16 The big MIPTV story this year might very well be the rapid expansion of the London Screenings. Most of the major U.K. and European distributors, as well as a good sprinkling of U.S. studios, screened their wares between February 27 and March 3, 2023, with BBC Studios hosting a London-based showcase that same week. After that come the L.A. Screenings, to be held May 17-25. The Screenings are back in full swing with its second in-person event following the pandemic. MIPTV, set for April 17-19, is stuck in the middle, and some buyers are planning to treat it as a two-and-a-half day event, with meetings scheduled with smaller companies, as well as a few larger ones, who didn’t screen in London and/or will not be in L.A. Said one European buyer: “MIPTV will be less frenetic and busy than MIPCOM, but that will allow for more time and sometimes the best deals are done when you are less rushed.” Thus, the success of the London Screenings might — in a strange twist of fate — be the very thing that saves MIPTV, set to take place 43 days later in Cannes, 28 days before the L.A. Screenings in Los Angeles. Indeed, unlike MIPTV and MIPCOM, where buyers typically don’t have time to screen because they are meeting with different companies every half hour, at the London and L.A. Screenings buyers are only busy screening. “[London] is a screenings market just like the L.A. Screenings”, said one buyer who recently returned from the U.K. This means that after the Screenings content sellers could leisurely meet with buyers at MIPTV for actual negotiations, maximizing the number of meetings in one location and, at the same time, saving money by reducing the number of business trips they have to take. A total of 28 distribution companies were at the London TV Screenings, including Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Banijay, and Cineflix, which were scattered among various venues such as the Soho Hotel, the Ham Yard Hotel, the Groucho Club, and the Dean Street Townhouse. Lionsgate, Paramount Global, Fox Global, and NBCUniversal hosted cocktail parties. Some companies hosted screenings for the first time this year, including Red Arrow, Newen, and Abacus, and all had English-language drama series to sell. Buyers came from across Europe, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This could mean that those companies might need to attend MIPTV in order to start the actual negotiations that were not possible at the Screenings. And indeed, some distributors who were previously planning to skip MIPTV have reconsidered attending the Cannes market. When they started a few years ago, the London Screenings took the Wednesday to Friday slot immediately after the BBC Showcase, which was held in Liverpool in February, and attracted several hundred buyers. But three years ago a group of U.K. TV content distributors, including All3Media, Banijay Rights, eOne, Fremantle, and ITV Studios, got together to coordinate their screenings around the BBC Showcase and established the London TV Screenings as they’re known today. Buyers are invited by the distributors and, this year, space was at such a premium that some distributors only allowed one buyer per company, and they had to schedule additional screenings to accommodate the overflow. Last year, the BBC canceled its in-person showcase due to COVID worries. Other distributors took up the calendar dates for their London Screenings, which lasted a full week in London. This year, the BBC was back with a shorter event in London that lasted all day Monday, and continued on Tuesday morning. Each of the screenings was within a five-minute walk of each other in London’s West End. At the L.A. Screenings, in addition to all the U.S. studios on their lots, an estimated 60 content distribution companies will set up shop at the Century Plaza Hotel, May 17-19 for the independents, and May 20-25 for the studios. A good number of distributors attend each of these screenings, but even combining the number of participating sales companies at both the London and L.A. Screenings, that number wouldn’t come close to the expected 150 exhibition companies that will attend MIPTV this year. What is especially significant is that the companies that attend London or L.A. could represent 50 percent of MIPTV’s revenues, considering how large they are. In addition, the significant number of buyers in L.A. (estimated at 800) and in London (700) represent a great seller-to-buyer ratio, much higher that the one found at MIPTV (which in recent years has lured about 1,000 buyers). In terms of countries at MIPTV, 80 countries will be represented, with France leading the way, followed by the U.K. and the U.S. Notably absent during an early March check of attendees are exhibiting companies from Argentina, while all the major Italian companies will be housed at an Italian pavilion. In terms of expectations, there are some diverging opinions among distribution companies. “We are expecting a smaller crowd this year”, said Monica Levy, co-head of Distribution at France’s Federation Studios. “As most companies are conscious of cost-cutting and profitability, many are modifying their travel and market policies to attend fewer faraway markets — with fewer people.” However, countered Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, producer and head of International at France’s Dandelooo, “I am delighted to hear that many more clients are attending MIPTV this year. It seems to have become an important market once again after years of downsizing.” Similarly, Marta Ezpeleta, director of Distribution and International for Spain’s The Mediapro Studios, reported: “[MIPTV] is a key event in our calendar as it takes place in spring, and this allows us to see the trends that will mark the year.” She then added, “MIPTV is more focused at the European level [compared to MIPCOM], but it is still a major event and offers interesting business opportunities.” According to Tom Devlin, the Florida-based president, International TV Sales & Marketing, of the Los Angeles-headquartered Allen Media Group/ Entertainment Studios, “MIPTV 2023 will be better than 2022. Buyers and exhibitors want the live events. Our industry continues to go through amazing times, but face-to-face meetings are invaluable!” In terms of territories, Pia Laurel, department head of International Sales & Distribution, for Philippines’ ABS-CBN, said that at MIPTV she “will focus on Africa, Asia, Europe, and MENA.” Similarly, Marina Di Pancrazio, chief content revenue officer for Canada’s Just For Laughs, said “For [MIPTV] we’re focusing on several territories [but mainly]: Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.” MIPTV: Fighting to Survive Stuck Between London, L.A. Screenings April 2023 MIPTV Preview Marina Di Pancrazio, chief content revenue officer of Just For Laughs
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