With MIPCOM 2012 coming to a close, we thought we’d give you your first hot-off-the-floor roundup of the event.
As we reported in VideoAge’s Day 1 Daily, the market was completely sold out this year, with exhibitors spilling onto boats and into hotel rooms. Yet, it wasn’t a problem, but rather a boon for all involved.
According to Reed MIDEM, this year’s event was one of the largest ever, drawing some 12,900 delegates from 104 countries, including 4,400 buyers. Of those buyers, over 500 were making dedicated VOD acquisitions, Reed MIDEM reported.
According to the organizer, there were significant increases in the number of companies attending from Latin America (+36 percent), China (+30 percent), South Korea (+12 percent) and this year’s Country of Honor, Canada (+11 percent). There was an 11 percent increase in U.S. companies, as well, with DreamWorks among the companies participating at MIPCOM for the first time.
Once again this year, digital companies were back in full force. In an official statement, Laurine Garaude, director of Reed MIDEM’s Television Division said, “Companies such as Netflix, Google/YouTube or Hulu have been attending MIPCOM for several years, but mostly as buyers. Today, they are very much involved in developing great content.”
Robert Kyncl, Google/YouTube’s vice president, global head of content, announced that his company will launch 60 new channels in the U.K., Germany and France, with original content from FremantleMedia, BBC Worldwide, Endemol and All3Media. He urged content producers to embrace YouTube.
Jason Kilar, CEO of online TV service Hulu told MIPCOM delegates that his company has spent $500 million on content this year alone.
This year’s Personality of the Year, Televisa’s Emilio Azcarraga, Jean managed to gather the largest group of top-level TV executives in the history of the event during a gala in his honor at the Carlton on Wednesday. With Azcarraga Jean and Venevision’s Adriana Cisneros presence, MIPCOM cemented its status as the world’s third largest international TV market for Latin America, after the L.A. Screenings and NATPE.
Another great party: The 20th anniversary celebration of Turkey’s ITV.
The lines between film and TV companies continued to blur at the market. Attending his first MIPCOM, Harvey Weinstein unveiled The Weinstein Company’s plans to expand into television production and distribution of series.
On the MIPCOM floor, some TV stations reported satisfaction with the quality and quantity of acquisitions. Ratings are improving but, in certain countries (affected by economic troubles), advertising revenues are decreasing. Apparently, advertisers are now diverting some of their funds to in-store advertising (e.g.: buy one get one free).
Among the high-profile stars seen on the Croisette this year were writer/director Jane Campion (who was introducing her first TV series Top of the Lake), Kevin Spacey (who stars in Netflix/Sony Pictures Television’s House of Cards), Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys (there to promote the world premiere of FX/20th Century Fox’s The Americans — to a packed house). A company that flooded Cannes with talents from their upcoming shows was Canada’s e-One with stars from Saving Hope and Primeval: New World.
Another nice perk –the warm, if slightly humid, weather that lasted throughout the market.
For more hot-off-the-floor MIPCOM news, visit www.VideoAgeDaily.com.
