From the Rise of Unscripted, to Korean Formats and ‘Silo,’ ‘Dead Ringers’ and ‘Fatal Attraction,’ Key Takeaways from MipTV

CANNES — News of the death of Mip-TV looked greatly exaggerated if the 2023 edition, which played out over April 17-19 in Cannes, was anything to go by, with Lucy Smith, director of MipTV and Mipcom, Cannes two TV trade fairs, announcing final figures of 5,560 participants, including 5,510 on-site delegates. 

That said, attendance was sizeably down on pre-pandemic levels – 9,500 attendees in 2019 – with major European drama sales companies literally counting the cost of attendance and exhibition space versus Mip-driven sales. In a fast-evolving TV landscape, the future and identity of MipTV still remains uncertain. 10 takeaways from this year’s edition:

MipTV: The Impact of Brute Market Forces      

Two major macro market trends, both presented by Ampere Analysis’ Guy Bisson’ in an early MipTV panel, go a long way to explaining 2023 MipTV. Global streaming commissions in the fourth quarter of 2022 were the lowest in over two years; unscripted represented 30.35% of streaming commissions last quarter 2019, 50.3% Oct.-Dec. 2022. Established broadcasters, free-to-air and pay TV, look to have followed much the same commissioning and programming trends as commissions and budgets contract and production costs escalate. “I do feel like the bubble has somewhat burst,” Studiocanal CEO Anna Marsh said in a keynote, adding that “[development] periods are stretching out, there aren’t as many green lights as there were in the past.” 

New Drama Titles at a Premium

Led by Benedict Cumberbatch fantasy series, “How To Stop Time,” from Sunny March, Studiocanal and Canal+, some big new dramas were brought onto the market at MipTV. The ever more synergising Canal+ and Studiocanal are still expanding in the scripted space, buying into Strong Film & Television, led by “Broadchurch” director James Strong. But, with many big drama outfits having primed and sold their biggest scripted fare at the London Screenings or Series Mania, big new reveals were at a premium.

Big Buzz Titles

Of the three big U.S. world premieres at Canneseries – Apple TV+’s “Silo,” headed by Rebecca Ferguson; Prime Video’s Rachel Weisz-starrer “Dead Ringers”; and Paramount+’s “Fatal Attraction,” with Lizzy Caplan, and Joshua Jackson – “Silo” was the best received, though both “Fatal Attraction” and “Dead Ringers” had their fans. In Canneseries Competition, best screenplay winner “Bargain,” part of Paramount’s global content alliance with South Korea’s CJ ENM, was one favourite, another was “Spinners,” from Showmax, Canal+, Federation MEAC and Studiocanal, a mean streets coming of age saga and calling card for South African premium series production values. Netflix’s banner French bio series “Tapie” was also very well received. 

MipTV: Back to Basics

In many ways, however, a now scaled down MipTV represented a return to basics, where, as before the drama boom, it stood apart from bigger sister Mipcom for its steady dealing in formats, factual and kids. Paramount, for example, brought Paramount+ titles “Fatal Attraction” and “Bargain” to Cannes,“The titles which typically ring the bells are our series,” said Lisa Kramer, president of international TV licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution, in reference to these two titles. “However, we are at MipTV for kids. and the amount of factual and unscripted content that we bring to the market is enormous,” she added.

Unscripted Rules

At 2023 MipTV, it was, however, unscripted – formats, docs and factual – and kids content which made most of the running this week in Cannes. In maybe the most significant sales news at MipTV, All3Media International announced six brand new format commissions – including Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Israel and Sweden – for big breakout reality hit “The Traitors,” originally produced by its Dutch outfit, IDTV. “The Traitors” and “FBoy Island” are “the true trendsetting formats of the season,” The Wit’s Virginia Mouseler said at her Fresh TV Formats presentation at MipTV. 

Potential Next Big Things, from Korea and Beyond

South Korea is also bidding to become a format super-power. As pointed out during a K-Formats showcase, 2022 marked the fourth year in a row when “The Masked Singer” was crowned as the best-selling format in the world. But there is more, with companies at MipTV’s K-Formats teasing the likes of CJ ENM’s “The Time Hotel,” where the only currency is time, or gameshow “Gganbu Race,” inspired by “Squid Game.” Highlights of Fresh TV Formats ranged from “For the Love of DILFs” and U.K. show “I Kissed a Boy” to Belgium’s “Destination X” from Be-Entertainment, in which clueless contestants travel across Europe in a black bus with opaque windows. Their challenge? They have to figure out where they are.

Kids Content: Thriving at MipTV

However much off the radar, kids content trading at MipTV looked to be thriving. Sebastian Debertin, head of international content acquisitions & co-productions, at KiKA, the joint kids’ channel of Germany’s public broadcasters ARD and ZDF reports KiKA had 483 “serious requests” for meetings, and was forced to cut meetings to 20 minutes a shot. It also received 360 international content offers just because of MipTV. “I heard some people’s complaints about MipTV this year but I must say that MipTV is truly an essential source for me and many, many other buyers, as we all need a market early in the year in Spring,” Debertin added.

To Sell or Not to Sell

With scripted commissions drying up and deep-pocketed players ready to pounce, independent TV companies are either selling, looking to sell, or finding alternative ways of forming alliances. During MipTV, a pair of big French players, Mediawan and Studiocanal, announced new acquisitions. Mediawan, which is becoming increasingly international, bought the Dutch banner Submarine whose credits include Richard Linklater’s “Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood,” while Studiocanal bought a stake in U.K. outfit Strong Film & Television. Meanwhile, Canneseries and MipTV organized a networking event Mip x Canneseries Connection which brought together execs and creatives from indie players and mini-majors with the idea of spurring first-look deals, international co-productions and acquisitions.  

Second Windowing, a Growing Interest

Keshet International began to sell at Cannes linear rights to Apple TV+ Original “Suspicion,” one of the rare instances where an original on a streamer (that’s still available globally on the platform) has been sold on the open market, Variety noted. Distributed internationally by Paramount Global Content Distribution, “The Great” Season 2 bowed first on Starzplay in the U.K. in December 2021 and then on Channel 4, eight months later, Kramer notes. Signature Paramount+ Originals, such as “Fatal Attraction” and “Bargain,” will always bow on Paramount+ in territories which have the service. However, “if there are second window opportunities, we would absolutely explore them,” she added. As Hollywood studios seek more bang for their buck with split rights deals, second windowing looks set to grow.

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