MIP London Expands Creator Programming as Netflix, Disney+ Confirm Attendance
MIP London 2026 expands creator economy programming with 650+ buyers from Netflix, Disney+, Amazon confirmed. Explores how platforms scale creator-driven content as creator ad spend hits US$37B.
MIP London has significantly expanded its creator economy programming for the February 22-24, 2026 event, drawing over 650 buyers from Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Apple TV+, BBC, and HBO Max alongside executives from YouTube, Snap, Spotify, and creator studios like Sidemen Productions. The three-day gathering at IET London and The Savoy Hotel surpassed 1,000 registered delegates one month before the event, with 550-plus international buyers confirmed.
Mainstream Media Platforms Prioritize Creator Partnerships
The expanded programming features panels addressing how platforms commission and scale creator-driven content. Sessions include "Talent as the Shortcut: How Community-led IP Scales Across Platforms" led by Julie Boegart, Head of Creator Partnerships EMEA at Snap, alongside Saruul Krause Jentsch, Head of Podcasts Central Europe at Spotify, and Tobias Schiwek, CEO of We Are Era.
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Amie Parker-Williams, Director of Digital Commissioning & Production at MTV Entertainment Group International, will headline the "Masters of Digital Content" panel on February 24, addressing how established media groups commission premium creator content alongside next-generation digital studios. Additional programming covers sustainable creator-led content growth, podcasting monetization, microdramas, AI, and branded entertainment.
The event strategically coincides with London's annual TV screenings, when studios conduct international sales presentations. "The London screenings have become one of those temple moments in the year," said Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM CANNES. "MIP LONDON and MIPCOM CANNES represent where the global entertainment industry goes to do business."
Creator Economy Reaches US$37 Billion as Growth Outpaces Traditional Media
The programming expansion reflects the creator economy's rapid growth, with U.S. creator economy ad spend reaching US$37 billion in 2025, representing 26% year-over-year growth. This growth rate is four times faster than total media spending, establishing creators as a top-three channel behind social and search.
Brands are integrating creator content across the full marketing funnel, with 43% using it for awareness, 41% for reaching new audiences, 35% for trust-building, and 32% for sales. Meanwhile, 35% of Gen Z consumers rely on creators for purchase decisions, signaling the channel's growing influence on commerce.
Mediahuis executives forecast a €100 million revenue gap by 2030 for traditional media companies that fail to adapt to creator economy competition, emphasizing the need to create value wherever audiences are in response to AI and creator disruption.
Asian Media Buyers Compete for Creator Talent
Asian media executives from Japan, Hong Kong, India, and Indonesia are actively pursuing creator partnerships. Buyers from AbemaTV, Asahi Satellite Broadcasting, AXN, Television Broadcasts Limited, Phoenix Satellite Television, IN10 Media, Jiostar, Rusk Media, and Shemaroo Entertainment attended MIPCOM 2025's inaugural creator programming, which drew 10,600 delegates from 107 countries with 3,340 buyers.
MIP London 2026 provides Asian executives with structured networking through enhanced matchmaking, data-led intelligence from The WIT and Ampere Analysis, and an invitation-only Attention Economy Leadership Lunch on February 23. The lunch, opened by Adam Cunningham, Chief Strategy Officer at Allied Global Marketing, focuses on creator-driven audience acquisition strategies.
The event offers free access for qualified buyers and a three-day format designed to maximize networking during the industry's busiest international sales period. "There is a place for creators and brands interested in co-production, monetization, and global distribution at these events," Smith said.
MIP London's first edition in 2025 drew over 2,800 delegates from 47 countries, establishing the event as a strategic hub for entertainment industry convergence.
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