MIPCOM Wrap: Creator Economy Eats TV’s Lunch at Cannes Confab
MIPCOM Cannes wrapped its 2025 edition this week with organizers hailing a “tipping point” moment for the global television industry, as the creator economy and digital-first talent moved to the center of the market for the first time. “This has been the biggest step change in a generation for MIPCOM,” said Lucy Smith, director of…
MIPCOM Cannes wrapped its 2025 edition this week with organizers hailing a “tipping point” moment for the global television industry, as the creator economy and digital-first talent moved to the center of the market for the first time.
“This has been the biggest step change in a generation for MIPCOM,” said Lucy Smith, director of MIPCOM Cannes and MIP London. “We’ve brought the creator economy into the heart of the market, welcomed YouTube for their first major presence, and staged our first brand-funded content summit. With the succession of deals announced this week, it feels like a tipping point for the industry.”
YouTube’s participation, including a dedicated showcase of creator-led projects, underscored how the platform’s influence now extends beyond short-form video into full-scale entertainment production. The shift was mirrored by several high-profile partnerships in the creator space, led by old-school TV giants including the BBC, Fremantle and Banijay Entertainment.
Banijay used the market to unveil its latest push into creator-led sports entertainment, launching FC Failliet/Finesse (FCF), a professional Dutch soccer club co-founded with digital creators Ilias Vietto, Aimane Charbon and Kleine John. The team, developed through Banijay’s Southfields label and NXT division, streams its matches and content online, drawing more than 22 million views to date.
BBC Studios also expanded its creator-focused operations, announcing new partnerships with YouTube’s head of global partnerships Pedro Pina to co-develop content that blends digital-native formats with BBC’s production infrastructure. Both deals signaled a broader convergence between traditional production and creator-driven storytelling.
In a deal announced Tuesday, production and distribution giant Fremantle announced a new partnership with social media specialist Viral Nation, teaming up on a series of shows led by YouTube creators.
Beyond digital innovation, the market saw renewed momentum in scripted and unscripted sales. Banijay Rights closed key international deals for BBC and HBO co-production Half Man, Richard Gadd’s follow-up to his Netflix smash hit Baby Reindeer, starring Gadd and Jamie Bell, will sales to Stan in Australia and Crave in Canada. The six-part drama, produced by Banijay UK’s Mam Tor Productions, follows two men across four decades of friendship and estrangement in Glasgow and is set to debut in 2026.
Radial Entertainment, the new global distributor managing FilmRise and Shout! Studios, announced a major licensing deal for Conan, acquiring exclusive on-demand U.S. streaming rights to all 11 seasons of Conan O’Brien’s late-night series. The agreement gives Radial Entertainment SVOD, AVOD, EST, TVOD, and diginet rights to the show, which originally aired on TBS from 2010 to 2021.
Earlier MIPCOM deal highlights saw Cineflix Rights closing a new round of deals on darkly comic caper Sunny Nights, with the Will Forte and D’Arcy Carden-starring series, already picked up by ITV in Britain, going to Bell Media in Canada, and ProSieben in Germany, among other deals.
Other major sales activity included ITV Studios landing format deals for Solitary and strong unscripted sales across Lionsgate and Banijay’s catalogs, signaling a rebound in global distribution.
There were also plenty of new projects announced, including Mattel’s upcomingMagic 8 BallTV series, directed byThe Sixth Sense helmer M. Night Shyamalan; a TV adaptation of Dana Elazar-Halevi’s best-selling young adult book series Secret Mission from Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment; and Miraculous, a global theatrical feature based on hit children’s animation seriesMiraculous – Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir, from the Mediawan/ZAG joint venture Miraculous Corp.
Organizers confirmed that the 42nd edition of MIPCOM will return October 12–15, 2026, preceded by MIPJunior on October 10–11. The second edition of MIP London is set for February 22–24, 2026, maintaining its focus on multi-genre programming and creator-led content.
