INTERNATIONAL www.VideoAge.org Last month, during MIPCOM in Cannes, VideoAge caught up with Maria Pérez-Belliere, market director of MIP Cancun for Paris, France-based organizer RX, to discuss what to expect at this year’s 13th annual event. MIP Cancun runs from November 17 to 20, 2026, at the Moon Palace Convention Center in Cancun, Mexico. Following the publication of PerezBelliere’s interview in VideoAge Daily at MIPCOM, several international TV distributors shared reactions, including one executive from Miami, Florida, who requested anonymity and is referred to here as “Miami Distributor,” and Delmar Andrade, International Sales director for Brazil’s Record TV. The upper-level market floor at MIP Cancun 2026 opens on Wednesday, November 18. With six conferences running from 9:45 a.m. to 6:25 p.m. on the main conference Looking back, it is difficult to separate WAWA’s growth from the transformation of the audiovisual industry itself. The association — short for Worldwide Audiovisual Women’s Association — was born out of a very specific need: to create a dedicated space THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, STREAMING, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION November/December 2026 - VOL. 46 NO. 8 - $9.75 Answers, Reactions with MIP Cancun's Maria Pérez-Belliere Asia TV Forum as Viewed By Expert Eyes How WAWA Changed During Its First 10 Years (Continued on Page 22) (Continued on Page 20) (Continued on Page 24) Although some attendance figures for the 27th annual Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) were not yet available at press time in early November, Jocelyn Phng of RX — the organizer of the Singapore TV trade show — reported that the event, scheduled to take place at the Marina Bay Sands from December 1 to 4, 2026, “is expected to bring together over 5,000 content professionals from 60 countries and regions, spanning development, financing, production and distribution.” By comparison, the 2025 edition of ATF drew 4,875 particiNew acquisition models. Buyers’ view: New reality brings some frustration The challenges of Englishspeaking Caribbean and LatAm content MIPCOM still holding ground: Big, memorable despite big departures My 2¢: Journalists used to be outcasts at TV trade shows. Now they run them Page 18 Page 16 Page 12 Page 4
MAIN OFFICES 216 EAST 75TH STREET NEW YORK, NY 10021 TEL: (212) 288-3933 WWW.VIDEOAGEINTERNATIONAL.COM WWW.VIDEOAGE.ORG VIALE ABRUZZI 30 20131 MILAN, ITALY EDITOR-in-CHIEF DOM SERAFINI EDITORIAL TEAM SARA ALESSI (NY) ENZO CHIARULLO (ITALY) LEAH HOCHBAUM ROSNER (NY) SUSAN HORNIK (L.A.) CAROLINE INTERTAGLIA (FRANCE) CAROLINA MANCINI (ITALY) OMAR MENDEZ (ARGENTINA) LUIS POLANCO (NY) MIKE REYNOLDS (L.A.) MARIA ZUPPELLO (BRAZIL) PUBLISHER MONICA GORGHETTO BUSINESS OFFICE LEN FINKEL WEB MANAGER BRUNO MARRACINO DESIGN/LAYOUT CLAUDIO MATTIONI, CARMINE RASPAOLO VIDEO AGE INTERNATIONAL (ISSN 0278-5013 USPS 601-230) IS PUBLISHED SEVEN TIMES A YEAR,. PLUS DAILIES, BY TV TRADE MEDIA, INC. © TV TRADE MEDIA INC. 2026. THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF VIDEO AGE INTERNATIONAL ARE PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT IN THE U.S., U.K., AND ALL COUNTRIES SIGNATORY TO THE BERNE CONVENTIO AND THE PAN-AMERICAN CONVENTION. SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO VIDEO AGE INTERNATIONAL, 216 EAST 75TH STREET, SUITE 1W, NEW YORK, NY 10021, U.S.A. PURSUANT TO THE U.S. COPYRIGHTS ACT OF 1976, THE RIGHTS OF ALL CONTENT DONE ON ASSIGNMENT FOR ALL VIDEOAGE PUBLICATIONS ARE HELD BY THE PUBLISHER OF VIDEOAGE, WHICH COMMISSIONED THEM Journalists used to be discredited, discarded, and dismissed in the TV trade show business, but they ended up running major international TV fairs and awards shows (such as the Golden Globes). Who’d a thunk it? Page 4 Cover Stories How WAWA changed during its first 10 years in facts and figures from the founders Asia TV Forum as observed by expert eyes. Nothing is left unturned, the good with the bad Maria Pérez-Belliere answers hard questions about MIP Cancun, alongside the market’s exhibitors News 5. World: New TV hardware, topical topics make NAB New York perfect for its size 6. World: Five reasons Toronto’s firstever TIFF content market failed to impress 10. MIPCOM Cannes report. Still holding ground: Big and memorable despite big departures 8. Book Review: Mamie Van Doren delivers a gossipy tellall in new memoir 14. Golden Globe recollections. The turns and twists of the L.A. Foreign Press Association: From HFPA to PMRC 16. The challenges of bundling English-Speaking Caribbean and Latin American content 18. New acquisition models. Buyers’ view: New reality brings some frustration 26. U.S. airline ticket prices continue to rise alongside growing travel demand. Plus, calendar of events Features
4 My 2¢ November 2026 One job will be needed for sure: that of independent journalists The views are contrasting. Some say that time solves everything, while others affirm that time brings hardship. In my case, time vindicated the role of journalists. In the early 2000s, at the peak of NATPE’s international revival, I asked Dick Lippin — then the communications strategist of the organization (which stood for the National Association of Television Program Executives) — if I could be considered for a board position. His answer was a clear-cut, “It’s never gonna happen.” I assumed it was because journalists were not allowed to serve on trade association boards. I had confronted the same situation in the early years of the International Council, the international arm of the Emmys’ associations (NATAS in New York City and ATAS in Los Angeles), which was later rebranded as the International Academy. At that time, running the Council was Viacom founder Ralph Baruch who did not change the Council’s statute excluding journalists, but somehow allowed me to join the board anyway (and, for years, VideoAge published the Council members’ directory). Fast-forward 10 years, and NATPE became part of Brunico, a Canadian publishing company, while its related trade show was run by... journalists. Then came Content Americas to compete with NATPE. Content Americas was — and still is — organized by C21, a British publishing company, and its TV trade event is run by... journalists. A new entrant in the TV trade business, Stream TV (which offers two events, one in Europe, the other in the U.S.) is run by Questex, a “publisher of brands,” in New York City. So, in this case, time proved me right, and the original NATPE’s refusal to allow a journalist onto its board proved disastrous. Somehow, the same fate awaited the International Academy. The organization — which during my time on the board staged the most sought-after international event in New York City — became a shadow of its former self. Naturally, journalists still run the Golden Globe Awards, which were organized for many years by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The Globes are now under a complex structure run by the publishing companies of Jay Penske (Variety) and Todd Boehly (The Hollywood Reporter). Then, we can look at the Critics Choice Awards, run by the journalist-led American-Canadian Critics Choice Association, and the Television Critics Association’s TV event. Finally, regarding AI, Elon Musk — one of AI’s major proponents — stated, “There will come a point where no job is needed.” Well, one job will be needed for sure: that of independent journalists (not reporters who want to be influencers, meaning financed by sponsors) who can balance news stories with publishers’ commercial requirements. Otherwise, can anyone imagine another Trump-like U.S. president without checks and balances? Dom Serafini Journalists used to be discredited, discarded, and dismissed in the TV trade show business, but they ended up running major international TV fairs and awards shows (such as the Golden Globes). Who’d a thunk it?
5 nies — 23 percent of which came from outside the U.S. This compares to 260 exhibitors last year and 270 in 2024. By contrast, NAB’s main flagship event at the Las Vegas Convention Center, scheduled for April 4-7 next year, typically attracts over 1,100 exhibitors. Across both conference sessions and the exhibition floor, the event officially welcomed 6,700 participants. Content creators accounted for 17 percent of attendees, while 15 percent were broadcasters. The event featured 147 speakers across 50 sessions. Highlights included a panel titled “The Power of Sports on Broadcast,” featuring NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt alongside Clay Travis of FOX Sports. Speaking with VideoAge on the exhibition floor prior to the session, LeGeyt showed some disinterest toward the presence of content exhibitors at the NAB shows. During the sports presentation, both LeGeyt and Travis criticized the impact of paid streaming platforms compared to free broadcast television. They agreed that sports leagues’ “desire is to chase money,” that consumers are “fed up with high costs,” and that the “system is broken.” Travis, a former lawyer, also argued that the National Football League “is violating the law by putting their games behind a paywall. They say that they are following the law 87 percent of the time, but not the remaining 13 percent of the time.” LeGeyt warned that if sports organizations fail to reach young audiences with free broadcasts when they are 10 or 11 years old, they risk losing a generation of fans. On the TV advertising front, Christopher Martinez of Hearst Television delivered a session on “Local TV Strategies: Media Buyers and Sellers,” and Tom Fleming of FOX Television addressed the “Future of Local TV Revenue.” NAB Show New York brought together TV hardware exhibitions, TV technology conferences, and specialized seminars covering sports, advertising, and broadcast news — though content creators and TV content distributors were completely absent as exhibitors. Organized by the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Broadcasters — a trade group representing U.S. radio and TV broadcasters — the event took place at its longtime venue, Manhattan’s Javits Convention Center. Held from October 20-22 (with the show floor opening on Wednesday, October 21), this year’s New York event featured 235 exhibiting compaNew TV Hardware, Topical Topics Make NAB New York Perfect for Its Size VIDEOAGE November 2026 World WORLD‘S FIRST WILDLIFE VERTICAL TRUE CRIME 8 x 60’ VERTICAL WILDLIFE SERIES 51 x 2’ KIDS ANIMATION 26 x 11’ KIDS ANIMATION 20 x 11’ NEW 2D SERIES · IN DEVELOPMENT www.bomanbridge.tv Meet us at 2–4 December 2026 · Singapore Pavilion · Stand H06, F06
6 tional marketplace, TIFF 2026 [market] delivered plenty of spectacle but little evidence of a commercial breakthrough.” It then continued with a fivepoint list: “1. Where was the crowd and where were the deals? Thousands of delegates descended on Toronto, but the market floor was pretty quiet and produced few publicized major transactions. “2. A market short on content: For all the advanced hype, the selection of compelling new films and commercially attractive projects appeared thin. “3. Badge chaos on Day One: Registration and badge-printing problems left participants stranded in lengthy lines. For an event aspiring to international market status, the opening-day dysfunction was an embarrassing failure of basic logistics. “4. All the atmosphere of an airport terminal: The cavernous convention center lacked the intensity, intimacy, and deal-making energy that define successful markets. “5. A food court in a film market: An inexplicable proliferation of uninspiring food offerings occupied convention-floor space, while downtown Toronto’s vibrant restaurant scene was literally steps away.” The same executive also added: “TIFF’s inaugural market was not without useful meetings and networking. But those benefits barely distinguish it from the festival’s already long-established industry market activity. “With substantial taxpayer funding behind it, TIFF must demonstrate measurable commercial value, not simply impressive attendance statistics and a sprawling conventionfloor footprint.” The executive concluded: “Toronto already has a worldclass film festival. Whether it needs another underwhelming content market remains an open question.” Following the inaugural September Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) trade show (held during its 51st annual event), VideoAge received feedback from a Canadian entertainment executive who wished to remain anonymous. The executive was not impressed by the extensive previews and review published in VideoAge throughout August and September, including the August 28 Water Cooler feature, the September monthly edition front cover story, and the September 18 Water Cooler piece. The comment began: “Backed by C$23 million in [Canadian] federal funding and promoted as a major new internaFive Reasons Toronto’s First-Ever Content Market Failed to Impress VIDEOAGE November 2026 World For Your Consideration!
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8 Hollywood's Golden Age actress Mamie Van Doren dishes new and untold stories from her career — everything from entertainment drama to romantic trysts. Mamie Van Doren Delivers a Gossipy Tell-All in New Memoir By Luis Polanco Mamie Van Doren’s career as a Hollywood starlet is an interesting case study in how the collapse of the U.S. studio system transformed the lives and careers of its talent. Born as Joan Lucille Olander in 1931, Van Doren was raised in Rowena, South Dakota and Sioux City, Iowa, before moving to Los Angeles, California, in 1942. She was “discovered” (as the expression goes) by film producer Howard Hughes, who found small roles for her in his RKO movies. Later, in 1953, she signed a contract with Universal, where the powers that be intended to present her as its younger and blonder answer to Marilyn Monroe. In her later career, she starred in some foreign and international titles, although for the most part, these were campy B-movie productions. Today, Van Doren is recognized as the last living member of the unofficial group known as the “Three M’s,” a trio of blonde bombshells that put Van Doren in the company of the incomparable (and above-mentioned) Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, the actress and Playboy Playmate. In 1987, Van Doren published her first memoir, Playing the Field: Sex, Stardom, Love, and Life in Hollywood, which chronicled her account of the competitive Hollywood studio system, as well as her steamy affairs with international celebrities. In her latest memoir, the riotously funny and charming You Thought I Was Dead: My Life of Celebrities, Sex, and Champagne (Permuted Press, 320 pgs., 2026, $30), Van Doren continues to deliver her raw honesty and irreverent humor in even more untold stories about sex, celebrities, and Hollywood, alongside playful and caricature-esque illustrations by Stephen B. Whatley. You Thought I Was Dead covers several areas of Van Doren’s life, beginning with her early years. She shares memories of growing up on a farm in South Dakota with her parents and grandmother, where she cultivated a childhood fascination with platinum blonde screen actress Jean Harlow. After moving to Los Angeles, a chance encounter with producer Nils Thor Granlund led to her befriending Elizabeth Short — a dark-haired waitress at the Florentine Gardens who would later become the victim at the center of the gruesome “Black Dahlia” murder. A healthy portion of the memoir is dedicated to Van Doren’s love life. She details several short-lived marriages, including those to sportswear manufacturer Jack Newman, big band bandleader Ray Anthony, baseball pitcher Lee Meyers, and businessman Ross McClintock. Later, she married actor and dentist Thomas Dixon, with whom she remains married today. However, Van Doren divulges countless details from other steamy and troubling romances. As a teenager, she met big band singer Vic Damone after tennis lessons — a casual meeting that resulted in her first sexual experience. At the L.A. nightclub El Macombo, where underage drinking laws were notoriously lax, she met Howard Hughes, who pursued her romantically and went on to offer her early film roles after she won the Miss Palm Springs beauty contest. Hughes placed Van Doren as an extra in RKO movies like war drama Jet Pilot and the film noir His Kind of Woman. In describing the sexual nature of her relationship with Hughes, Van Doren expresses deep reservations about the business. “I was learning a hard lesson about Hollywood’s promise and threat: You may be allowed to reach the heights, but at the same time, you may be cursed to feel powerless and unprotected—and slightly sullied.” Van Doren reveals a myriad of other dalliances. At the historic Club Oasis, she shared “ten days” with music legend Quincy Jones. She pursued actor Lawrence Tierney at an upscale restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard after seeing him in the title role of Dillinger, a gangster movie about John Dillinger, an American gangster active during the Great Depression. Then there were the romantic entanglements on set, such as during the filming of the romantic sports drama All American between her, co-star Tony Curtis, and director Jesse Hibbs. For readers looking for even more titillating details outside of Van Doren’s love life, the memoir encompasses juicy and amusing morsels of wit, facts, and impressions. These include how she got her stage name, Mamie Van Doren, from Hollywood columnist James Bacon, her visits and performances to support troops in the Vietnam War, her reflections on dominant divas such as Joan Crawford, Joan Bennett, and Gloria Swanson, and her efforts to raise public awareness about AIDS. You Thought I Was Dead, the hysterical title of Van Doren’s memoir, speaks volumes about her sense of humor. “That’s what you were thinking when you picked up this book,” she writes. “How old is she? Is she still alive?” Mamie Van Doren is now 95 years old, and her memoir is proof that the last one at the party gets to laugh the longest. Mamie Van Doren is now 95 years old, and her memoir is proof that the last one at the party gets to laugh the longest. VIDEOAGE November 2026 Book Review
10 Still Holding Ground: Big and Memorable Despite Departures MIPCOM Cannes is still the largest TV content trade show in the world, though industry insiders estimate that the actual turnout was around 8,000 rather than the official figure of 10,100. (While NAB in Las Vegas and IBC in Amsterdam boast larger attendance, those shows focus primarily on hardware.) Nevertheless, the general impression on the ground in Cannes was that well over 10,100 people were present for the event, with some reportedly opting not to purchase a badge due to high prices compared to markets like EFM, Cannes Film Fest, and AFM. Because major hotels restricted entrance to guests with room keys or MIPCOM badges, local restaurants and bars were overflowing with business meetings (pictured on page 12). In response, market organizers are reportedly considering introducing lower-cost daily registration passes especially for visitors attending single-day meetings. Not bad for a shrinking industry. This year saw Paramount and Warner Bros. operating separate stands for what may well be the last time, while All3Media transitioned to Banijay (which took over All3Media’s former stand). Inside the Palais, however, the air conditioning was still set for a much larger crowd, making the rooms uncomfortably cold, while empty spaces were noticeable throughout the market floor. Additionally, the main corridors in the Riviera section lacked traditional carpeting, leaving bare concrete floors exposed, and the usual country flags above exhibitor stands were noticeably absent. This year, the press received a larger-thanusual number of invitations to cocktails, parties, receptions, and celebrations. Even consumer press outlets got in on the action. For example, Rete Capri in Italy sent reporter Glauco Benigni to review the Cannes TV market for their television network, and TV trade reporter Omar Mendez arrived from Argentina to explore what is brewing with Latin America, among other locales. What does all this mean? Well, considering that mergers and acquisitions have shrunk exhibition space, the overall TV sector is faring reasonably well. MFE showcased a new combined pavilion alongside the Spanish, German, and Italian delegations at the former ProSieben stand on the P4 level (where it is listed under “Mediaset Group”). All3Media moved to the Banijay complex at stands C20 and P3 C10. Meanwhile, Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, though now united, remained separated on the floor — one at stand C14 (Paramount), the other at C17 (WB). The event kicked off on Saturday, October 10, 2026, with MIPJunior, the children’s TV trade show section, which really became animated on Sunday during a major presentation from Disney led by Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids and Family, along with her executive team. Officially, market participation for MIPJunior was slightly down from last year, with 165 registered buyers. Sunday’s schedule was packed with events: Germany’s Poorhouse Entertainment (led by Reiner Moritz) hosted a lunch for international art-program buyers; MIPJunior held a cocktail reception; Global Agency’s Izzet Pinto of Turkey screened The Greatest Duo at Cinema Olympia on Rue d’Antibes; Maria Pérez-Belliere gave an interview to VideoAge about the upcoming (Continued on Page 12) Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids and Family Laszlo Fulop, buyer for Hungary’s AMG Global Media, visits VideoAge’s stand Separated at birth, but now united: Paramount and WB Considering that mergers and acquisitions have shrunk exhibition space, the overall TV sector is faring reasonably well. VIDEOAGE November 2026 MIPCOM 2026 Report
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12 MIP Cancun; and Banijay hosted a reception at the Carlton Hotel. Throughout MIPJunior, one key takeaway stood out: a lack of rigid rules and regulations allowed executives to stop thinking about the future. Today, most industry leaders are too busy thinking about how to survive in the present to worry about long-term shifts. Meanwhile, it’s the children themselves who are driving the direction of kids’ TV content — and as they grow into adults, they will shape the next generation of traditional TV viewers. When that time comes, public broadcasters will likely remain focused on reaching audiences through specific development goals, regardless of financial outcomes, whereas commercial broadcasters will continue prioritizing audience reach in order to sell products. As public broadcast advocate Reiner Moritz said, “Commercial TV doesn’t make programs. It makes products.” MIPCOM’s first day was super busy, kicking off on Monday at 8:15 a.m. with an ITV press breakfast, and quickly escalated into a hectic afternoon featuring 10 different parties, cocktail hours, and receptions. Highlights included memorable events hosted by A+E, Inter Medya, NBCUniversal, and Fox, while MFE invited participants to the new stand it shares with associate partner ProSieben. The evening wrapped up with an official opening party and an ATV dinner at the Carlton Hotel. Tuesday opened with VideoAge’s market daily highlighting key buyer dilemmas and previews for upcoming markets, including MIP Cancun and ATF. The day continued with lots of hectic market-floor activities and ended with receptions hosted by Radial, South Korea, Lionsgate, Paramount, and Calinos. Turkish companies — including Kanal D, Global Agency, and OGM — were also highly active throughout the day. (Note: MIPCOM 2027 is scheduled for October 18-21.) MIPCOM hosted 62 conferences — a substantial number. However, as Michel Zgarka, executive VP, International Business Affairs at Montreal, Canada-based Sonic Origin, noted in VideoAge’s MIPCOM Issue, what “the event is missing [is] market-driven conferences.” VideoAge has echoed this sentiment about TV markets for years, given that their core purpose remains buying and selling. While conferences drew crowd interest, many felt they missed the mark relative to trade show priorities. Of the more than 60 sessions on the schedule, key highlights included “The New Distribution Playbook: Maximizing Value Across a Fragmented Global Market,” and MIP Innovation Lab’s “Training Data Deal.” Other notable sessions included “Financing the New Drama Economy,” “The Multi-Layered Distribution of Sports Media,” and the “Doc + Factual Roundtable.” (Continued from Page 10) Executives gather at the pre-MIP Cancun reception OneLife Studios’ Siddharth Kumar Tewary, Gayatri Tewary, Rohit Krishna, Angad Tewary, and Shashank Singh While conferences drew crowd interest, many felt they missed the mark relative to trade show priorities VIDEOAGE November 2026 MIPCOM 2026 Report
14 This year marks the 83rd anniversary of a Los Angeles-based foreign journalist group covering the entertainment industry for their home-country outlets. As one might expect, it hasn’t always been a smooth journey — as will likely be revealed when someone decides to write a truthful book (or make a no-holds barred documentary) on what was once called the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), which was rebranded as the Golden Globe Foundation as of June 12, 2023. Journalists still run the Golden Globe Awards, which were organized for many years by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Today, however, the Globes operate under a complex structure managed by the publishing companies of Jay Penske (Variety) and Todd Boehly (The Hollywood Reporter). In 2018, Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries merged Dick Clark Productions (DCP) and The Hollywood Reporter with Media Right Capital to form Valence Media (later rebranded as MRC). In 2020, Penske’s Penske Media Corp. (PMC), owner of Variety, merged with MRC to form PMRC. Furthermore, in 2023, DCP acquired the Golden Globes from the HFPA and allowed the HFPA to continue its charitable activities under the Golden Globe Foundation. DCP is the longtime producer of the Globes’ TV awards broadcast. Now, the Foundation has sued Penske and Eldridge for $150 million, alleging fraudulent acquisition of the awards show. In response, PMRC has counter-sued the Golden Globe Foundation over ownership of the show. When I first arrived in Los Angeles from London in 1978, I was inundated with stories about the (then) HFPA. Working for the BBC, I was invited to junkets and one-on-one interviews, so got to meet both local and foreign press. One journalist approached me and revealed he was on the HFPA committee. He offered to propose me as a qualified candidate to join and get some of his friends to support my application. I didn’t particularly care one way or another, but it was a kind gesture, so I didn’t turn him down. A couple of weeks later, he told me the application had been declined. He smiled and said, “I guess you were too legit!” — possibly implying that the membership wasn’t, after all, primarily made up of accredited journalists from major overseas media outlets. However, the members managed to precede the Oscars with their awards. Thankfully, much has changed since then, though not without a few ethical questions along the way. The association was founded in 1943 by Los Angeles-based foreign entertainment journalists (and more prominently, by William Mooring, a correspondent in L.A. for The Daily Mail in the U.K.) who wanted the same access to films and talent as local and national press were receiving. The first Golden Globe Awards were presented for film in early 1944 at 20th Century Fox studios. However, the actual Globe trophy wasn’t introduced until the 1945 ceremony, presenting winners with a golden globe encircled by a strip of motion picture film and mounted on a pedestal. Some infighting among members in 1950 fractured the group into two separate entities: The Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association and the Foreign Press Association of Hollywood. The two eventually reunited, and in 1955, announced the formation of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and added television shows to their awards list. Dubious accusations of unprofessional behavior by the group and certain members have clouded the organization over the years. However, the group — which had historically been member-led — took on a new name and corporate ownership when the HFPA was rebranded as the Golden Globe Foundation on June 12, 2023, following a buyout by Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries. One would have thought that all would now be quiet, but legal battles over the buyout are currently ongoing. Life is never dull with this organization, whatever it gets called! By Mike Reynolds The Twists & Turns of the L.A. Foreign Press Association: From HFPA to PMRC The Foundation has sued Penske and Eldridge for $150 million, alleging fraudulent acquisition of the awards show. VIDEOAGE November 2026 Golden Globe Recollections
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16 a disconnect between what is being distributed and what viewers expect to receive. This issue becomes particularly apparent when channels or content feeds contain Spanish-language advertising, promotional announcements, and interstitials that are not tailored to the local audience. Even when the underlying programming is attractive, these elements can undermine the overall viewing experience. For audiences, the result may feel less like a service designed for their market and more like a regional product being repackaged for resale. That perception matters. TV channels and streaming services compete not only on the quality of their programming but also on their relevance to viewers. Audiences want to feel that a service understands their preferences, reflects their language, and offers content that has been selected with them in mind. When those expectations are not met, the perceived value of the service can diminish. This does not mean that English-speaking viewers in the Caribbean reject all Latin American content. There may be strong opportunities for Spanish-language productions, Latin music, telenovelas, films, and other programming when they are appropriately selected, positioned, and presented. Rather, the issue is one of market alignment, thoughtful curation, and localization. A distribution strategy that recognizes these distinctions is more likely to build audience engagement and strengthen the commercial relationship between operators, content owners, and viewers. Although the 12 countries comprising the English-speaking Caribbean — Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago — are often grouped together with Latin America for distribution and content strategy, the two markets are quite different. The following report is provided by Dianne Bissoon (pictured at right), a Miami, Florida-based Senior Global Partner for Content, Strategy & Partnerships at TRACE TV, a France-based music channel. For distributors and operators, combining territories into larger regional packages can offer obvious commercial advantages. It can simplify negotiations, create efficiencies in licensing, and potentially reduce the cost of acquiring programming across multiple markets. However, commercial convenience does not necessarily translate into audience satisfaction. In the Englishspeaking Caribbean, combining English-language markets with Latin American content offerings can create The Challenges of Bundling English-Speaking Caribbean and Latin American Content VIDEOAGE November 2026 Territories
18 We often hear how difficult the TV business has become, mainly due to the advent of streaming. Apparently, these difficulties simply did not exist when home video made its debut and cable/satellite television came to be. But the complaints are mostly vented by the supply side of the business — meaning producers and distributors. Rarely are any grumbles about this heard from the demand side. So, this time around, VideoAge called upon content buyers from France, Canada, and U.S./Latin America to ask about their experiences and expectations. Those interviewed include Manuel Alduy, head of Cinema and International Drama at France Télévisions; Jorge Balleste, strategic advisor/content buyer at Rustic Media; and Sarah Weaver, director of Content, Bell Media. This MIP Cancun report is a reprint from the original version published at MIPCOM in Cannes. VideoAge: How has buying changed over the last few years? Jorge Balleste: A few years back, deals were built around license fees and exclusivity — that was the currency of the business. Today, revenue share has become the dominant model, largely because the streaming platforms have proven they can actually monetize content well across the territory. Manuel Alduy: Drama and film acquisitions have become more opportunistic. First, the streamers dramatically increased their original productions. Second, broadcasters’ needs have been reduced because of the economic crisis. Hence, we’ve seen less acquisitions than expected. There’s been a shift in the balance of power between buyers and distributors. Buyers have more choice than ever. Sarah Weaver: We could be reconsidering discrete business terms like windowing and exclusivity, but also thinking about how you work differently with distributors you know. There are no cookie-cutter deals. VideoAge: What would you ask a sales exec today that you wouldn’t have asked in the past? Balleste: These days I’m raising business points that simply weren’t part of the conversation before — non-exclusive rights, unlimited runs, AVoD, and FAST rights. I’m looking for every possible way to monetize the content, not just the obvious one. Exclusivity used to be such a central piece of any negotiation. Now, unless we’re talking about brand-new content or a high-profile Hollywood title for SVoD, paying for that exclusivity just doesn’t make sense — there isn’t enough equity in it to justify the cost. Alduy: Sales executives should more clearly position their slate in two categories: Content that will stand out and generate conversation on social media thanks to the originality of the plot; and content that is easy-watching, and will foster audience loyalty thanks to trusted talents, well-crafted stories, and reassuring plots. Dramas that are “in-between” may well be discarded by buyers. Weaver: We are asking about where the content lives outside of our territory and how it is being marketed and supported by the distributor or other global partners. VideoAge: Content distributors complain that sales are now more difficult — is it the same for buyers? Balleste: Not really, from where I sit. We’re leaning heavily into revenue share for the bulk of our library content distribution now. FreeTV and pay-TV keep declining, and those buyers simply don’t have the budgets they used to. Meanwhile, the streamers have shown they can monetize content effectively, which is exactly why revenue share has become the leading model today. Alduy: Buyers have less money. They are more selective. Viewers are “flooded” by huge content offerings and multiple announcements and drama launches. Weaver: I don’t think it has become more difficult, but it requires the ability to be nimble, adaptable, and not rest on your laurels. You have to approach each opportunity with efficiency and always be aware of what the business needs now — not necessarily what worked before. VideoAge: In your view, what do some content distributors do wrong? Balleste: Part of the issue is the distributors often hold on for a big SVoD deal with the key players, but these platforms have budgets assigned [and] there is only so much content they can buy in a given year, so pinning their strategy on landing one of those deals is a bet that most distributors won’t win. If they place the content across several strong streaming platforms under revenue share, that can easily outperform a single license deal in the long run. Alduy: Some of them don’t adjust their licensing models quickly enough. TV distribution models evolved permanently. As linear viewing is shrinking, non-linear viewing is exploding at a faster pace. Broadcasters and streamers are converging on how they distribute content to viewers. For example, catchup rights are almost history now. We license AVoD/FVoD rights with some linear rights. All our series’ episodes are published on our platform prior to the linear exhibition, if any. Another market trend is that FTA broadcasters are getting distributed by streamers (TF1/Netflix; France Télévisions/ Prime Video). Weaver: When distributors pitch content where they can’t match the quality or rights we deliver to our audiences, it isn’t an effective discussion. [But] many of our distributor partners approach the pitch and the deal as a winwin. They have done their homework and know what content is working for our platforms, are familiar where there are opportunities. VideoAge: Do you find more content out there for your needs, or less? Balleste: A growing number of distributors are open to wide distribution under revenue share, and that’s opened up catalogs that used to be much harder to access. One distinction worth noting: CPMs in the U.S. market run significantly higher than in Latin America. If a content owner holds rights across both territories, the combined revenue is quite strong. Alduy: We have no difficulties in finding what we need. We also don’t license content when the necessary rights are partially missing, even if the content is great. Weaver: Generally, there is a huge supply of content available and more content than ever to review. We do our best as a team to consider everything that is submitted with some alignment to our brands. There are some genres that are harder to find, but that always ebbs and flows. For example, outside major IP adaptations (film or series), there are fewer sci-fi and genre television series to consider. There’s no shortage of true crime, documentaries, factual series, but not as many scripted procedurals (in our two official languages: French and English). Buyers’ View: New Reality Brings Some Frustration Manuel Alduy, head of Cinema and International Drama at France Télévisions Jorge Balleste, strategic advisor/content buyer at Rustic Media VIDEOAGE November 2026 New Acquisition Models
AMERICAN FILM MARKET® SO DO WE FILM EVOLVES November 10 – 15, 2026 Fairmont Century Plaza Los Angeles americanfilmmarket.com
20 (Continued from Cover) pating professionals, 558 exhibiting companies, and 977 buyers. While Boat Rocker, a major Canadian studio, will not be attending, Phng noted that “new pavilions from Canada and Indonesia will broaden ATF’s international representation.” Phng also highlighted that under the theme “The Attention Economy,” the ATF Leaders’ Dialogue on December 1 will “examine how the battle for audience attention is redrawing the entertainment landscape, from the rise of verticals and creator-led content to the growing influence of brands in storytelling.” To gauge expectations for the upcoming market, VideoAge spoke with three industry leaders: Sonia Fleck, founder and CEO of Bomanbridge, who, with a Singapore base (an American-born executive based in Singapore and a leading authority on the Southeast Asian TV market); Shashank Singh, lead for Syndication & Content Alliances at One Life Studios India; and Moira Hogan, EVP of APAC Sales and Distribution, ITV Studios, U.K. VideoAge: You’ll be at ATF for sales and co-productions. Will you be expecting more buyers or coproducers? Sonia Fleck: ATF is primarily a Southeast Asian market. The Southeast Asian buyers are very clear about their priorities: 1) local content, 2) Asian content, and 3) international content, in that order of priority. So, it is not an easy market for international content. On coproduction, co-development, and creative collaboration, however, we see real opportunities to explore cross-border partnerships with platforms and producers in the region, particularly around Asian content with international reach. Shashank Singh: Based on our experience over the past few years, ATF tends to attract a stronger presence of Asian buyers than co-production partners, making it an important market for content sales and distribution. Moira Hogan: ATF will largely be buyer-focused across formats and finished tape. Many of the Asian buyers/commissioners who do not make it to Western content markets like MIPCOM will prioritize attending ATF. While ATF has rapidly evolved into a major ecosystem for co-productions, development funding, and project pitching, foreign cooperation and international department executives from broadcasters across Asia will be attending ATF. VA: ATF comes at the end of most budget periods. How can exhibitors maximize what’s left in buyers’ budgets? Sonia Fleck: Work hard, bring deal memos, or be willing to work off that handshake. Beyond that, ATF is about planting the seeds for the upcoming Q1 and, very importantly, the gossip! What’s happening in this fast-paced region where changes are appearing every day? Who’s executing their vision and how? Shashank Singh: The key is to offer content that feels fresh, distinctive, and relevant to the market. New launches can create a compelling reason for buyers to commit remaining budget, particularly when the content has strong audience appeal and clear potential across territories. We’re also seeing strong opportunities in the fast-growing micro-drama space. Moira Hogan: Fiscal year cycles vary across Asian countries, with most buyers in Asia working on an April-March FY, so very often calendar Q4 tends to be a busy time. Buyers who have remaining funds to spend might not require the actual delivery until the next quarter, but they want to capture a Q1 tentpole title they can’t lose. VA: Is ATF a good venue to launch new content? Sonia Fleck: If the content has a clear Southeast Asian angle, then yes. For a more global project, I see ATF less as a launch market and more as an opportunity to build on the international momentum created at MIPCOM, and extend the project’s reach into Asia. Shashank Singh: Absolutely. For an Indian content company like One Life Studios, ATF is a valuable platform to introduce new programming directly to the Asian market. While many regional buyers and industry delegates may not have been able to attend MIPCOM, ATF gives us another opportunity to showcase our latest content, build awareness, and engage with buyers closer to home. It’s more than simply a second launch window. ATF allows us to tailor conversations to regional tastes, explore new distribution opportunities and build relationships with buyers who are actively looking for fresh stories and formats. Moira Hogan: Yes, ATF is an ideal venue to showcase new content that has only just launched at MIPCOM. It offers three dedicated days for buyers and sellers to discuss full slates, share insights, and connect face-to-face in both formal and informal settings. “The Southeast Asian buyers are very clear about their priorities: 1) local content, 2) Asian content, and 3) international content, in that order of priority.” — Sonia Fleck, Bomanbridge Moira Hogan, EVP of APAC Sales and Distribution, ITV Studios, U.K. Bomanbridge’s Sonia Fleck with Gleyce Soares, Effa Syaqilla, and Carl Hall at their MIPCOM stand Shashank Singh, lead for Syndication & Content Alliances. One Life Studios India VIDEOAGE November 2026 ATF Preview
17-20 NOVEMBER 2026 MOON PALACE, CANCUN, MEXICO More information www.mipcancun.com ONE GLOBAL CONTENT COMMUNITY
22 (Continued from Cover) floor, Wednesday is expected to be the busiest day. Thursday features three conferences from 5 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., followed by the Gala at 9 p.m. Pre-opening “drinks” are scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. Brands are increasingly becoming entertainment partners. At MIP Cancun, senior brand and agency executives will explore what this means for producers, studios, and media companies. MIP Cancun is bringing senior executives from Publicis, Nestlé, and Heineken to the stage to explore how brands and entertainment companies are forging new partnerships. Titled “Beyond the Deal: Turning Brands into Entertainment Partners,” the opening session kicks off the conference program on November 18 from 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. It features a panel of headliners: Victor Castrellon, creative director at Publicis; Ian Serrano, director of Communications and Content Studio at Nestlé; and Veronica Meneses, brand manager at Heineken. Notable changes to this year’s program include the absence of the WAWA gathering, buyers’ breakfasts, and breakfast or lunch screenings. Conversely, the market will welcome its first-ever delegation of 10 major Japanese broadcasters looking to sell Japanese content to Latin American buyers. They will also sponsor an early-evening cocktail reception on Wednesday, November 18. This year’s trade show features 98 distributors with meeting tables compared to 121 in 2025. As of October 30, registered buyers stand at 202, down from 250 last year. The U.S. leads representation with 24 distribution companies, while Turkey maintains a strong contingent of nine companies —including ATV, Calinos, Inter Medya, Kanal D, and OGM. Additional international participation includes seven companies from the U.K. and six from Canada, alongside a reduced distributor presence from Latin America. Among buyers, leading countries include the U.S. with 41 buyers, followed by Mexico (25), Brazil (24), Argentina (13), and Colombia (10). VideoAge: MIP Cancun comes at the end of most budget periods. How can exhibitors maximize what’s left in buyers’ budgets? Maria Pérez-Belliere: The market maximizes buyers’ budgets by fulfilling buyers’ demand to come, and distributors organize exclusive content. Traditionally, buyers put aside budget money just for MIP Cancun. Miami Distributor: The MIP Cancun model relies on covering buyers’ airfare and accommodations, which in turn commits them to attending all their scheduled appointments. Sure, this is not the only market that uses this strategy, but a market so near the end of the year is not the ideal calendar time slot. That said, I have yet to find a buyer who travels to this market with a specific budget allocated to this market so late in the year. Delmar Andrade: MIP Cancun is an excellent opportunity to present strategic content and identify business opportunities, even at a time when many buyers are approaching the end of their budget cycles. Beyond focusing solely on immediate sales, exhibitors should take advantage of the event to build relationships, showcase new projects, and better understand buyers’ needs. VA: Is MIP Cancun a good venue to launch new content? Maria Pérez-Belliere: Yes, it is because it is a preparation for the rest of the year when buyers are anticipating their needs for the following year. Miami Distributor: Given the changes, moves, and dynamics we’ve all been experiencing in our industry, I believe distributors are no longer inclined to schedule new content launches around trade markets. By the time MIP Cancun rolls around, buyers already know what new shows are in the pipeline. They may not have seen full episodes yet, but they’re well aware of what’s out there. Delmar Andrade: Absolutely. MIP Cancun is an important platform for introducing new content to the international market, particularly because it brings together buyers and distributors from different territories. It provides an opportunity to generate visibility, gauge market interest in new projects, and understand what is capturing buyers’ attention. VA: Some market participants complain that trade shows’ conferences don’t reflect what’s going on on the sales floor. Why is that? Maria Pérez-Belliere: This is an interesting argument and suggestions are welcome. But we are not a conference market. We are more of a matchmaker event and we get conference input from participants. Miami Distributor: I cannot answer this question because, as a distributor and salesperson, I hardy ever attend the show’s conferences. Delmar Andrade: We believe conference discussions and the business dynamics on the market floor should go hand in hand. The audiovisual industry is undergoing rapid transformation, with changes in consumer habits, distribution models, and platform strategies. It is therefore essential that conference discussions keep pace with these developments and incorporate the perspectives of professionals who are directly involved in the business. VA: Since food, drinks, and transportation costs are included in the market accommodations and registration fee, how can participants save money by attending MIP Cancun? Maria Pérez-Belliere: For producers we have agreements with producers’ associations, but both for producers and distributors, the best way to save money is to take advantage of early-bird registration, [which was] extended to October 23. Miami Distributor: Right now, distributor registration is $6,100, which is actually lower than last year (though this cost does not cover airfare for distributors). Even so, it remains a steep cost for local independent distributors, especially when you compare it with Content Americas that happens just three months after, and with NATPE officially out of the picture, Content Americas has claimed that prime spot on the calendar. Delmar Andrade: From our perspective, the main benefit lies in maximizing the return on investment. By bringing together meetings with buyers, distributors, and partners from different markets in one place, MIP Cancun helps save time and resources that would otherwise be required to arrange individual meetings across multiple countries. VA: What are the assurances that qualified buyers will be at the meetings? And by qualified, we mean, for example, drama buyers meeting with drama sellers and not with documentary sellers. Maria Pérez-Belliere: Simply by giving us the right information. By accurately filling up the matchmaker form we can assure the right meetings between buyers and sellers. Miami Distributor: I’m unsure what algorithm the market uses to accurately match buyers and sellers. Given how challenging this is, it has been a persistent inconvenience for both sides in all the years I’ve attended this market. However, I agree that the matchmaking format is highly effective for companies looking to enter the region, expand their market knowledge, or connect with regional buyers. For established players with existing relationships, however, it loses its cost-effectiveness, serving primarily as a platform to catch up with buyers and engage in face-to-face networking. Delmar Andrade: The quality of meetings is one of the most important factors in the success of an international market. In this regard, MIP Cancun’s matchmaking system plays a key role, helping align meetings with each participant’s interests, content genres, and business needs. Maria Pérez-Belliere during the VideoAge interview VIDEOAGE November 2026 MIP Cancun Preview
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