ScreenMDM has been covering as many events as possible in this busy June season, whether on-site or remotely. ICYMI, here’s a recap of all of our coverage—interviews, podcasts, trend stories, and news bits—from Dubrovnik, Bali, La Rochelle, Annecy, and Denver.
APOS: What’s Driving AsiaPac’s Screen Economy
Closing the Transaction Loop: The Key to Monetizing AsiaPac’s 5.2 Billion Screens
The Asia-Pacific region will be home to 5.2 billion screens by 2031, Media Partners Asia’s Vivek Couto said in his opening address at APOS, and the key to effectively monetizing that base lies in “closing the transaction loop” as video, social, and commerce converge.
Attention Maps, Content Grazing & the End of Primetime
Media Partners Asia’s Dhivya T delivered an excellent presentation at APOS on Southeast Asia’s “attention map,” highlighting how consumers across this heavily mobile-first region spend their digital time.
The entertainment economy is operating against a backdrop where “the most valuable companies in entertainment are not entertainment companies,” resulting in APOS’s most future-facing edition to date, according to Vivek Couto, executive director of Media Partners Asia.
Microdrama Trends with RisingJoy’s Cassandra Yang
Cassandra Yang, CEO and cofounder of RisingJoy, tells ScreenMDM about how the company has assembled a microdrama distribution catalog and its aspirations to evolve into a studio working across original content, co-development, and branded experiences.
Deal Roundup
RisingJoy secured Southeast Asia distribution deals for its newly launched D2C vertical content platform RJOY following its U.S. and Japanese launches. ReelShort revealed a strategic alliance with Filipino telco Globe, stepping up its Southeast Asian expansion efforts, and entered into a co-production alliance with South Korean content studio SHOWBOX for a slate of short-form series aimed at the global market. After joining forces to revive the SupermodelMe reality show as a vertical series, COL Group International’s FlareFlow and Refinery Media unveiled a spin-off for male contestants, SupermodelMe: The Runway Kings. Crunchyroll is building out its AsiaPac footprint, expanding to Taiwan this summer and South Korea later in the year. Japanese broadcaster Fuji TV is teaming up with PCCW Media’s MakerVille and Korea’s SimStory for a pan-Asian thriller shot in cities across the region.
NEM Dubrovnik: Opportunities and Pain Points in Central & Eastern Europe
The Power of Local Content: The View from CME’s Sam Barnett
A year since joining CME after a long run in the Middle East, Sam Barnett took to the stage at NEM Dubrovnik to weigh in on the power of local content, the nuances of regional travelability, using AI, and fending off competition from the global streamers.
The Broadcaster, Streamer & YouTube Partnership Debate in Europe
The European Audiovisual Observatory’s Christian Grece, ACT’s Greg Polad, Ampere Analysis’s Guy Bisson, and NEM’s Sanja Božić-Ljubičić kicked off NEM Dubrovnik’s conference schedule by discussing three key trends reshaping the European media ecosystem: the power of partnerships, content investments—and how they differ across Western and Eastern Europe—and consolidation.
Jens Richter Talks Brand-Building, Social Scale, and the Return of Baywatch
Jens Richter, CEO of commercial and international at Fremantle, laid out the content powerhouse’s growing digital footprint, the power of legacy brands, and the nimbleness needed to navigate a constantly shifting media ecosystem.
Bringing Portugal to the World with SIC International Distribution’s Carlota Vieira
Against a backdrop of Portugal raising its profile on the global content stage with its scenic locations and new tax incentives, SIC International Distribution is enhancing the lineup of telenovelas—as well as entertainment shows and docs—it can offer broadcasters and platforms around the world, Carlota Vieira told ScreenMDM.
Viaplay Group’s Vanda Rapti on CEE Demand for Nordic Storytelling
On the heels of revealing deals for 60 titles with broadcasters and platforms across Central and Eastern Europe, Vanda Rapti, EVP of Viaplay Select and content distribution at Viaplay Group—and NEM Dubrovnik speaker—tells ScreenMDM about what’s driving the company’s business across the region.
Turkish Drama’s CEE Edge with ATV’s Müge Akar
Central and Eastern Europe was among the first regions to embrace Turkish drama storytelling, and strong demand remains across linear, SVOD, and AVOD, Müge Akar, group head of sales and distribution at ATV, told ScreenMDM.
Calinos’ Aslı Serim on the Shifting Turkish Content Dynamics in CEE
The Turkish drama business in Central and Eastern Europe is no longer about volume, Aslı Serim, head of content at Calinos Entertainment, tells ScreenMDM; it’s about strategic acquisitions “that can create real impact rather than simply filling schedules.”
The Road to Dubrovnik with NEM’s Sanja Božić-Ljubičić & ACT’s Greg Polad
Sanja Božić-Ljubičić shared how NEM Dubrovnik has become the must-attend CEE market this summer, while ACT’s Grégoire Polad weighed in on how important the event is for convening thought leaders to discuss the transformation happening across Europe’s media ecosystem.
OGM UNIVERSE’s Canan Koca Talks Expanded CEE Opportunities
AVOD, SVOD, and FAST platforms have expanded the opportunities for Turkish distributors across CEE, Canan Koca at OGM UNIVERSE told ScreenMDM.
ITV Studios Showcases CEE Format Success
A multi-series deal with Emotion Productions and PRVA to bring The Voice to Serbia in 2027 was among the range of CEE format deals touted by ITV Studios at its NEM Dubrovnik showcase.
Deal Roundup
ZDF Studios expanded its long-running association with Prima Group in the Czech Republic, delivering a slate of 360 titles from the Herzkino TV movie strand. Warner Bros. International Television Production revealed a wealth of new adaptations in the region. Cineflix Rights arrived at NEM Dubrovnik with a raft of deals across its factual and scripted slates. Banijay Kids & Family announced slots with a range of broadcasters and platforms, including a package with Canal+ Polska. Factual sales were particularly active, with deals for Sphere Abacus, TVF International, and DCD Rights.
Sunny Side of the Doc: Factual in Transition
Last Stop La Rochelle, Next Stop Strasbourg
The final La Rochelle edition of Sunny Side of the Doc wrapped this week with more than 1,500 documentary creatives and execs in attendance from 55 countries in 2027, a new international doc market will convene in Strasbourg, Gaëtan Bruel, president of the CNC, revealed.
PBS Distribution’s Tracy Beckett Talks Doc Co-Pros
Tracy Beckett, commissioning editor for co-productions and acquisitions at PBS Distribution, discusses how the commercial arm of the U.S. pubcaster is approaching international collaborations.
Co-Production & Innovation with Serial Maven’s Solange Attwood
From pursuing treaty co-production deals to securing the distribution rights to a curated slate of projects from third-party studios, Serial Maven Studios, led by CEO Solange Attwood, is exploring new models for development, financing, production, distribution, and monetization.
The Off the Fence Rebirth with Bo Stehmeier
Last summer, during Sunny Side of the Doc, news broke of storied factual producer and distributor Off the Fence’s bankruptcy proceedings; a year later, the company, led by CEO Bo Stehmeier, is part of World Storytelling Media Group (WSMG), where it is driving new collaborations and taking a thoughtful approach to AI as it seeks new models for making and monetizing compelling non-scripted content.
Autentic’s Mirjam Strasser on Scale & Authenticity
On the heels of Autentic’s acquisition of Albatross World Sales, Mirjam Strasser, director of sales and acquisitions, tells ScreenMDM about the importance of scale, the need for authenticity, and the other major trends reshaping the business of factual.
The Tale of Sunny Side’s 2026 Revival
Sunny Side of the Doc’s Aurélie Reman and Documentary Campus’s Donata von Perfall told ScreenMDM about joining forces to bring the beloved event back from cancellation and reformatting it for a new era.
Deal Recap
On the nature/wildlife front, Off the Fence took on the rights to two new premium nature-based titles produced for ARTE by DocYard TV, while An Hour on Earth (w.t.), a four-part natural history series from Offspring Films for the BBC and PBS, landed a presale for Fremantle at France Télévisions. Activity in history included a raft of deals for Sphere Abacus, including on the six-part docudrama 1776: American Independence, produced by Dash Pictures for National Geographic. TVF International landed in La Rochelle with a wealth of deals signed across Western Europe for its multigenre factual portfolio. Elsewhere, speaking to the evolution of funding models in the digital space, Dan Snow’s History Hit partnered with the Belize Tourism Board for a premium doc, podcast, and YouTube films about the discovery of the burial chamber of one of Maya civilization’s greatest rulers, Te K’ab Chaak.
Annecy: The Business of Animation
The Full 360 with Banijay Kids & Family’s Benoît di Sabatino
Investing in Banijay Kids & Family’s digital footprint and experimenting with AI tools in production workflows while maintaining a strong creative ethos are key strategies for CEO Benoît di Sabatino as the family entertainment powerhouse builds out its stable of new and returning brands.
Being More Zog with BBC Studios Kids & Family’s Cecilia Persson & Magic Light Pictures’ Michael Rose
BBC Studios Kids & Family’s Cecilia Persson and Magic Light Pictures’ Michael Rose discuss their partnership to bring the beloved publishing IP Zog, previously adapted into two animated specials, into a full 52-episode series.
Studio 100’s Martin Krieger on Franchise-Building, Partnerships, & Relevance
Studio 100 International CEO Martin Krieger talks to ScreenMDM about evolving co-production strategies, production efficiencies, the crucial role of partnerships, including its Maya the Bee alliance with Animaj, and its approach to YouTube.
TeamTO Preps Tetris Animated Series
TeamTO has partnered with The Tetris Company on a CGI series for kids 6-plus inspired by the iconic game, built around the themes of creativity, engineering, teamwork, and discovery.
LoliRock to Return at France TV
France Télévisions is on board for a new season of LoliRock, produced by Banijay Kids & Family’s Zodiak Kids & Family France label with Xentrix Studios, almost a decade since the show wrapped its original two-season run.
Brown Bag Films Launches Adult Animation Studio
Brown Bag Films has unveiled Bad Pencil Animation, a new label focused on service work for prime-time animated content for adult audiences, targeting genres such as horror, drama, comedy, and action.
TV Asahi Unveils Short-Form Anime Brand
Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi is introducing a new short-form anime brand and programming block, PicoAni, targeting the Gen Z, kids, and YA demos with content intended to travel across platforms and spawn L&M opportunities.
StreamTV: Digital-Shift Takes Center Stage
Mastering YouTube Monetization with Merzigo’s Yiğit Doğan Çelik
Yiğit Doğan Çelik, chairman and CEO of Merzigo, shared the company’s journey from YouTube Turkish drama specialist to a multi-genre and global social media optimizer.
Greg Diefenbach on Blue Ant Media’s Streaming Blueprint
Greg Diefenbach, EVP of streaming at Blue Ant Media, breaks down why scale, brand clarity, and genuine platform partnership are the keys to surviving—and thriving—in today’s fragmented streaming landscape.
The Optimizers Making Sense of Social
As the creator ecosystem has grown, another new industry has emerged alongside it: the optimizers helping creators and “traditional” content firms maximize their digital footprints.
IP Owners: Embracing YouTube, Monetizing on FAST & Driving Discovery
A spotlight on how several leading IP owners are looking at the social video and FAST spaces to boost discovery, build fandoms, drive monetization, and sustain engagement between seasons.
ScreenMDM’s inaugural White Paper, Digital-Shift, delivers practical insights for making sense of the trends reshaping content production, monetization, and distribution.
The Filmmaker’s AI Toolkit with Arcana Labs’ Jonathan Yunger
Jonathan Yunger, veteran film producer and co-founder and CEO of Arcana Labs, discusses how the company is using artist-driven AI to protect the integrity of storytelling, lower barriers to entry for new artists, and enhance the financial viability of indie moviemaking.
