“We’re having to focus on certain markets”: how sales agents and buyers are navigating the busy TV industry calendar

It’s still early in the year, but it is safe to say that TV industry physical events — from festivals through to conferences and markets — are back with a bang.

The recent London TV Screenings (February 27-March 3) was, by all accounts, busier than ever. As Screen International went to press, official numbers had yet to be reported, but most expect that the number of buyers who headed to the UK this year will top the roughly 500 executives who made the trip in 2022.

This month’s Series Mania is also gearing up for a supersized edition. Organisers estimate a record 3,800 accredited visitors will attend the drama showcase in Lille.

Clearly, the disruptions of the pandemic, which forced so many events to pivot online, have moved into the rear-view mirror. In their place has come a new conundrum for TV execs — how to prioritise attendance at all the events that now pepper the television industry calendar?

Some have already attended Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous in Paris (January 10-17), which included the inaugural French TV Screenings. Others may have travelled to the first ever Content Americas which took place in Miami from January 24-26. Or to the non-fiction Realscreen Summit (January 23-26). Meanwhile, Berlinale Series (February 20-22) has established itself as a highly regarded event for TV drama. Still to come this Spring is MipTV (April 17-19) and Canneseries (April 14-19) as well as LA Screenings (May 17-19).

“Given the backdrop of a more challenging market and possible recession, I doubt that buyers will be able to attend what has become basically four months of markets,” said one European sales company. “We’re having to focus on certain markets.”

Another UK-based sales firm says that markets and travel are certainly back after the pandemic — but is weighing up closely the economics of paying to attend external markets versus running its own events. It cites the London TV Screenings, which is run by a collective of distributors; there is no fee to exhibit or cost of travel. The major expense is hiring a venue and hosting the event.

The pandemic has also taught the sales industry to be more agile in how it connects with buyers. Many distributors will hold in-territory events for buyers in some key markets, hiring a local cinema to showcase programmes.

One UK-based sales company says its year is now bookended by two key events: London TV Screenings and Mipcom (October 16-19). Of these, Mipcom is regarded as the number one market by many (it bills itself as ‘The Mother of All Entertainment Content Markets’).

Mipcom returned last year with strong numbers, but not quite at the level reached at its pre-­pandemic high. Nearly 11,000 delegates attended in 2022, down from the 2019 peak of more than 13,500. Mipcom blamed the shortfall on tail-end disruption from the pandemic, which stopped delegates from countries such as China travelling. The war in Ukraine also meant no official Russian participation.

Many say that London TV Screenings has reached a critical mass, and now stands as the second most important event in the international TV distribution market. This year included presentations from 25 major distributors. Banijay, Warner Bros and Fremantle held their showcases at Bafta, while ITV Studios and BBC Studios hired Odeon Lux in Leicester Square. EOne was in Picture­house Central; Fifth Season and Sony Pictures Television presented in the Ham Yard Hotel.

“The London TV Screenings have become a fixed moment. I think you’re going to see London TV Screenings just growing and growing,” says one UK-based distributor.

Hybrid events such as Series Mania and Berlinale Series are popular too, acting as a showcase for scripted TV production. Content London is seen as a strong event to close the year.

But many agree that MipTV — for so long a major fixture in the market — doesn’t have the cachet that it used to. All3Media reportedly described it as “surplus to requirements in terms of exhibiting” last month. Among other major distributors, Banijay won’t be exhibiting at MipTV either. Some members of ITV Studios are likely to attend in a delegate capacity, but it is not exhibiting.

This year, MipTV is pitching itself as the moment that execs from the Asia-Pacific region, including China, will have their first major presence at a MIP market since 2019. Whether this is enough to persuade international execs to fit MipTV into their busy calendar remains to be seen.