Realscreen Debrief

I just returned from Realscreen 2023 in Austin Texas which I attended on behalf of our client TV Asahi and their unscripted formats available for adaptation. This was my first Realscreen TV conference since 2020; when it was in New Orleans just a few weeks before the world melted down. 

I wasn’t quite sure what I’d find in Austin, but the overall mood was a relief. Relief and an upbeat vibe. Relief that we were still standing after the past few years, and a sense that the market although tumultuous would recover. As per usual, there were sessions and many one-on-one meetings. Thankfully the meeting pace was not as frenzied as MIPCOM. 

Some key takeaways? 

• Instability = ?: For 2023, expect more instability as streamers deal with churn and networks navigate more changes. It seems more mergers, acquisitions, and layoffs will continue at least through the year. Not much good news for scripted as production budgets continue to shrink but this could be welcome news for unscripted content and formats which are less expensive to produce. 

• International Power: International producers and distributors continue to be a force at RealScreen, with many UK producers in attendance (and the UK pavilion there). I was surprised to not see as many attendees from Asia (aside from Turkish and Indian producers.)

• The Good Ol’ Times: The nostalgia trend continues as more of the older formats are being resurrected. And dating shows were one segment that we kept being asked about. (Have a great dating format? Let me know!)

• Watchword: “Existing IP” continues to be a watchword overheard in meetings as producers seek to acquire content with a less risky past. As well, many producers were looking for international co-productions and other ways to lower risk.

The next stop for international producers is MIP. We’ll see if there are more Asian content creators in attendance. 

If you went to Realscreen, what was your takeaway?