INTERNATIONAL www.VideoAge.org Pier Silvio Berlusconi (pictured), the 56-yearold son of the late Silvio (founder of Italy’s Mediaset TV broadcast group), and Mediaset’s president, is inching closer to the realization of his MediaForEurope (MFE) dream of a pan-European group of TV networks covering Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Berlusconi has been patiently working on this project since 1994 when he took over the reins of the Italian TV group that originally included Milan-based Mediaset (which runs flagship TV network Canale 5, in addition to other broadcast and thematic channels) and Madrid-based Mediaset España (which runs the flagship TV network Telecinco, among other channels), and recently (although he first sought after it in 2006), he’s finally the majority shareholder of When the traditional number of new scripted series picked up by the four terrestrial U.S. TV networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC) went from just over 100 to a mere four in less than a decade, some alarm bells went off. Creator economy and the generational shift at MIPCOM Cannes ATF: Mart in search of top executives to reach top content buyers TV on display, 2026 FIFA World Cup at NAB New York My 2¢: Read all about phone flashlights at market conferences Page 12 Page 10 Page 6 Page 3 THE BUSINESS JOURNAL OF FILM, BROADCASTING, STREAMING, PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION November/December 2025 - VOL. 45 NO. 7 - $9.75 Road to a Pan-European TV Net: Simplify Complexity LatAm Buyers’ Perspectives on MIP Cancun Scripted Competes With the Reality of Sports Shows (Continued on Page 16) (Continued on Page 20) (Continued on Page 24) Is the Cancun TV market a panacea for LatAm’s woes? The event, now in its 12th year, still receives praise from buyers and sellers alike. To get views from the inside, VideoAge reached out to Patricia Daujotas, director of Content for Uruguay’s Canal 10 in Latin America’s south cone, and Doris Vogelmann, VP of Programming and Operations, V-ME MEDIA, which is based in Miami, Florida’s LatAm hub in North America.
3 My 2¢ November 2025 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) OMAR MENDEZ (ARGENTINA) LUIS POLANCO (NY) MIKE REYNOLDS (L.A.) MARIA ZUPPELLO (BRAZIL) PUBLISHER MONICA GORGHETTO BUSINESS OFFICE LEN FINKEL LEGAL OFFICE STEVE SCHIFFMAN WEB MANAGER BRUNO MARRACINO DESIGN/LAYOUT CLAUDIO MATTIONI, CARMINE RASPAOLO © TV TRADE MEDIA INC. 2025 Organizers use feedback from participants that are peripheral to the business of buying and selling. Soon, conference speakers at film-TV markets will be asking conference participants to remove their eyeglasses in order to better hear the proceedings. This is because Facebook’s Meta recently unveiled Ray-Ban smart glasses that have built-in displays that wearers can use to respond to text or watch videos — all of which is controlled by a wristband that translates discreet hand gesture instructions. Today, there are two types of visual real-time audience responses to market’s conferences. The first is from those participants just looking for a place to rest between meetings, a place where they can calmly turn on their cellular phones, and the second is from participants who go to their phones when the discussion becomes boring. In both cases the dark conference rooms light up like summer nights filled with hundreds of lightning bugs. With the introduction of smart glasses, such visual real-time responses will be gone, but what will remain is the question of why market participants still attend seminars seeing as how they already know that top-level executives cannot reveal anything of substance, and topics about the future have become trite (read: boring). There could be a way to solve the conference interest problem, but market organizers often refuse to recognize it. What is it? It’s simple really. It’s the fact that the conferences lack any sort of relationship with the main reason for an audiovisual content trade show — selling TV content. In the May 2025 Issue of VideoAge, I dealt with the disconnect between the market floor (i.e., the exhibition side) and the conferences. Now, to enhance this disconnect comes technology in the form of smart glasses. The reasons for this “disconnect” could be due to several factors. First, there’s the fact that, short of in-house personnel, many TV trade show organizers farm out the organization of conferences. Second is the fact that organizers often use feedback from market participants that are peripheral to the business of buying and selling. And third is the fact that organizers excel in putting together trade shows (selling exhibition space, arranging for accommodations, etc.), but know little about specific industry sectors. Yes, markets might have industry advisory boards, but I’m not sure how effective they can actually be. Years ago, I asked Dick Lippin, founder of the PR firm, The Lippin Group, as well as one of NATPE’s influential executive committee members, if I could volunteer as a NATPE board member. He answered that “it will never happen.” This was because I wanted to move my observations from the printed pages of VideoAge to the corporate suite of NATPE (which subsequently declared bankruptcy, with the NATPE brand being sold to Canada’s Brunico Publishing group). When the founders of the original TV marketplaces (including MIP-TV’s Bernard Chevry, MIFED’s Michele G. Franci, Banff TV’s Carrie Hunter, DISCOP’s Patrick Zuchowicki, etc.) used to run TV trade events, they put little emphasis on conferences, and those few that were staged were of great significance for the business conducted on the trading floors. Current market organizers should study the past to figure out their futures. Dom Serafini Forget about surveys to gauge the value of conferences at trade shows. The phone lights that go on in markets’ conference rooms are the best way to rate interest in the topics being discussed. “The conference room is shielded from cell phone signals.”
4 (Continued on Page 6) Malone went on to say that Netflix transformed, and, in the process, created a new business by destroying the old one and surprising the old guard. “Somehow,” wrote Malone “[Hastings] had reinvented the wheel.” In February 1999, this writer wrote in the book TV via Internet (published by Lupetti Editori in Milan, Italy, in association with the Italian advertising trade publication, Pubblicitá Italia): “Webcasting is what will allow John Malone of the cable-TV company TCI to fulfill his dream of a universe of 500 digital TV channels. “However, Malone shouldn’t be mortified if the Web, and not his beloved cable, will allow the vision that he expressed in the early 1990s to be realized. The problem, though, is not the 500 channels, but the two million-plus Web TV channels we will soon have to contend with. And these Web stations need neither transmitters nor licenses. In my view, radio and television as we know them today will disappear within 10 years. “Internet technology will change everything: the way we receive content and the way we manage it. Webcasting will force us to follow the audience, not geographical boundaries. “Webcasting, defined as full-motion video and audio transmitted using Internet technology, is just around the corner. More than 200,000 hours of color streaming video content per week are now broadcast over the Internet. It won’t be long before we’ll be able to tune into any television station in the world via the Internet. “For now, the race is on to improve the technologies needed to transmit full-motion video over the Internet. “Real Network first advertised streaming audio in April 1995, and in 1996 for video transmitted over the Internet in ‘near’ real time. By 1998, The problem when captains of industry don’t check out little known books, like TV via Internet (published in Italy in 1999, pictured above), can be ascertained from the recent book Born to be Wired by Liberty Media’s John Malone, who wrote that “it was easy to underestimate the Netflix threat. The company started in 1997 as a small-order shipper of DVD copies of movies and TV reruns to people’s homes, which by 1999 you could order on a website and receive via the U.S. Postal Service. “The early Netflix [...] looked like a disruptor of Blockbuster and the video rental store. In early 2000 [...] Netflix had just 300,000 subscribers and $57 million in losses. In 2007 [Netflix launched its] first Internet streaming service. By 2009 [Netflix’s Reed Hastings] began betting the entire company on that new Internet-based business, sidelining the DVD business.” The Realized Vision That Was Not Envisioned VIDEOAGE November 2025 World
6 ing, sports, and the creator economy. Officially, the number of exhibitors was given as 260, including a good number of first-time exhibiting companies (51), such as the European satellite service Eutelsat (pictured). Among the various conferences, the most significant were “AI and Journalism,” also called “Future of Journalism,” which explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping news production, trust, and ethics. Speakers included NAB president Curtis LeGeyt. Football (called soccer in North America) was also prominently featured with a U.S. Soccer Keynote discussing the media strategy ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “Sports and Storytelling: Beyond Soccer,” examined how the NFL, TV networks, athletes, and creators are redefining sports media. Finally, “The Creator Economy in Action” featured sessions like “Creators Unplugged” with TikTok Shop activation, which showcased real-time creator commerce. NAB New York took place October 21-23, 2025, at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. This year, the powers that be at the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Broadcasters took care to make sure that their market wouldn’t overlap with MIPCOM Cannes, which ended on October 16. Similarly, next year’s NAB New York show will take place October 21-22, well after MIPCOM’s October 12-15, 2026 market. The much larger NAB Las Vegas — set for April 18-22, 2026 — will not interfere with NATPE Budapest, which is scheduled for April 27-29, 2026. With 216 exhibiting stands, this year’s NAB New York was smaller than the 2024 edition, which had 270 exhibitors. The seminars’ topics seemed to replicate those featured at MIPCOM Cannes: AI, streamTV on Display, 2026 FIFA World Cup at NAB New York (Continued From Page 4) (Continued from Page 4) 600 TV stations and more than 5,000 radio stations in the U.S. were already broadcasting over the Internet. “With the proliferation of streaming media, advertisers will face a choice similar to the one they faced when TV surpassed radio. Here too, agencies will have to decide whether to recommend moving billions of dollars allocated to advertising to the Internet. At this point, it’s not technical problems that are limiting the growth of webcasting. The real obstacles are related to content.” (By Dom Serafini) The Realized Vision That Was Not Envisioned VIDEOAGE November 2025 World Let the premier international publication for buying and selling TV content assist you with all your distribution pieces.
INTERNATIONAL SALES Delmar Andrade dandrade@recordtv.com.br www.recordtvnetwork.com EXPERIENCE THE EMOTION LIKE NEVER BEFORE NOW IS STUNNING 4K AND IMMERSIVE DOLBY ATMOS SOUND THE SENSATION THAT CAPTIVATED THE WORLD IS BACK
8 The media mogul Barry Diller presents a scrupulous account of his life, from being raised in Beverly Hills to leading his titanic role across the American media landscape. Barry Diller’s Honest Look At His Own Life In New Business Memoir Who Knew By Luis Polanco The thing about memoirs is that it’s difficult to trust what any one person, successful or not, intelligent or not, qualified or not, has to say about his or her own life. What man knows himself and the world around him well enough to put the events of his life into a reasonable order and convey the causes and effects of a life story? Would you trust that man, with all his insight and blind spots, to tell you that story truthfully? Then, when I hear that a billionaire entertainment executive has written a business memoir, I also wonder: What is he trying to sell me? Or bully me into believing? The American novelist and essayist Joan Didion wrote that “setting words on paper is the tactic of a secret bully.” Then again, which aspect of modern life isn’t trying to bully you into believing something? There is little trace of a domineering agenda in Barry Diller’s business memoir Who Knew (336 pgs., Simon & Schuster, 2025, $30). Instead of pushing the reader to arrive at conclusions about his life, the title conveys the opposite — surprise or the ironic lack thereof. The title suggests a dry sense of humor that is refreshing from an American billionaire businessman whose accomplishments include serving as chairman and chief executive officer of Paramount Pictures from 1974 to 1984, and of 20th Century Fox from 1984 to 1992, followed by episodes purchasing stakes in the QVC shopping network, as well as USA Network, until finally becoming chairman of the travel technology company Expedia in 2005, a role he continues to serve in. Reading Who Knew, you grow to appreciate Diller’s frank and unpretentious account of his own life. Who Knew is divided into acts like a play, with the first act covering his life before becoming chairman of Paramount, the second covering the subsequent years of his career, and the third covering his life after 50 years old, focusing on the early ’90s when he took over QVC. Diller grew up in a “perfectly dysfunctional” household in the manicured and private streets of Beverly Hills, California. His father owned a construction supply business that took him to Los Angeles during the postwar housing boom. After dropping out of the University of California, Los Angeles, he started out in the mailroom at William Morris, the famed talent agency. From there, he climbed the ranks at ABC, where he established the idea of made-for-TV movies with the launch of ABC Movie of the Week, an anthology series featuring made-for-TV movies. Who Knew is full of details about meetings and dinners with bigwigs in American media. Diller reveals, without shyness, hiring drama about his arrival at Fox Studios. He also shares his point of view on the creation of the FOX TV network. Of his experience in those early days, he writes, “We learned not to program in the mainstream and instead be an alternative entertainment experience.” Diller provides his business insight and acumen throughout the chapters devoted to his career. Much has been speculated about Diller’s sexual orientation in the press and in public, and in his memoir he directly addresses his relationships with both men and women. He speaks with candor about his gay life as well as his long-lasting relationship with Diane von Furstenberg, who he first met in 1974 and married in 2001. Von Furstenberg, the Belgian fashion designer whose biggest contribution to the fashion industry has been the wrap dress, had previously been married to the German Prince Egon von Furstenberg, but they divorced in 1973. He describes partying with the newly divorced von Furstenberg at Studio 54 in the late ’70s, and how their relationship continued to develop together and apart in the years after. Of his relationship with von Furstenberg, Diller writes, “Plain and simple, it was an explosion of passion that kept up for years. And, yes, I liked guys, but that was not a conflict with my love for Diane. I can’t explain it to myself or to the world.” At over 300-plus pages, Who Knew provides an in-depth look at Diller’s life, encompassing both personal and professional triumphs. More recently, in addition to his role at Expedia, his life with his wife is centered on philanthropic missions to support public life in New York City, such as donations to the High Line and to Little Island along the Hudson River. One of the few moments of gloating takes place at the very end of the memoir, when Diller reflects on the number of fields his career has led him into. He writes, “I was there in the great days of television in the late 1960s… I was in the movie business in the 1970s… I was back in television to invent the fourth network in the 1980s, and in the 1990s left corporate life to become something of an entrepreneur. Early in the twenty-first century I got to play at the beginning of the internet.” If anything, Diller’s life and memoir speak to the constant possibility of transformation and reinvention. Much has been speculated about Diller’s sexual orientation in the press and in public. VIDEOAGE November 2025 Book Review
10 ATF: Asian TV Market in Search of Top Executives to Reach Top Content Buyers At the end of October 2025, just four weeks before the start of the Asia TV Forum and Market (ATF) in Singapore, reps at market organizer RX still seemed a little hazy on the specifics of the event. They announced that there would be a Leaders Dialogue on December 1, and that the market and conference would take place December 2-4. But when asked the number of stands and expected number of buyers at ATF 2025, an ATF spokesperson said, “We are unable to advise on the figures at this point, as registration is still ongoing.” Clearly, exhibitors’ and buyers’ commitments have been trickling in slowly, possibly affected by the fact that the ATF, has, of late, been unable to attract many top-level executives to the market floor. What was available, however, was the conference schedule and the speakers’ line-up. The official program calls for a total of 26 conferences and 42 speakers, including Dentsu’s Clay Schouest, chief strategy office, APAC; Dreamworks’ Scott McCarthy, vp; and TikTok Korea’s Matty Lin, general manager. Both the conferences and market floor will be housed inside the Singapore Convention Center at the Marina Bay Sands next to the Sands Hotel’s towers, where the opening rooftop party will be held on December 3. The conferences will touch on most of the usual television industry topics, like branding, AI, FAST, children’s television, and technical issues (e.g., connectivity). For perspectives on a variety of countries, the ATF’s conferences will feature in-depth looks at Thai television and Turkish productions. Micro-dramas are getting special attention, with three distinct conferences, while the streaming session promises to be a challenging one since, as explained on the ATF website, it will explore the somewhat premature idea that “online video would rapidly transform global TV and video by pushing viewers away from traditional TV… Yes, it is true that some pay-TV customers in major global markets like the U.S. are cutting the cord and moving towards streaming alternatives, but in reality, the lifetime of traditional linear TV looks relatively secure for the foreseeable future. In the coming decade, TV viewers will still be navigating between broadcast TV alongside free and paid streaming services and social media platforms.” As for micro-dramas being the TV industry’s flavor du jour, VideoAge’s October 27, 2025 newsletter pointed out that for those viewers who have a short attention span and like to watch TV on their cell phones, Hollywood has refined the concept first developed by Quibi in 2018 (which was shut down at the end of 2020 by its creator Jeffrey Katzenberg, after investing $1.75 billion). Today, Hollywood is back to banking on micro-dramas of up to 90 minutes, which are transmitted in installments of one to three minutes to be displayed vertically on mobile devices. The budgets for micro-dramas are relatively inexpensive, but popular with young viewers, (especially in China), and TV production companies like DramaBox, ReelShort, MicroCo, and GamaTime are all betting on this vertical video markets, now estimated at $8 billion and expected to reach $25 billion worldwide by 2030. The micro-drama business utilizes the freemium model, where a few episodes are free, and the rest are available via subscription or purchase. When asked about the many changes afoot at the event, Singapore-based veteran ATF participant Sonia Fleck, founder and CEO of Bomanbridge (pictured above), explained that “ATF isn’t really a ‘window-shopping’ market. Many are repeat participants who come with purpose and clear goals. [But] the attendee profile [has changed]. We’re now seeing a stronger presence of players with interest in local production and co-production.” As far as Bomanbridge is concerned, “ATF remains an important market for us not just to sell our slate, but also to identify great regional content and co-production opportunities.” MIP Cancun will be taking place during a time of change for LatAm, with Argentina’s Telefe returning to its origins with its acquisition by Grupo Televisión Litoral, the Rosario-based company of Gustavo Scaglione and Jose Luis Manzano. Telefe was founded by Rosario-based Pedro Simoncini in 1989, and sold to Viacom (now Paramount) in 2016 for U.S.$345 million. On October 23, 2025, Televisión Litoral paid an estimated $100 million for Telefe, Argentina’s most watched TV network. Televisión Litoral owns some 30 other media outlets, including newspapers, TV channels, radio stations, and streaming services, but to manage Telefe, Televisión Litoral is expected to form a separate holding company that it will retain control over. Moving north, Colombia is also dealing with some drama as U.S. President Donald Trump imposed economic sanctions on Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, and froze some of the $377 million in funds designated for Colombia following Petro’s criticism of Trump and support of Venezuela’s strongman Nicolás Maduro. At the same time, however, Netflix is increasing its production investment in Colombia, benefitting from the country’s generous tax rebates. Indeed, Patricia Daujotas, director of Content for Canal 10 Uruguay, commented: “In general, events like MIP Cancun offer the perfect platform to keep up with changes, establish new partnerships, and reflect on shared challenges and opportunities.” To Doris Vogelmann, VP programming for Miami, Florida-based VME networks, “One of [MIP Cancun’s] greatest advantages is its preset meeting format, which removes an entire layer of stress. This system has revolutionized the way we plan our meetings. At larger Bomanbridge’s Sonia Fleck Maria Perez-Belliere, MIP Cancun’s director (Continued on Page 12) A LatAm TV Trade Show Where Developments Shape Up VIDEOAGE November 2025 Market Previews
12 MIPCOM Cannes was not just about buying and selling — if that were the case, everyone would have gone home happy — but it was a time and a place where participants saw the industry evolving before their very eyes, and where rumors became news. This was the case for MediaFor Europe (MFE), a pan-European project from Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi, started by the Mediaset patriarch back in 1986 with La Cinq in France, then Tele 5 in Germany in 1988 (both ended in 1992), and continued in 2005 by his son Pier Silvio by combining Mediaset’s Canale 5, Mediaset España’s Telecinco, and Germany’s ProSiebenSat1 (also covering Austria and Switzerland). He’s currently negotiating to buy a stake in Portugal’s SIC, as well. MFE was a hot topic in Cannes, even though few details emerged from the companies involved with the deal. Other big MIPCOM topics included the role of YouTube for terrestrial broadcast TV stations (as a big Netflix presence is still a chimera for MIPCOM) and sports on television (especially since the Sportel Monaco TV market took place October 20-22, just a few kilometers east of Cannes). Another topic du jour was the large number of small new companies, all of which were in Cannes to get some visibility, while some established companies that have exhibited with their own stands in the past now shared desks at various pavilions. There were also a good number of firsttime buyers attending MIPCOM, including the Canadian David Van Poppel of Knowledge Network and Jani Mikkonen of Finnish Broadcasting, who both managed to get 40 meetings each. Buyers from Germany’s RTL also reported a good market. One of the biggest MIPCOM splashes this year was from Radial Entertainment, in Cannes for the first time as the new brand of recently combined companies FilmRise (based in New York) and Shout! (based in Los Angeles). Under the MIPCOM media radar, but an important part of the market nonetheless, was the gaming sector, as demonstrated by a large crowd hoping to gain entry into an already packed evening party hosted by Swiss-based gaming company eClutch that was taking place at a Croisette beach restaurant on the second day of the market. The large number of LatAm participants (both buyers and sellers) was unusual. Why? Because MIP Cancun unspools in Mexico just a few short weeks after the Cannes market, and almost all LatAm buyers gather there. This time around, spotting LatAm executives was easy since they were all attending the numerous parties hosted by Turkish companies. But it was troublesome that some would-be MIPCOM participants who reside in the U.S. with a visa were reluctant to leave the country for fear of having problems at re-entry since the U.S. is currently reviewing the records of more than 55 million U.S. visa holders to assess if they have broken conditions for entry or stay in the U.S. “It’s a generational shift.” That was how Lucy Smith, MIPCOM’s director, summarized this year’s edition of the Cannes market during an early-morning press conference on Wednesday, October 15, the third day of the four-day event. Indeed, there were lots of changes, basically because the content economy of last year is now being replaced by a “creator” economy that is still somewhat undefined. MIPCOM’s Creator Economy Caused a Generational Shift markets, schedules fill up so quickly with existing partners that there’s little room left for discovery. MIP Cancun changes that dynamic. The matchmaking process gives both new and established companies equal visibility, opening the door to producers and distributors we might never have met otherwise.” And to Jimmy Arteaga Grustein, CCO of Puerto Rico’s Hemisphere Media Group, and president of Programming, Promotion & Production of WAPA-TV, “markets like MIPCOM Cannes and MIP Cancun are not just about acquisition lists; they are about building trust, pressuretesting ideas in real time, and aligning creative ambition with commercial clarity.” Regardless of the drama in the LatAm region, reps for MIP Cancun — like every other market of late — seem to be focused more on conference topics ahead of the event rather than on market floor figures. The 2025 edition will spotlight the tried-and-true branded content, the creator economy, and new digital platforms, including vertical content. In effect, MIP Cancun 2025’s program replicates past years’ models, and will start on Tuesday, November 18 with a 3:30 p.m. summit (this time about streaming) and a 7 p.m. opening drinks party. The next day, the market floor will open at 9:30 a.m. for four meetings before a lunch break, followed by six meetings in the afternoon (until 5:30 p.m.). The day will also feature two conferences in the morning and two in the afternoon (that will end well before the 9 p.m. opening party). On Thursday, the market floor will be similar to the previous day, but there will be three conferences in the morning and three in the afternoon. On the last day, Friday, there will be five meetings in the morning and two conferences before this edition of the event closes. Maria Perez-Belliere, MIP Cancun’s director for the organizer RX, also reported that the number of buyers at this upcoming market will increase by six percent from last year’s total of 221. As far as costs, she explained, “We have kept the core co-production and content market costs to a rise of just under three percent.” In terms of changes, this year there will not be a “buyers’ breakfast,” and the Worldwide Audiovisual Women’s Association will not be hosting an event. Finally, Radial’s Alejandro Veciana reported that at his second time at MIP Cancun he will have a table (among the 120 exhibiting companies) and that he submitted a list of buyers that he’s interested in meeting with. In addition to LatAm in general and U.S. Hispanic markets, he’s prioritizing Brazil’s buyers. In terms of new Spanish-language content, Verciana said he’d be taking a few recent titles to MIP Cancun. Calinos Entertainment’s Goryana Vasileva, Onur Sozener, Gulfem Bilgic. Inter Medya’s Can Okan and Beatriz Cea Okan. (Continued on Page 14) (Continued from Page 10) MIP Cancun VIDEOAGE November 2025 Market Report
14 (Continued From Page 12) What did not change over the years, however, was the habit of some MIPCOM participants to go for an attention-getting run along the Croisette each morning, bumping, along the way, into people rushing en masse toward the Palais (instead of exercising earlier in the morning when they wouldn’t be noticed). The hype has also remained solidly ingrained into MIPCOM’s mentality, seeing as how the powers that be announced that some 3,314 content buyers were there among the 10,600 participants. There were also 350 stands. The fact, however, remained that the P-1 level of the Palais (aka: the Bunker or basement) was, for a good portion, empty, while the other levels, like R-7 and R-8, were buzzing with activity and practically bursting at the seams. So, while the numbers might have been puffed up, the market remained solid. As indicated in VideoAge’s MIPCOM Daily, there was also an unusually large number of new smaller companies both as exhibitors and participants, particularly in the service areas, including dubbers, data gatherers AI specialists, and technology-related experts. The participation of major U.S. studios was also quite clear, as all attracted large crowds, Disney and NBCUniversal in particular. Italian animation company Rainbow celebrated its 30th anniversary with a dinner at the Carlton Hotel, and most of the major Turkish content companies celebrated their new series with big bashes and with their series’ talents in big supply. Niloo Badie, head of Sales and Distribution for Multicom, said, “It was a successful market, with a lot of great meetings with buyers. I am glad that there was a big emphasis and presence by Youtube. Multicom just launched its eighth Youtube channel prior to MIPCOM.” Paramount Global Distribution premiered Boston Blue and managed to get the stars of the series (Sonequa Martin-Green and Donnie Wahlberg) to parade in front of the MIPCOM sign. At the press conference, Smith also announced that next year’s MIPCOM Cannes will take place October 12-15, 2026. Also announced were cascades of retirements from MIPCOM’s old guard, including Mediaset’s Sonia Danieli, RAI’s Guido Pugnetti, RTE’s Brian Walsh with a farewell party at Ma Nolan’s, and Radial’s Emilia Nuccio. MIPCOM 2025 was their last market with their respective companies. The Kanal D International team at their Sins and Roses party. ATV’s Müge Akar at the company’s Carlton dinner. VIDEOAGE November 2025 Market Report CONNECTING LATAM & US HISPANIC CONTENT WITH THE WORLD 18th-21st November Moon Palace, Cancun, Mexico More information www.mipcancun.com
(Continued From Cover) 16 Unterföhring, Germany-based ProSiebenSat.1 (which runs German-language TV networks in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, but with different commercials and news programs). He’s also in exclusive talks for the purchase of a relevant stake in the Paco de Arcos, Portugal-based media group Impresa, which runs the flagship SIC TV network. Berlusconi’s son is fulfilling what Silvio himself failed to achieve when he created the La Cinq TV network in France (which operated from 1986 until 1992) and started Tele 5 (Tele Fünf) in Germany (which operated from 1988 until 1992). This time around, however, success will not be determined by politics, but will be a matter of being able to simplify a complex social, cultural, and linguistic structure — something that no one in Europe has been able to effectively do since Imperial Rome when the lingua franca was Latin. (The Third Reich, of course, tried and, fortunately, failed.) For example, while Mediaset España with Mediterraneo, ProSiebenSat.1 with Seven. One, and Impresa with SIC International Distribution all have strong international content sales operations, MFE’s weakest link has been Mediaset Italia’s own content distribution division, as its international operations are only now becoming properly valued at the corporate level following the appointment of Guido Pisterna as the new head of Business (official title: Director of Brand Extension), in charge of content distribution for Mediaset. And speaking of simplicity, it is interesting to note that MFE was formed due to an intricate set of circumstances in 2021 when Mediaset SpA’s legal office was relocated from Milan to Amsterdam. MFE is controlled by Fininvest, a group created by Silvio Berlusconi in 1975. In turn, MFE controls Mediaset SpA, which controls Mediaset España. Before it was called Mediaset, Fininvest’s TV group was called Reteitalia. It became Mediaset in 1993. The ProSiebenSat.1 group is controlled by MFE. Paris-based Vivendi, which at that time owned the media group Canal Plus, opposed the creation of MFE as Mediaset’s second largest investor, but in 2021 Fininvest acquired Vivendi’s 24.9 percent share of Mediaset and the MFE operation was able to proceed (if only with some initial resistance from the ProSiebenSat.1 group). The terrestrial TV network ProSiebenSat.1 also has a complicated past. It was created as ProSieben (meaning Pro-Seven in English) in 1999 by onetime German media powerhouse the Kirch Group and merged with Kirch’s Sat1 TV service. With the collapse of the Kirch Group (4.76 percent of which was owned by Silvio Berlusconi’s group), ProSiebenSat1 was acquired in 2003 for 500 million euro by the American-Israeli Haim Saban. He sold that stake three years later for three billion euro to private equity firms Permira in the U.K. and KKR in the U.S. By 2009 ProSiebenSat1 had a debt of 3.4 billion euro and had to sell its TV holdings in Belgium, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe. In 2014, Permira and KKR were out of ProSiebenSat.1 share capital, and the German media group became a public company trading on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Berlusconi’s group began acquiring ProSiebenSat.1 shares in 2019 and it now owns 75.61 percent. In late September, VideoAge contacted Angelo Santoro, Pier Silvio Berlusconi’s spokesperson, to ask for an interview, and was told that, “for the moment, Pier Silvio doesn’t give interviews, perhaps later on.” The last time that VideoAge interviewed Pier Silvio Berlusconi was for a front cover story for its October 2009 issue about an ill-fated acquisition of a 33 percent stake in Endemol, which was bought in 2007 for $877 million, and sold in 2012 for $96 million. Coincidentally, during a late ’80s interview with Silvio Berlusconi, VideoAge questioned the vaunted synergy between Fininvest (Mediaset’s parent company) and La Standa, the department store/supermarket that Fininvest acquired in 1988 for the equivalent of U.S. $810 million (in 1988 dollars), and sold in 1998 for U.S. $440 million (in 1998 dollars). Similarly, VideoAge questioned the subsequent acquisition of Endemol during an interview with Silvio’s son, Pier Silvio. However, this time around, VideoAge has only praise for this latest challenge undertaken by Mediaset, even though we were unable to get detailed information from Mediaset, Mediterráneo, and SIC representatives. A rep at Germany’s Seven.One initially said: “Please understand that at this early stage we are unable to comment on the priorities of individual ProSiebenSat.1 business areas with regard to MFE. One thing is clear: Seven.One Studios continues to produce great formats and is working strategically toward future growth.” However, during MIPCOM in Cannes, Henrik Pabst, who serves as chief content officer for the entire ProSiebenSat.1 universe (and is responsible for all of the company’s channels, as well as its streaming service, Joyn, in the entire German-speaking region), met with VideoAge to express his enthusiasm for this new undertaking. “It will offer good synergies,” he said, while noting that a group of executives from Mediaset and ProSieben were meeting at the Seven.One MIPCOM stand, communicating in English since it was the only language they had in common. Pabst sees synergy in technology, data, and advertising, since, he said, “[market] size matters.” Based in Munich, Seven.One (formerly Red Arrow) already has seven production companies and a major office in London: Just Friends (Germany) for factual; Pyjama Pictures (Germany) for drama; Studio Flitz (Switzerland) for creator content; and Redseven (Germany), CLP (U.K.), Snowman (Denmark), and July August (Israel) for reality. Berlusconi has been patiently working on this project since 1994 when he took over the reins of the Italian TV group. Guido Pisterna, head of Business (Director of Brand Extension) for Mediaset. Henrik Pabst, ProSiebenSat.1’s chief content officer (Continued on Page 18) VIDEOAGE November 2025 MFE Vision
s ln the business of building businesse
(Continued From Page 16) 18 Failed attempts to create a pan-European TV landscape (then abbreviated as PETV) began in earnest in 1983 with Sky Channel, and continued throughout the ’80s, culminating in 1987 with MTV Europe, considered the PETV par excellence as it used English as the lingua franca. Paramount Skydance, MTV’s owner, plans to shut down MTV in Europe at the end of 2025. By the end of 1997 German Bertelsmann media group CLT-UFA was managing 22 TV channels in nine European countries. Today, RTL mainly operates M6 TV network in France, RTL TV in Germany, RTL TV in Hungary, and Fremantle, a production and distribution company in the U.K. In the 1990s various media buying agencies also began showing an interest in PETV, including the French advertising agency Carat (now part of Japan’s Dentsu), which had a full staff in its London office dedicated to planning and buying pan-European television. France made another attempt to develop a pan-European network in 2006 with the short-lived broadband and satellite service Orange TV (France Telecom), serving territories covered by the Telco. More recently, it appears that the Canal Plus acquisition of SPI (which, among other TV assets, has 15 cable/IPTV channels in various European territories) could put the French media group in competition with MFE, but the whole Canal Plus project seems mired in complexity, bureaucracy, and what appears to be an unclear vision. Created in 1984 as an encrypted premium subscription terrestrial TV service, Canal Plus reportedly expanded with some of the terrestrial TV frequencies relinquished by Berlusconi’s La Cinq. Given the complexity of the operation, VideoAge can only assume that MFE should opt for a simple structure with a strong worldwide division to operate properly. The structure would include: MFE Studios (for productions and co-productions), MFE International (for international content transmissions — cable, satellite and IPTV), and MFE Global Sales, in addition to a streaming division and a terrestrial TV broadcast division (in the affiliate style of the U.S. TV networks). (By Dom Serafini) Pier Silvio Berlusconi with VideoAge’s Dom Serafini in 2009 VIDEOAGE November 2025 MFE Vision For Your Consideration!
KICKING OFF LONDON’S BIGGEST CONTENT WEEK.
MIP Cancun Viewed From the South Cone By Patricia Daujotas* 20 At Canal 10 in Uruguay, we go to MIP Cancun with clear objectives. Our main goal is to connect with our existing partners — the content distributors, studios, and producers with whom we’ve established trusted relationships over the years. This includes major international distributors, as well as regional players that understand the nuances of Latin American audiences. Over the past few years, MIP Cancun has established itself as a critical market for TV content buyers in Latin America, and in my personal experience, it has grown in both relevance and impact. In general, events like MIP Cancun offer the perfect platform to keep up with changes, establish new partnerships, and reflect on shared challenges and opportunities. One of MIP Cancun’s greatest strengths is the efficiency of its meeting structure. The pre-scheduled, one-on-one meetings allow for highly focused, business-driven interactions. The use of time is extremely accurate, and we find the system to be ideal for fitting in a large number of productive meetings over just a few days. Both the acquisitions area and the co-production/project development area are very well organized. Mexico is a highly convenient location for MIP Cancun. It serves as a natural hub for Latin America — both geographically and culturally. For many of us in the region, Cancun is easier and more affordable to reach than European markets, and the environment is conducive to doing business in a relaxed yet professional setting. Being together in the same place makes the networking much easier as well. Our approach to MIP Cancun starts well before we land in Mexico. Preparation is key, and we take it very seriously. In the weeks leading up to the market, we meet internally with several departments — particularly the programming team, audience research unit, and sales department. We review current programming grids and identify upcoming time slots that will need replacement. Based on that, we define our acquisition needs across genres: scripted, unscripted, factual, and entertainment formats. Our research team also provides audience insights to help guide our decisions. We’re looking not only at what’s working today, but also at where consumption habits are going, especially in terms of younger demos and digital platforms. This helps us prioritize the types of content we want to explore during the event. At Canal 10, we typically schedule meetings with companies that have a strong portfolio, but we always also eagerly try to meet every single company that distributes content. As leaders in our territory, not only in entertainment but also in news, we are interested in exploring both formats that resonate with mass audiences and those that offer more innovative storytelling or hybrid concepts. We are open to meeting new companies, as well. MIP Cancun provides a unique opportunity to discover new voices and emerging players, where content often aligns well with our audience preferences. We are always looking for fresh ideas, formats, and opportunities in general, and this event allows us to connect with up-and-coming players who may not yet be on our radar. At MIP Cancun, we often meet with other buyers from similar markets, as well, to exchange views. These informal conversations are just as valuable as formal meetings. We tend to connect most with colleagues from countries whose TV markets resemble ours. Those markets share similar audience behaviors, challenges, and even regulatory environments. We compare notes on what’s working, what’s underperforming, and how we’re each responding to changes in the competitive landscape, including the rise of FAST channels and AVoD platforms. Similarly, regarding conferences, we try to attend seminars and panels, time permitting. These sessions offer a broader context about the global market, which is especially useful when navigating shifting audience habits, digital disruption, or changes in content trends. Hearing from industry leaders, fellow broadcasters, streamers, and even advertisers helps us gain perspective and assess where we stand. It’s not just about what we’re buying or producing — it’s about understanding how people are watching, what platforms are gaining ground, and how new formats are shaping the future of entertainment. As a final comment for improvements, one area that could be enhanced is the balance between scheduled meetings and open networking time. While the structure is great, it sometimes leaves very little room for spontaneous conversations or deep dives into ongoing partnerships. More dedicated networking spaces or casual meet-ups would help facilitate these important conversations. *Patricia Daujotas serves as director of Content for Canal 10 Uruguay, leading the network’s programming strategy and content acquisitions in close cooperation with the channel’s other divisions. Patricia Daujotas (l.) with Universal Cinergia’s Liliam Hernandez and Gema Lopez at MIP Cancun 2024. More dedicated networking spaces or casual meet-ups would help facilitate important conversations. (Continued from Cover) This year the Breakfast with Buyers has been scrapped. VIDEOAGE November 2025 Buyer’s POV
19-22 January 2026 Hilton Miami Downtown Connecting the Lat Am, domestic US and international content business in style contentamericas.net
(Continued From Cover) MIP Cancun Viewed From the North American Side By Doris Vogelmann* 22 I have been attending MIP Cancun for many years now, and for me — as a buyer — the market has proven to be close to perfection. With the turquoise beaches of Cancun as its backdrop, it uniquely blends business and pleasure. The atmosphere is vibrant yet relaxed, creating the perfect setting to focus on what we truly come for: discovering new content, strengthening relationships, and finding inspiration. Unlike other markets that can feel rushed or overly corporate, MIP Cancun strikes a rare balance between professionalism and human connection. The organizers understand that this industry thrives on relationships — on trust, dialogue, and the shared passion for storytelling. It’s not just about signing deals; it’s about conversations that spark creative collaborations and long-term partnerships. One of the event’s greatest advantages is its preset meeting format, which removes an entire layer of stress. Before you even arrive, your agenda is ready, allowing time to prepare properly and to focus on meaningful discussions rather than logistics. If there are still people you want to meet outside the scheduled sessions, it’s easy to reach out and find a coffee or lunch slot. This system has revolutionized the way we plan our meetings. At larger markets, schedules fill up so quickly with existing partners that there’s little room left for discovery. MIP Cancun’s matchmaking process gives both new and established companies equal visibility, opening the door to producers and distributors we might never have met otherwise. Each year, MIP Cancun also reflects the creative pulse of the industry. The content showcased mirrors global trends while highlighting the growing strength of local storytelling. What stands out today is the rising demand for locally produced stories with universal appeal, series that speak authentically to Latin American audiences while resonating internationally. The emphasis on co-production has never been stronger, encouraging collaborations that combine local creativity with international resources and reach. For a buyer, this means a broader, more distinctive selection of content, often with a stronger cultural identity and commercial potential. Beyond the meetings, MIP Cancun has evolved into an event that provides real insight. The seminars and conferences have improved greatly in recent years, offering solid takeaways instead of just general conversation. I find the sessions on audience behavior, streaming strategies, and the rise of local productions especially valuable. But what truly distinguishes MIP Cancun is how business and community co-exist so naturally. The opening-night cocktail, held under a glowing Caribbean sunset, always sets the tone: friendly, informal, and full of energy. The co-production networking lunch is another highlight, where introductions turn into genuine conversations and often into future collaborations. And the closing party perfectly captures the spirit of the market. Deals, ideas, and friendships are born in those relaxed moments when the formalities fade and people connect as equals. Over time, I’ve come to see that MIP Cancun’s greatest contribution to the television sector is its inclusivity. It has redefined how the Latin American content industry interacts —making it more open, diverse, and collaborative. For sellers, it’s a gateway to reach buyers from across the region in one place. For buyers, it democratizes access, giving emerging producers and boutique distributors the same platform as global players. This accessibility encourages innovation and raises the overall quality of programming available to audiences. The market has also become a catalyst for cross-border cooperation. Co-productions between Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Spain have multiplied thanks to partnerships that began at MIP Cancun. Such alliances strengthen the region’s capacity to produce high-quality content capable of competing globally. Even in a digital era where many transactions happen online, MIP Cancun reminds us that face-toface interaction still matters. There’s an irreplaceable energy in sitting across from someone, seeing their enthusiasm, and realizing you share the same vision. That personal connection — combined with professional purpose — is what keeps me returning year after year. Each edition feels like a reunion with familiar faces and an introduction to new ones. There’s a genuine sense of camaraderie among attendees; we all share the same challenges and the same love for storytelling. Some of my most enduring partnerships began in a casual conversation over dinner or during a walk along the beach after a long day of meetings. For me, MIP Cancun is much more than a market; it’s a reminder of why I love this industry. It’s where business happens, yes, but also where creativity and optimism are renewed. Every year I leave with new shows, new partners, and new ideas, but also with a deeper appreciation for how thoughtfully this event is designed. It understands the rhythm of our work and respects the human side of what we do. As the television landscape continues to evolve — driven by streaming, technology, and ever-changing audience expectations — MIP Cancun stands out as a space that connects people, cultures, and opportunities. It brings together the producers, buyers, distributors, and thinkers who are shaping the future of entertainment in Latin America and beyond. It reminds us that while trends and platforms may shift, the heart of our industry remains the same: people telling stories and others eager to share them. For any professional serious about this region, MIP Cancun is not just a market to attend — it’s a market you simply can’t afford to miss. *Doris Vogelmann began her career in Lima, Peru, working on the production team of a children’s program, before continuing her work in Ecuador and Chile. She then joined the international division of Discovery Communications in Bethesda, Maryland, where she later helped in launching all of Discovery’s Latin American networks from its Miami offices. Since joining Vme in 2007, Vogelmann has been part of the programming strategy across all of the company’s networks — Vme, Vme Kids, and Primo. The market has become a catalyst for cross-border cooperation. VIDEOAGE November 2025 Buyer’s POV
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI4OTA5