MIPCOM reaches out to channels with ‘distribution day’

Reed Midem is introducing a new conference strand designed specifically to lure channel operators and their clients.

The Global Distribution Daywill run on the Monday of this year’s MIPCOM market, wrapping in time for James Murdoch’s keynote at the end of the first day of the event in Cannes.

“Channel distribution is a growing part of the market,” Laurine Garaude, director Reed Midem’s TV Division, told DTVE’s sister title, TBI. “Channel distributors are very active at MIPCOM and there are now more channels out there and more possibilities.”

Events such as Cable Congress, Anga and IBC are partly geared towards channel and platform operators, who have also traditionally been in Cannes in force for MIPCOM, although not always officially as part of the event. The channels day is seen as a way to bring them ‘into the Palais’ as well as better inform content companies about developments in the channels world.

The full line-up of speakers has yet to be confirmed, but Reed Midem told TBI that French pay TV operator Orange, German telco and IPTV operator Deutsche Telekom, Russian cabler MTS and OTT service operator Magine will all feature.

The day-long conference strand will open with a scene-setting overview and be followed by sessions about what platforms want from content companies, how cable and OTT platforms can co-exist and a special focus on channels and platforms in Asia.

There will also be a global channel distribution lunch to provide channels, producers and distributors to forge contacts and network.