YouTube Nears 16% of U.S. Viewing Share
YouTube remains at the top of Nielsen’s Media Distributor Gauge, scoring a 15.8% share of all viewing in August as TV viewership eased following the end of the FIFA World Cup.
Lucy Smith on Disruption, Evolution & Reshaping the Content Business’s Biggest Annual Event
With the disruption across the content ecosystem on clear display at MIPCOM Cannes, Lucy Smith told reporters about strengthening the event’s “position as the leading international marketplace for content, while bringing in the companies, investment, technologies, and business models transforming entertainment.”
Broadcast Plus YouTube: The RTL Deutschland Example
In conversation with Evan Shapiro at MIPCOM, YouTube EMEA VP Pedro Pina and RTL Deutschland CEO Stephan Schmitter discussed how local commercial broadcasters can and should be working with YouTube to drive engagement and reach among audiences.
Jeff Zucker & Marco Bassetti on Scale & Leaning into Live & Sports
In their first on-stage joint appearance since the Banijay Entertainment and All3Media merger closed, Jeff Zucker and Marco Bassetti were at MIPCOM to talk about growth opportunities, scale, and expanding the company’s sports and live segments.
Italy & France Strengthen Audiovisual Ties at MIA
Building on an agreement signed in Antibes this summer, France and Italy signed a bilateral cooperation deal at MIA to strengthen the overall European content creation ecosystem.
Italian Content Investment Declines As Overall AV Sector Shows Gains
The Italian audiovisual sector generated €16.8 billion in 2025, a 3.1% increase, even as the local content economy saw its first investment decline since 2018, according to numbers released at MIA in Rome.
Same Mission, New Model: Ben Flint on Vuulr’s Relaunch & Repositioning
Vuulr has relaunched its rights-trading platform, powered by new tech, a UX designed to address the discovery conundrum, and launched a white-label solution for rights owners; Ben Flint takes ScreenMDM inside the model for revolutionizing how shows are bought and sold.
A MIA Moment with Jane Tranter
ScreenMDM caught up with Bad Wolf CEO Jane Tranter at MIA to discuss the state of the global drama business, balancing known IP and fresh ideas and more.
High Drama: The Art of International Co-Pros with Brendan Foley
With credits that include the international hit Sherlock & Daughter, Brendan Foley has proven adept at creating original IP and bringing diverse partners together to get shows off the ground. He joins ScreenMDM Talks to share his expertise on the delicate art of high-end drama co-productions.
Fremantle’s Rebecca Dundon Talks Scripted Financing & Co-Pro Trends
Rebecca Dundon, SVP of scripted content for global drama at Fremantle, shares her perspectives on the state of the business today, weighing in on investment and windowing strategies and the keys to successful co-productions.
Navigating the World of International Drama
Three perspectives on scripted productions, the funding jigsaw for high-end European drama, and the value of having a deep library.
Khalil Homeissy and Ralph Matar on MForMedia’s Scripted Ambitions
Dubai-based production outfit MForMedia is repositioning itself as an IP-based studio and is looking to raise the profile of Arabic scripted content, Khalil Homeissy and Ralph Matar, managing partners, tell ScreenMDM.
Samantha Cameron-Mowat on New Regency’s Scripted Distribution Strategy
Samantha Cameron-Mowat, SVP and co-head of international distribution at New Regency, previewed the indie studio’s plans for Cannes and weighs in on the art of global co-pros and shifting windowing strategies.
Doc Buyers at MIA: The Funds are Available; The Ideas Need Work
Storyville’s Nevine Mabro, SVT’s Mikael Österby, and Al Jazeera Documentary’s Muhammad Refaat shared their perspectives on commissioning and acquiring docs in a YouTube-first world at MIA in Rome.
True Crime Trends with ITV Studios’ Harry Arkwright
Arriving in Cannes with a true-crime slate that included Spy Next Door: The Anna Chapman Story, Harry Arkwright, VP of global content for scripted and unscripted at ITV Studios, joined ScreenMDM Talks to discuss true crime trends and ITV Studios’ overall positioning in the factual landscape.
Investing in Creativity with Banijay Entertainment’s James Townley
Ahead of Banijay Entertainment’s first MIPCOM since completing its All3Media merger, James Townley, chief content officer for development, weighed in on sourcing breakthrough new IP on YouTube and from producers worldwide in the quest for the “formats of tomorrow.”
Format Innovation & Brand Building with Seven.One Studios International
Seven.One Studios International prioritized “bold and distinctive” format IPs this MIPCOM to combat risk-aversion and play to its strengths, Tobias Schulze, SVP of global sales, told ScreenMDM.
25 Years of Reality TV Innovation with Arthur Smith
As Hell’s Kitchen marks its landmark 25th season on FOX, reality TV icon Arthur Smith, CEO of A. Smith & Co. Productions, joined ScreenMDM Talks to weigh in on building brands that last and spotting compelling ideas in the global market.
Factual Distribution Trends with Germaine Deagan Sweet
Germaine Deagan Sweet, head of content acquisitions and sales at PBS Distribution, reflects on the rising need for co-productions, appealing to buyers’ increasingly selective tastes, and driving gains across FAST and YouTube.
Brands, Access & Quality—Cecilie Olsen Showcases ITV Studios’ Unscripted Lineup
Cecilie Olsen, SVP for global content, non-scripted, at ITV Studios, joined ScreenMDM Talks to discuss how the company curated a MIPCOM lineup focused on buyers’ needs for brands, access, and premium quality.
A Story of Crime and Punishment with Lynn Novick
Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Lynn Novick joined ScreenMDM Talks’ Real Talk strand to discuss her upcoming PBS documentary series, Crime and Punishment in America, which condenses more than 200 years of U.S. justice into an eight-hour series that PBS Distribution is bringing to the global market.
NHK’s Yuko Fukuyama & Takeshi Shibasaki
NHK’s Yuko Fukuyama, senior producer of international co-productions, and Takeshi Shibasaki, head of global content development, share how the Japanese pubcaster is positioning itself in the global doc market.
Fremantle’s Premium Doc Playbook with Mark Reynolds
Mark Reynolds, global head of documentaries and factual at Fremantle, outlines the company’s approach to premium factual and doc co-productions and weighs in on meeting the demand for pop culture and true-crime docs.
Breakthrough Factual with BossaNova
Francesca Johnson and Iona Hopper share what they’re looking for across the history/mystery, access, and true-crime genres.
The Indie Success Story with Primitives’ Katie Pike
Paramount Global alum Katie Pike joined Primitives earlier this year as director of sales and acquisitions, tasked with building upon the impressive track record of the Belgian indie’s curated slate, which includes the fast-growing 99 to Beat and the buzzy adventure reality competition Terrain: Battle of the Flags.
History Doc Trends with ZDF Studios’ Nikolas Hülbusch
Nikolas Hülbusch, Director Unscripted at ZDF Studios, shares his perspectives on trends in history docs.
Dori Media Ramps Up Non-Scripted Slate
As Dori Media arrived in Cannes with its biggest-ever non-scripted slate, including new game shows and relationship formats, CEO Nadav Palti shared his perspectives on the sector, noting that current market conditions “are creating even more opportunities.”
Greg Dray at MIPJunior: The Kids’ Business Needs a Radical Reinvention
In a rousing keynote address at MIPJunior, Greg Dray, the cofounder of Animaj, called for a radical reinvention of how the kids’ sector is approached and structured, and urged the industry at large to stop viewing it as a walled-off vertical but rather as the leading indicator of where the content business is and where it’s going.
Ramy El Gabry on Taking Egyptian Animation to the World
Ramy El Gabry, creator and director of Captain Shedeed at Divine Touch Productions in Egypt, told ScreenMDM about his goals for the series, which was selected for MIA’s Animation Series Gap Financing Market this week.
Franchises, Fandom & Knowing Your Audience: The Kids & Family Playbook at Disney
A powerhouse session at MIPJunior with Disney Kids & Family’s senior team, led by Ayo Davis, highlighted the company’s “holistic” approach to serving these audiences, strategy adjustments to meet the moment, and the importance of franchises, fandom, and listening to audiences.
IP Building with Studio 100 International CEO Martin Krieger
Martin Krieger, CEO of Studio 100 International, reveals how the company is evolving into an integrated IP company to meet today’s challenges and opportunities in serving kids and family audiences.
Funding Innovation & Brand Strategies with CAKE’s Ed Galton
From innovative partnerships like the one announced with Mandai X to inking deals to represent well-known IP like Doraemon and Voltron and helping producers get shows such as Pablo: Next Level off the ground, CAKE is using a range of strategies to navigate the complexities of the kids’ market, CEO Ed Galton says on a new episode of ScreenMDM Talks.
Nick the Mechanic Heads Worldwide with WildBrain
Elena Lyalina, CEO and producer at Polydont Films, shares the origin story of Nick the Mechanic, a CG preschool series that WildBrain recently acquired the distribution rights to.
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All the news from Rome this week, in one place.
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October 2026 MIPCOM & MIPJunior Edition
Vertical Video Trends / Scripted Co-Pros & Financing / Factual Distribution Shifts / Format Evolution / True Crime / Vuulr’s Relaunch with Ben Flint / A Conversation with Lynn Novick / Brand Architecting with Banijay Kids & Family’s Benoît di Sabatino / Building an IP Powerhouse with Studio 100 International’s Martin Krieger / NHK’s Doc Strategy / Hit List
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ICYMI
Netflix Chiefs Talk Engagement, Peter Rice, Content Licensing & TF1 Pact
As it released its Q3 earnings, showing a 12% gain in revenues to $12.9 billion, with a net profit of $3.7 billion, Netflix co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos fielded questions from analysts about tackling the engagement issue, the appointment of Peter Rice as the new chief content officer, content licensing, the TF1 alliance and more.
Italian Content Investment Declines As Overall AV Sector Shows Gains
The Italian audiovisual sector generated €16.8 billion in 2025, a 3.1% increase, even as the local content economy saw its first investment decline since 2018, according to new numbers released at MIA in Rome.
High Drama: The Art of International Co-Pros with Brendan Foley
With credits that include the international hit Sherlock & Daughter, Brendan Foley has proven adept at creating original IP and bringing diverse partners together to get shows off the ground. He joins ScreenMDM Talks to share his expertise on the delicate art of high-end drama co-productions.
Doc Buyers at MIA: The Funds are Available; The Ideas Need Work
Storyville’s Nevine Mabro, SVT’s Mikael Österby, and Al Jazeera Documentary’s Muhammad Refaat shared their perspectives on commissioning and acquiring docs in a YouTube-first world at MIA in Rome.
A MIA Moment with Jane Tranter
ScreenMDM caught up with Bad Wolf CEO Jane Tranter at MIA today to discuss the state of the global drama business, balancing known IP and fresh ideas and more.
25 Years of Reality TV Innovation with Arthur Smith
As Hell’s Kitchen marks its landmark 25th season on FOX, reality TV icon Arthur Smith, CEO of A. Smith & Co. Productions, joins ScreenMDM Talks to weigh in on building brands that last and spotting compelling ideas in the global market.
A Constellation in Rome: Gaia Tridente on MIA’s New Format & Expanded Lineup
Gaia Tridente, director of MIA (Mercato Internazionale Audiovisivo), which will bring executives and creatives from the global film, drama, documentary, animation, and entertainment industries to Rome from October 19 to 23, joins ScreenMDM Talks to showcase the event’s expanded lineup and new format.
Gen A to Z: Introducing KIMS Canada with France Martin & Maria Kennedy
Set for February 23 to 25, 2027, the Kids International Media Summit (KIMS) Canada aims to attract delegates from around the world for three days of deal-making, networking, and showcasing the local children’s ecosystem and its co-production opportunities, the Youth Media Alliance’s France Martin and Maria Kennedy tell ScreenMDM Talks in our latest Gen A to Z episode.
The Asian Format IP Blueprint: Local Authenticity Wins
If you’re an Asian producer with great IP you want remade internationally, focus on local authenticity, simplicity, and collaboration, a panel of leading executives said at BCWW last week.
The Case for Gaming, YouTube’s TV Courtship, AI Evolution, and Vertical Video’s “Arrival”
Our monthly recap of the latest developments in vertical video, AI technology, the creator economy, and audience shifts, and what they mean for the content production and distribution business. Subscribe to ScreenMDM Digital-First Digest here.
The Road to Cannes with RX’s Lucy Smith
The theme of convergence runs across MIPCOM Cannes this year as the event embraces the creator economy, vertical video, branded entertainment, and AI, Lucy Smith says on the latest episode of ScreenMDM Talks.
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