Growing Pains

Amid strategy shifts, economic concerns, the ongoing conflict in Europe and course corrections at the platforms as they prepare for the next era in the streaming wars, everything is in flux.

But as was evident as the kids’ business convened in person in Cannes in October for MIPJunior’s official return to the JW Marriott and virtually for our own fantastic festivals last year, the people making, financing and selling children’s content are infinitely adept at navigating the challenges the sector is facing.

That was the defining theme of my feature story in this edition on the trends that kids’ distributors are keeping their eye on as they look to thrive in what is set to be a challenging year. M&A is likely to continue as companies chase IP, scale and talent. The AVOD/FAST space is awash with opportunities—and some significant hurdles. Having a well-crafted windowing strategy is paramount. Everyone still wants known IP—with loads of books, games, comics and movies spawning new shows—as well as breakout new ideas they’re invested in enough to take a risk on. (But getting a commissioner to take a risk right now is no easy feat.) Having a metaverse/gaming/interactive strategy is crucial for building brands, as are live events. Diversity and real inclusion should not be an afterthought. And most importantly, premium quality storytelling will always rise to the top.