Inside the MIP: The Global TV Format Marketplace in Cannes

Twice a year, the Palais du Festival in Cannes, France, hosts the Marché International des Programmes de Communication (MIP), a massive trade fair where 11,000 television executives gather for four days to buy and sell TV formats. The event, next taking place in October, is dominated by multinational distributors who control the market, leaving little room for independent producers. Deals are made in strict half-hour meetings arranged months in advance, with presentations supported by catalogs, trailers, pilot episodes, or even full seasons. Despite the hype around each year's 'next big thing,' most formats are variations on existing ideas with minor twists. This year, the buzz centers on virtual reality. The market is occasionally disrupted by systemic moves from entire countries that invest heavily in local production to export shows. The article, published in Artribune Magazine #36, is written by Alessio Giaquinto, a television author and creative producer since 2003.