ACTF MIPCOM wrap up

We weren’t sure what to expect from MIPCOM 2022. We’ve attended these markets in Cannes countless times, but this time it was different. It was our first in-person event in three years, and despite some initial uncertainty, it soon became apparent that there was excitement in the air with so many industry folk seeing each other in-person for the first time in a long time. Everyone (especially the Australians) was in high spirits after such a long absence, made all the better by the perfect sunny weather. We were all happy to finally be back in Cannes and there were hugs galore, crowded bars and restaurants with many COVID lockdown stories shared.

First up was MIPJunior, which took place at the Marriot Hotel over the weekend. There were plenty of meetings held and lots of interesting discussions had about the ACTF’s new and upcoming programs. The ACTF launched several new titles that were available for content buyers to screen for the first time during MIPJR which included Kangaroo Beach, Crazy Fun Park, Barrumbi Kids, Built to Survive, MaveriX and More Than This.

Crazy Fun Park proved to be a favourite with content buyers and we were thrilled with the news that the series was the most viewed program during the two days of MIPJunior. As we discovered during our MIPCOM meetings, buyers were hooked and wanted to know what happens to Chester and Mapplethorpe next.

During MIPCOM (held from Monday to Thursday), the ACTF team had back to back meetings with buyers from across the globe including key broadcasters and SVOD platforms, such as the BBC, Netflix, Hulu, Disney, Nickelodeon, ZDF and NHK. It soon became clear our programs were well received with the breadth of our new shows offering something for everyone, with everything from cute pre-school animation to hosted wildlife series and tween/teen comedy horror. Broadcasters are always looking for great original series and want content that offers kids of all ages a fabulous viewing experience, as evidenced by a number of soon to be announced sales confirmed during the market.

And it’s never a market without the latest trend spotting and buzz words. Several sessions during MIP Junior included panelists referring to the acronym “DEI” (Diversity, Equality, Inclusion) as an important component of their kids’ content offering. FAST channels and ad-supported content also took centre stage with much discussion around FAST being the delivery system of the future.  Also, a hot topic heard throughout Cannes was big company mergers and takeovers that have occurred during recent times.  One thing is for sure: the future of television is forever changing.