The YouTube Virtuous Cycle, Industry Consolidation, Christie Brinkley and 'Baywatch': Trends and Themes from a Busy Mipcom

A new virtuous cycle is emerging for media and entertainment giants, promising to leverage the benefits of different platforms, both digital and linear, supported by YouTube's interconnected fabric. This was one of the dominant themes across four whirlwind days of panel sessions, closed-door meetings, networking and event scheduling and […]

A new virtuous circle is emerging for media and entertainment giants that promises to take advantage of disparate platforms, digital and linear, supported by the connective tissue of YouTube.

That was one of the dominant themes during four whirlwind days of panels, closed-door sessions, networking and event planning up and down the Croisette as top industry players from Europe and beyond gathered in Cannes for the annual Mipcom content market and conference. RELATED STORIES Russell T Davies calls BBC boss 'Doctor Who' artificial intelligence Dast Noor's comment teases the show's future: "You'll start filming next summer."

YouTube's growing muscle as the world's video crossroads was a near-constant topic of conversation. Streaming giant Google is becoming more integrated with media development, distribution and marketing plans for most media contenders, from the biggest Hollywood studios to independent startups. Popular in Variety

Evan Shapiro, a well-respected industry analyst often referred to as a "media cartographer," delivered a keynote address Wednesday morning that brought together topics explored in various conference tracks. Shapiro's meeting provided some sobering statistics about the changing nature of audiences. The older generation of media and entertainment leaders is having to come to terms with the fact that the world's population is getting younger. This means they must respond to consumers who have come of age with technology in their pockets and very different worldviews about how, when and why they consume media across different media and platforms.

At the same time, Shapiro pointed to hope on the horizon for legacy media.

"We believed that TV would be replaced by 1-to-1 streaming - it didn't happen," he said. Streaming and social videos increase watch time and more importantly, help deepen fans' connection with their favorite shows. Shapiro has emphasized more than once that media giants who love audiences need to think in terms of generations and kinship groups, not the age and gender of the past.

"Consumers now have an infinite number of channels. Every human being with a phone is a channel," Shapiro said. This is the age of "personalized TV through the combination of your phone and TV set."

Matt Schnares, president of platform distribution and partnerships for NBCUniversal, reinforced Shapiro's observations in a separate session.

"Embracing social media platforms, starting with YouTube, to bring people back to watching live, we're seeing it in the results. We're seeing it in the audience," Schnaars said. "When we look at YouTube ... [they're] an example of somebody that's really present in whatever business we're in, but not in a way that's competitive. It's attractive and incremental. So we're excited."

NBCUniversal is bringing some of its most valuable and beloved content — college football — to YouTube. Streaming platform Peacock shares its weekly exclusive games on YouTube. In the old days, such a thing was unheard of. Today, reaching fans is where they live. Earlier this year, Peacock signed an innovative distribution deal to become part of YouTube's premium TV tier.

"It can become habit-forming, and eventually, hopefully, buying Peacock or going to YouTube TV even for the full experience," says Schnaars.

Like NBCU, the BBC sees huge potential in the Beeb's experiments to date with FAST channels, which are fast becoming a new form of linking.

Keith Phillips, chief content officer at BBC Studios, said: "YouTube is exciting for me because there are so many audiences on it now. He noted that the Beeb now has 34 channels on YouTube, which will increase to 50 by the end of 2028.

The leaders of Germany's RTL Deutschland revealed their partnership with YouTube at the Mipcom meeting. The free-to-air streaming platform has given a new lease of life to its long-running action series 'Cobra 11', executives said. After uploading more than 200 episodes, RTL generated 30 million views on YouTube, which contributed to a 123% increase in views of the first video of the series on RTL+ and a 26% increase in show-related subscriptions. ITV has also partnered with YouTube, while France's TF1, M6 and France Télévisions have global distribution deals with giants including Netflix and Amazon.

Justin Connolly, YouTube's global head of media and sports, emphasized that YouTube is thriving because it is woven into the pay TV ecosystem through YouTube TV. And YouTube (as well as TikTok) is essential to many content ventures being developed by creators.

"We only win when our partners win," Connolly said.

Here are other trends and themes that emerged from this year's conference:

As Hollywood grapples with consolidation, cost-cutting and production cuts, French entertainment giants are seizing the opportunity to expand their footprint in the US, either through acquisitions or by exploring new ventures.

Banijay Entertainment is looking to expand into the US script market with its latest merger with British powerhouse All3Media. CEO Marco Basti and Mipcom CEO Jeff Zucker said the newly enlarged group has the financial strength to pursue opportunities in Hollywood, where it has yet to build a major scripted production business.

Meanwhile, Madhyavan is making a move. Following the acquisition of Peter Chernin's Northern Roads earlier this year, the Paris-based group teamed up with Reese Witherspoon to buy Hello Sunshine from Blackstone-backed Candle Media at a significant discount to its $900 million valuation in 2021. The deal expands Mediavan's Hollywood portfolio, which also includes Brad Pitt's Plan B.

Beyond microdramas, where on earth can growth come from the current television landscape? With the turn to far-right populism, local production is being put through a political mill, first in Javier Maile's Argentina, which eliminated public sector subsidies. Now Brazilian cinema is in danger. However, Latin America as a market paints a different picture. The region's revenue is projected to grow 15.4 percent to $62 billion, surpassing the U.S.'s 10.2 percent growth rate. Driver?: Online Video, led by Netflix. Challenge? Connectivity

Despite all the talk about consolidation and streaming at Mipcom, there was another major concern for the TV industry: the changing political landscape and the rise of far-right parties challenging public broadcasters across Europe.

In France, far-right Marine Le Pen is leading the presidential race ahead of the 2027 election and has called for a sweeping overhaul of public broadcasting, including privatization. In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is also on the rise and wants to scrap the license fee that funds public broadcasters ARD and ZDF. Meanwhile, Brazil is moving into a presidential runoff between Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and far-right candidate Flavio Bolsonaro.

Against this backdrop, public broadcasters are increasing their efforts to defend their relevance, reach younger audiences and strengthen their presence on digital platforms, where a growing share of voters get their news.

France Télévisions has developed a major partnership with YouTube, where its news channel franceinfo had 110 million views in September, eight times its audience a year earlier. In Germany, ARD's Tagesschau and ZDF's ZDFheute also distribute news on YouTube, developing formats aimed at younger viewers.

The stakes go far beyond audience figures. At a time of increased political polarization and misinformation, public broadcasters are looking to strengthen their role as credible and independent sources of news – while ensuring they remain relevant for the next generation.

Prolific creator Dhar Mann — who has more than 170 million followers across all social platforms — talked about his vision for Creator City in Los Angeles, which will open in February when Los Angeles hosts the NFL Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium. The four-acre campus will house nine sound stages. "We're going to have about 175 sets. We're going to be able to have about 15 simultaneous productions," he explained. "All the collections are real brands. So, when you see content being created, it's not just a random coffee shop — it could be a Starbucks. It's not just a random retail store — it could be a target."

In To Kill a Bear, a real-life murder mystery at Mipcom, it is the victim of a Pyrenean brown bear whose death sparks a criminal investigation in Spain over the suspicious slaughter of an animal. Crime accounted for 27% of scripted TV orders globally, the first half of 2026 – the single most ordered TV genre, according to Ampere Analysis estimates, and 61% of the #1 series at Mipcom by many of the world's biggest actors. Whether it's The Cupertino Tour, The Smart Tour of AI Madness, or John Hannah as a criminal in sunny but shadowy Benidorm, some shows at least aim to stand out from the crowd.