Speaking

Presenter

Mary Maddever

Senior EVP Realscreen/Chief Content Officer Brunico

Realscreen & NATPE Global

Presenter

Claire Macdonald

EVP, Executive Director, NATPE

NATPE Global & Realscreen

Join Dhar Mann, the visionary creator behind Dhar Mann Studios alongside CEO (and former MTV President) Sean Atkins, as they share insights into building a creator-driven brand that reaches 163M+ followers across platforms, and the ways in which traditional studios and creators can collaborate and benefit from each other’s strengths. At DMS, Dhar creates content that uplifts the world by helping people feel seen and connected, getting 296M views each week. He was also just named NFL’s Creator of the Week for Super Bowl LX. This session will explore how creators are building communities through meaningful content and how producers and executives from traditional media can use their expertise, and learn new tricks, within the creatorsphere.

Speaking

Sean Atkins

CEO

Dhar Mann Studios

Dhar Mann

Founder

Dhar Mann Studios

Simone Boyce

Journalist & Host

Join us for a compelling keynote conversation with Sean Cohan, President of Bell Media and recipient of the 2026 NATPE Honors Shift Disturber Award as he shares how Canada’s largest media and entertainment company is reshaping its strategy to compete — and thrive — on a global stage.  From transforming legacy media assets to building  the leading Canadian streamer, Crave,  Cohan will share how Bell Media is driving success by embracing great storytelling across news, entertainment and sports platforms,  forging smart partnerships domestically and internationally, and balancing locally resonant content with global ambition.

Speaking

Sean Cohan

President

Bell Media

Interviewer

Elaine Low

Staff Writer

The Ankler

Amazon MGM Studios is taking a fundamentally different approach to AI in entertainment—one rooted in empowering creators, protecting IP, and expanding what’s creatively possible. This conversation explores how technology, when designed with filmmakers at the center, becomes a catalyst for imagination rather than a constraint.

Drawing from real productions and real creative partnerships, we’ll hear how AI is helping filmmakers push boundaries, rethink process, and bring ambitious visions to life faster and more sustainably. It’s a look at how human-centric AI tooling can unlock new kinds of stories, new voices, and new opportunities—while setting a standard for how the industry evolves responsibly.

This is about possibility. It’s about leadership. And it’s about what happens when creators are given better tools and the freedom to dream bigger.

Speaking

Jonathan Verk

CEO

Social Department

Albert Cheng

Head of AI Studios

Amazon MGM Studios

Jon Erwin

Founder & Chief Content Officer

Wonder Project

The lines between social platforms, streamers, broadcasters and studios (as well as the roles played by producers, creators and brands) are getting blurrier by the day. As old models collide with new players and priorities, we're seeing the content business redefine in real time. This session digs into the shifts - from the rise of creator-driven studios and AI in production, to how brands and agencies are impacting development - providing context and guidance on what it means for the way the world makes, funds, and sells content now and next.

Speaking

Robert Sharenow

President of Programming

A+E Global Media

Eric Levin

Chief Content Officer

Publicis Media

Kim Larson

Global Managing Director & Head of Creators

YouTube

Verena Puhm

Head of Dream Lab LA

Luma AI

Alexandra Panousis

Former Agency CEO

Complimentary lunch will be provided on a first come first served basis

Romania is where cinematic magic meets unbeatable value. Renowned for its world-class crews, breathtaking and diverse locations, state-of-the-art production and postproduction facilities, the country offers an exceptional combination of quality and affordability. Plus, with a 30% cash rebate on eligible local expenditures, filming in Romania isn’t just an artistic win—it’s a smart business move. Discover why global productions are choosing Romania and how it could be the perfect setting for your next project.

This enlightening conversation with Anna Saalfeld, Head of P&G Studios will explore how the content production division of one of the world’s foremost consumer goods companies is redefining the intersection between brands and entertainment. The session will dive into where and how P&G Studios collaborates with production company partners, networks and streamers, and will explore what’s next for the studio.

Joining Anna will be Executive Producer, Loretha Jones, where they will talk about one of the projects coming out of P&G's Queen Collective initiative — a partnership with Procter & Gamble, Queen Latifah, Flavor Unit Entertainment, and Tribeca Studios.

Speaking

Anna Saalfeld

Head of P&G Studios

Procter & Gamble

Loretha Jones

Head of Content

Flavor Unit Entertainment

Interviewer

Michele Fino

Chief Storyteller

As social platforms, the creator economy, and AI disrupt traditional television economics, billions of dollars in value are disappearing while new winners are quietly emerging. In this session, leading private-equity investors, operators, and advisors unpack where capital flowed over the last decade, where it is moving now, and how M&A strategies are being rewritten across media, content, advertising, and IP. Get an unfiltered view of what models are investable, what assets are consolidating, and where acquisition opportunities are accelerating, and learn how production companies, studios, and distributors must transact, consolidate, and evolve¡­or risk irrelevance

Speaking

Alex Iosilevich

Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Alignment Growth

Jared Frandle

Managing Director

Oaktree Capital Management

Xavier Kochhar

CEO & General Partner

XKE Capital

Matt Rivet

Partner

Altman Solon

These days, creators are building more than just channels. They're also building brands, shaping culture, and becoming increasingly important players in the global media landscape. This session will dive into what makes cross-over partnerships work, and the innovation this social-to-TV-platform movement is sparking in entertainment circles.

Speaking

Scott Winkler

Head of Commercial Partnerships

Dude Perfect

Kudzi Chikumbu

VP, Creator Partnerships

Tubi

Brooke Meister

Managing Director

Link Management

Alexandra Panousis

Former Agency CEO

In this intimate fireside chat, CBS News' David Begnaud interviews NATPE Honors Cause + Action recipient Wendy McMahon on the challenges, opportunities and transformation that's needed in the high-stakes stakes broadcast news landscape.
Currently an advisor at beehiiv, the former president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures is known for her track record reinvigorating broadcast news at CBS, and prior to that as president of ABC Owned Television Stations at Disney. McMahon, who is being recognized for championing journalistic integrity and local reporting, will share her learning from decades spent growing audiences, sparking collaboration, and making space for more voices by shaping new citizen journalism models.

Speaking

David Begnaud

Founder, CEO

Wendy McMahon

Former President and CEO, CBS News and Stations, CBS Media Ventures, and The Walt Disney Company

beehiiv

As NATPE Global kicks off and Realscreen Summit wraps, you're all invited to converge for one huge co-location co-celebration. Join the party for food, drinks and cross-industry connections.