Jeff Wachtel, Matt Forde and Erik Barmack put pessimism aside, see signs of hope for 2025

As YouTube continues to dominate, AI reshapes creativity and the TV industry grapples with a commissioning slowdown and an advertising slump, the international TV format industry faces a pivotal moment. To get some answers, C21 headed to the International Formats Awards in Cannes.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: While the ad market took a nosedive last year and commissioners fearful of losing their jobs stalled decisions, TF1 Group's Julien Degroote, ITV Studios' Graham Haigh, All3Media's Lisette Van Diepen and AGC Studios' Lourdes Diaz see the situation improving in 2025.

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: Open AI’s creative specialist explains how the text-to-video AI technology will be a game-changer for the content business.

The glory days of 'peak TV' may be over, with YouTube and AI set to cause further disruption, but Cineflix's JC Mills, PBS's Tracy Beckett and Moonbug's Nicolas Eglau believe there are ways the industry can respond positively.

TV is undergoing existential change, usurped by a new 'creator economy' as younger viewers flee to YouTube, so what must the industry do to survive? C21TV headed to Mipcom in Cannes to find out, speaking with 'media cartographer' Evan Shapiro, ProSiebenSat.1's Henrik Pabst, World of Wonder's Fenton Bailey and more.

With commissioning budgets squeezed and major brands going direct-to-consumer on social media, Carlotta Rossi Spencer, David Amodio, Luci Sanan and Lisa Cadwallader discuss the future of branded entertainment as the industry targets seamless brand integration without compromising creative integrity or becoming overtly commercial.

Showrunners and writers including Chris Brancato, Steven Knight, Anna Winger, Jeff Melvoin and Suzie Miller break down the origins of the television writing room, how it has evolved over the last 50 years, the impact of last year’s Writers Guild of America strike on the way writers will work in the future, and how this model of producing scripts has been adopted and adapted overseas.

As sports clubs, leagues and players have seen the brand building potential of sports docs, so the lines have become blurred between PR/propaganda, and authentic documentary. While sports stars like David Beckham have simply cut out the middleman altogether by making films about themselves, with certain details conveniently left out. Does this matter? Does the audience care? And where does the genre go next?