Senior execs from around the world reveal the key talking points from this year’s event and what’s in store for 2026
Mipcom director Lucy Smith did not mince her words when describing this year’s edition of the annual Cannes get-together as “the biggest step change in a generation”, with YouTube and the creator economy put front and centre.
Yet conversations across the event were many and varied, with discussions ranging from M&A moves, financing and budget squeezes, to microdrama mania, streamer-broadcaster-partnerships and - thankfully - some signs that the industry is finding its footing again after some seriously testing times.
To better gauge the key themes cropping up in the thousands of meetings taking place this week, Broadcast International spoke to an array of international execs for their take on Mipcom 2025 and what’s in store for the next 12 months.
Diego Londono, senior vice-president and general manager, networks & sports, The Walt Disney Company EMEA
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
Our industry is always very future-facing and front-footed, so the topic of the year ahead and what 2026 will bring has been a consistent part of conversations with our partners, whether that’s shifts in content and audience trends, who will buy who, and how already-announced mergers and acquisitions will impact the whole ecosystem.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
The desire and need for stand-out television which really drives cultural moments and audience conversation remains at the forefront of all our discussions across the sector. Creativity is such a fundamental part of our industry, not only in front of the screen but also in a deal context; it’s encouraging to see that our clients and partners are so open to different business models and innovative ways of doing things, as our sector continues to evolve.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
I am fascinated by the industry chatter on vertical and short-form series; I’ll be keeping a close eye on how (and if) this format grows.
Louise Pedersen, chief executive officer, All3Media International
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
Vertical drama /micro content was one of the topics that came up a lot - there were a lot of new platforms at the market and some interesting conversations.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
Generally more positive than earlier this year - more interest from the US which of course is a major market for us, good activity across Europe and growth in Asia
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
Decisions taking longer can be a challenge. Plus, we are seeing more of a film financing model in a lot of cases with shows that are partly funded and greenlit in one market, but which still have a big gap in financing.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
Catching up with as many of our international buyers as I could - you always find out so much more face to face.
Ruth Berry, president of global partnerships & Zoo 55, ITV Studios
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
The rise of partnerships between free-to-air broadcasters and big streamers, such as the TF1 and Netflix agreement, and Disney+’s partnerships in Europe.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
Buyers are definitely looking for strong content that will resonate with their audiences, but are increasingly selective and focused on how the shows fit with their overall content strategy. 2026 is shaping up well and people are already buying for 2027 too.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
There are financial pressures in the market which are impacting the timing of which buyers are looking to spend money i.e. still being conservative in their spending and selective in their choices.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
Releasing a fantastic new multi-genre slate that drew a huge amount of attention and fun conversations - Go Frauds!
Cathy Payne, chief executive officer, Banijay Rights
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
Financing scripted production and how to reach more realistic deficits.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
Optimism – it’s still challenging out there but there is definitely more stability and green shoots are continuing to pop.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
Risk aversion and the added effort it takes not only to sell a new show but to also ensure a successful launch. Shows need time to build and grow.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
It was pleasing to see a renewed energy and a packed Banijay Entertainment stand.
Jens Richter, chief executive officer, commercial & international, Fremantle
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
There is an appetite for shows that target clear and wide audience profiles, and there is a demand across all our genres - drama, factual and entertainment. There were also conversations on the need for flexibility in licensing models.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
There is a pragmatic optimism.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
Most commissioners now have quite clear budget parameters to follow which can be at times challenging; but on the positive, there is flexibility in financing models.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
Our highlights included dramas such as The Iris Affair, Prisoner 951, Kill Jackie and there was huge curiosity around Baywatch. On factual, we had Disasters from Space, Beatles and the Base, Police 24/7, Legacy: Michael Jackson and Luca: Seeing Red, while on the entertainment front there was Pandora’s Box.
Tim Mutimer, chief executive officer, Cineflix Rights
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
Everyone has been talking about how to maximise revenues from YouTube including producing content to complement existing YouTube brands. We’ve been discussing with producers how to build on our existing FAST and YouTube channels, such as Château DIY, and Mayday: Air Disaster by creating new content to sit alongside our existing shows. We are also discussing how we use AI to dub and help cut content for localised digital channels to extend these brands outside of the UK and North America.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
This year felt more positive than last year, budgets are opening up, people are looking for shows to buy and booking follow up calls to close deals, rather than just assessing what’s available in the marketplace. We’ve closed multiple deals for our scripted series Sunny Nights and Virdee, and there’s been strong interest and offers for our Mipcom drama launch The Walsh Sisters, as well as our unscripted slate.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
As budgets remain tight, buyers have to make sure that anything they acquire is the best possible fit for their audiences. This means that assessing programming can take time and require the opinions of a wide range of colleagues…
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
We had a great dinner bringing together Voltage, the producers of Tempting Fortune, with multiple producers from around the world to discuss how to refresh the format for the next season across their territories.
Oliver Bachert, chief distribution officer at Beta Film
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
The search for new ways of rights exploitation (and I am not only talking about YouTube), as well as the necessity of co-operating beyond national and platform borders.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
There is clearly a growing demand for so-called ’blue sky’ shows: easy-to-watch, appealing content. At the same time, we continue to see a strong need for high-end tentpole shows - series that make a difference, generate buzz, and create those watercooler moments you need to cut through. Great stories will always find their audience.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
One of the challenges we are facing is finding program slots and financing in a market which is quite jammed. As an independent group, we have the great advantage of high flexibility, which helps us navigating within national and regional markets.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
Our Beta Brunch on Tuesday at the Majestic has been one of the Mipcom industry highlights for more than 30 years with more than 400 execs attending each and every year. It´s nice to keep traditions and see that the clients appreciate our effort to combine good content with networking, as these are the essential ingredients for a successful market.
Sarah Tong, director of sales, Hat Trick International
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
How to finance programming.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
There’s a healthy appetite for quality programming, in both drama and factual although it’s a “less is more” vibe and few buyers wanting to take any kind of risk.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
On greenlight conversations it’s all about funding the deficit. On selling funded programmes, the main challenge is reduced acquisitions budgets and fewer slots, which means less risk and a very competitive market.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
Launching our fabulous and truly original new drama Dear Life, which we were lucky enough to have the producers at the market for.
Guillaume Pommier, co-head of distribution, Federation
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
Aggregation and hyper-distribution dominated discussions, alongside a growing emphasis on vertical drama.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective – how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
Buyers are increasingly focused on strong casting, recognisable IPs, and procedural dramas as key drivers for 2026.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit/acquired?
The main challenge is timing and uncertainty, with clients remaining highly risk-averse.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
Our Upfront opened on Monday morning with A Tale of Two Cities, complemented by the presentation of Those Who Lived, the new series from Jean-Xavier de Lestrade.
Dermot Horan, director of acquisitions and co-productions, RTÉ
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
Probably mergers and acquisitions and who will end up buying whom and the impact that will have on the market.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
Buyers won’t be able to rely on US programming alone for their business needs, unless you are prepared to be in the second window market. For English speaking territories there are lots of great dramas coming out of the likes of Australia, New Zealand, my own country Ireland and Canada, as well as of course the UK.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
With my co-production hat on and trying to get series greenlit keeping budgets at a manageable level is key. Otherwise the gap will be too big and the show will never happen.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
As ever, it is the one market of the year where in four days I can meet everyone I do business with internationally face to face and that makes a huge difference.
Mark Bishop, co-president, Blue Ant Studios
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
Since our announcement in August about going public through a reverse takeover (RTO), there’s been tremendous interest in learning more about Blue Ant and our next phase of growth (and quite a few questions about what an RTO actually is!). Beyond that, this year’s conversations were all about creative deal-making and partnership. Everyone is navigating the same reality: production budgets keep rising while license fees continue to decrease. The focus has shifted to how we can collaborate more effectively across the ecosystem. There’s a growing openness to share windows, including among streamers, as long as the economics make sense. Everyone’s looking for ways to do more with less, and that’s fueling some truly innovative financing models. We’re seeing a clear appetite for co-financing opportunities where multiple parties can share both the investment and the upside.
And of course, YouTube, YouTube, YouTube. It’s the platform everyone’s watching, both literally and strategically. From premium content strategies to monetization models supported by data, it’s now part of nearly every distribution conversation we’re having.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective — how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
Buyers were feeling bullish this year. Content needs are becoming clearer, and most partners have a better sense of their budgets, and that clarity is always a good sign, because it means people are buying again. We’re also seeing continued openness to share windows, particularly if it allows buyers to manage costs more effectively. That flexibility is creating new opportunities for collaboration across platforms and regions.
Public broadcasters continue to play an important role in this environment. They remain key commissioners in many global markets and often serve as the creative anchor for projects that can then build broader international partnerships. Overall, the tone is optimistic as we look ahead to 2026.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit or acquired?
One of the biggest challenges right now is that global buyers increasingly need partners who can bring to the table the ability to complete the financing quickly. They want projects ready to move once they decide to greenlight, without having to wait for the rest of the financing to come together. That means distributors and producers like us need to be even more proactive in structuring deals upfront.
At the same time, we all need to find ways to make production more efficient and reduce costs, and emerging tools like AI will play an important role in that. The goal is to protect creative quality while finding smarter, faster ways to deliver. And of course, everyone is hunting for new and noisy formats that can cut through the clutter, reduce development time, and create buzz in local markets. There’s huge demand for ideas that feel fresh, fast, and scalable.
What was your highlight of MIPCOM 2025?
The energy in Cannes this year was incredible. After a few years of market adjustments, it felt like the industry had regained its rhythm — there was real momentum, optimism, and an eagerness to collaborate. For Blue Ant, it was our first Mipcom as a public company, and being there with our Global Rights and Channels teams really highlighted the strength and reach of our business. Hosting integrated meetings across the company underscored the power we now have to partner in larger, more strategic ways.
We had productive, multi-territory meetings with global partners where we began shaping a new slate of shows and exploring ambitious co-productions. And receiving a new series greenlight was the icing on the cake. Seeing the market’s renewed sense of collaboration reaffirmed the resilience and creativity that define our business. It’s an exciting time to be shaping what’s next.
Vanda Rapti, executive vice-president of Viaplay Select & Content Distribution
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
Budget pressures and organisational changes were recurring themes. This reduces appetite for risk-taking while sharpening the focus on strong partnerships and creative packaging that can accelerate growth. Most are concentrating on proven genres - and in that sense, Nordic storytelling continues to stand out as a trusted international brand.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective – how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
Despite the challenges, there is an increased positive tone. Buyers are focusing on distinctive IP, recognisable casts, and strong creative voices. As global streamers strengthen their positions, platforms and local streamers are increasingly seeking creative ways to reduce their reliance on them. Thus, more opportunity for new collaborations opens in 2026.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit or acquired?
Many content buyers are waiting for clarity on their 2026 budgets, and or a revised content and aggregation strategy. Commissioners are trying to reduce their percentage investment in production budgets, while also freeing up their demands for more territory rights or exclusivities.
The former results in greenlight delays and need for coproductions, while also increasing the appeal of scripted formats (which reduce development costs and increase results certainty). The latter gives opportunity for more content to travel across territories and platforms.
Paul Heaney, chief executive officer, BossaNova Media
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
With producers, the major topics were AI and how we’re getting on with it and shaking off the trepidation. With those on the channels side, topics such as brand building, co pros and AI - and how they’re shaking off any trepidation!
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
Definitely building on this year, no budget freezes, pretty healthy. No room for smugness though.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
We/they all want the pool party analogy. They don’t always want to be the first one to take a dive in on a pre sale/aquimission/co pro - or whatever language you want to use.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
The sea. I also loved the sweets on our stand and so did everyone else. The ‘I love PBS’ badges were alos great. Despite Mipcom numbers maybe not going up, it was an extremely positive gathering, we’re all accustomed to the disruption now.
Phil Gurin, president, TGC Global Entertainment
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
Everyone wants a format with an idea so loud original that it virtually promotes itself by drawing organic attention to itself. No one has marketing money so the show must do that on its own. And then does it sustain beyond episode one and its attention getting noise. Oh, and if it is so big to produce can we share development and production costs across other territories.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
The market wants new things and is hungry, but remains tentative and sadly are still sheep flocking to the big brands. Derivatives are more prominent in the market than truly original ideas.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
How much does it cost? Who has the expertise to make it? And will it sustain beyond the initial viewer interest?
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
Business highlight - our distribution company hitting its stride with several new formats that are generating great FOMO! Titles from Norway, China’s #1 reality show, our YouTube dating formats are all hot. Personal highlight: receiving the Gold Award, FRAPA ambassadorship and reconnecting with great friends!
Hana Palmer, head of sales, Sphere Abacus
What industry topic came up most frequently in your many conversations in Cannes this week?
A lot of chat about micro-dramas, AI, financing projects, and the constant challenge of getting things funded and financed.
What is your sense of the market from a buying perspective - how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
We feel that people are starting to buy more. They are becoming less cautious which is positive.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge you’re facing in getting shows greenlit / acquired?
Decision-making speed.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
Mackenzie Crook and Gill Isles being here for our new BBC series Small Prophets. It was their first trip to the market and they loved it! And also having Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady – the team behind Crave’s new series Heated Rivalry – here with us. They have enjoyed talking to press and buyers about this hot new show.
Bo Stehmeier, chief executive officer, Off The Fence
What industry topic came up most frequently in your conversations in Cannes this week?
The most talked-about topic was the creator economy and its long-awaited arrival and growing influence at Mipcom. It’s finally making its mark and helping drive the industry’s transition from what many now describe as a ‘legacy business’ into a new era. The presence of brands was also a notable theme; they’re being welcomed enthusiastically, though their participation still feels largely confined to the formats side of the market. In many ways, brands have become the new ‘A-listers’ - the essential partners that the unscripted world needs to complete their packaging.
From a buying perspective, how is appetite shaping up for 2026?
There’s a cautious optimism in the air. Budgets are beginning to return - not quite to their former levels, but enough to signal renewed confidence. Meetings are longer and more strategic, with a focus on deeper collaboration and securing long-term program supply, especially for core content needs. That said, travel and market budget constraints are noticeable. While decision-makers are present, many of the hands-on curators and pre-selectors - often younger executives closer to the emerging trends and digital-first mindset - are absent, which is a real loss for the market’s creative energy.
In your discussions with buyers, what’s the biggest challenge in getting shows greenlit or acquired?
Speed and shrinking budgets. The need for collaboration has never been higher, and there’s no shortage of creative ideas or willing partners. But with funding, production, and platform deals increasingly interdependent, the challenge is moving fast enough to keep these fragile, multi-party structures standing long enough to get shows into production.
What was your highlight of Mipcom 2025?
Our PR from Cheryl!
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