Markets

The second day of NEM Dubrovnik 2026 brought high-profile content showcases and deep strategic debates to the Adriatic coast. While top executives analyzed the unique operational rules of the Central and Eastern European (CEE) market, the spotlight shone brightly on major international screenings. Led by a massive promotional push from Audiovisual from Spain, alongside fresh unscripted portfolios from ITV Studios and premium studio slates from Hollywood giants, the event showcased the content trends set to drive the region's upcoming seasonal schedules.

Spanish content proved its massive regional growth with a dedicated showcase powered by Audiovisual from Spain, highlighting highly adaptable formats and premium finished series. Opening the presentation, Ismael Ramiro, Sales Manager at Atresmedia, highlighted a remarkable 600% regional growth over five years, driven by hits like Velvet and The Cook of Castamar. The studio presented The Maid's Daughters (8x50’), a prestigious literary adaptation launching on Antena 3, alongside Dreams of Freedom (Season 3) and The Girl (8x50’), the gripping third installment of the acclaimed Gypsy Bride crime trilogy. Following this, Rocío Cachero, Head of International Sales & Distribution of External Content at Mediterráneo, emphasized strong licensing success with comedies like La que se avecina and introduced Olivia, a heartwarming family drama soon to debut on Disney+ in Spain that holds immense potential for local adaptations.
The rise of local CEE platforms also took center stage as Fabricia Palazzo, Head of Global Clients at Movistar Plus+ International, discussed how the growth of regional OTT networks is fueling demand for premium thrillers, spotlighting the Canneseries-selected dramedy Many People Need to Die (6x30’). Similarly, Rosalía Alcubilla, Head of Global Clients at RTVE, celebrated a powerful 11.2% audience share boosted by global streaming, showcasing core IPs like La Promesa and introducing 100 Miracles in 10 Days, a new 4-episode medical event series set in Tanzania. Expanding the slate into high-quality genres, Ana Sánchez, International Sales at Secuoya Studios, rolled out an ambitious lineup including intense thrillers like Under the Fire and Under the Volcano, alongside the highly anticipated romance-thriller Butterfly Labyrinth (8x45’) starring international star Can Yaman, premiering this October. Finally, Carlos Sevillano, CEO of Ártico Distribution, rounded out the Spanish showcase with premium factual content, introducing the blue-chip wildlife series Live is Life (7x52’) and the historical documentary The Last Traces of the Neanderthal (1x52’).

The unscripted sector saw significant movement as ITV Studios’ Huub Van Ballegooy, Senior Vice President, Creative Network, and Martijn Plaizier, Format Licensing Manager, presented their global formats portfolio. Returning giants continue to dominate the CEE region, with Game of Chefs expanding via a new spin-off in Romania and an eighth season in Hungary, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! returning for Season 7 on RTL Hungary, and The Voice securing a multi-series deal to launch in Serbia in 2027. On the development front, ITV rolled out three innovative unscripted formats, beginning with the reality competition The Neighborhood, which recently launched on ITV UK, followed by the high-energy culinary adventure The Heat set in Barcelona, and concluding with the strategic psychological game show Nobody’s Fool.

The day wrapped up with major studio screenings from The Walt Disney Company and Paramount Global Content Distribution. Disney’s Carla Davies, Senior Sales Manager, CEE & Africa, presented an extensive National Geographic slate, including the high-tech, four-year continuous filming project Lion, executive produced by Jon Favreau, and Pompeii Out of Time, hosted by Tom Hiddleston. Celebrating another landmark year with nearly $6.6 billion at the global box office with titles like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire & Ash, Disney also spotlighted its premium scripted TV slate. This lineup was headlined by the hit medical drama Doctor Odyssey—which scored over 10 million viewers for its premiere—FX’s The Lowdown, which has a second season confirmed, the multi-episode comedy Shifting Gears (23x30’), and the gritty procedural R.J. Decker (9x60’).

Strategic Panels At Nem
The most critical discussion of the day examined why CEE business decisions follow a distinct logic, breaking away from oversimplified industry narratives like "smaller budgets" or "conservative audiences." Jonathan Broughton, Head of Research at PlumResearch, noted that while Europe’s audiovisual market remains resilient, it faces complex structural challenges including tighter budgets and high content costs. Expanding on this, Peter Wassong, Head of TV Content Europe at Deutsche Telekom, emphasized that while regional variations and distinct co-development pipelines exist, everything must be tailored for local audiences, meaning the vast majority of content needs to remain distinct and localized.
Elena Petrova, Head of Group Content, Broadcasting and Media Solutions at A1 International Business, and Szilvia Szabó, Group Manager of TV & Entertainment at Yettel Hungary, both agreed that while centralization and regional cooperation provide stronger negotiation power, shared platform development and marketing bundles must remain highly configurable at the local level to satisfy specific user demands. Tomislav Čizmić, President of the Management Board at Telemach Slovenija, and Luca Borzatta, Director of Product and Services Development at Telekom Slovenije, pointed out that being smaller allows for agility, faster deployment of unified technologies, and smarter play against global giants. Ultimately, the executives agreed that commercial success comes from targeting the entire household by blending linear assets for older generations with vertical, instant digital content for youth, while utilizing hyper-local and public interest programming to secure market relevance and establish cultural representation.

Another high-level executive panel examined how top media leaders constantly balance data-driven corporate strategies with human instinct and seasoned experience. Avi Armoza, CEO of Armoza Formats, reflected on the lifecycle of creative companies by recalling his decision to buy back his company from ITV to regain creative freedom and control, avoiding the constraints of a large corporate structure. Henrik Schneider, General Manager of Antenna Entertainment CEE, and Stella Litou, CEO of RTL Croatia and Pro Plus Slovenia, agreed that while data provides a critical foundation, unique cultural contexts and small regional sample sizes in the CEE territory mean that intuition and local knowledge are absolutely essential for creating resonant local content and building strong viewer relationships.
From a public media perspective, Natalija Gorščak, President of the Management Board at RTV Slovenia, added that a background in commercial television teaches a level of discipline and resourcefulness that is invaluable for public service, but emphasized that vision and gut feeling remain just as important as data during major transformations. Finally, Bartosz Witak, General Manager and SVP of CEE, MENA, and Turkey at BBC Studios, concluded that navigating modern media adaptation requires balancing a strong corporate legacy with local empowerment, combining broad vision with attention to regional differences, and staying humble and people-focused throughout