MIPCOM CANNES unveils MIP BrandWorks, a new flagship initiative connecting brands and agencies directly with the world’s leading studios, production companies, streamers, creators, IP rightsholders and commissioners to accelerate partnerships, development and dealmaking around brand-funded content and IP.
MIP BrandWorks builds on last year’s introduction of “brand entertainment” into the MIPCOM CANNES programme, with the aim to widen the international community of content producers, commissioners, and distributors to include brands and agencies within the broader MIPCOM global media and content market. It will run across the 3 days of MIPCOM 2026 and is being co-produced in partnership with Doug Scott, Co-Founder of UNXNOWN, Emmy-nominated producer, founder of OgilvyEntertainment and Former Cannes Lions Jury President for Branded Content.
MIP BrandWorks forms a broader expansion for MIPCOM CANNES 2026, with the Creator Economy, AI and Microdrama/Vertical Series also taking on a significantly enhanced role across the market, reflecting the shifts that are reshaping how content is created, funded and distributed globally.
“MIP BrandWorks signals the next evolution of MIPCOM CANNES, reaffirming it as the gateway to the global media and content business, ” said Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM CANNES. “What began as a step change last year is now a full transformation. Across the industry, companies are no longer operating separately – they are building together, and MIPCOM is where those partnerships can flourish. With Doug bringing unrivalled experience in global brand storytelling, we are taking this significantly further in October. Together with an expanded Creator Economy and AI presence, this cements MIPCOM CANNES as the one place where the whole industry, in every form, comes to do business.”
“MIP BrandWorks represents the evolution of branded content into something far more systematic, ” said Doug Scott, co-founder of UNXNOWN. “We are creating an environment where brands can move beyond campaigns to build always-on programming, develop format IP and integrate commerce directly into the narrative, giving them the tools to operate with the power and reach of modern media companies.“
A Marketplace Built for a New Era of Content
MIP BrandWorks is designed as a curated environment where conversations convert into partnerships, bringing together brands, marketers, creators, studios and rights holders to develop, finance and scale storytelling across every genre and platform.
Key areas to include:
- The Brand Showcase: high-impact sessions connecting brands as commissioners directly with producers and creators.
- Curated Matchmaking: themed sessions across microdrama and vertical series, scripted, unscripted and more.
- Brand x Creator Pitch Fest: a live development marketplace pairing global brands with top production companies and creators.
Complementing this is the CXO Summit, an exclusive, invitation-only forum co-produce with David Freeman, CEO and Founder, Kynetic Media Ventures. The Summit is tailored for senior leaders shaping the future of brand-funded content and IP. Designed for honest conversation, shared challenges, and meaningful partnerships, it brings together decision-makers from across brands, agencies, creators, studios, platforms and emerging AI innovators.
“My partnership with MIPCOM CANNES to launch MIP BrandWorks CXO Summit is about building the connective tissue the industry has been missing, a shared system where creator networks, brands and studios operate by design rather than chance. This creates that layer, aligning creators, capital and IP to turn audiences into long-term enterprise value, ” said David Freeman, CEO and Founder, Kynetic Media Ventures.
Additionally, MIP BrandWorks will span main stage keynotes, data-led insights, partner showcases and private dealmaking environments creating a continuous flow from thought leadership to transaction.
MIPCOM Cannes is the world’s largest and most impactful market and gateway to the international media and content business, bringing together studios, broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors, creators, brands, and AI and technology companies from over 100 countries across an increasingly interconnected media landscape. It’s where deals are made, partnerships take shape, and new content reaches global audiences.
Doug Scott is the co-founder of UNXNOWN, where he partners with entrepreneurs and global brands on strategy, product development, and brand innovation. With leadership roles at Ogilvy, Endeavor, and Culture Group, and work with companies like Google, Amazon, Nike, VISA, ESPN, and Rolex, he has helped shape how brands show up in culture.
David Freeman is the Founder & CEO of Kynetic Media Ventures, where he builds and scales fandom, communities and talent IP into high-growth businesses. A former CAA executive, he spent 15 years founding and leading the agency’s Digital Media department, launching industry-defining verticals across creator representation, branded entertainment, gaming and Esports, social media monetization, immersive media/XR, AI and corporate advisory – helping shape new business models in the creator economy.
Leading agencies, brands and brand entertainment studios and divisions attending MIP markets in Cannes and London over the last 12 months include Ancestry, Banijay Entertainment, BBC StoryWorks, Blink49, CAA, Dentsu, Digitas, Fremantle, Hasbro Studios, IPG Mediabrands, Little Dot Studios, Mattel, McCann World Group, Publicis Groupe, Spirit, Sugar 23, Toys R Us, TRAVERSE32, UTA and WPP Media.
