16 MIP London: Strong Panels in a Pivotal Year for Its TV Market As the newest incarnation of MIPTV, MIP London will most likely continue its February run, but it’ll probably evolve into more of a conference-focused event than a TV market. RX France, the market’s organizer, is positioning MIP London as a not-to-be-missed conference with a line-up of interesting topics, but it has thus far avoided highlighting the TV market and its exhibiting companies in its press releases and on its website. The strategy might actually make sense, especially considering that the event, scheduled for February 22-24, 2026, is running parallel to the established London Screenings and the BBC Showcase’s TV markets. Although technically separate events, those screenings provide the market portion, while MIP London brings in the conference portion that seems to be a fixture of all modern TV events (as it tends to increase participation). As indicated in the Miami TV markets review on page 10, while the NATPE Global TV market took advantage of the popularity of Realscreen’s TV conference, the MIP London TV conference is taking advantage of the popularity of the London Screenings TV market. MIP London will pull in some 500 buyers, while the combined concurrent London Screenings and the BBC Showcase traditionally draw 700 buyers. And some of those London Screenings and BBC Showcase buyers will surely be able to carve some time out of their busy schedules to take a peek at MIP London. Like one European buyer confided: “I’ll be at MIP London but just on Sunday afternoon. I am actually registered and I am meeting several companies at the IET,” he said, referencing the Institute of Engineering and Technology, which is adjacent to the Savoy Hotel, where most of the MIP London exhibitors will be. “After that I’ll be at the London Screenings and BBC Showcase for the rest of the week,” he added. In terms of participation at MIP London, the largest contingent (376 people) is from the U.K. Other large contingents include Spain with 43 delegates, Italy with 33, and Turkey with 28. To James Burstall, CEO of the Londonbased Independent global production company Argonon, “MIP London is a welcome addition to the calendar. It also has the benefit of aligning with the London Screenings, [which are] attracting international buyers across the week. Whilst the [MIP London] event in general is of more relevance to distributors than independent producers, it still provides an opportunity for valuable face-to-face time with our network and streaming partners, as well as potentially new clients in the digital and FAST channel space.” He continued: “Last year’s deal-making successes across genres clearly demonstrated [MIP London’s] value, and aligned with the London Screenings, feels like a natural place for a London market meet with a strong European contingent attending.” For the point of view of a participating London Screenings company, VideoAge spoke with Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights. While she wouldn’t comment on the rumored merger between Banijay and All3Media, she was willing to discuss Mip London and the London Screenings. Payne noted that in 2022, Banijay was one of the co-founders of the first physical London Screenings event (together with ITV Studios, Fremantle, and All3Media), and that it has now become Payne’s “major market of the year.” She continued: “With the success of MIPCOM [in Cannes in October], the April MIP in Cannes became less relevant.” For this year’s London Screenings, Banijay will be hawking its wares on February 25 at the BAFTA location on Piccadilly. There will be a morning session for scripted and nonscripted and an afternoon session for formats. She said she expected each session to draw in 400 buyers, who, she stressed, are personally invited. “We license directly, and don’t invite middlemen/agents,” Payne explained. Because she’s aware of how busy the buyers are during the February 22-27 London Screenings days, Banijay won’t be throwing a party. “But we offer drinks at the end of the day, for those who can remain. It’s more practical,” she said. Also, she is careful not to create scheduling conflicts with the 26 other companies that are also screening. Payne couldn’t confirm how many shows Banijay will be screening, but noted that it “could be up to 20 between new and returning series, some with full episodes, others just promos. We’ll know the exact number the day before our screenings.” Darrin Holender, president of Los Angelesbased Multicom Entertainment Group, which is exhibiting at MIP London, said: “[MIP] Cannes was always worth the trip as a destination. That said, I am hopeful MIP London will be more compact and effective in getting decision-makers together, especially in a central city like London.” Added Ryne Dillon, Multicom’s senior manager, Acquisitions, Programming and Development: “MIP London should add another marketplace option in the MIP catalog for global buyers and sellers to connect at different times of the year. I’m excited for Multicom to have a presence there.” However, at the same time, Daniel Clutter, Multicom’s senior manager, Sales and Distribution, said: “From what I’ve heard from people attending, there are simply too many markets overall, and everyone is spread thin across them. That makes it harder to meet with everyone you would like.” Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights One of the conferences at the 2025 edition. VIDEOAGE February 2026 London TV Markets Preview
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