Rome’s MIA Market wrapped a profitable eleventh version on Friday with organizers recording one other sturdy turnout, welcoming greater than 2,800 members — on par with 2024’s record-breaking version — from 64 international locations, marking the broadest geographical attain to this point for the distinctive, pre-Mipcom boutique occasion.
“We live by a interval of profound transformation: new monetary balances, viewers fragmentation, the redefinition of distribution home windows and technological development,” stated market head Gaia Tridente. “On this advanced financial and geopolitical context, MIA has chosen to not retreat, however to push ahead, implementing concrete initiatives for the advantage of accredited members.”
Noting measures reminiscent of strengthening the occasion’s co-production market and business packages, bolstering its e-book adaptation discussion board to attach publishing and audiovisual content material, and introducing a devoted vertical program on synthetic intelligence, Tridente added: “That is how we flip complexity into alternative, with Rome because the vacation spot the place tales acquire momentum and form the long run.”
This week noticed Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos descending on the Everlasting Metropolis to announce the streaming large’s plans to assist revive a storied cinema, in addition to a bunch of worldwide TV executives mooting the potential of an upturn that would pull the worldwide drama biz out of its current doldrums.
As these execs now put together to hit the French Riviera for Mipcom, which runs Oct. 13 – 16 in Cannes, listed below are eight takeaways from a busy week in Rome:
European execs flex muscle tissue as Trump’s tariff threats fall flat
Whereas President Donald Trump might need reupped his threats final month to impose a 100% tariff on films produced exterior the U.S., European movie business professionals aren’t backing down, with Italian undersecretary for tradition Lucia Borgonzoni blasting the newest tariff threats as “insane” and triumphant execs in Rome taking a victory lap this week over the continued one-way site visitors of Hollywood manufacturing throughout the pond.
“It’s a quite simple query, and the U.S. has understood that: There’s no higher place to be if you’re a producer in the present day than in Europe,” stated Alexandra Lebret, a associate at French funding agency Axio.
With manufacturing prices spiraling worldwide and cautious execs leaving no stone unturned within the hunt for financial savings, Europe has seen a surge in U.S. manufacturing, with Hollywood studios “making an attempt to defray these prices…chasing tax credit, subsidies, something that would scale back that price issue,” in keeping with Alex Brunner, a gross sales agent at UTA.
What Brunner described as an “arms race” in tax credit has been a boon for European manufacturing hubs, with “Name Me By Your Title” producer Rodrigo Texeira, of Brazil’s RT Options, noting, “American movies are coming right here as a result of they perceive they don’t have these instruments you guys have in Europe.”
As for Trump’s proposed tariffs, Texeira expressed the confusion shared by business professionals throughout the globe over what they could appear like in apply, noting: “Nobody is aware of what he means. Nobody is aware of what he’s speaking about.” Christopher Vourlias
TV biz feeling ‘optimism’ regardless of commissioning cutbacks
Although a yearslong weight-reduction plan of finances cuts, company mergers, course corrections and C-suite retrenchments have dimmed the optimism of many TV business professionals as commissioning numbers proceed to dwindle, international TV execs in Rome insisted that now’s the time to double down and suppose massive.
“I do suppose that there’s optimism in the intervening time, when it comes to a little bit little bit of inventive danger. Issues will not be as grim as they have been a pair years in the past,” stated Steve Matthews, joint head of scripted at Banijay.
Streamers are bouncing again after a depressing stretch of “terribly conservative” commissioning, in keeping with Matthews, who stated the state of affairs is “enhancing.” “I believe there’s a form of doom loop the place we’ve satisfied ourselves as producers that they’re danger averse, and it’s going spherical and spherical in circles,” he stated. “However I believe now could be the time to provide a little bit of a push…. I believe that there’s a little bit extra openness from the consumers for different issues.”
Find out how to stand out stays the query “in a market that’s so aggressive for everyone’s eyeballs and a focus,” in keeping with Léo Becker, head of worldwide originals and co-productions at France’s Federation Studios. “Whether or not it’s the face within the field, or it’s the massive creator, or it’s the massive IP, or it’s one thing you’ve by no means seen earlier than — that’s the form of present you could particularly tailor for the worldwide market.”
However with much less margin for error than ever earlier than, commissioners want to withstand the temptation to play it protected, in keeping with Larry Grimaldi, senior vice chairman of inventive affairs and authentic films at Fox Leisure Studios.
“TV was once a spot the place you’d uncover new actors, and you’d uncover new writers. And it’s form of a disgrace that we have now to place all this inventory in people who find themselves simply the simple bets,” he stated. “I believe there’s a spot for each.” C.V.
Sarandos makes Rome trek to re-open historic movie show
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos made the trek to Rome throughout MIA to have a good time the 10-year anniversary of the streaming large’s launch in Italy. To mark the event, Sarandos introduced what he referred to as a “distinctive” partnership with Rome’s Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (CSC) movie faculty to refurbish and reopen Rome’s Cinema Europa movie show.
The Everlasting Metropolis’s historic Cinema Europa, which had been shut down in the course of the pandemic, will get a makeover and turn into an area open to training, analysis and the promotion of nationwide movie heritage. The CSC will oversee the administration and programming of the theater, which is able to turn into a brand new residence for movie college students and film buffs of all ages.
“Cinema Europa is woven into the inventive material of Italy,” Sarandos stated throughout a press convention at Italy’s tradition ministry. He famous that “it was the location of the primary open-air screening of an Italian movie [Filoteo Alberini’s ‘La Presa di Roma’] precisely 120 years in the past.”
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos was readily available within the Everlasting Metropolis.
Courtesy Netflix
Positioned close to Cinecitta Studios in Rome, the Centro Sperimentale is the oldest movie faculty in Western Europe. Amongst its graduates are director Michelangelo Antonioni and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, each Oscar winners and, extra not too long ago, Edoardo De Angelis, who directed Netflix’s Elena Ferrante adaptation sequence “The Mendacity Lifetime of Adults.”
Netflix is supporting the mission partnership with a €4 million ($4.6 million) sponsorship inside a five-year settlement. The funding will cowl a part of the renovation and administration prices of the premises in addition to numerous cultural and academic actions. The streaming large will take part in launching what’s being described as a brand new “laboratory” for cinema within the Italian capital. Nick Vivarelli
Manufacturing of Italian authentic content material dips
Whole funding in Italy’s TV and movie industries grew 9% in 2024 to €16.3 billion ($19 billion) throughout all sectors in 2024. However the output of Italian authentic content material has dropped 12% to 658 hours in the course of the previous season, largely as a consequence of much less commissions from streamers.
That’s the most important takeaway from a report issued by Italian TV producers’ affiliation APA throughout Rome’s MIA market, which is devoted to worldwide TV sequence, animation, characteristic movies and documentaries.
Italian free-to-air broadcasters at the moment account for greater than 60% of the nation’s scripted originals with state broadcaster RAI nonetheless firmly positioned as the primary native business driver, simply as Italy’s linear channels and streamers each rely much less on authentic titles in contrast with earlier seasons, the report stated.
It famous that there was a 29% drop in commissions of Italian originals from streamers – the nation’s high two streaming platforms in Italy are Netflix and Prime Video; a 16% drop in commissions from pay-TV retailers (primarily Sky Italia) and an 8% drop from free-to-air retailers.
When it comes to scripted sequence, the variety of hours commissioned by Netflix truly rose 4%, whereas Prime Video lowered its manufacturing degree of native scripted content material however elevated its unscripted output, the report stated.
In the meantime, the Italian TV market is transitioning from a “demand-driven mannequin to a product-driven mannequin,” stated APA chief Chiara Sbarigia, who famous this shift means it’s changing into extra selective about tasks and giving desire to works that may journey. N.V.
Broadcasters ‘lacking out’ as gender parity lags in drama biz
Simply 27% of execs working within the European drama business between 2019 and 2023 have been girls, in keeping with the European Audiovisual Observatory, underscoring the continued problem to attain gender parity within the continent’s audiovisual sector.
“We’ve progressed, however there’s nonetheless [a long way] to go,” stated Laura Abril, EVP of scripted and international enterprise growth at Buendia Estudios in Spain.
Former Channel 4 head of drama Caroline Hollick didn’t mince phrases in Rome as she took intention at a U.Okay. TV business whose risk-averse decision-making throughout a interval of extended contraction threatens to undo the cautious features made in the course of the post-MeToo counting on gender parity.
“Because the business shrinks… everybody goes again to the acquainted writers that they know, who’ve lengthy monitor data and all of the commissioners really feel comfy with. And I’ll be actually sincere: Not that a lot of them are girls,” Hollick stated.
“The best way you’re going to make higher exhibits — and make more cash, guys — is by hiring the perfect folks. And in case you’re shutting out [half] of the inhabitants, then you definately’re lacking out on the game-changing exhibits which are going to make you cash.”
Former Channel 4 head of drama Caroline Hollick (r.) in Rome.
Courtesy of Christopher Vourlias
The place features have been made, it’s usually the results of concerted efforts by decision-makers to foster change. After an internally commissioned examine discovered that simply 18% of exhibits in its primetime slots have been directed by girls, German broadcaster ZDF launched a feminine administrators program to nurture and develop extra feminine abilities. As we speak, that quantity has risen to 42%.
“You possibly can’t simply complain,” stated Jasmin Maeda, ZDF’s SVP of worldwide fiction co-production and acquisition. “It’s important to do one thing.”
Spain, in the meantime, which launched some extent system for its tax incentive scheme that rewards tasks with feminine solid and crew hooked up, has seen its illustration of girls within the audiovisual business bounce to 38%, in keeping with a 2024 report by the Spanish Assn. of Feminine Movie Administrators and Executives.
Chiara Cardoso, managing director of the U.Okay.’s BlackBox Multimedia, pointed to that for instance of “discovering methods to encourage the gamers, the producers, to open up and take that danger.” C.V.
Factual is booming, however producers must ‘lower by muddle’
One factor that continues to be clear in these unsure occasions is that factual programming is as scorching as ever. “Our broadcasters are hungry for content material,” stated Cecilie Olsen, SVP of worldwide content material, non-scripted at ITV Studios World Distribution.
The marketplace for premium documentaries stays strong, though “it actually wants to chop by quite a lot of muddle, and it actually wants to face out to work on both a linear channel or platform,” stated Gerbrig Blanksma, SVP of worldwide gross sales and partnerships on the U.Okay.’s Blue Ant Media.
Blanksma teased footage in Rome of Blue Ant’s new Taylor Swift documentary, “Taylor,” that the corporate will launch at Mipcom, which options distinctive entry to the megastar and never-heard-before audio. “If it’s an enormous expertise or an enormous story, that’s usually not fairly sufficient. You need to see one thing that you just’ve by no means seen earlier than,” she stated.
Whereas TV execs stay bullish on the factual market, “commissioning is de facto slowing down,” stated Blanksma, who added that her firm is continually exploring “completely different fashions of financing content material” to reply to the shifting panorama.
“As budgets are shrinking, all of us must work collectively much more. There’s much more collaboration, co-production, worldwide co-production,” she stated. “We additionally actually need to search out additional home windows down the road to truly monetize the content material. The flexibleness there may be rising.” C.V.
Regardless of international downturn, Nordic drama continues to surge
It hasn’t completely been doom and gloom for the worldwide TV business on this age of fragmented audiences and shrinking budgets. Whereas worldwide commissioning fell by 15% within the first quarter of 2025 in comparison with the earlier yr, in keeping with a report by Ampere Evaluation, the 4 Nordic public broadcasters recorded a formidable 24% progress.
That assist has been a pillar of Nordic manufacturing, in keeping with Josefine Tengblad, producer and co-founder of Swedish manufacturing outfit Nordic Drama Queens, who described public broadcasting as “our spine.”
But whether or not it’s authorities cuts to cultural funding in Finland or capturing the dwindling consideration spans of youthful audiences throughout the board, that dependable enterprise mannequin is being shaken.
“I believe it’s tougher to be courageous now than a number of years in the past, in the course of the golden days,” stated Johanna Gårdare, head of drama at Sweden’s SVT. “Now we have fewer commissioners commissioning fewer sequence. That impacts the content material. How are you going to afford, how are you going to dare to not guess on the protected horses?”
Whereas there have been few safer horses than Nordic Noir in recent times, NRK head of drama Marianne Furevold-Boland stated the Norwegian pubcaster is wanting “to search out these tales which are so distinct that they stand out,” even when meaning breaking from time-tested formulation. “When you don’t discover, then we don’t go ahead,” she stated.
Gårdare echoed that sentiment, stressing that “the world is extra linked now.” “Now we have an enormous political energy play occurring on the earth proper now, and that can even have an effect on the content material,” she stated. “Now we have to seek for completely different partnerships and discover completely different sorts of collaborations. The world is each shrinking and increasing on the similar time.” C.V.
From commissioning cuts to AI, animation in disaster mode
The message for animators in Rome couldn’t be clearer. “Prior to now two years, there’s been a considerable downturn within the animation business, and a few have even talked a couple of main disaster within the enterprise mannequin of the animation business,” in keeping with Philippe Alessandri, CEO and founding father of Watch Subsequent Media in France.
First, the excellent news: On the characteristic movie aspect, although animated titles signify simply 8% of business theatrical releases per yr, they signify 22% of ticket gross sales, in keeping with information offered by European Audiovisual Observatory analyst Nicolas Edmery. Admissions haven’t solely bounced again however surpassed pre-pandemic ranges, regardless of a dramatic lower in live-action field workplace.
But many animation homes are on life assist, with Scotland’s Axis Studios — the corporate behind Marvel’s new streaming sequence “Eyes of Wakanda” — the newest to declare chapter this week, becoming a member of the ranks of studios to go stomach up previously yr that features French animation home TeamTO and U.Okay. store Jellyfish Photos, which produced the animation for Dreamworks’ “Canine Man.”
“Canine Man” producers Jellyfish Photos ceased operations this yr.
Everett Assortment
After all, such challenges aren’t distinctive to the toon biz, with Barbara Tonelli, of French monetary establishment Coficiné, insisting: “The disaster is in all the businesses — not simply animation.”
Nonetheless, Alessandra Principini, a fundraiser for Italy’s Movimenti Manufacturing, careworn that “it’s so essential for us to have extra funding for theatrical animation,” whereas Alessandri famous that “the industrial networks are retreating from the animation enterprise” as youthful audiences are “migrating massively onto platforms which aren’t investing that a lot in animation.”
However, he insisted that rights holders aren’t powerless within the battle to monetize their IP. “We’re doing billions of views on YouTube,” he stated. “We may be feared.”
With widespread adoption of AI looming, the long run is murkier than ever, though Principini careworn that animation professionals should be attuned not solely to the threats, however the alternatives on the horizon. “It’s a part of deep transformation and we are able to’t be scared about that,” she stated. “We have to take new dangers.” C.V.