👀 MIPCOM25 Through the Eyes of Media Experts
Creators, AI, micro-drama, what else? | Streaming in Short – W42
This week, I cover MIPCOM25, FOX investing in HOLYWATER, and Merzigo new content fund.
👀 MIPCOM25 Through the Eyes of Media Experts
👉 This year, many media experts were at MIPCOM, they hosted panels, joined workshops, joined the press club and shared insights in their newsletters:
📍 Jonathan Glazier from
says the power in entertainment has moved from broadcasters to creators. The most successful players will act like platforms, not suppliers.📍 Sandra Lehner from
calls this shift The Great Convergence, where streamers, studios, and creators now work together. She highlights the rise of vertical videos, microdramas, and brand-funded shows as the new normal.📍 Claire Atkinson from
says YouTube is now taking over traditional TV. Broadcasters in Europe are joining through YouTube Shows and creator labs with Banijay, turning competition into collaboration.📍 Emily Horgan from
explains that producers now have 2 audiences, the commissioner and the viewers themselves. She notes that YouTube is becoming a big player in kids’ content, even if monetization is still catching up.📍 Alan Wolk from TVRev says MIPCOM25 was all about the shift from push to pull. Traditional media can’t just broadcast content anymore, they need to build and nurture fan communities like creators do.
📍 With
, I noticed that YouTube came to Cannes as a platform next to streamers and broadcasters, looking to win over content providers and distributors.💡 MIPCOM25 showed that traditional media and the creator world are finally coming together. The next big opportunities will go to those who can mix storytelling, data, and community, and move easily between platforms, audiences, and formats.
More insights from media experts coming soon!
💡 In collaboration with EdgeNext
At GITEX GLOBAL this week, EdgeNext showed how edge cloud and AI can help the media and streaming industry in MENA move faster and safer, from breaking news to live sports.
✅ 100% Middle East coverage: Local edge nodes in every country for ultra-low latency and faster playback.
✅ Built for MENA: Optimized for complex networks, cross-border delivery, and big differences in speed across the region.
✅ AI-powered protection: Smart detection that keeps content and data secure.
✅ Proven at scale: Powered the record-breaking streaming of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
✅ Expanding footprint across Africa: Building new edge nodes to support Africa’s growing digital ecosystem, with deployments in 30 countries planned by Q1 2026.
🎬 FOX Entertainment Invests in HOLYWATER
What happened?
👉 FOX Entertainment has bought a stake in HOLYWATER, one of the leading platforms in the fast-growing vertical video market.
Key details:
HOLYWATER runs My Drama, a popular app for short, vertical drama series with over 55 million users.
FOX Entertainment Studios will make 200 new vertical shows for the app in the next two years, starting with Billionaire Blackmail and Bound by Obsession.
The partnership will include brand collaborations, creator-led projects, and short versions of FOX existing shows.
HOLYWATER also uses AI tools to help produce stories faster and at lower cost.
Why it matters?
💡 FOX is adapting to how people watch today, on phones, in short bursts, and across many platforms. By joining forces with HOLYWATER, the studio is moving closer to a future where AI, mobile storytelling, and creators drive the future of entertainment.
💰 YOUTUBE: Merzigo Unveils $150M Global Content Fund at MIPCOM 2025
Merzigo announced a $150 million investment program for 2026 to help studios, broadcasters, and independent producers grow and monetise their content globally on YouTube and Facebook.
The fund will back creators with flexible financing, co-production support, and data-driven localisation tools, turning premium IP into long-term digital assets.
🎧 PODCAST: Netflix and Spotify Partner on Video Podcasts
Netflix and Spotify have signed a new deal to bring video versions of top Spotify shows like The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Rewatchables, Dissect, and Conspiracy Theories to Netflix in early 2026, starting in the US.
The partnership blends streaming and podcasting, letting fans watch their favorite hosts on both platforms.
⚽ FOOTBALL: AboFlah Invests in Gerard Piqué’s Kings League MENA
MENA’s biggest creator AboFlah has joined Gerard Piqué’s Kings League MENA as both investor and team president, leading his new club 8Flamez FC.
Backed by Saudi fund SURJ (PIF), Kings League MENA aims to blend football, content, and entertainment for young digital audiences.
🎬 MICRO DRAMA: Rotana Media and Scene Partner to Launch Arabic Microdramas
For the first time in the Arab world, Rotana Media and Scene are joining forces to produce vertical short-form series.
The partnership will include new productions and modern adaptations of Rotana classics, designed to match today’s digital habits.
📊 MENA: Netflix Leads, but STARZPLAY and Disney+ Win in MENA
DataEQ’s latest MENA Streaming Flash Report analysed more than 100,000 online mentions of Netflix, Shahid, OSN+, STARZPLAY, and Disney+. The results show Netflix dominates conversation across the GCC, while STARZPLAY and Disney+ top customer satisfaction.
STARZPLAY achieved the highest Net Sentiment (+22%), praised for sports rights, Turkish dramas, and a smooth experience. Disney+ followed for quality and variety.
🎬 CANNES: MIPCOM 2025 Confirms the End of Peak TV
MIPCOM 2025 saw attendance rise slightly to 10,600 accredited participants, but analysts say the TV boom is officially over. According to Ampere Analysis’ Guy Bisson, global scripted production has fallen to 75% of its Peak TV levels.
Compared to early 2024, scripted orders grew 6% in North America but declined across Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, with streamer commissions dropping sharply.
🤖 DUBAI: GITEX Tech-cation 2026 Announced as World’s Largest AI Event
Dubai has unveiled GITEX Tech-cation 2026, set to become the world’s biggest event focused on artificial intelligence and emerging technology.
GITEX Tech-cation will take place from December 7–11, 2026 at Dubai Expo City.
🏫 Six Kings Slam (Netflix): Six Kings. One crown. The world’s top-ranked men’s players take the court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for a star-studded, live tennis showcase.
🧟♂️ The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon (STARZPLAY): Season 3 follows Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier as they continue their journey to somehow return home and to the ones they love.
👻 14 years ago, American Horror Story premiered on FX. Created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, the anthology series broke new ground by reinventing itself each season: from haunted houses and asylums to covens, freak shows, and apocalypse tales. American Horror Story proved that horror could be both terrifying and addictive, setting the standard for anthology storytelling on television.
🧪 Fresh from The Lab:
[TVREV x The Streaming Lab] A Very Different Kind Of MIPCOM This Year
Thanks for reading, enjoy your weekend! I’ll be back Monday with my MENA insights.
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