BOUYANT BUSINE AT MILESTONE 50 MIPTV

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BOUYANT BUSINESS AT MILESTONE 50th MIPTV

Cannes, Thursday 11 April 2013 More than 11,000 people from over 100 countries, representing every aspect of the television ecosystem, gathered in Cannes this week, as MIPTV celebrated its 50th anniversary and the industry resolutely turned its eyes to the future a future where content remains king.

Highlights of the 50th MIPTV included a plethora of deals, demos of the crystal-clear quality of 4K Ultra HD, which is being pioneered by Sony, packed keynote addresses, an impassioned plea from former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for the television industry to support the United Nations Global Education First Initiative, a stellar line-up of talent and a full-house World Premier TV Screening of Da Vincis Demons (produced by Adjacent Productions for Starz and sold internationally by BBC Worldwide).

And it was a sign of the changing times that among the 4,000 programme acquisition executives in Cannes, 800 were VOD and digital buyers a 30% increase on last year. Indeed, digital figured strongly throughout MIPTV and if there was one point on which most people agreed in the MIPCube conference programme and related discussions throughout MIPTV, it was that to be successful, brands need to create their own voice online and get it heard.

Confirming MIPTVs continued international appeal, there were significant year-on-year increases in the numbers of companies participating from Russia ( 18%), Ukraine ( 30%), Brazil ( 17%) and the United Arab Emirates ( 58%).

With 79 companies represented, Chinas delegation, headed by LI Wei, Vice Minister of the newly-formed General Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, was the largest ever at MIPTV.

MIPTV delegates discovered that at MIPCOM 2013, Argentina will take centre stage as the events Country of Honour.

New Developments & Deals Abound

As MIPTV progressed, a slew of international deals were announced. Discovery Communications President and CEO, David Zaslav, told his keynote audience that his company had completed its deal to acquire Scandinavian broadcaster SBS. The deal comes on the heels of Discoverys recent acquisition of a 20% stake in pan-European sports channel Eurosport.

FremantleMedia optioned French series Hollywood Girls in countries across Europe and Latin America. And partners FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment and Mattel chose MIPTV to announce they have greenlit a second season of animated series hit Max Steel.

News filtered out that Warner Bros. International Television Production had taken format rights for Spanish production company 60dbs Money Time, while leading German channel RTL announced it is going ahead with Shine Germanys gameshow Cash Crash and the BBC announced it is commissioning two new drama series, The Great War from Red Planet Pictures and an untitled project from Jim McGoverns RSJ Film.

Chinas public broadcaster CCTV had a particularly active MIPTV. Venevision International acquired documentary series Chinas Mega Projects from CCTV and BBC Worldwide has lined up with CCTV 9 to co-produce natural history series Hidden Kingdoms. In addition, Austrias ORF and CCTV signed a coproduction agreement covering nature and wildlife films, the first of which will be Triumph of the Tomato.

Frances leading pay-tv channel Canal Plus picked up the first season of two US dramas Banshee and Vikings, and Canal Plus is forming a long-term alliance with A E Networks which includes the launch of pay channels on the Canal Satellite platform, which will draw on A Es extensive catalogue of factual programming. A E Networks powered into Cannes with first day sales of factual entertainment series Duck Dynasty in Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary, Singapore and Canada.

Long-standing MIPTV attendee Endemol drew plenty of attention as Tim Hincks, President of Endemol Group and MIPTV keynote speaker, announced that the company is once again looking at possible mergers and acquisitions. Endemol launched the AMC drama Low Winter Sun at MIPTV, the latest project in Endemols development of its scripted entertainment business.

Hincks also indicated that Endemol is preparing the launch of a Fear Factor channel on YouTube in the United States and then Europe. Acknowledging the growing presence of YouTube at MIPTV, he indicated that part of Endemols strategy is to continue to develop channels around its established brands. Endemol has over 100 channels currently on YouTube.

Content and Creators Still Kings

BSkyBs Sophie Turner Laing set the tone of MIPTV during her April 8 keynote address. Lets spend the precious time here together this week discussing the shows, not the pipes. New technology can open up fantastic new opportunities. But its the art of storytelling that engages and enthralls audiences, she commented.

Turner Laing revealed that high-end, original drama will be the next stage of Skys growth. She announced a major new drama commission - 13-part crime series Fortitude to be produced for Sky Atlantic by British independent production company Fifty Fathoms and Starz.

Underlining the continued importance of the content creatives, a slew of heavyweight US showrunners were at MIPTV. They included Da Vincis Demons writer and showrunner David S. Goyer, Tim Kring, creator of cult series Heroes and Touch, Ed Bernero and CSI mastermind Anthony E. Zuiker who received the 2013 Pioneer Prize at the International Digital Emmy Awards during MIPTV.

Bernero strode up the busiest MIPTV Red Carpet ever as part of his promotion of Crossing Lines, a 10x60 mins crime series he developed, wrote and produced with Germanys Tandem Communications.

Crossing Lines is indicative of the renewed interest in international co-productions. Tandem initially brought the project idea to Bernero who noted during MIPTV, Id been trying to get this kind of Europe-b

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