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The day opened with a timely deep-dive into the advertising landscape. In a panel titled TV Ads vs. TV Digital Ads, Michal Stefanski, Head of Partnerships for CEE at Google and Maria Rua Aguete, Executive Director, and Technology Fellow at Omdia, laid the foundation for a lively panel discussion on the evolving dynamics between traditional TV advertising and the expanding digital ecosystem. The panel brought together voices from Rakuten TV, Nielsen, Google, Alika Media and VIDAA — all offering different angles on measurement, monetization, and viewer behavior in an increasingly hybrid market.
Next, the Keynote Q&A One Size Does NOT Fit All saw Deniz Şaşmaz Oflaz and Jamie Cooke from Warner Bros. Discovery talk about how Max is localizing global content strategies to suit the needs of diverse markets, an approach they described as “glocal” in the best sense of the word. The company used the opportunity to exclusively announce the acceleration of Warner Bros. Discovery’s global growth and revealed that HBO Max will launch in multiple new markets this July: “As we mark a period of incredible momentum and engagement in Europe, we're thrilled to bring HBO Max to multiple new countries. This expansion is an important milestone in the globalisation of HBO Max, and it reflects our commitment to delivering world-class storytelling to audiences everywhere. Subscribers can look forward to enjoying a premium streaming service that combines quality content from HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures, Discovery, Eurosport and much more. The platform will become available in Albania, Armenia, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Tajikistan."
As live content continues to command global attention, the introductory session The Only Content is Live, presented by Andrew Rayner, Chief Technology Officer at Appear and Alex Sanchez Diaz, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Eurovision Services, set the tone for the following panel FTA vs. Pay-TV Channels vs. Streamers: The Battle for Live Events?, both sponsored by Appear. Speakers from Warner Bros. Discovery, Telekom Serbia, Eurovision Services and Accelerate Consulting examined who holds the upper hand in the race to own live sports and event rights, and what this means for the future of live broadcasting.
Aleksandra Martinović, Director of the Multimedia Division at Telekom Serbia, explained how the live broadcast of sports events has affected the increase in the number of users: “Sports events are something that is completely connected with the live events and also with news or the segment of the breaking news. In our case sports events were a game changer regarding the number of our users. In 2017 in Serbia, we had only 400,000 users. But, once we become the owners of sports rights, today we have in Serbia more than 1.6 million users. So the sport is something that is connected with the real time, with a big screen and with an immediate watching. It gathers the family and it's also connected with emotion and with a passion. It also offers advertising advantages.”
Later, TVP (Polish Television) offered an exclusive look at its new crime TV series, introduced by Piotr Lenarczyk. The second panel of the day explored the topic How Inflation Affects Already Expensive Content, sponsored by Prva TV. The panel featured top execs from Prva TV, Big Light Productions, CME, Keshet International, Inter Medya, and Hearst Networks EMEA. Rising production costs, shifting audience expectations, and funding strategies were at the heart of this complex conversation.
The Walt Disney Company hosted a screening, followed by a crucial conversation around protecting creative assets. In a short but sharp presentation, Emilie Anthonis, President of the Motion Picture Association EMEA, spoke about MPA’s approach to content protection.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) represents the world’s leading producers and distributors of film, television, and streaming content, working to protect intellectual property rights, promote creative storytelling, and support a thriving global entertainment industry. She then joined a Keynote Q&A with Chris Marcich, offering policy-level insights into anti-piracy strategies and legislative challenges across Europe.
The day closed with an exclusive Showcase by Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, presented by George Wilkinson and Paloma Roldán, highlighting some of their most exciting international content slates for 2025 and beyond.
The day concluded with a vibrant Happy Hour hosted by Paramount Global Content Distribution on the Pool Terrace - a perfect setting to unwind and network. This year the company maintained a strong presence throughout the market with a prominent meeting table, serving as a hub for industry conversations.
