Mipcom 2017: driving the undetermined future

The news we told yesterday is causing strong impact in the content market: for the first time, big digital platforms are buying entertainment formats to produce. This promises to re-invent the non scripted business. In the meantime, online titans also kick the feature film sector. 

There are two models which are opposite each other. On one side, Netflix is producing about 80 films per year, direct to release in its platform, avoiding theatrical. On the other, Amazon is producing from 15 to 20 big budget feature films per year, which are launched first on the big screen.

A Hollywood studio executive says: ‘Digital future is undetermined, because digital platforms go in different directions at the same time. Comparing Netflix with Amazon models, I prefer the latter, because 80 films per year is too much, they are difficult to manage. If you push some, you put others behind’. Netflix has also challenged USA theatrical screen owners with a disruptive proposal: they must set up a flat monthly fee and let people watch all the films they want, at any outlet in the country, to reactive the sector.

On the opposite, TV3 (Russia) has released “Gogol” under a new exhibition model: the 8 chapter series was edited in 3 movies, launched first in theatrical (first already on cinemas, second on April and third on August 2018), then in digital all together and, finally, linear TV, programmed for late 2018/early 2019. ‘With this business model, we recover the investment with the box office, and the rest of the businesses generate incomes’, explained Lily Sheroziya, CMO.

Edging concepts? Dominique Delport, chairman Vivendi Content: ‘One percent of videos generate 95% of the views on YouTube. Every platform has a DNA. My belief is that theirs is free. The future? Premium mobile short-form video services: Studio+ has now 5 millions of subscribers’. David Zaslav, president and CEO, Discovery Communications: ‘We are all under disruption. Business changed. We can now launch channels around the world (SBS Nordics, Mega Chile, Scripps) for little money using their very extensive library’. He is the Mipcom 2017 ‘Personality of the Year’.

More digital news: Sony Playstation has a buying team in Cannes. Suyin Lim, Senior acquisitions director: ‘We’ve launched a video service and we are looking for content alliances and blockbuster products. We are a global OTT, our business is growing fast’.

MGM has launched its first OTT platform, Stargate Command, which combines a SVOD service with a social side. It includes all the ‘Stargate’ content —3 movies, 3 TV series with 17 seasons all in all— and a community where fans upload own videos, comments, games, create events, etc. Apple is launching with Propagate its first original reality show: ‘Planet of the apps’, where contestants have 60 seconds on a ‘escalator’ to pitch their app ideas and get mentors interested in them. Actresses Gwyneth Paltrow and Jessica Alba are two of the mentors. 

TV Globo (Brazil) has just launched its preschooler network Gloobinho (2-5 years) following the preschool trend that led MipJunior. It also complements Gloob, targeted 6-9. Ruptly Video Agency, part of RT (Russia) has released ‘Ruptly Live’, which allows any major broadcasters and brands or bloggers to stream professional live content directly to their social media channel. The Sistema Federal de Medios y Contenidos Publicos (Argentina) is re-organizing its ready made programming to launch a platform next year for international licensing and, after that, it will be used as a VOD in Argentina for series, documentaries and animation.

Why doing content business with Asia? There are 4.35 billions of people with mobile connections, 4 billions of internet users, 4.3 billions have active social media accounts, and 1 billion of kids (0-14 years old). What do Asian buyers want? 54% series, 49% feature films, 41% animation, 38% TV movies, 37% lifestyle, 32% miniseries, 29% reality/factual and 27% docu-dramas.

Trendy broadcaster testimonies? Ruediger Boess, SVP programming and acquisitions, ProSiebenSat1, Germany: ‘We are looking for easy products. Procedural series, dramas, etc. If it is simple, easy, it is our product’. Karolos Alkalai, general manager, Star Channel, Greece: ‘Our country is finishing 2017 with 10% upper figures, for the first time in many years. We are buying more and producing again. The problem is that broadcasters must invest in advance, before incomes are back’.

Nicolás Smirnoff, Fabricio Ferrara and Rodrigo Cantisano