YouTube is set to deepen its role at MIPCOM CANNES 2026, as the global content market brings the platform back to Cannes with an expanded program focused on distribution, monetisation and the changing relationship between creators, studios and the international television business. Building on its historic market debut in 2025, YouTube’s 2026 programme marks a strategic shift from the why to the how, offering media companies clear insights into navigating digital distribution and driving incremental growth across the streaming value chain.
Pedro Pina, Vice President, YouTube EMEA, will kick off the market with a main-stage keynote on opening day in the Grand Auditorium of the Palais des Festivals. Reflecting the platform’s deep commitment to the broader media landscape, Pedro Pina will be joined throughout the week by Justin Connolly, Vice President, YouTube Global Head of Media & Sports, and YouTube partnership teams, alongside more than 10 major media partners sharing realworld success stories on stage.
Returning to the exhibition floor with an enhanced YouTube View hub, the platform will expand its footprint with a new series of twice-daily workshops and panels in the Hi5 Theater. Running Monday through Wednesday, these collaborative sessions are specifically tailored to help broadcasters, studios, media publishers, and creators optimise their presence, tackling everything from advanced monetisation strategies to Connected TV growth and AI-driven formats. Attendees will also learn to turn YouTube Studio analytics into actionable growth while scaling high-value creator-brand partnerships. Complementing these sessions, YouTube executives will participate in forward-looking dialogues across the market on the convergence of the creator economy, video-first podcasts, and live entertainment.
YouTube’s footprint will also expand into the preceding MIPJUNIOR weekend (10- 11 October 2026), reinforcing its commitment to supporting global youth content and animation creators amid a rapidly shifting industry landscape. As the official sponsor of the MIPJUNIOR Opening Happy Hour, YouTube will bring together top-tier global partners to network and connect at the premier kickoff event of the weekend. On stage, YouTube will host a high-impact session exploring how global legacy brands and digitally native phenomena alike are successfully building deep fandoms, scaling premium IP, and winning the hearts of Gen Z and Teens on the platform.
As living-room viewing habits shift, with global audiences now consuming over 1 billion hours of YouTube on television sets every single day, this expanded presence highlights YouTube’s role as an essential growth partner where traditional media, creator-led studios, and digital platforms converge. The programme directly complements the upcoming MIP AI Entertainment Forum and MIP BrandWorks, placing MIPCOM CANNES at the epicentre of the emerging content economy.
Lucy Smith, Director of MIPCOM CANNES and MIPJUNIOR, said: “Last year marked a generational shift for MIPCOM, proven by YouTube’s historic debut. Their message to the industry was clear: ‘we only succeed when you do.’ This year, they are backing that up by doubling their presence, bringing their global leadership, and offering the practical tools needed to shape the future of entertainment. We are thrilled to provide the ultimate forum where the world’s leading media companies and YouTube can connect, collaborate, and stream bigger together.”
Pedro Pina, Vice President, YouTube EMEA, said: “The media landscape is shifting rapidly, and YouTube is here to help broadcasters and studios grow. This year at MIPCOM, our focus moves from why media companies should be on YouTube to exactly how they can build a sustainable business on the platform. We want to show them a clear path to distribute and monetize content, driving shared success in the new streaming era.”
MIPCOM CANNES (12-15 October 2026) 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.
