NEM Dubrovnik 2024. During the second day of NEM Dubrovnik 2024, around 1000 participants enjoyed a day filled with panels, keynote sessions, presentations, screenings, showcases and networking events.

Sanja Božić-Ljubičić talked to Bartosz Witak, newly appointed General Manager, Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Region, BBC Studios who shared his vision for the company in the region. The Q&A session Insights into BBC Studio’s CEE Journey provided diving into a new era and growth of BBC Studios in the CEE market.

“We believe that we deserve a seat at the table in the media landscape in this part of the world and generally. We can be a game changer going forward. I am absolutely humbled to be at the forefront of that opportunity”, said Mr. Witak and added: “The expected number of pay-tv households by 2028, 2029, and 2030 is going to be 40 to 45 million tops. So, we still have some time to address the changing environment. One might say, okay, this is just a statistic showing pay-tv households versus streaming households. We're going to surpass them by 2030.”

The highly anticipated keynote session was the one by Jamie Cooke, Group SVP and GM CEE, Middle East, Northern Africa and Turkey, Warner Bros. Discovery. Under the name “The Streaming War Isn’t Over…”, Mr. Cooke revealed WBD’s plans for Max to become one of the top three streaming services in the next 3-5 years: “We've just launched in Europe, we have Asia to come, and then we have, potentially, a second wave of launches over the next year or so in other markets where we're not launched already. We've done a very good job over the last couple of years of making the business profitable, and the scale has helped us achieve that. The third thing is content, ultimately. At the end of the day, it's the stories; it's the content. And I feel very positive about what we have coming up over the next couple of years.”

Major US studios present new content, panel sessions take on trending topics

Disney introduced a slate of US and European TV Series spanning a variety of sub-genres, which are all available for second window after a period of exclusivity on Disney+. Amazon MGM Studios Distribution showcased its upcoming programming slate.

Izzet Pinto, Founder and CEO, Global Agency presented his 360 Degrees Marketing in Entertainment Business presentation and explained through a case study how the company realizes its activities by using creative methods.

During the presentation by Eutelsat Group, Rising Above: Insights on the Resilience of the DTH Market in Central Europe, information was shared about innovative new content and services which create valuable opportunities for broadcasters and media groups.

After some coffee and networking provided by SES, the company sponsored the panel discussion about the imperative for broadcasters to easily access a global pool of content called Tailored Sports Content Distribution: Strategies for Capitalizing on Opportunities Through the Orchestration of Live Content.

During the panel with the topic of Linear TV Still Matters in CEE sponsored by Moonbug, panelists from companies ACT, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global Content Distribution, ATV and CEO’s from Telemach Croatia and Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), discussed a vital role that linear TV continues to play in CEE countries.

The panel sponsored by Wurl called How FAST Can Complement Existing TV Business, focused on learnings about initiatives enhancing engagement, broaden reach, and drive revenue growth while propelling the TV business forward in today's dynamic media landscape. Companies who gave their insights on the topic were Wurl, MEGA MAX MEDIA, All3Media International, Rakuten TV and Davies, Stoychev & Partners.

During the discussion End of an Era? The Rise of Streaming Partnerships, panelists talked about a big shift in the industry with streamers leaning towards collaboration to ensure cost-effective business, quality content and viewership. Speakers were from companies Omdia, CME, AMC Networks International, Viaplay Group and Maria Valenzuela, independent senior media executive.

Networking was provided by several companies: Happy Hour by Paramount Global Content Distribution gathered attendees at the Pool Terrace, and it continued during an Evening Reception by Wurl at the famous NEM Dubrovnik location Vala Beach, followed by a Party by Eutelsat Group. 

More information can be found on the official website NEM Dubrovnik 2024.