2 minute read
The June Challenge
This is an unique month for the content industry. While the last years before the pandemic, content people tended to be focused on the biggest shows, now they are on the opposite. There are many buyers, distributors and producers looking for new events to gain fresh networking and contents. This way, there are many markets growing and others, reactivating themselves. Prensario covers just in June, five European events with the same edition: NEM Croatia, MIFA/Annecy for kids, Natpe Budapest, Conecta Ficton Spain, Content Budapest.
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European trends, useful for any of these events? The big SVOD project reductions happen everywhere, generating many effects and reactions:
• The AVOD and FAST channels boom, as a way to get the monetization that SVOD systems are failing about. The market is full now of new players offering content providers to create FAST channels and develop them internationally, by revenue sharing. The subscriber-supported model is changed back by advertisement, and the FAST channels reach very segmented audiences anywhere, through Internet.
• The return of major international distribution, sales to third parties, that were stressed in LA Screenings last month, with the Disney screenings back opening some product and the announcement that Amazon now distributes its originals through MGM. The new product available will push free TV, pay TV, regional distributors, buyers and the events in general. Independents are now stronger to compete with majors, so the market will be very competitive.
• The broadcasters are again a priority for main providers to develop flagship projects, due to their stability. They are now producing unscripted (well-known successes, low risks) and they even try again with scripted. Some projects they shared with OTTs, now are by their own, and they will sell them through their own distribution arms.
• In production, this is a time for co-productions, alliances, collaborations, to share rights, even for the big OTT platforms that took the projects all rights so far. The ‘studios’ system is just for these times: flexible models and partners, depending on the project. They are more resistant than simple producers, to project ups & downs.
• The writer strike that affects USA, turns the content market more international, especially towards Europe. The big UK players as ITV, BBC, are already present in many Hollywood projects, but also during this year, many projects will be moved outside USA not to be stopped. It is a big opportunity to get more market and make new alliances.
The challenge of the events
Three of the five June events (NEM, Natpe Budapest, Content Budapest) are focused on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), while MIFA is for kids mainly in Europe and Conecta Fiction is dedicated to co-productions between Europe and the Americas.
The big challenge of the month is between two event organizers: Canadian Brunico that bought Natpe (Budapest) vs. UK’s C21 that develops Content Budapest. They will have a second battle next January, in Miami. What can we comment? Most of the people say it is nonsense to organize two events in the same city in two weeks. It is a loss of time and money for everybody. But, the two events will take place and deploy their strategies.
