MIPCOM 2026: TV's bidding wars end, sharing begins
The bidding wars are over. TV producers heading to Cannes next week are talking about sharing, not exclusivity.
MIPCOM CANNES 2026 runs 12 to 15 October at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, where buyers and sellers from around the world gather each October to order, sell and schedule shows.
Pragmatism is the mantra this year, according to producers and executives speaking to Variety. Advertising money is moving toward digital, public broadcasters face tighter government budgets, and streamers are consolidating and cutting costs after years of rapid growth.
That has ended the old land grab for exclusive global rights. The cost-plus model, where a platform paid 100% of a budget plus a premium to the producer, is retreating.
In its place is deficit financing, where a producer covers part of the cost and keeps rights to sell elsewhere, and shared windows, where one platform takes first run in one or two territories and the studio sells the rest country by country.
Mediawan offers a clear example. Its upcoming series "1536" is made by Mediawan-owned Drama Republic, with the BBC on board for the U.K. and HBO for the U.S. and Canada. The group also financed "The Count of Monte Cristo" with solely linear partners, meaning traditional broadcast channels rather than streamers.
Streamers are still buying. Elisabeth d'Arvieu, Mediawan's group chief content officer and CEO of Mediawan Pictures, said they have become the company's main clients in every country. The difference is they no longer always buy everything.
Gaumont is making the same calculation. Gaumont Television president Isabelle Desgorges produced "Lupin" for Netflix and "Becoming Karl Lagerfeld" for Disney without owning the IP, the underlying rights that decide who can remake, license or profit from a show later.
French rules have helped change that. Regulations stemming from an EU directive that took effect in 2021 force streamers to split rights with producers. Gaumont now keeps the IP on most streamer shows, including French crime series "Pax Massilia" for Netflix. It is also in post-production on a series adapted from the novel "Le Roman de Marceau Miller," commissioned by France Télévisions.
Sipur Studios is bringing the same flexible approach to the market. President Ludovic Attal's Mipcom slate includes the Latin American romance series "Mírame Así, El Camino de Noa."
The market itself is widening beyond traditional TV. Banijay Entertainment chairman Jeff Zucker and CEO Marco Bassetti will headline a keynote conversation on Monday 12 October. Dhar Mann, founder of Dhar Mann Studios, will appear in a special session on Sunday 11 October at 17.00 in the Grand Auditorium, billed as the market's first-ever pre-opening Headliner.
There is also a world premiere for "Honey," a darkly comedic Cold War thriller from Sid Gentle Films, which is part of BBC Studios. Made for BBC iPlayer, BBC One and German broadcaster ZDF in association with FIFTH SEASON, it will be distributed globally by FIFTH SEASON. New strands include MIP BrandWorks, connecting brands with content players, and a Microdrama and Vertical Content Programme for short shows made to watch on phones.
What makes this stand out for viewers is simple. Fewer shows will have one giant backer. More will be stitched together from several partners, which keeps crews working and stories finishing, even if it takes longer to put the pieces in place.
