Markets

The 20th edition of the Busan Content Market (BCM2026) closed in Busan with record-breaking results, confirming the event’s growing relevance as one of Asia’s most dynamic business platforms for content, formats, co-productions and new media trends.

Held from June 10 to 12 at BEXCO, the market marked its 20th anniversary with a total transaction volume of $306.7 million, approximately 465.9 billion KRW. This is the first time in BCM’s history that the event has surpassed the $300 million threshold, representing a 36% increase compared with the previous year’s $225.4 million. For an event that has steadily built its reputation as a bridge between Korea and the global content industry, this result is particularly significant.

Attending BCM in Korea as Chief Editor of Formatbiz, I had the opportunity to observe first-hand how the market is evolving beyond a traditional sales and acquisition event. BCM is increasingly positioning itself as a multi-layered industry platform, combining business meetings, investment opportunities, technology showcases, conferences, screenings and awards. The atmosphere at BEXCO clearly reflected a market in transition: more international, more strategic, and increasingly focused on the convergence between content, technology and new consumption patterns.

One of the most important signals this year was the official participation of the China Pavilion, organized by the Information Office of the State Council and China’s National Radio and Television Administration. This marked the first official Chinese participation since the restrictions commonly referred to as the “ban on Korean content.” The presence of Chinese players, including short-form drama platform Maiya Media, studio XIXI Pictures, China Movie Channel and several technology companies, gave the event a strong geopolitical and commercial meaning. It suggested a reopening of dialogue between South Korea and China in the audiovisual sector, while also reinforcing BCM’s ambition to become a central hub for Asian and global media exchange.

The market’s international profile was further strengthened by the participation of new territories such as Romania and Qatar, as well as the presence of a joint pavilion by Mongolian broadcasters. This diversification of the global network was one of the most visible aspects of the 2026 edition. Even with a slight decrease in the number of participants, due in part to accommodation shortages and increased airline costs linked to overlapping major events in Busan, BCM achieved its highest transaction volume ever. This confirms that the market is moving toward qualitative growth, with stronger business outcomes per participating company.

Business activity was particularly intense. The event recorded $51.45 million in contracts and $255.25 million in business consultations. Local companies participating in the SME Support Pavilion also generated $6.22 million in transactions, showing how BCM can provide concrete international sales channels not only for major players but also for small and medium-sized content companies.

Investment and business matchmaking were another key pillar of this edition. BCM Funding and the Investment Signing Ceremonies produced results more than double those of last year. On the opening day, five investment agreements worth 16.4 billion KRW were signed. Among the most notable announcements were the investment agreement for the film Kal: The Sword of Go Du-mak, produced by Bigstone Pictures with Solair Partners and starring Park Bo-gum, and the confirmation of international co-productions for Philippine and Vietnamese remakes of the hit Korean drama Itaewon Class. The “Biz Matching” session also attracted strong interest, with 63 companies taking part and 214 business meetings organized.

Another major trend was the rise of short-form drama. BCM has understood very clearly that vertical and short-form storytelling is no longer a marginal phenomenon but a fast-growing industrial segment. The Asia Short-Form Drama Awards, launched as the world’s first awards ceremony dedicated to short-form video, expanded its scale in its second year, attracting creators, production companies and platforms from Korea, China and Japan. The Grand Prize went to Under The Cover, a Chinese thriller drama from Youku, while Korean companies also received important recognition: I’m Choosing My Favorite, produced by CJ and Studio Shortnaps, won the Innovation Award; WHYNOT MEDIA received the Production Company Award; and MBC Chungbuk was honored with the Industry Development Contribution Award.

The 3rd BCM OTT Series Awards also highlighted the continued strength of K-content. Yoon Hyun-jun, CEO of Studio Slam, received the Executive Producer Award for The Black and White Chef; writer Jang Hyun won the Screenwriter Award for Typhoon Company; Studio Dragon received the Production Company Award; and Netflix’s Lady Dua was selected as Best Series in the Mystery category. These recognitions confirmed the strategic role of producers, writers and companies behind the global expansion of Korean scripted and unscripted content.

The conference program was equally relevant. Across 12 sessions, BCM addressed some of the most urgent themes in the international media industry, with particular attention to artificial intelligence, FAST channels, webtoons and short-form content. The AI sessions were expanded and rebranded as the World AiCon Forum, focusing on the use of generative AI in content planning and production. One of the most discussed topics was AI-based product placement, a technology that allows brands to be integrated into footage after filming. This is a clear example of how AI may reshape not only production workflows but also advertising models and monetization strategies.

The sessions dedicated to FAST channels and the global expansion of vertical short-form drama also attracted strong attention from industry professionals. These themes are highly relevant for the international market, especially at a time when broadcasters, platforms and producers are seeking new revenue models and more flexible ways to reach younger audiences.

BCM2026 also included a strong B2C dimension through CANNESERIES×BUSAN, one of the highlights of the event. The program featured the Korean premiere and GV Talk for The Bead of God, a historical drama invited to the non-competitive section of the Cannes International Series Festival, as well as Genfluencer, directed by Hyun Hae-ri and starring Bae Yoon-kyung, presented as the first AI-based feature film selected in the history of Canneseries. The presence of actors, directors and international producers on the Pink Carpet created a strong festival atmosphere, connecting the business market with a more public-facing celebration of serial storytelling.

Technology was also present in a symbolic way during the opening ceremony, which featured a K-pop performance by robots from Unitree, the Chinese humanoid robotics company. Together with the BCM2036 Future Vision Proclamation Ceremony, this moment underlined the event’s ambition to look ahead and position itself at the intersection of content, robotics, AI and future media.

What emerged clearly from this 20th edition is that Busan Content Market is no longer simply a regional marketplace. It is becoming a strategic observatory for the transformation of the Asian and global audiovisual industry. The combination of K-content, Chinese participation, short-form drama, AI-driven innovation, investment deals and international co-productions makes BCM a market to watch closely.

For Formatbiz, attending BCM2026 was an opportunity to better understand how Korea continues to expand its role in the global content ecosystem. The strength of Korean IP, the acceleration of Asian short-form storytelling, and the growing integration of technology into production and distribution suggest that the next phase of the market will be shaped by hybrid models: between cinema and series, long-form and short-form, human creativity and AI, local identity and global circulation.

As Kwon Man-woo, Executive Chairman of the Busan Content Market Organizing Committee, emphasized, BCM’s record-breaking transaction volume proves the market’s business competitiveness even in a challenging logistical context. More importantly, the 2026 edition showed that Busan is increasingly positioning itself as a global hub where K-content meets the world — and where the future of content is being actively negotiated.