Mip TV Takeaways: Scripted Slowdown, “Traitors” Buzz & FAST Opportunities Are One of the Main Talking Points of Cannes

MipTV 2023 is nearing its end and many international executives and stars are flying to the 60th edition of the Sales Confab and Canneseries events. Although much of the Croisette was dug up amid construction ahead of the Cannes Film Festival, the mood was upbeat. This will please organizer RX France, which is faced with persistent rumors of the event’s diminished status in the post-Covid-19 era. Visitor numbers were significantly lower than before the pandemic, but a less hectic pace isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Read on for our top takeaways.

Scripted delay is real

“The TV bubble has burst,” says Studiocanal boss, Anna Marsh, who delivered the weighty proclamation in a keynote on Monday afternoon. Her refreshingly candid admission, a nod to the end of the high-end TV drama boom, was echoed by many of the executives Deadline spoke to in Cannes this week. As WGA writers voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike in the US, Mip MPs reflected on how picky TV drama buyers are with their projects, largely due to rising budgets, the cost of living crisis and chaos in the US market. “We got the green light beforehand after very short development periods, but now it feels like those decisions are dragging on,” Marsh added. Studiocanal is still in the TV game for a long time, she added, but her comments were backed up by Jane Featherstone, boss of Chernobyl producer sister.

Featherstone said a “painful” period lay ahead as the drama market corrects itself and inflation is brought back. The drama vet urged screenwriters to “reclaim the ground for high-quality, high-end mainstream drama,” but as the script enjoys an unscripted revival, painful commission decisions are bound to happen. In particular, many attendees spoke of a revival of scripted formats in these risk-averse times, with buyers giving the green light to revamp shows that have already achieved success in other countries. Expect news on these deals to be announced in the coming weeks as buyers double down on proven shows and choose to spend less on untested original ideas. As recessions deepen around the world, theater companies may struggle.

Traitors, traitors everywhere

In the world of unscripted formats, things are much clearer and one show has dominated the conversation most of all. Deadline written over The traitors led a revival of the format last week and revealed on Monday morning that there are now 20 local adaptations of the beautiful Dutch format around the world, all ordered in less than two years. It’s been a wild ride. The attendance at The Wit’s biennial presentation was no less than a dozen traitor Copycat formats are considered a revival of the adventure reality genre. The BBC and NBC therefore organized the reveal well Target Xto coordinate versions of cooperation The traitors in 2021. A black Target X The bus was mysteriously parked along the Croisette and journalists were treated to a tour of the vehicle, which takes 10 participants on the road trip of a lifetime without knowing where they are. Whether it can come close to matching the traitors Success is being discussed, but format executives on the ground have been mostly optimistic, with major deals being made for formats such as Red Arrow Studios’ Stranded on Honeymoon Island. While format conversations have been dominated for the past year by rumors of old reboots returning to production, a new wave of originality is being felt across the industry and, unlike scripts, buyers are showing an inclination to gamble. Appointment moderated traitor Panel discussion yesterday morning and five of the key people involved in the newspaper format’s success around the world discussed its merits and finer details. Key figures include BBC chief executive Syeda Irtizaali, who said she almost turned down the show, and creator Jasper Hoogendorn, who revealed the working title. Betrayal: Marrakech — Originally it was planned to film in a desert. Oh, what could have been? While these scripted releases mean buyers are more discerning than ever when it comes to drama and comedy, format executives are licking their lips about the opportunities ahead.

FAST growing, but fast enough?

As Mip TV seeks to better differentiate itself in the ever-expanding world of TV markets, the confab could do worse than double down on its Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) Summit, which debuted yesterday. While many of the Mip TV keynotes barely reached half capacity, the FAST event was packed with FAST executives with a series of presentations and panels led by former NBCU and Sundance TV executive and media veteran Evan Shapiro by Banijay and Sony. In a world where multiple revenue streams are needed to keep media companies afloat, big players are licking their lips about the revenue opportunities FAST offers and the chatter has dominated Mip. FAST channels — streaming services with linear schedules that typically focus on a single program or genre — can build brands or revive existing brands. They have enabled super indies to cut out the middleman and partner with TV manufacturers on direct-to-consumer channels, which are becoming increasingly important in the global TV revenue game. The directors highlighted their popularity in several conversations with Deadline over three days. Interestingly, a veteran producer of the market told us that instead of holding calendar meetings with the traditional players, he will sit down with executives from Samsung, Google and LG to discuss FAST opportunities. Meanwhile with the high level of awareness Western world Roku/Tubi Deal Earlier this year, with FAST firmly on the map, ad-supported platforms like Amazon Freevee and Pluto are gaining traction in the buying conversation, giving manufacturers and sellers another option for their shows. Shapiro and ITV Studios head of sales Ruth Berry also spoke of IP opportunities in other sectors such as games and audio, with Berry heading to a I’m a celebrity… Get me out of here! Bush-Tucker hearing Fourteen days. Mip delegates were divided on how much of the pie FAST takes: some believe it fits in with traditional streaming, while others remain skeptical, comparing it to the traditional big bucks still to be made if it is considered. Industry eyes will be on where FAST goes next and which side of the argument wins, with FAST taking the spotlight again at Mipcom Cannes in October.

American programs hit Cannesseries

At the screening event of the Mip TV neighboring Canneseries, there was a significantly greater presence of American series. Priority + s Fatal attraction Adaptation starring Lizzy Caplan and Joshua Jackson, Rachel Weisz Prime Video’s sci-fi vehicle dead wrestlers and Rebecca Ferguson play on Apple TV+ silo was one of the most watched titles as streamers showcased their latest wares. Masterclasses of Buffy Star Sarah Michelle Gellar and Transparent Creator Joey Soloway, who was in town to accept the Konbini Commitment Award, takes place today as the international competition hits the pits dead wrestlers against programs from Korea (bargain), Canada (Good morning Chuck [Or the Art of Harm Reduction])Israel (Carthage And Cord), the Netherlands (childhood dreams), Norway (power play), Denmark (prisonerwith The murder‘s Sofie Grabol) South Africa/France (crackhead) and France (tape). crack head, a Showmax-Canal+ co-production about the dangerous pastime of spinning cars, is the first South African title to enter the Canneseries’ competitive list. While many drivers steered clear of the Cannes series last month, opting to attend Series Mania in Lille, 500 miles away, the pink carpet was home to world premieres and global stars, showing that it has a place after all more crowded international TV – Festival calendar may have.

Still a place for mip tv

Rumors of Mip TV’s demise have long been in the air, but are they grossly exaggerated? Although this year’s market felt slightly smaller and less crowded than previous years, attendees were generally positive about having a little more time to network and make new contacts. Ironically, being slightly smaller, Mip would have found a nice little niche. The larger Mipcom confab in October involves a lot of running around and manufacturers are usually locked into back-to-back meetings. Over the past few days, delegates have told Deadline how much they’re enjoying the slightly slower pace. Mip organizers hope that next year’s keynotes will see better attendance, but with the potential to duplicate successes like FAST Summit, this old market may still have some life.

Based on the numbers

Here are some statistics taken from the south of France this morning. RX claimed attendance was 22% higher than the 2022 edition of today’s MIPTV Spring International Content and Co-Production Market. Attendance was 5,650 (5,510 attending in person), with delegates from 86 countries. That was 1,000 more than last year as the world moved away from the coronavirus pandemic. “We found the right format and scale for MIPTV and how it works,” says Lucy Smith today, head of entertainment at RX France and head of MIPTV and Mipcom Cannes. “The increased number of visitors and the solid exhibition confirm that the design and focus is paying off for everyone.” The dates for next year’s MIPTV have also been announced: 15-17 April 2024. Details have also been released for the Mipcom meeting in October, which will feature FAST channels – an important MIPTV topic as you will read below – Cannes play a central role in the larger conference. “The benefits for everyone to discover, connect and source from the international industry in one place are exacerbated by trends such as increasing third-party licensing, the pace of international growth for FAST channels and the continued desire and need for collaboration , even more co-production – themes we will build on at Mipcom Cannes in October,” added Smith.