Boasting series with stars such as Bella Ramsey, Brenda Blethyn, Shemar Moore and Catherine Zeta Jones and the latest titles from the creators of “Adolescence,” “Lupin,” “Narcos” and “Ozark,” the London TV Screenings have also never been bigger in attendance than this week’s edition. “This incredible uptick represents the continued growing appetite for premium storytelling across all genres,” Cathy Payne, CEO, Banijay Rights, tells Variety.
A sign of the resilient pulling power of the U.K. TV industry, they took place, however, in a challenged market, with major M&A concern and further disruption from the fast evolution of business models, rocked by YouTube, AI and microdramas.
10 takeaways on this year’s intense LTVS edition, which ran Feb. 22-27, climaxing with Friday’s Fremantle mega-showcase.
London TV Screenings’ Surge
The London TV Screenings are already big, Europe’s second most important TV market after Mipcom and the most significant for founders Fremantle, Banijay, ITV Studios and All3Media Intl.. But they still keep on getting bigger. The Banijay Entertainment’s Showcase saw record numbers, more than 500 buyers across morning and afternoon sessions, near doubling 2025 attendance. All3Media Intl. also reported more attendees than last year, “50o-600 registered for several genres. The London TV Screenings works. It’s free and incredibly focused for buyers – efficiently highlighting content slates for 2026. It’s grown as an event so there is more on offer than just English-language product across the wider event – but that is the buyers main focus. It serves this sector of UK trade very well,” says Rachel Glaister, EVP press & marketing, All3Media International.
Disruption
This year, the bombshell came Thursday as Netflix bowed out of its bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery. U.K.-based international distributors fear this will take another potential buyer and co-producer off the table as Paramount Skydance buys WBD. Last year, much of the talk in London was about a possible merger of All3Media and ITV Studios. This year, one conversation driver is a potential Banijay-All3Media fusion. If there’s one thing the TV industry hates is uncertainty. Unable to predict the consequences of both mergers, however, London TV Screenings attendees could do little more than keep their heads down on their most immediate job or buying and selling.
What Sells
But what sells? This year’s London TV Screenings serves to confirm trends seen in the last year or two, anticipates Fremantle CEO Commercial and International Jens Richter. “There’s a strong focus on shows that can reach an audience, that drive a conversation, ideally having a built-in marketing component. That can be an amazing cast, such as ‘Kill Jackie’ with Catherine Zeta-Jones or a big piece of IP, such as ‘Baywatch,’ where we already have great, great, great awareness and attention, or beloved long-running shows such as “Sullivan’s Crossing,” one of our best selling shows last year, based on the Robyn Carr book, with Season 4 coming,” Richter tells Variety. “Stories that are told well and have ‘returnability’ will always sell well – that’s always the feedback from our clients,” adds Payne. “We have a slate which is rich with escapism and rich with entertainment. It’s all about being thrilling but also fun,” ITV Studios’ Tom Clark, executive VP global sales and commercial strategy, told Variety, in like vein.
And for Unscripted?
“Scalable franchises that can flex across both local broadcasters and global streamers continue to dominate the format landscape,” says Lucas Green at Banijay Entertainment, citing long‑running IP such as “Fear Factor,” “following the mega‑reboot in the U.S..” “Reality staples like ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Temptation Island’ continue to perform strongly,” he notes. “Meanwhile, emerging global hits increasingly blend reality, physical challenge, and gameplay, delivering the scale, spectacle and distinctive visual worlds buyers are seeking,” where “The 50” and “Let’s Play Ball” are “standouts,” he adds.
Buzz Dramas
Of London TV Screenings founders, ITV Studios hit the LTVS with A reality show, “The Neighbourhood,” hosted by global draw Graham Norton. There was also good word on “Two Weeks in August,” from “I Will Destroy You” producer Various Artists Limited and on “Tip Toe,” re-teaming “It’s a Sin” creator Russell T Davies and producer Quay Street Productions. For Fremantle, in scripted, most certainly the “Baywatch” reboot, “the biggest IP in television,” says Richter, produced with Fox and now in high-profile casting; “Kill Jackie,” with Catherine Zeta Jones; “The Cage,” Tony Schumacher’s follow up to “The Responder.” “For scripted, there was plenty of interest in our powerhouse U.K. dramas, including ‘A Woman of Substance’ and ‘Falling’ from The Forge and of course Richard Gadd’s highly anticipated ‘Half Man,’” reports Banijay’s Payne, after Wednesday’s Banijay showcase. There was large interest to catch A3Media Intl.’s “Maya,” led by Ramsey and Daisy Haggard and a good word on its said-to-be-involving “Careless.” “Gold,” starring the in-demand David Morrisey, has also clinched a BritBox deal for the U.S.
Asia Moves Center Stage
Asia wasn’t just present at MIP London 2026 — it was structurally embedded. Japan fielded heavyweight broadcasters including Nippon TV and TV Asahi, reinforcing the country’s format-export strength. Korea’s presence was anchored by KOCCA and CJ ENM, underscoring a pivot toward European co-development and distribution partnerships. China’s influence was highly visible through a busy China Pavilion and companies including Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation, Shenzhen Media Group, Linmon Media International and Yulele Media Group, pairing microdrama scale with policy backing, including a new visa-free regime for U.K. nationals. Microdrama players also ratcheted up distribution infrastructure: China’s COL Group International announced a coordinated global microdrama network and expanded its catalogue to more than 1,700 titles with regional partners during the market. By contrast, India maintained a relatively modest footprint and did not feature prominently on major stages or headline panels. Across markets, Asian players weren’t simply selling shows — they were showcasing production ecosystems, IP pipelines and long-term collaboration strategies.
Looking Towards Canada, Australia
“It is still possible to sell shows in the U.S. and co-produce but it just takes longer and there’s less compared to a couple of years ago. So companies have had to pivot a little bit co-producing or pre-selling, whether it’s Canada or Australia or with the European continent,” Richter notes. That was seen at the London TV Screenings. A3Media Intl. banner title “Careless” is made for not only the U.K.’s Channel 4 but also Australia’s Stan. Sold by Cineflix, “Anne Pigeon” marks USA Network’s first co-commission with Canada’s Bell Media. Federation Intl. was selling “Dustfall,” produced by ABC TV, in association with BBC and Germany’s ZDF. The net result is further international renown for a broader range of talent, such as this year at the LTVS, Australia’s exceptional Anna Torv, who heads “Dustfall” and “Careless” star Robyn Malcolm.
Docs Rally Around Co-Pro Model
The documentary sector at London Screenings 2026 struck a tone of guarded resilience. While the broader market grapples with streamer and pay-TV budget cuts, factual distributors are pivoting toward public broadcasters and international partnerships to keep projects viable. Julian Chou-Lambert of TVF International said the event was “bigger than it’s ever been,” but stressed that “with the sort of cuts to streaming budgets… we need (international co-productions) more than ever.” He also welcomed the return of France’s Sunny Side of the Doc – recently under threat of closure – calling it “really important for the industry” as a rare dedicated co-production market for documentaries. In a tightening funding landscape, the message was clear: cross-border financing and early-stage collaboration are no longer optional – they are structural necessities for factual storytelling.
Other Buzz Titles
Presented at London, franchise spin-off “S.W.A.T. Exiles,” sold by Sony Pictures TV, weighed in as the biggest and most anticipated of titles being brought to market outside the LTVS four founders and the BBC. There was large expectation too for Beta Film’s “Maxima” Season 2, after the first has sold to over 85 territories. Packing a powerful package – fronted by Callum Scott Howells (“It’s a Sin”), Christine Tremarco (“Adolescence”) and Michael Socha (“The Gallow’s Pole”) – Welsh mountain-set thriller “Deadpoint” was rated as one of the BBC’s top new draws. A sweaty and discomforting Australia tropical noir “Dustfall,” driven by a powerhouse performance by Anna Torv, is building buzz before its world premiere in main competition at Series Mania. Also collecting fans: Sphere Abacus’ “Pierre,” a stylish, noir-esque show anchored by David Harewood’s long-overdue first lead performance and Keshet Intl’s “Number One Fan,” where a TV presenter (Sally Lindsay ) attracts a fan from hell (Jill Halfpenny).
Microdramas
These days, any self-respecting market features a microdrama panel which delivers extraordinary facts. This time round, it came at a packed Mip London marquee panel. Timothy Oh, at COL Group International revealed that as much as 90% of microdrama budgets went to marketing rather than production, a user-acquisition business increasingly akin to mobile gaming. Omdia’s Maria Rua Aguete provided a bigger picture for the phenomenon: 75% of video consumption now takes place on smartphones. Microdramas are associated with low-cost romance, but producers are now expanding into thrillers and true crime and adapting premium IP, added GammaTime’s Alex Montalvo.
The Deals:
*”This City Is Ours,” the Liverpool-set crime drama made by Sony Pictures Television-owned Left Bank Pictures for the BBC, has been picked up by AMC Networks for the U.S., where it launches in March with AMC+. With the U.S. secured, “This City is Ours” has closed major territories over more than half the world for SPT.
*ITVS unveiled new banner Studio 55 at the London TV Screenings on Wednesday, aimed at opening up ITV Studios’ library to digital-first creators and at creating a licensing hub for such ITV brands as “Love Island” and “The Voice.” Studio 55, a move to expand touch-points with consumers, especially in Gen Z, will be headed by former Snapchat and X exec Will Scougal.
*Fremantle has begin to scale music game show “Hitster,” based on the highly popular party game breaking out in the U.S. over Christmas, with series orders from Germany (RTL Deutschland), Netherlands (RTL4) and Canada (Attraction and Productions Déferlantes).
*BritBox has swooped on U.S. streaming rights to Banijay banner title “A Woman of Substance,” led by double Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn, star of “Vera,” sold to 178 territories. From Banijay-owned Forge Entertainment, the series weighs on as a ravishing down-the-decades tale of revenge, ambition and one woman’s empowerment and – ultimately – love and reconciliation.
*“Gone,” from “Hijack” and “Lupin” creator George Kay has gone in a pre-sale to BritBox for North America by All3Media International. Robust other pre-sales on ‘Gone,’ starring David Morrissey and Eve Myles, take in Australia’s Stan, Sky in New Zealand and the BBC in Asia.
*Brit detective drama “Bergerac,” sold by Banijay Rights, has been bought for the U.S. by PBS Distribution. Billed as a “modern re-imagining,” the new “Bergerac” sees one character-led murder mystery run across all six episodes, in place of a new storyline each episode.
*”Heated Rivalry” star Hudson Williams has joins Crave mystery thriller series “Yaga” with Carrie-Anne Moss and Noah Reid. The show has been shopped at the London TV Screenings by Sphere Abacus.
*Beta Film announced that true-life inspired Dutch Royalty “Maxima” is expanding its franchise with a first spin-off, “The Other Royals.”
*The Singapore-headquartered COL Group International has has formalized a cross-continental distribution structure and expanded its global microdrama catalogue to more than 1,700 titles, it revealed at Mip London.
*In another deal, PBS Distribution has acquired U.S. Rights to “Trespasses,” starring Lola Petticrew (“Say Nothing”), Tom Cullen (“The Gold”), and Emmy and Golden Globe winner Gillian Anderson (“Sex Education”) and “I Fought the Law,” with the inimitable Sheridan Smith.
*Beta Film has secured a wave of international sales for the British hit series “Patience,” bringing the Channel 4 show to 100 territories around the world with deals taking in AMC Networks for Latin America, ABC for Australia, and across Africa to BBC Brit.
*ZDF Studios has snagged sales rights to “Ancient Superstructures” Season 4, featuring the completion of iconic Barcelona landmark, the Sagrada Familia.
*Banijay Rights has boarded BBC Docuseries “The Clickbait Clinic With Stacey Dooley,” a show that questions the truth of social media health advice from fitness boosters to pain beaters, youth elixirs to fat busters.
*Fremantle sealed production, distribution on wacky comedy competition “Special Delivery,” co-developed with Japan’s Tokyo Broadcasting System.
*France TV Distribution has brought onto the market period drama-thriller “Sorority,” a tale of three women – a wet-nurse, a midwife and a grieving mother – pitched against a male-dominated world in a Paris of 1889.
*”The Traitors” reached a 40-territory format adaptation milestone as All3Media International has sets new partners in Asia (the latest Indonesia’s Falcon) and Europe (Slovakia, Estonia, Serbia and Malta).
*Beta Film has boarded premium crime drama on the fairytale king “Ludwig,” about the death of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, whose Castle Neuschwanstein inspired Disney’s iconic castle logo. Show is being produced by W&B Television, best known for “Pagan Peak,” “Dark” and “4 Blocks,” for German broadcaster ARD.
*Japanese comedy hit “You Laugh You Lose” has received a global push as Banijay Entertainment acquires format rights from ‘LOL’ creator Yoshimoto Kogyo.
Marta Balaga contributed to this article.
