MIPCOM has announced that China will be its 2018 Country of Honour.
The world’s entertainment content market, MIPCOM takes place in
Cannes, France, from 15-18 October.

“China has now emerged as a major producer and consumer of film and
television. We have confidence and the capacity to play the leading
role at MIPCOM, present to the world great Chinese stories and work
with our colleagues around the globe to usher in a better future,”
said Mrs. Ma Li, Director General of the International Cooperation
Department of the National Radio and Television Administration,
People’s Republic of China.

“The Chinese television and entertainment sector has a special place
within the MIPCOM and MIPTV community going back to 2004 when MIPTV
welcomed the largest-ever delegation of Chinese TV executives at an
international television market. As MIPCOM 2018 Country of Honour,
China will be showcasing its wide range of programme genre destined
for international television channels,” commented Laurine Garaude,
Director of Reed MIDEM’s Television Division.

The announcement comes hot on the heels of new industry data reporting
that China is now the second largest television market in the world,
overtaking the United Kingdom and behind the United States.

According to a report from IHS Markit, China spent $10.9 billion on
television programming in 2017 compared to $10 billion in the UK. TV
broadcasters spent $6.4 billion while online giants Baidu, Alibaba and
Tencent invested $4.5 billion to provide programmes for their online
entertainment platforms. Original programming accounted for 49% of
shows aired in China with the rest being made up of acquisitions (46%)
and sports programming.

“In recent years we have seen the growth in Chinese shows being
presented at our events for sale to international broadcasters and an
increase in cross-border partnerships between Chinese and
international producers. We anticipate that the trend towards Chinese
content being exported to international territories will speed up over
the next two to three years and we are very keen for MIPCOM and MIPTV
to be part of that process,” noted Reed MIDEM’s Laurine Garaude.

“At MIPTV 2018 we showcased several Chinese formats including
‘National Treasure.’ And in the documentary sector, the agreement
between Tencent and BBC to produce high-quality documentaries is an
indication of the desire to develop bilateral production
partnerships,” added Laurine Garaude.

The MIPCOM Country of Honour programme will include conference panel
discussions on the Chinese market during MIPJunior and MIPCOM,
multiple showcases of the latest Chinese programmes, a Chinese-themed
Opening Night Welcome Reception, a look into the hottest shows from
China in the popular Fresh TV presentation and the largest-ever China
Pavilion.