12 Content Americas Broadens Its Strategy, MIP Cancun Sharpens Its Focus With an unexpected announcement in March 2026, Brunico Communications discontinued its U.S. conventions, which included NATPE Global, Realscreen Summit, and Kidscreen Summit. Among its three defunct expos, NATPE Global’s departure generated the greatest international impact, as it competed directly with British publishing firm C21Media’s Content Americas and, collaterally, with French exposition firm RX’s MIP Cancun (as well as MIPCOM and MIP London). The disappearance of NATPE Global reshapes the crucial Content Americas’ Miami, Florida market. The most immediate visible consequence is the opportunity opening up for C21Media’s convention to expand across North America. However, Brunico reportedly refused to sell the NATPE brand to a U.S. company that is looking to start a new trade show in Los Angeles in June 2028. MIP Cancun and Content Americas somewhat overlap in two markets they both serve (Latin America and U.S. Hispanic), though they do so with different profiles and scopes. RX created MIP Cancun in Mexico specifically to cater to the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic television industry. Meanwhile, C21 launched Content Americas as a market connecting Latin America, U.S. Hispanic, Spain, and Portugal with the broader international market. The exit of NATPE has raised several questions, including: How is Content Americas 2027 capitalizing on the absence of its direct rival? Is MIP Cancun genuinely on its radar as a territorial competitor? Will it adopt a more aggressive strategy to attract more buyers? On the other hand, must MIP Cancun 2026 realign its strategies to contest overlapping territories against a strengthened Content Americas? A survey VideoAge conducted in Buenos Aires, Argentina, among companies that frequently attend both trade shows revealed largely consistent responses — they view the two shows, separated by 61 days, as two complementary events, not as competitors, each falling within different annual budgets for distributors. (MIP Cancun runs November 17-20, 2026, and the next Content Americas will be held January 18-21, 2027.) The same impression was left by the responses given to VideoAge by the top executives of the Miami and Cancun events. For David Jenkinson, founder and president of the London-based C21Media, this has been an opportunity to capture more territory on the continent. “We decided to incorporate the North American market in a more significant way. Following the disappearance of NATPE and Realscreen, there is a demand for greater interaction with the United States. Therefore, Content Americas is driving the presence of commissioners, buyers, and co-producers from this market to Miami for 2027.” In addition to these updates, Jenkinson confirmed that the third edition of the Vertical and Shortform Summit will take place within the framework of Content Americas, calling it “a sector that arouses great interest and has already consolidated itself as a fundamental pillar of the January event.” In the case of MIP Cancun, the disappearance of NATPE Global did not alter its programming at all. “The exit of NATPE naturally represents a major shift in the international calendar and commands respect for what this market has meant to the industry. However, it does not change our strategy. MIP Cancun is not evolving to occupy the space left by another event,” said María Pérez-Bellière, director of MIP Cancun. “The evolution of MIP Cancun 2026 was already underway and responds to continuous listening to our community: higher curation, more effective meetings, and new opportunities surrounding the development, financing, and monetization of intellectual property. The decisions we have made do not respond to the movements of other events, but rather to the transformation of the industry and the priorities that our clients have conveyed to us,” she added. Both executives flatly rejected the term “competition.” However, PérezBellière backed up her stance: “Content Americas is a relevant event with its own positioning, and our responsibility is to continue strengthening the differential value of MIP Cancún. I have always believed that these markets are complementary. Companies choose events based on their territories, objectives, and business timing. A strong industry needs different meeting spaces, each with a clear value proposition.” Jenkinson highlighted a feature of the Miami convention that embodies their decisive strategy. “The business is going through times of transformation, and it has never been more important to stay ahead of change. There is a shift from B2B, where content was brought to market through commissions and acquisitions, to D2C [directto-consumer], with more and more producers launching their programs through digital platforms, often in partnership with brands or using different commercial models. Attending Content Americas will allow for a deep dive into this emerging market,” he noted. Pérez-Bellière’s take follows the same line of thinking — identifying the major issues and bringing them up for discussion in Cancun. “We are undergoing a profound transformation. Budgets are tighter and decisions are more selective, but at the same time, new opportunities, audiences, and business models are emerging around social video, FAST, AVoD, Connect TV, vertical formats, brands, artificial intelligence, and the creator economy.” Expectations for both conventions remain high for their respective leaders. Jenkinson expects to increase delegate participation at Content Americas 2027 by 20 percent. On the MIP Cancun side, projections are highly optimistic. “We already have more than 250 buyers and commissioners, new digital and vertical content platforms, and a significantly reinforced international participation, featuring a prominent Japanese delegation alongside other delegations and companies from Asia, Europe, and various international markets. Furthermore, we received over 100 projects for the first edition of our fiction project competition. All of these elements reflect the community’s interest in a more curated, diverse, and results-oriented proposal,” concluded the RX executive. By Omar Méndez María Pérez-Bellière, director of MIP Cancun David Jenkinson, founder and president, C21Media VIDEOAGE October 2026 LatAm Markets
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