Minions: The Rise of Gru movie release date put on hold as France enters lockdown

Illumination and Universal’s Minions: The Rise of Gru has been moved from its global release slot of late June and early July owing to the deepening COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown in many countries across the globe.

The move was spurred by the current lockdown in France that incorporates Illumination’s Mac Guff studio in Paris.

Illumination founder and CEO, Chris Meledandri, said: “In response to the severity of the situation in France, we are temporarily closing our Illumination Mac Guff studio in Paris. With this decision we are abiding by the French Government’s guidelines and doing everything possible to slow the spread of the virus as we care for our artists and their families.

“This means we will be unable to finish Minions: The Rise of Gru in time for our planned global releases in late June and early July. While we all grapple with the enormity of this crisis, we must put the safety and proetection of our employees above all.

“We look forward to finding a new release date for the return of Gru and the Minions.”

In 2017, the Despicable Me franchise became the top grossing animated series worldwide. Efforts will be put in locking in a new release date for the film once global restrictions have been lifted.

ZAG bolsters its global licensing and merchandising team

The global independent animation studio, ZAG has appointed a robust team of experienced executives to expand the company’s licensing and merchandising business.

Kirk Bloomgarden will serve as head of consumer products, Rebekah Belzer joins as senior director, licensing and merchandising, North America, and Eva Rodriguez will serve as director, Latin American Licensing. The announcements were made today by Julian Zag, EVP of Global Operations.

“We are very proud to expand our licensing and merchandising department with such talented and respected people in our industry. Working with such accomplished executives on the strategy for all our brands is an essential step towards our growth, and our main goal – giving to kids and families all around the world a maximal experience with their favourite heroes,” said Julian Zag.

Bloomgarden is a global consumer products industry veteran, working in senior management roles in both Europe and the US. He has held leadership roles in both boutique and multi-national companies serving as CEO of CPLG in London, Europe’s largest licensing agency and SVP at Twentieth Century Fox. In recent years, he has focused on developing new business in Asia, particularly China.

Meanwhile, Belzer will oversee the licensing and brand-building efforts for North America. Rebekah boasts 20 years of retail and consumer products experience and has managed sales and licensing for brands such as Power Rangers, Paul Frank, Pantone, MasterChef JuniorDwell Magazine. She spent her early career at globally recognised studios including Disney. She has also served at Brand Central, managing numerous lifestyle, fashion and celebrity brands.

Rodriguez most recently worked at Twentieth Century Fox, managing the Latin American consumer products portfolio for major brands such as The Simpsons, Ice Age, andRio, across all categories. In this capacity, she worked with licensing agents on the ground to ensure brand integrity and to expand the consumer products’ program across the region.

The team will lead the development and execution of the worldwide consumer products strategy for all of the properties under the ZAG Heroez label – an umbrella brand franchise that brings together the superheroes from ZAG’s animated properties.

ZAG’s flagship brand, the global phenomenon, Miraculous™: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noirsold over 100M products during the past three years with seasons four and five currently in production as well as a major theatrical release.

A new toy line from Playmates Toys for Power Players recently debuted in the US. Power Players currently airs on Cartoon Network US and in key territories across EMEA and Asia Pacific, and is available for streaming on Netflix.

The series is also set for debut on France’s France Télévisions, Germany’s WDR, Brazil’s Gloob, and Discovery Latin America.  The company’s newest property, Ghostforce, is currently in production for Disney Channel EMEA, TF1, and Discovery Kids Latin America.

White Paper – Kids Industries explores: Children and COVID-19

The following research and White Paper has been conducted and written by Kids Industries, a research, strategy, and creative agency for the children’s and family market in the UK. Kids Industries researcher, Aleksandra Szczerba offers up her insight into the developing COVID-19 situation, and how children are managing in these uncertain times.

Children and COVID-19: how are they dealing with it?

 

As more and more countries take increasingly serious measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus, more and more people are pointing out how this is likely to be one of the most important events that Gens X, Y, Z and Alpha will ever have to deal with.

People are having to isolate inside their homes and shop shelves are hauntingly empty. Events are being cancelled, schools are being closed down, and across the world planes are being grounded as countries are closing their land and sea borders. The coronavirus is now very much a global crisis that affects all of us – including children.

At Kids Industries, children are at the core of the work that we do. It therefore comes as no surprise that we wanted to know more about how the virus is affecting children’s lives, what they know about it, and how they are dealing with it. As such, at short notice we approached our junior board and interviewed a number of children this weekend to find out their views firsthand.

In addition, we scoured the internet for information on how young people across the globe were responding to this crisis. We have combined our findings with our expertise in children’s development to give you an overview of how young people are dealing with the situation at hand, and what you can do to support them, both as individuals and brands.

First of all: what does children’s development tell us about children’s fears and worries?

Before the age of six, children struggle with separating fantasy and reality, and their limited cognitive abilities mean they struggle to tell themselves that something is not real – monsters under the bed may still exist. However, as children reach the age of six and seven, begin “big school”, experience the world beyond their family household, and become better readers and more attentive viewers, they become exposed to the big bad world around them and the many unpleasant things within it.

Consequently, concrete threats they might see in the media, like burglars, earthquakes and even pedophiles, become huge concerns for them. The world is big and scary, and children aged six to 10 are only progressively learning to deal with these fears. Exposure to scary news coverage can cause them a lot of anxiety and the stories can stay with them for a long time.

As children enter their tween years (and later their teens), their abstract reasoning gradually develops, and so does their ability to comprehend issues like climate change, political issues and military conflict. These now become sources of children’s anxiety. This progression makes sense, considering older children are less self-centred and have the ability to think about consequences on a larger scale. Although they understand a greater number of threats, their emotional control is better than that of younger children, and although they may worry, they think about issues more realistically and rationally. This was reflected in the research we carried out.

Children today are informed and level headed about the situation

The children we spoke to all knew the key factual information about the virus. Even our seven year old could tell us that it is a disease that spreads quickly. Children correctly identified symptoms which are akin to the flu, and some knew about the virus’ origins and the lack of a vaccine or a cure. When asked about what steps should be taken, all children regardless of age could tell us what the main preventative measures were, including washing your hands for 20 seconds and self-isolating when feeling unwell.

The older children thought a bit more deeply about some recommendations and behaviours, weighing pros and cons and critiquing bad ideas. The recommended “elbow greeting” instead of a handshake was identified as something that was probably just popular online and not the real world, they considered how closing schools might do more harm than good, and one of the girls was critical of people stockpiling:

“People should not panic buy, it just means that if we do go into lockdown or whatever, some people will have loads of stuff and some will have none” – Tween girl

Also in the context of what measures should be taken, one of the girls mentioned the government’s response and expressed a degree of distrust:

“They said it’s fine, but I mean….I don’t really think any of them knows what climate change is or anything like that, so…” – Tween girl

Children weren’t just able to recall information and guidance – they also approached it critically.

We also asked children if they were scared of the virus – and we found that across the board they weren’t scared of it in relation to themselves, recognising that it is unlikely to affect young, healthy people. Instead, they showed concern for others, expressing that they were worried about how it would affect the sick and elderly, both in the general population and their own family members.

“To me personally, kind of, but not particularly. I think…actually as a whole, the effect of it on other people around you, yes it’s fairly scary. The scariness of it isn’t necessarily in relation to, like, me personally, it’s the effect on other people.” – Teenage boy

Overall, children’s responses showed that they are aware of key facts about the coronavirus. They all considered how the virus affects other people and many of them carefully thought about potential measures. This goes to show that even children at the younger end of our age range engaged with the subject in a grounded, knowledgeable way, and understood the severity of the illness in relation to at-risk groups. The degree to which children evaluated the effects on society as a whole varied slightly with age, but no child possessed information that was wrong or expressed any irrational anxiety about the situation.

Media and politicians are addressing children directly – because children want information

As children of all ages are clearly showing an interest in and understanding of the subject of the coronavirus, it’s not surprising that in some countries politicians are trying to communicate with children directly and listening to their concerns.

On Friday the 13th of March, Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen held a short press conference in which she answered questions about the coronavirus sent in by children. On Monday, Norway’s prime minister Erna Solberg followed suit, also holding a special press conference in collaboration with children’s media outlets, with adult press banned from attending. Both leaders faced questions from children aged six to 13 which covered issues such as school closures, activities children can and cannot take part in, holidays, concerns about senior family members, vaccine development, and how to best take care of your own health and helping your friends and loved ones.

Children want to know what is going on, they want to know what they can and should do, and they care about the people around them.

Similarly, also in Norway, the children’s newspaper Aftenposten Junior has been focusing their content on providing accurate and easy to understand news about the coronavirus. The newspaper, being an offshoot of the biggest newspaper in the country, is currently available free of charge, as the publishers understand the importance of providing children with factual content about the virus, stressing the importance of accurate information in the era of “fake news”.

That’s not to say the Scandinavians are alone in wanting to keep children informed; CBBC’s Newsround webpage includes multiple stories about the virus, including an FAQ page, an article about social distancing, and even instructions on how to disinfect your phone or play Pokemon Go in isolation!

Teenagers cope with everything through humour and social media

When we look at how older children have been coping with the coronavirus pandemic, the biggest thing for them is humour on social media. Teenagers use memes to process both personal and social problems, including some serious issues. Although to an outsider the use of humorous memes may seem poorly-timed or in poor taste, they are an important way to place a challenge into a social context and to foster discussion and a sense of community.

Instagram is full of memes about mental health, sexuality and gender identity, climate change, politics, and more. Hashtags such as #anxietymemes or #lgbtmemes bring up hundreds of thousands of results – the vast majority posted by teenagers. However, in 2020 another platform is being used by Generation Z to talk about world events and cope with sociopolitical issues: TikTok.

This isn’t the first time that teens have taken to TikTok in response to a major world event. In the past they have used the platform to share their opinions on Brexit, urge people to register to vote, air their frustrations with world leaders’ responses to climate change, and more.

Now coronavirus is the “it” trend on the short video platform, as teens make stockpiling videos and come up with quarantine ideas. All of this is set to trending coronavirus-themed songs (because of course these exist!) One of the main trending songs stems from a viral Vietnamese PSA about the virus. A Vietnamese dancer created a dance routine based on WHO’s recommendations on how to wash one’s hands to the song, and this hand wash dance challenge (#ghencovychallenge) has been picked up by teens across the world, and now media outlets in Asia and the west.

Brands are also getting involved – Dettol India released a special filter and started their own TikTok challenge. Even though the user engagement here is not as organic or spontaneous as in the case of other trends, the associated tag #handwashchallenge is racking up billions of views anyway.

The Vietnamese hand wash challenge tag has accumulated 15.8M views on the app, whereas the trending user-created “It’s Corona Time” song has been used in over 800,000 videos.

Although much of the Gen Z humour regarding the coronavirus can be considered quite nihilistic or absurd, it’s in line with how teens have dealt with all other issues in recent history. Absurdist moments of levity set against the backdrop of hopeless situations is a formula that has come to define this generation of internet users, and its prevalence shows just how engaged with the news cycle and concerned about global issues teenagers are.

The social nature of these platforms, the speed at which content spreads to millions of users, and the mass engagement in “challenges” and trends, all allow teenagers to feel a sense of togetherness and understanding as they deal with global crises. Even though the situation might feel hopeless – at least they know they’re not dealing with it alone.

To conclude, it cannot be denied that children and young people understand the situation unfolding around them. Unsurprisingly older children’s reasoning about the coronavirus and its effects is more sophisticated, but even young children are concerned for others.

They’re not panicking – instead they are seeking out information on how to help, taking an interest in how politicians are responding to the crisis, and in the case of teenagers – looking towards social media and humour for support. The coronavirus pandemic will definitely leave a lasting impact on children as they are forced to adjust to a reality in which they cannot go to school and where their friendships are moved to the digital space. Many of them are faced with an emotionally challenging situation where they think about and worry about the disease’s consequences on their close ones and the world around them. So far they appear to be dealing with it all well, but time will tell how all of this unfolds over a longer period of time.

So what can you do under these circumstances as a children’s brand or content creator? If you do choose to talk about the coronavirus, remember to share information that is up to date and factual, in a way that is easy to understand. Acknowledge the severity of the situation, but don’t induce panic. Don’t be scared to inject a small dose of humour to uplift spirits. Also think about how your platform or product can help children during this time, as they will be seeking things to occupy and distract them. Could you perhaps make some of your content free of charge, or offer extended free trials? If you happen to have a digital game, is there a way in which you can facilitate gameplay and add joy to it?  Museums are offering virtual tours, theatres are posting videos of their plays, whereas musicians are holding mini concerts on live video – so what can your brand do to make this period easier and more pleasant for children?

Kids Industries is the leading Insight, Strategy and Creative agency for brands that wish to connect with families. KI uses digital technologies to undertake qualitative research online to get actionable insights. Established in 2002 and are proud to include Universal, Disney, Royal Caribbean, BBC and Kellogg amongst their client list.

Flowhaven marks three months ‘of accelerated growth’ with new US office opening

The licensing solution unit, Flowhaven, is marking three months of accelerated growth with the opening of its new office in Santa Monica, California, and the appointment of a string of key new positions within it.

The team is also celebrating an expanding client roster and customer support footprint.

The new office – located in the US entertainment capital – includes the new US director of sales and marketing, customer success, and operational staff, while an EMEA director of sales will operate out of London.

The news comes just three months after Flowhaven closed a $5.2 million (€4.75 million) seed round of financing. Global Founders Capital led the investment round with participation from existing investors including Icebreaker.vc. Following the round, Flowhaven entered a portfolio of investments that includes Facebook, Slack, Trivago, Canva, Eventbrite and more.

“Our goal has always been to build a great team and company culture to foster long-term growth,” says Kalle Törmä, CEO and co-founder, Flowhaven. “With our new office in L.A, we can be closer to our customers in both North and South America, and translate their needs to innovate our product and provide best-in-class service on a global level to drive their success.”

The company has grown to more than 30 team members across its permanent and satellite office locations, including headquarters in Helsinki, in addition to hubs in LondonTokyoNew York and more.

The company has now welcomed two new senior hires in Thomas McMillin, who joins as US director of sales, and Jeremy Robinson EMEA, as its director of sales. McMillin began his career as the director of sports licensing at The Walt Disney Company, while Robinson is a toy industry veteran whose previous posts include UK sales manager at Tomy, among others.

The company has also signed several new customers including licensors, agents and licensees such as Full-Color Black dba Brandalised whose portfolio includes Banksy among others; Lisle Licensing who oversees Masha and the Bear, Nitro Circus, Tetris and more; as well as Licensing Link who works on behalf of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Pantone, Van Gogh Museum, Molang, and others.

Flowhaven is set to drastically increase its footprint in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other key countries within the year.

The Licensing Leadership Summit postponed over Covid-19 outbreak

The Licensing Leadership Summit has been rescheduled for November 5th and 6th this year, in light of the growing concerns and actions taken amid the ongoing spread of Covid-19.

The Licensing Leadership Summit, which was originally set to take place March 16 and 17, will still be held at the same location, the Hilton Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York.

The decision to postpone the Licensing Leadership Summit, which is organised by the Global Licensing Group (GLG) at Informa Markets, follows guidance of the World Health Organization (WHO) and careful consideration from Informa Markets’ Managed Postponement Program.

As the health and safety of our attendees, speakers, staff, and the surrounding community is the utmost priority, the GLG has concluded that rescheduling Licensing Leadership Summit to a later date is a vital choice given recent COVID-19 developments in New York City and the surrounding areas.

“Attendees can be assured that we are committed to bringing the same high-quality Licensing Leadership Summit to New York this fall,” said Anna Knight, vice president of the Global Licensing Group, Informa Markets. “We believe the Summit remains a premier opportunity for the licensing industry to meet as one to work through challenges and build the future of the industry, thus, we will proceed with the event in a safe manner later in the year. At this time, our thoughts are with those that have been directly and indirectly affected by COVID-19.”

Speakers from Netflix, Buzzfeed, UTA, and more, have already confirmed their continued participation including:

  • Michelle King, Director of Inclusion, Netflix, and author of the new book, The Fix
    • Keynote: A Culture of Equality
  • Eric Karp, Senior Vice President, Brand Licensing, BuzzFeed
    • Session: How Social Media is Driving Products
  • Terése Whitehead, Senior Manager, Sponsorships and Operations, Player Services, NFLPA
    • Session: The Athlete Influencer Difference
  • Blippi, also known as Stevin John, YouTube star
    • Session: Digital Talent: The Future
  • Sid Kaufman, Licensing Agent, UTA
    • Session: Digital Talent: The Future
  • Robin Sayetta, Associate Director of Licensing and Partnerships, MoMA
    • Session: Different by Design: MoMA’s Modern Approach to Museum Licensing

The Licensing Leadership Summit website will remain updated and we will communicate any significant changes to the speakers, attendees, and partners directly.

Sagoo scoops big win at the Licensing International France Awards

The independent agency, Sagoo received the Best Lifestyle, Corporate or Celebrity Brand award at the Licensing International France Awards where it was recognised for its work with the renowned artist, Keith Haring.

The firm triumphed to take the award earlier this month, fighting off competition in the category from finalists including Mattel and Barbie, Textiss and Freegun, and Sanrio with Hello Kitty.

The bright colours, bold lines and simple subject matters of Keith Haring’s art has made it instantly recognisable and unique as a brand. Haring covers relatable concepts with his work, such as birth, death, love and war, which he conveys using iconic symbols, embodied in everyday figures such as hearts, babies, dogs, waves and more.

Sagoo manages the licensing rights for Keith Haring in France and has built a popular consumer products range across a number of categories and age groups, including apparel, accessories, footwear, sports equipment and more with key licensees throughout the territory.

Veronique Pichon, owner of Sagoo, said: “We are proud that a small agency has been recognised for its work on one of the leading contemporary artists. We are also thrilled to have been able to conclude deals on a global basis for the property with major partners such as Lacoste.”

Nickelodeon launches #KidsTogether platform with tips and activities for children and families in coronavirus lockdown

Nickelodeon has launched a multi-platform prosocial initiative featuring its most popular characters and talent to engage with kids and families on tips for staying healthy, as well as ideas for activities to do together while practising social distancing or in lockdown.

Called #KidsTogether, the campaign will feature SpongeBob SquarePants, Blue’s Clues & You, Bubble Guppies, and more, and will serve as an additional resource for parents while providing appropriate and directed information through short form videos, downloadable activities and social content.

Elements of the initiative will be aggregated for easy access on a central online destination at NickHelps.com

Additionally, Noggin – Nickelodeon’s direct-to-consumer interactive learning service for preschoolers – will be offered for free for three months starting next week to millions of kids in need through the help of national partner organisations, including the National Head Start Association and First Book.

Noggin’s free trial period will also be extended to 60 days to all new subscribers, effective at the end of the month.

The ad-free educational content on Noggin currently includes over 1,000 iconic, full-length episodes, short-form videos, and hundreds of interactive learning games and ebooks.

#KidsTogether’s content will be available across Nick’s screens starting today and ramping up through the rest of the week and beyond. It will feature:

  • Original short-form digital and linear content such as SpongeBob practicing social distancing, the Bubble Guppies demonstrating proper hand-washing techniques, and Chickaletta and the PAW Patrol showcasing awesome dance moves to promote physical activity and wellness.
  • Nick-branded interstitials made in partnership with GoNoodle that encourage kids to get up and get moving, with help from Young Dylan’s beats or by joining Lincoln Loud’s dance party.
  • Printable Blue’s Clues & You! activity sheets and Bubble Guppies colouring pages, along with offscreen activities and games to help families play and learn together at home.
  • Noggin shorts on the Nick Jr. channel that provide learning moments for preschoolers in the areas of wellness, social and emotional development, science, math, and literacy.
  • and NickHelps.com, a central online destination that will aggregate Nick’s content and provide links to external resources for kids and families.

#KidsTogether will roll out domestically today across Nickelodeon’s portfolio of platforms and then extend to Nick’s international markets, as well.

Nickelodeon’s #KidsTogether initiative is part of ViacomCBS and Ad Council’s recently announced #AloneTogether, a national social- and talent-led campaign that educates audiences on the importance of social distancing and drives unity through entertainment.

Entertainment One’s Ricky Zoom to launch on CCTV-14 in China

Entertainment One’s hit pre-school animation, Ricky Zoom is gearing up to launch on CCTV-14 starting from March 23rd this year, following a successful kickstart to its broadcast campaign across China.

The series made its debut in mainland China in June last year where it got off to a strong start with audiences.

Hot in pursuit, a second season of Ricky Zoom has already gone into production, with a first batch of episodes due for delivery from November, 2020.

The series has reportedly achieved outstanding ratings in multiple markets at home and abroad. In China, the arrival of Ricky Zoom on Youku garnered more than 100 million views in the first 12 days. According to the Children’s Animation Series 2019 Webcast Data Report provided by Children’s Content Observation, Ricky Zoom is listed in second place in the high heat index that ranks new foreign animations in 2019 on Youku, exceeded only by Peppa Pig Season 7.

In international markets, the animation is listed as number one on Nick Jr. – a commercial kids’ channel in the UK and is also top on the Clan channel in Spain. From their weekend line up, Ricky Zoom is a top three show on Treehouse in Canada, and consistently outperforms channel averages on RAI in Italy, as well as across the LATAM region.

“We are so proud of Ricky Zoom and its success to date. It is premium original content produced by the very best talent and our strong roster of international broadcasters has super-charged the series to a high level of awareness around the world,” said eOne’s Olivier Dumont, president, Family and Brands.

“We are very excited for the potential to explore even more ground in the second season. There are so many more stories to tell that will deepen the connection between the characters and our audience, and we look forward to bringing them all-new adventures.”

Entertainment One is currently working with global master toy partner TOMY to present the launch of Ricky Zoom toys, including a series of six key products based on Ricky and his Bike Buddies. The collection will roll out in multiple territories and markets.

To meet consumer demand on the heels of the new toy releases, eOne will present a wealth of additional licensed merchandise in 2020 and 2021, including books, puzzles and games, arts and crafts, apparel and accessories.

Mondo TV Iberoamerica lands its first US broadcast deals for Sissi the Young Empress and Invention Story

Mondo TV Iberoamerica – part of Mondo TV Group – has secured its first US sales of all three series of its popular animated hit Sissi the Young Empress, as well as the first series of its new action comedy Invention Story, via the English-language network, Primo TV.

Mondo TV Iberoamerica distributes Mondo TV’s animated catalogue in Spain, Portugal and both Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Americas. Its major new deal with the US Hispanic pay TV leader Vme Media grants Mondo TV Iberoamerica distribution of its series through Primo TV.

Sissi the Young Empress and Invention Story will be available for a two and-a-half-year period starting this year.The territories covered will include the United States, Puerto Rico and all US territories and possessions.

Primo TV is the first English-language network targeting US bicultural Hispanic Gen Z viewers (aged six to 16) and their families with inspirational and educational programming.

The star of Sissi the Young Empress is based on a real historical figure – a charming young empress who captured the public imagination well beyond her Austrian homeland. This animated version of her story offers its audience adventure, romance, mystery, intrigue and magic when Sissi discovers a magic bracelet, which leads to exciting and unusual adventures as she seeks to help her many animal friends.

The first two series of Sissi the Young Empress have been a big success with its target audience of young girls, and an established rating hit in over 40 countries. The third season launched this year with a new 3D 26 x 11’ format and new content, bringing more magic and adventure.

Meanwhile, Kit – an intelligent, thoughtful, footloose and creative fox – is the star of Invention Story. In each episode of this 3D CGI comedy he comes up with a new invention that impresses most of the rabbit residents of his adopted home Carrot Town – but inspires jealousy in a few.

This major pay-TV deal for the Americas will bring Invention Story to the US markets for the first time. Invention Story is also about to debut on free-to-air TV starting from April 2020 on Frisbee in Italy, Karusel in Russia and TV2 Kiwi in Hungary.

Maria Bonaria Fois, CEO of Mondo TV Iberoamerica, said: “The sale of Sissi, one of our most popular animated shows, and Invention Story, a brand-new series that is enjoying a very strong response, to Vme is a major breakthrough for Mondo TV in one of the world’s most important markets.

“Vme is recognised as a leading player in the Hispanic pay-TV market with a strong reach. We are thrilled to be able to announce this news and certain that both Sissi and Invention Story will be enormously popular with Vme’s vast audience.”

Cancelled MIPTV event to bring series showcase to ‘attendees’ with MIPTV Online+

Events organiser Reed Midem is to launch MIPTV Online+, aimed as a means of pushing on with some of the activities planned for the 2020 edition of MIPTV, as well as satellite meetings MIPDoc and MIPFormats.

All three events were to have taken place between March 28 to April 2 in Cannes but were cancelled on due to the escalation of the coronavirus outbreak in France and the rest of Europe.

The MIPTV ONLINE+ initiative will be available for free to all professionals who had been registered to attend the 2020 editions of MIPTV, MIPDoc and MIPFormats and will make available series that were to be showcased at the MIPTV Drama Buyers Summit on March 29, as well as the MIPDoc screenings library.

Screen International reports that it will also air a handful of MIPTV’s scheduled market intelligence conference sessions, including Fresh TV and the Factual and Kids Content showcases.

“Our clients are unable to come to MIPTV in Cannes, so we are bringing MIPTV to them,” said Reed Midem’s television division deputy director Lucy Smith. “Starting on March 30, delegates from 94 countries will be able to interact with one another online and experience originally scheduled MIP programming from the comfort of their office or home.”

Accessed via the MIPTV website, the platform will be available and updated regularly over the coming months.