Markets

YouTube will return to MIPCOM Cannes 2026, taking place from 12 to 15 October, with an expanded presence that reinforces the platform’s growing role as a key partner for content distribution and monetisation across the global audiovisual industry. Following its market debut in 2025, YouTube will bring to Cannes a programme designed to move the conversation from why media companies should be on the platform to how they can build sustainable business models within the digital and streaming ecosystem.

The market will open with a main-stage keynote by Pedro Pina, Vice President, YouTube EMEA, in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals. Throughout the week, he will be joined by Justin Connolly, Vice President, YouTube Global Head of Media & Sports, YouTube partnership teams, and more than ten major media partners, who will share real-world case studies and practical growth strategies.

YouTube will also return to the exhibition floor with an enhanced YouTube View hub and a new series of daily workshops and panels at the Hi5 Theater, running from Monday to Wednesday. These sessions will be tailored for broadcasters, studios, media publishers and creators, with a focus on advanced monetisation strategies, Connected TV growth, AI-driven formats, the strategic use of YouTube Studio analytics, and the development of high-value creator-brand partnerships.

The platform will further extend its presence to MIPJUNIOR, taking place on 10 and 11 October, underlining its commitment to kids, youth content and animation. YouTube will serve as the official sponsor of the MIPJUNIOR Opening Happy Hour and will host a dedicated session exploring how legacy brands and digitally native phenomena can build global fandoms, scale premium IP and engage Gen Z and teen audiences.

YouTube’s expanded presence comes as living-room viewing continues to grow. According to the platform, global audiences now watch more than one billion hours of YouTube on television screens every day, strengthening YouTube’s position as a point of convergence between traditional media, the creator economy, streaming, video-first podcasts and live entertainment.

Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM Cannes and MIPJUNIOR, said YouTube’s 2025 debut marked “a generational shift” for the market, adding that in 2026 the platform is doubling its commitment by offering practical tools to help the industry grow.
Pedro Pina said YouTube’s focus at MIPCOM 2026 will be to show broadcasters and studios “a clear path to distribute and monetise content,” supporting shared success in the new streaming era.