(Continued From Cover) 20 at the NATPE Budapest market will take place on opening day, Monday, June 23, 2025, at the Dorothea Hotel, which is located just around the corner from the InterContinental Hotel (IC), the traditional venue for NATPE. Over 85 exhibiting companies and more than 350 content buyers have already confirmed their participation, which reaffirms NATPE Budapest as the principal CEE market, even though there will be some erosion, mostly from acquisition executives from Poland and Croatia. Registration and the market floor will still be at the IC, while all conferences will take place at the Dorothea on Tuesday and Wednesday. Monday will also see the opening party at the Corso Terrace of the InterContinental Hotel, and the newly introduced NATPE Honors celebration at the Dorothea, while Tuesday evening is set for the popular Boat Party. The market will close at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 26. Reached via e-mail, Laszlo Fulop, Senior Acquisition and Contract manager, I Kids Channels at AMC Networks International in Budapest, said: “I sincerely hope to encounter a wealth of new content at NATPE, similar to previous years, especially French content. My focus is on kids’ content, ranging from toddler to five-to-10-year-olds in terms of target audience, from edutainment to comedy-adventure content-wise for our kids’ channels, JimJam and Minimax. Naturally, content quality is our top priority, but exclusivity is also crucial for us, both on linear and non-linear fronts. We value VoD rights and a minimum three-year license period.” Fulop also explained that his “calendar is typically filled with meetings arranged well in advance, thanks to the popularity of NATPE Budapest. Numerous studios and independent distributors from around the world participate in this event. However, I also enjoy walking through the stands between meetings, engaging in spontaneous conversations without pre-scheduled appointments.” Fulop also touched on the subject of the few companies who screen outside the NATPE venue: “In fact,” he said, “studio screenings are usually held in very atmospheric locations, providing a true cinema experience with the scent of popcorn during the event. Therefore, I consider it a great idea.” Caroline Hurmson, senior director, Content Strategy, Acquisition and Sales, at the London office of Greece’s Antenna Group, also offered an overall view. “NATPE is the perfect market to view content from the U.S., Europe, LatAm, and Asia, without missing out on the smaller productions and companies. We are no longer only relying on the traditional U.S. series and broadcasting season in CEE thanks to the high-quality productions from all around the world.” About distribution companies screening outside the NATPE venue, Hurmson commented: “Screenings should happen on the Monday and Tuesday morning only to give the smaller distributors a chance to meet buyers. However, some of us buyers have been to L.A. Screenings before and at NATPE we can focus more on meeting different partners and screening new content, instead of running from external screening venues back to the NATPE main area.” As for her on-the-floor strategy, Hurmson said: “As buyer and seller my meetings are very much timed and scheduled. I rarely visit distributors on the spot, but I do send members of our team out to do research and if something interesting catches their eye they do approach partners to get more information.” About particular requirements for the content acquired, Hurmson explained: “Our audience is focused on procedurals and soft crime, evergreens, and female focused drama. We do buy non-exclusive, but prefer an exclusive license if possible — it’s a must-have for premieres, first-runs, and for some of the cult series from the past. Content can be over-exposed in CEE and channels did lose audience loyalty over the past few years, which is especially hard for the traditional linear channels like ours. By making ourselves the home of certain content we are more attractive to the viewers. Our slots are the standard commercial ones. Series over the standard 60 minutes are hard to schedule and not our priority.” Here’s a summary of highlights of NATPE Budapest 2025: The Opening Keynote is from YouTube’s Andreas Briese, Country director for Germany; Regional director for Central and Northern Europe. Briese will share insights tailored to the CEE market, focusing on how creators and media companies can leverage YouTube to grow audiences and monetize content. NATPE Honors Europe – A new initiative celebrating the leaders who are reshaping the European media landscape. These awards recognize innovation, leadership, and impact in the content space. Pitch & Play LIVE! – This format competition shines a spotlight on the CEE region’s most original format concepts with international potential, in an interactive showcase. CEE Breakout Hits – Spotlighting the topperforming new series across CEE markets, analyzing the drivers behind their success, and what they signal for the future of programming and acquisition strategies. Formats Track – An event for unscripted and format buyers and sellers. This session dives into the evolving world of format transcreation, and how local success stories can be scaled for global audiences. Pictured on the cover: NATPE’s Claire Macdonald and Mary Maddever (photo Daniel Vegal) Laszlo Fulop, AMC Networks International YouTube’s Andreas Briese will deliver the opening keynote at NATPE Budapest “Screenings should happen on the Monday and Tuesday morning only to give the smaller distributors a chance to meet buyers.” — Caroline Hurmson, Antenna Group VIDEOAGE June 2025 CEE Markets C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
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