A clear vision of the evolution of content for kids and teens, featuring trends that reflect shifting consumption habits and the preferences of new generations, shaped the agenda for the second day of MIPJunior, which concluded its latest edition as a lead-in to Mipcom 2026.
*with reporting by Carolina Mussio and Ana Paula Carreira from Cannes, France.
This Sunday, at a Palais des Festivals that’s already buzzing with the anticipation of Mipcom as final preparations and stands were being set up across various floors and halls, MIPJunior wrapped up its second and final day. The evolution of audiences and new consumption habits defined the agenda for the day’s conferences and panels.
Major players bookended the second day’s conference schedule: YouTube kicked things off with Alexis Rice, Global Head of Youth Partnerships, discussing the importance of appealing to teens and Gen Z to build brands and fandoms; meanwhile, Dhar Mann Studios, represented by founder Dhar Mann and CEO Sean Atkins, closed the day with a panel exploring how an audience-centric creative business can build intellectual property around deeply engaged global communities.
Speaking of entertainment giants, the day’s main event came from Disney, featuring a presentation followed by a luncheon for attendees. At the Debussy Theatre, the Kids & Family team offered a look at the group’s evolving strategy and its adaptation to changes in children’s consumption habits. “There has been a lot of disruption in the kids’ space. Children watch everything, everywhere,” explained Ayo Davis, President of Disney Kids & Family. “We had to change our strategy, rethink how we tell stories and connect with audiences through new formats, and consider how our content appears across different screens and platforms. Change is the new normal.”
The MIPJunior Pitch also took place at the Debussy Theatre, where five creators presented their projects to a panel of industry professionals, and Murphy’s Manor, from China’s Fantawild Animation, emerged as the winner.
Distributors Showcase New Titles in Cannes
New content and the search for partnerships were common themes among MIPJunior 2026 attendees, who arrived in Cannes to present their latest titles and establish connections with international partners for both distribution and co-production.
This was the primary goal for Vikas Kumar, CEO of India’s Digitoonz, who came to the event to present Tiny Tellers, a new CGI series consisting of 52 11-minute episodes, and to seek international partners for it. “We are here to present Tiny Tellers, our first animated IP. We are looking for co-production partners and investors for the project, which is already in the script development stage,” Kumar explained to ttvnews.
Also from India, Prayan Animation arrived at MIPJunior with eight intellectual properties at various stages of development, aiming to find new co-production partners, investors, and broadcasters. “We are looking for 2D animation service work, but also partners for the production of our own IPs, as well as good projects to acquire and financing opportunities,” explained Vinayan V, CEO and co-founder of Prayan Animation, to ttvnews.
After a long journey from Australia and as The Wiggles celebrates its 35th anniversary, Luke Field, General Manager of Commercial for The Wiggles, arrived to present the new live-action Dorothy the Dinosaur series, which will pave the way for an animated production scheduled for 2028, alongside Ready, Steady, Wiggle!, while seeking new alliances with international partners.
“This year, we are here to present our latest projects, such as Into the Mortal World, one of our feature films, which was selected by the Annecy Festival,” noted Sophie Lau, Head of International Business at China’s Winsing Animation. “We are also showcasing new AI-generated content, in addition to productions for preschoolers, boys’ action, and teen audiences.”
The Palais closed its doors this Sunday, marking the end of this edition of MIPJunior, but it will reopen on Monday, with a revamped market floor ready to welcome Mipcom Cannes 2026, while the buzz is already building tonight with presentations and welcome cocktails hosted by industry players such as Global Agency, Banijay Entertainment, and Globo.
