Event Coverage
David Beckham to talk Studio 99 during Digital MipTV keynote
Paris: Global sporting icon and legendary football player David Beckham will be the keynote speaker at the 58th edition of the Cannes TV market Digital MipTV. The event is all set to begin on 12 April and will be a virtual affair for the second consecutive year.
The 2020 edition was also forced to go digital due to the pandemic.
In his first in-depth television industry keynote, Beckham will talk about launching his own production company, Studio 99, and his global ambitions for the content studio, MipTV confirmed on Tuesday. He will also talk about some of his current projects for a variety of global networks including A Whole New Ball Game, charting the contemporary history of the Premier League; World War Shoe, a documentary mini-series charting the untold story behind sports brands Adidas and Puma; and the upcoming definitive David Beckham biopic.
In Conversation with David Beckham will be hosted by award-winning director and producer Ben Winston. A nine-time Emmy winner, Winston was also the executive producer of this month’s Grammy Awards and will produce and direct the Friends reunion later this year. The show will take place on 13 April at 18.00 CEST, and will be available on catch-up until 14 May.
After retiring from a football career that saw him play for over two decades at some of the world’s most successful clubs, Beckham has established himself as a successful entrepreneur. His independent brand management operation, DB Ventures, manages several partnerships including with Diageo, Adidas, Tudor, and EA Sports in addition to overseeing investments such as Guild Esports plc. In 2018, he became an owner of a football club and founded Studio 99 a year later. Studio 99 is a global production and content studio that focuses on documentary films, series, and format development. It is also a commercial studio and produces a wide range of both editorial and marketing content for global brand clients.
Earlier this month, MipTV had also confirmed American TV and film personality Marc Anthony as a keynote speaker for the event. The five-day mega event currently in its 58th year traditionally brings together distributors, producers, buyers, and commissioners of drama, doc, kids, factual, and formats programming in Cannes, France, for a week of business meetings, conferences, and global networking.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
