Event Coverage
Quality content to play enhanced role in digital future
CANNES: Content is king. An oftentimes overused cliché but one that will become ever more relevant to an evermore rapidly fast-changing audiovisual landscape that is leaving all the big media players scrambling to get a grip on it.
That was one of the key points that came through during Tuesday’s keynote session that launched the very first Mipcom CEO Superpanel which had as its theme ‘The Changing Landscape of Television – The Threats and Opportunities’.
And while no one really can tell with certainty where the new technologies are taking media, it is new age companies like Yahoo! And Google that are probably better equipped to ride the tiger as it were than the traditional media giants. At least that was the view of the Superpanel moderator, media analyst and chairman of APAX Media Advisory Board Neil Blackley.
Why Yahoo! And Google? Because they are young companies and it is the young that are adopting what the new technologies have to offer. What this indicates is that as media fragmentation continues apace, the value of quality and focussed content value will rise exponentially. Former BBC Director General and current HIT Entertainment chairman Greg Dyke spoke up for traditional broadcasters by stressing that they would get a presence on all platforms and continue to dominate the TV landscape.
The Superpanel brought together former Dyke, Roger Lynch, CEO of UK-based Internet Protocol Television company Homechoice/VideoNet, Yun-Joo Jung, CEO of Korean national broadcaster KBS, Robert Dowling, President Film and Performing Arts, VNU Business Publications and Publisher/Editor of The Hollywood Reporter, Abe Peled, CEO of UK-based digital pay television solution provider NDS and Omar Javaid, senior director of leading mobile services solutions provider Qualcomm.
According to KBS CEO Yun-Joo Jung, digitalisation will accelerate the decentralisation of media control but broadcasters that embrace new technologies will survive the brave new world.
Qualcomm’s Omar Javaid spoke about the oncoming mobile video revolution and spoke of how video services on mobile were second only to voice in terms of user interest.
And as was the case with the Internet, adult content will be a big driver in the mobile TV space as too gaming, pointed out Blackley.
Speaking about gaming, Javaid spoke of how China already had 500 million + subscribers and in India it was nearing 250 million.
Yun-Joo Jung saw mobile as a key device through which advertisers would target young people.
One point that the Mindshares of the world might take away from this was the common assertion that brands getting into the content creation game was a recipe for disaster. As Robert Dowling put it, brands can offer consumer insights and provide clarity in terms of marketing and promoting a show targeting the current demographics. But as for creating content. It just wouldn’t work, he averred.
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.
