China Gets Serious at MIPCOM

Bigger booths, better packaging and a more sophisticated approach to international content sales was the order of the day for Chinese companies at MIPCOM. More than 50 mainland representatives attended the week-long audio-visual content market in Cannes last week, underscoring the increasing emphasis Chinese media organizations are placing on international sales and content.

This year, the 24 mainland exhibitors included large private companies such as Zhejiang Zhongnan Group Animation Video and SIP Science and Technology Development, plus state-run heavyweights like the Shanghai Media Group, China International TV Corporation and Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation.

There were many signs of the increasing emphasis that Chinese organizations are placing on the market. Exhibitors placed a wider and more versatile range of content on offer than ever before, including TV dramas, made-for-TV films, animation series and documentaries. More mainland organizations have also started sending the same staff members to MIPCOM year after year, treating the market like a serious networking opportunity rather than a perk for employees.

Things are also looking up for international organizations looking to sell content into China. 2008 was a difficult year for sellers as the government tightened its grip on all film and TV content in the lead-up to the Olympics. Many international companies who fell behind on their China sales targets for this year are optimistic they will be able to play catch up soon as the regulatory atmosphere eases off.

Twelve Chinese buyers attended the market, including major players such as LIC, New View TV and Media Group, Wuhan TV, Phoenix Film and TV Production, and Guangdong Qianhe Audio & Video Communication.

The State Administration of Radio, Film and TV (SARFT) also sent a high-level delegation to MIPCOM lead by Madam Wang Danyan, Deputy Director-General of the Publicity Supervision Office. The delegation met with international organizations to discuss future opportunities for cooperation on animated series and productions. The message from SARFT was that Chinese studios are producing animations with high production values, they need help with both developing creative ideas and also crafting and packaging animated content for international audiences.

MIPCOM Junior, the children's programming showcase immediately preceding the main market, also received more Chinese participants than ever before. Eleven mainland companies sent 33 programs to screen in the MIPCOM Junior Digital Library this year, the largest number of mainland media organizations to participate in this event yet.

The effort is starting to pay off for Chinese companies, most of whom harbor ambitions to sell content overseas. While the market for mainland content is still limited and largely restricted to other broadcasters operating in Asia, Chinese exhibitors are signing deals for content that falls outside the factual and documentary programs that have dominated overseas sales in previous years.

For example, the Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation, for example, scored a major hit when it licensed two TV drama series to Phoenix TV for carriage in North America, South America, Europe, Australia and Japan. CMM Intelligence spoke to Li Hanchun from their International Sales department for this week's feature interview. Read on for his perspective on the international market for mainland content and MIPCOM 2008.