📺 10,000 TV execs just landed in Cannes…

The Dailies

(Source: MIPCOM)

MIPCOM, the world's biggest TV marketplace, kicked off Monday in Cannes. Through Thursday, over 10,000 executives from 100+ countries will pack into the Palais and beachfront pavilions along the Riviera to buy, sell, and license content. Since 1985, MIPCOM has been the industry's crystal ball. It's the place where streaming first gained traction, where networks discover their next hits, and where you can spot what's coming next in entertainment.

This year brings major changes. MIPCOM director Lucy Smith calls it "the biggest generational shift" in the market's history as two major forces are reshaping the festival:

YouTube and creators are taking center stage…

Creators were outsiders to the TV industry just a few years ago, but now they're a main attraction. This year, the festival created a Creator Economy Summit and transformed its Producers Hub into a Creative Hub that welcomes digital creators alongside traditional producers.

Meanwhile, YouTube has claimed an entire floor of the Palais with workshops and keynotes for its 20th anniversary. TikTok, Snapchat, and Meta executives are participating too. Their presence shows how radically distribution has changed—storytelling now spans everything from 10-second viral clips to high-end dramas, and the industry is learning to monetize all of it.

Brands have become content producers…

MIPCOM launched a Brand Storytelling Marketplace this year with Mattel, P&G, and Lego as headliners. It’s a response to a recent shift where brands are expanding beyond traditional advertising into financing and creating actual content—a savvier form of marketing that engages audiences for hours, not seconds. Mattel's ‘Barbie’ didn't just sell toys; it made $1.4B at the box office. Now every brand wants that kind of cultural impact. For cash-strapped studios facing streaming subscription plateaus, these partnerships are proving to be smart ways to offset production costs.

The bigger picture: MIPCOM is embracing change, blending elements that echo Cannes Lions (the advertising festival down the street in June) with its traditional TV dealmaking. The next few days will reveal if this broader approach is the festival's future.