Ragazzi - RAI: 'We evidence a strong growth in the visualization of our TV spaces. So we have to be tools of change and education in this difficult moment’.

The 9th edition of Emmy Kids International were presented simultaneously on the International Academy of TV Arts and Sciences website and on the Mipcom Online + platform.  The “Best Animation” has been Lupus Films and Harper Collins' festive special The Tiger Who Came to Tea. ‘There are many problems in the world at the moment, but children are still growing up and watching TV more than ever. That is why we in the TV community have a special responsibility’, said International Academy President Bruce L. Paisner.

News of global brands at Mipcom online + these days? Talpa’s John de Mol returned to the market and launches two edging formats developed in The Netherlands: the prime time game show Split screen and the music reality with a twist Hit the Road. Banijay Rights exhibits its Endemol Shine combined catalogue of 88.000 hours, announcing that the four-part drama Adult Material was sold to HBO Max (USA). Fremantle partnered with October Films for the docuseries First Ladies. Sony Pictures Television’s top 15 original productions developed worldiwide, will be globally distributed by Eccho Rigths (Sweden). All3media pre-sold in Americas, Europe and Asia the drama All Creatures Great and Small. Beta Film confirmed 140 territories for its German drama Babylon Berlin.

Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and Latin America are also bringing news to the market. 1-2-3 Productions’To the Lake (Russia) reached the last week the #4 place in Netflix Global (Source: FlixPatrol) and it is among Top 10 in 56 countries. From Ukraine, FILM.UA’s Love in Chains premiered in Spain, The Sniffer Indian version is in production and historical movie The Rising Hawk premiered on cinemas in USA and Canada. GoQuest Media (India) partnered StarLightMedia (Ukraine) to distribute their dramas Mother’s Choice and Behind The Shop Window. Turkey’s MADD confirmed sales for A Miracle in 66 and Love is in the Air in 45 territories; and TV Azteca International (Mexico) partnered Facebook Watch, who will offer telenovelas, series and Mexican movies in Latin America and worldwide. 

News of OTT platforms? French broadcasters France Télévisions, TF1, M6 OTT Salto will go live next Tuesday, October 20 to compete with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and the Canal+ streaming service MyCanal. Russian telecom and Internet service provider MTS partnered Sreda Production to co-produce seven drama series for its brand new TV streaming platform, and four of them are in production and looking for partners at Mipcom; Pluto TV launches by the end of this month its fifth European market, Spain, after Germany, Switzerland, Austria and UK. In Latin America, Castalia Communications (USA) will launch Europa+ all across the region with contents from BBC Studios, Studio Canal, TF1, ZDF, Nordic World and Mediaset.

What’s next in MIPCOM Online +? Today --Thursday 15-- is themed with Diversity, Gender Equality and Inclusion panels, starting with A+E Networks’ Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, followed by “Women in Global Entertainment Power Panel” and “Mentoring Diversity & Inclusion” with Sahar Baghery, head of business development, Amazon Prime Video, and Patrick Connolly, SVP programming & marketing, AMC Networks International. Today and tomorrow continues the ‘Mipcom week’, and then starts the ‘Follow up Month’, till November 17, with all the contents and the meeting platform keeping available.

Nicolás Smirnoff, Fabricio Ferrara and Alberto Buitron