Mipcom 2026 wrap: C21’s Nico Franks and Neil Batey, the BBC’s Kate Phillips, Uncensored’s Rashida Jones, After Party’s Ben Doyle, ITV Studios’ Ruth Berry, ProSiebenSat.1’s Henrik Pabst and MFE’s Giacomo Poletti

nico neil thanks for joining me from can as we speak mipcom 2026 is almost done some of the biggest stories have come in the first few days though banner j targeting hollywood following its all three media merger youtube and rtl making the case for a new broadcaster platform relationship netflix doubling down on local content learning from youtubers and being grateful that it left Warner Brothers Discovery, to Paramount, Skydance, plenty more, of course, all of which, dear listeners, you can read on our website.

But, you know, what have you two taken away from this year's event? What have been the standout stories for you, Nico?

For me, I wasn't here last year, so it's quite interesting seeing the changes between now and October 2024.

And it feels like since then, obviously the micro drama boom, developments in AI, all that has really come to a head, it feels like.

And this year, panels and the sessions where you know lots of talk about microdrama and AI both areas kind of being embraced it feels like by the traditional TV industry who I think have just been desperate for some green shoots and I think they're choosing or having to be forced to see these as potential growth areas the AI stuff I mean I just had a meeting this morning with a company based out of India and they showed me some stuff that they've got and it's just scary what they've created and they were talking about the future of filmmaking being basically a gray box which to me sounds very depressing but it's essentially and this is potentially the optimistic way of looking at it is that they'll actually use real actors and instead of a green screen it's it's a gray box now and you don't need to be on set and um the actors just get transposed into potentially endless you know whatever it might be period sci-fi anything And I just feel like the ramifications for that are huge for the industry.

There's even been, I don't know if you noticed, Nico, there's been quite a few AI robots walking around the Palais and outside as well.

So that's been quite amusing to see some of those stalking about.

One of them actually malfunctioned and thought that it was still in Shanghai.

So maybe AI is not quite as advanced as we think it is just yet.

I agree with what Nico's been saying because I was here last year and last year was the first time YouTube had a really big presence.

They were hosting a lot of panel sessions and that's continued this year.

There's a lot of panels about AI, as Nico said, and YouTube and micro dramas as well.

So it's It seems to me that there's not so much of the existential dread of a couple of years ago and everyone predicting doom for the industry.

Everyone's just getting on with it now and trying to find new models and different ways of monetizing their content.

So I think there was a slightly more positive vibe this year.

I think maybe the corner's being turned a little bit and there's a little bit more confidence coming back to the market.

The way it's being framed is that AI is going to help produce shows that otherwise wouldn't be able to be produced because of budget constraints.

But it's just whether or not, and I think there's a distinction between the audience's willingness in some parts of the world to watch AI content and willingness in other parts of the world.

It feels like in the UK, people aren't calling for that.

The audience isn't asking for it.

You know, you speak to people working in India and China and South Korea, and apparently, you know, they're very happy to watch AI content.

And so I feel like there's kind of two different paths.

And obviously one path will lead to the creation of lots and lots and lots and lots of content.

And some of the AI people are saying, you know, the cream will rise to the top.

But, you know, it's just whether or not for the future of a market like Mipcom, will people be willing to buy that content, that side of things? It feels incredibly different to just a few years ago.

nico neil thanks for joining me from can as we speak mipcom 2026 is almost done some of the biggest stories have come in the first few days though banner j targeting hollywood following its all three media merger youtube and rtl making the case for a new broadcaster platform relationship netflix doubling down on local content learning from youtubers and being grateful that it left Warner Brothers Discovery, to Paramount, Skydance, plenty more, of course, all of which, dear listeners, you can read on our website.

But, you know, what have you two taken away from this year's event? What have been the standout stories for you, Nico?

For me, I wasn't here last year, so it's quite interesting seeing the changes between now and October 2024.

And it feels like since then, obviously the micro drama boom, developments in AI, all that has really come to a head, it feels like.

And this year, panels and the sessions where you know lots of talk about microdrama and AI both areas kind of being embraced it feels like by the traditional TV industry who I think have just been desperate for some green shoots and I think they're choosing or having to be forced to see these as potential growth areas the AI stuff I mean I just had a meeting this morning with a company based out of India and they showed me some stuff that they've got and it's just scary what they've created and they were talking about the future of filmmaking being basically a gray box which to me sounds very depressing but it's essentially and this is potentially the optimistic way of looking at it is that they'll actually use real actors and instead of a green screen it's it's a gray box now and you don't need to be on set and um the actors just get transposed into potentially endless you know whatever it might be period sci-fi anything And I just feel like the ramifications for that are huge for the industry.

There's even been, I don't know if you noticed, Nico, there's been quite a few AI robots walking around the Palais and outside as well.

So that's been quite amusing to see some of those stalking about.

One of them actually malfunctioned and thought that it was still in Shanghai.

So maybe AI is not quite as advanced as we think it is just yet.

I agree with what Nico's been saying because I was here last year and last year was the first time YouTube had a really big presence.

They were hosting a lot of panel sessions and that's continued this year.

There's a lot of panels about AI, as Nico said, and YouTube and micro dramas as well.

So it's It seems to me that there's not so much of the existential dread of a couple of years ago and everyone predicting doom for the industry.

Everyone's just getting on with it now and trying to find new models and different ways of monetizing their content.

So I think there was a slightly more positive vibe this year.

I think maybe the corner's being turned a little bit and there's a little bit more confidence coming back to the market.

The way it's being framed is that AI is going to help produce shows that otherwise wouldn't be able to be produced because of budget constraints.

But it's just whether or not, and I think there's a distinction between the audience's willingness in some parts of the world to watch AI content and willingness in other parts of the world.

It feels like in the UK, people aren't calling for that.

The audience isn't asking for it.

You know, you speak to people working in India and China and South Korea, and apparently, you know, they're very happy to watch AI content.

And so I feel like there's kind of two different paths.

And obviously one path will lead to the creation of lots and lots and lots and lots of content.

And some of the AI people are saying, you know, the cream will rise to the top.

But, you know, it's just whether or not for the future of a market like Mipcom, will people be willing to buy that content, that side of things? It feels incredibly different to just a few years ago.