Presentations on new technologies and formats, the return of major international delegations, production announcements, content partnerships and strong attendance were the highlights of the opening day, pointing to a successful edition of the event on the French Riviera.
by Carolina Mussio, with reporting by Ana Paula Carreira from Cannes, France
On another sunny day in Cannes, and following the conclusion of MIPJunior, the Palais des Festivals once again opened its doors to welcome a new edition of Mipcom, with all its exhibition areas and stands quickly filling with attendees from the early hours of the morning.
The opening day’s agenda was clearly shaped by the evolution of the industry, with the expansion of artificial intelligence and new production formats, including short-form and vertical content, taking center stage in keynotes and conferences featuring Utopai Studios, YouTube, Dentsu and Banijay.
Other highlights included the award presented to Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer at Netflix; The Wit’s traditional Fresh TV Formats presentation; Glance’s presentations; and several content showcases by Asian delegations, including China, South Korea, Shanghai and Japan.
Turkey Rolls Out the Red Carpet in Cannes
Always present with large stands and their latest content offerings, Turkish distributors once again made their way to Cannes, accompanied by the stars of their biggest productions, who dazzled attendees at the Palais.
Burak Özçivit, star of ATV’s hit drama Land of the Sun, arrived at the event on opening day to take part in the production’s global launch at the market. Özçivit, who plays Kenan Kozan in the series, was also one of the main attractions at ATV’s traditional gala dinner, which once again brought the first day of Mipcom to a close in grand style at the Grand Salon of the Carlton Hotel. “We are proud of what we have built and excited to share our new season’s highlights,” said Müge Akar, Head of Sales at ATV Distribution, during the evening. “We want to present Different Lives and are delighted to have two of its leading actors, Rahimcan Kapkap and Elçin Zehra İrem, with us.” Özçivit also attended the dinner.
Rahimcan Kapkap and Elçin Zehra İrem attending ATV Distribution’s dinner gala.
Meanwhile, Eccho Rights presented its drama The Hatmaker, accompanied by stars Pınar Deniz and Selahattin Paşalı, who were also in Cannes and spoke about their roles at the Majestic Hotel.
“I think this kind of period drama recreates the connection between the past and the present and gives visibility to human emotions. It’s not just a historical drama. Human emotions are at its core. Also, our characters are very real, with strengths and weaknesses, and they love each other above all else,” Paşalı told ttv.
With an impressive stand overlooking the beach, Acunmedya arrived at Mipcom looking to further expand the international presence of its flagship format, Exatlon, which has reached ten seasons in Mexico and is preparing for new international premieres. “For us, Exatlon is a reality show with a strong sports component. And people never get tired of watching sports, just like football,” explained CEO Ebru Atasav Tahrancı. “The show turns ordinary people into heroes. Viewers feel they could be there too, becoming one of those heroes. That connection with the contestants is what keeps them watching.”
Also from Turkey, Calinos Entertainment arrived in Cannes with a strong selection of Turkish dramas, including two of the current season’s most successful titles in Türkiye: Salted Love and Love in the Ashes, both offering significant international potential thanks to their universal stories and internationally recognized casts. “Internationally, Salted Love has attracted a lot of attention from the beginning because Forbidden Fruit was sold to practically every country. Its six seasons made the actors very well known around the world. That, combined with the local success, is generating a lot of interest. We’re already dubbing the episodes into Spanish, and we believe we’ll have a good number of episodes available by MIP Cancun,” said Cristina Duffy, Sales Executive for Latin America at Calinos Entertainment.
Inter Medya, meanwhile, hosted a spectacular cocktail reception at its stand, where the focus was on its new microdrama slate, which began with Boardroom to Bedroom, among other titles, and now includes Sleeping Beauty, Touching the Stars, Love Testament, You Are Siblings From Now On and The Intern Boss.
The event was attended by Turkish actors Neslihan Yeldan, Büşra Pekin, Yetkin Dikinciler, Naz Çağla Irmak, Asuman Dabak, Rıza Kocaoğlu and Sumru Yavrucuk.
A Preview of MIP Cancun
The next event on RX France’s annual calendar will be MIP Cancun, taking place in the Mexican city from November 17 to 20. The upcoming market was given a prominent place at the beginning of Mipcom’s opening day, with a presentation of the new initiatives planned for its next edition during the LatAm Partnership Summit, which brought together around 150 industry professionals.
“We’re gathered here today to offer a taste of what we do best at MIP Cancun, which is curating roundtables and matchmaking opportunities with industry experts,” explained María Pérez Bellière, Director of MIP Cancun. “The interest in the region and its potential is incredible, especially with all these changes involving vertical content, the creator economy and digital platforms.”
The conference also included a presentation by María Rúa Aguete, Head of Media and Entertainment at Omdia, who highlighted the region’s growth potential, particularly in streaming and advertising-based monetization models.
According to the research company, online video will generate US$35 billion in Latin America this year, compared with US$16 billion for traditional television.
Mexico is also represented at the event by TV Azteca, which is showcasing its extensive content catalogue for the international market, including titles such as Dra. Lucía: Un don extraordinario, Un día para vivir and Lotería del crimen. “Our scripted content is performing very well. It’s what we have on broadcast television, and it’s delivering very strong ratings,” said Karina Montoya, Director of Distribution and Strategic Alliances at TV Azteca.
And while Dori Media Group is not a Latin American company, it has a long-standing presence in the region, particularly in Argentina, so it is no surprise that a new series is currently being developed in the South American country. “I can’t reveal the title or any further details yet because we’re working with one of the biggest companies in the world,” said Nadav Palti, CEO of Dori Media Group.
Major Announcements, Major Partnerships
As with every edition of Mipcom, the opening day brought a multitude of announcements from participating companies, including Triskelion and Motion Pictures, which signed a one-year content licensing agreement for Cycle Kids, Triskelion’s children’s platform. “We’re very happy and hope this is the beginning of an excellent relationship that will last for many years,” said Ric Acevedo, President and Executive Producer of Triskelion Productions.
“We’re very excited that our series will be available alongside other major IPs on their platform and reach children in the US Hispanic market and Latin America. That means a great deal to us,” added Toni Albert, Sales Director at Motion Pictures Entertainment.
Also in children’s entertainment, PowerKids Entertainment arrived at Mipcom following the announcement of a new distribution agreement for its The Jungle Book franchise, sharing details of the multiple projects it is developing to further leverage the value of the well-known IP. “We have four seasons of The Jungle Book, more than 200 episodes, and we’re building an entire universe around its characters,” the executive explained.
And when it comes to major announcements, few were as exciting as the one made by Globo and SIC on Sunday night: the Portuguese adaptation of Avenida Brasil, titled Avenida Portugal, will begin filming in November and is expected to premiere in March 2027, replacing Páginas da Vida. “The main cast has already been announced, and we couldn’t have chosen better actors. It’s going to have a phenomenal leading couple, and we’re all very excited,” said Carlota Vieira, Manager at SIC International Distribution.
Other notable announcements during the day included those made by ITV Studios during its traditional press breakfast; WBITVP’s sale of The Final Circle to Romania, where Dogan Media commissioned a local adaptation of the format for Kanal D; ElectricNOW’s acquisition of more than 40 titles from ACI; the partnership between DeAPlaneta Entertainment and Tiger Studio to launch a new international chapter for Pucca; Cineflix Rights’ announcement of a new round of international sales for Hildur; and Banijay Entertainment’s new format Cooking Grandmas, among others.
The opening day concluded with several networking and celebratory events, including Mipcom’s traditional Opening Party, sponsored by Merzigo and YouTube, at the Hotel Majestic in Cannes.
