The content market DISCOP which kicked off in Budapest on Wednesday 18 June and ended on Friday 20 June reported an increase in attendees. Attendance was up from the 1,522 who attended last year to 1,750 attendees. DISCOP general manager, Patrick Jucaud, attributed the increase to a boom in thematic channels across Central and Eastern Europe in the last 12 months. He said that 30 new platforms launched with approximately 35 new thematic channels.
To accommodate increased demand, DISCOP added an extra floor of exhibition space, providing a total of six floors to accommodate distributors from around the world, said Jucaud who is also gearing up for a sister event DISCOP Africa to be held in Dakar, Senegal, in February 2009.
Jucaud also reported a 120% increase in the number of distributors from Central and Eastern Europe, especially from countries like Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Russia and the Ukraine. Programme content producers from the US and South America also attended. Among these was Globo TV International, one of the largest content producers in the world, which has had partnership with leading broadcasters in the region for 20 years.
Among deals clinched before and during the market formats and ready-made offerings sold by Endemol to BBC Lifestyle in Poland, Nova Television Plus in Bulgaria, RTL Croatia and Kanal D in Romania, among others. BBC Worldwide announced the sale of more than 300 hours of drama and factual-entertainment programming to the Croatian broadcaster HRT. AETN International clinched a range of agreements with Czech TV, Poland’s TVP and Ukraine’s STB, among others.
