NATPE appoints Executive Board to drive global strategy and industry connectivity

NATPE has appointed a new Executive Board of senior leaders from the world’s most influential media and technology companies. This high-level board will guide NATPE’s long-term strategy and support its evolution as the leading global marketplace for content commerce.

Bringing together a diverse cross-section of executives from streaming, broadcast, production, and digital platforms, the NATPE Executive Board will help steer the organization’s strategic vision, programming scope and partnership development

• Brad Beale, Head of Worldwide Content Licensing & Distribution, Amazon MGM Studios
• Kevin Beggs, Chair and Chief Creative Officer, Lionsgate Television Group
• Michael Bonner, President, Global TV Distribution, NBCUniversal
• Val Boreland, President, Entertainment, Versant
• Flory Bramnick, EVP, Distribution, Sony Pictures Television
• Brandon Brito, Senior Programming Executive, Apple TV+
• Dan Cohen, Former Chief Content Licensing Officer, Paramount Global Content Distribution
• Lori Conkling, Vice President, Licensing, Netflix
• David Decker, President, Content Sales, Warner Bros. Discovery
• Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP, Head of Programming, A&E, Lifetime
• Rebecca Glashow, Chief Executive Officer, BBC Global Media & Streaming, BBC Studios

The Executive Board will play a distinct role from NATPE’s annual Content Advisory Boards, by focusing on big picture issues such as global market navigation, strategic expansion, and industry connectivity—ensuring NATPE remains at the forefront of a rapidly changing media economy.

As NATPE continues to grow its international footprint, NATPE Global will return to Miami from February 4–6, 2026, at the InterContinental Miami, once again co-located with Realscreen Summit. With a dedicated crossover day, the two events create the industry’s must-attend week, February 2–6, 2026, for global content and unscripted programming.

John Morayniss on how to keep audiences hooked and make the most of NATPE Global

New this year, NATPE is curating a Scripted content track, bringing together the development execs, producers and showrunners who have found a formula for delivering buzz-generating hits.

Our Scripted Advisory Board member, John Morayniss, Co-Founder & CEO of Blink49 Studios, discusses the keys to creating binge-worthy television and the best ways for delegates to approach NATPE Global.

What’s the key to building a binge-worthy series?

The key is balancing strong, relatable characters with compelling, original and unpredictable storylines that keep viewers engaged. Shows like Wild Cards, which have successfully built momentum on both broadcast and streaming platforms, show how emotional stakes and unexpected twists can sustain bingeable viewing.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to delegates attending NATPE Global to maximize their experience?

Come prepared and do your homework in advance. Know the companies, executives, and projects you want to connect with, so you can make the most of your time on the floor, have meaningful conversations, and leave with actionable items as well as thoughtful and immediate follow-up on the most impactful meetings and interactions that you had.

Marie Leguizamo on what it takes to thrive in today’s content market

In this installment of our Advisory Board Insights series, Marie Leguizamo explores the strategies shaping sustainable IP, global collaboration, and why NATPE Global is where it all comes together.

How do you see power dynamics shifting?

We're seeing a more level playing field emerge. Creators have more leverage than ever, especially with audiences fragmented across platforms. The key for studios and streamers is to become true creative partners — flexible, fast-moving, and globally minded.

What’s the secret to creating IP that thrives everywhere?

Authenticity and adaptability. IP needs a strong core concept that can flex across formats — from long-form to short-form — while staying culturally relevant, inclusive and thinking audience-first.

What’s a recent innovation that will shape the industry’s future?

I’m excited by how data-driven insights are shaping creative decisions in real time. It's helping us localize global formats and launch stories that resonate deeply with regional audiences — and scale them fast.

What role do you see emerging markets playing?

Emerging markets will be growth engines — not just for audience reach but for storytelling. There’s a huge appetite for local content with universal themes, and we’re seeing more co-productions and cross-border collaborations as a result.

Why do you believe industry events like NATPE Global are vital in a fast-changing market?

Relationships matter more than ever. NATPE is where conversations turn into collaborations — a space to reconnect, discover fresh ideas, and stay ahead of where the business is heading.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to delegates attending NATPE Global to maximize their experience?

Be curious and intentional. Go beyond your comfort zone — talk to someone new, explore a different genre, or dig into a market you haven’t worked in yet. That’s where real opportunity lives.

If you could greenlight any dream project without budget or time constraints, what would it be and why?

A global anthology series that brings together diverse voices from Latin America, each episode rooted in local culture but tied together by a shared theme. It would celebrate our storytelling power while reaching audiences worldwide.

Advisory Board Insights: What’s driving the future of content

In this Q&A, our Advisory Board member Eric Levin discusses the trends transforming content, from emerging markets to creator-driven ecosystems. It’s insights like these, and the chance to meet the people driving change, that make attending NATPE Global a must.

How do you see power dynamics shifting?

The balance of power is tilting toward creators and agile studios who can deliver strong, adaptable IP. Streamers still dominate global reach, but with subscription fatigue and ad-supported models growing, broadcasters and FAST platforms are regaining leverage in distribution. Creators, meanwhile, are no longer just suppliers - they’re building direct-to-fan ecosystems that rival traditional gatekeepers. The next few years will be defined by partnerships where power shifts toward whoever can best engage audiences across formats, not just platforms.

What’s the secret to creating IP that thrives everywhere?

The “secret” lies in building IP with a modular DNA - stories and worlds that can flex across longform, shortform, interactive, and live experiences. Think of universes with strong worldbuilding (à la Marvel or K-dramas) but also snackable, character-driven moments designed for TikTok or YouTube Shorts. Crucially, it’s not about duplicating the same story everywhere, but about story layering: FAST channels can showcase deep libraries, while TikTok captures entry points, memes, and fan interaction loops that fuel the community.

What’s a recent innovation that will shape the industry’s future?

One of the most exciting shifts is AI-assisted content localization and personalization. Real-time dubbing and subtitling powered by AI are lowering barriers for global distribution, while personalization engines allow platforms to deliver content versions tailored to viewer preferences. This “mass personalization at scale” could transform how stories travel and how audiences feel ownership over them.

What role do you see emerging markets playing?

In the next 3–5 years, Latin America, Africa, and South/Southeast Asia will be growth engines. Expect more co-productions, regional hits breaking globally (as seen with K-content), and local IP developed with global franchises in mind. The market is shifting from “exporting to” to “co-creating with” these audiences.

Why do you believe industry events like NATPE Global are vital in a fast-changing market?

In a fragmented landscape, events like NATPE are vital as neutral convening spaces. They cut through the noise by connecting buyers, sellers, creators, and tech players under one roof. The value isn’t just in dealmaking - it’s in sense-making: understanding where the industry is headed, finding unexpected partners, and sparking the collaborations that won’t happen over Zoom.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to delegates attending NATPE Global to maximize their experience?

Maximize serendipity. Go beyond your immediate circle of known partners and actively seek conversations in the “white space.” Sit in sessions outside your specialty, talk to startups or emerging-market players, and come with a clear but flexible goal - whether it’s finding one new partner, uncovering one big trend, or testing your pitch with fresh eyes/new people.

If you could greenlight any dream project without budget or time constraints, what would it be and why?

I’d greenlight a globally co-created narrative universe - an evolving storyworld where writers, directors, and fans from different regions contribute chapters that reflect their cultures, but interconnect in a shared mythology. Imagine a sci-fi or fantasy epic that lives as a Netflix series, TikTok challenges, a Roblox/Metaverse experience, and local-language anthologies on regional streamers. It would be the first truly planetary IP, built with cultural diversity as its superpower.

Introducing the 2026 Advisory Board

We’re excited to introduce the industry leaders who are shaping the agenda for NATPE Global 2026, helping to curate an invaluable program for the global community of buyers, distributors and producers who annually convene at the largest international market in North America.

This year's event is guided by two dynamic content boards: one focused on the overall agenda, and a second dedicated to the new Scripted strand. Both bring deep expertise and insights to ensure NATPE Global delivers the connections and conversations that matter most.

• Fanny Baudry, Business development consultant, Formerly Wheelhouse
• Mark Bishop, Co-President, Blue Ant Studios
• Prentiss Fraser, President, Fox Entertainment Global
• Mark Garner, EVP, Head, Global Fast Channels, A+E Global Media
• Xavier Kochhar, CEO, XKE
  
• Marie Leguizamo, Managing Director, Banijay Mexico & US Hispanic
• Eric Levin, Chief Content Officer, Publicis Media
• Howard Owens, Founder & Co-CEO, Propagate
• Jens Richter, CEO, Commercial & International, Fremantle
• Justin Stockman, VP, Content Development & Programming, Bell Media

• Lisa Fahrenholt, EVP, Scripted Development, Endemol Shine North America
• Oliver Jones, Senior Commissioner, Apple TV+
• John Morayniss, Co-Founder & CEO, Blink49 Studios
• Clelia Mountford, Founder, Sunburnt Penguin Productions
• Robert Schildhouse, President, BritBox North America & General Manager, BritBox International

First keynotes spotlight industry convergence

Visionary content creator Dhar Mann and Bell Media President Sean Cohan have been announced as keynote speakers for the highly anticipated 2026 editions of NATPE Global and Realscreen Summit, returning to Miami from February 2–6, 2026 at the InterContinental Miami.

Under the lens of Convergence, NATPE Global and Realscreen Summit will dive into the business impact of the industry’s shifting power dynamics as traditional media players focus on broadening their footprint, partnering with erstwhile competitors to expand reach and optimize content, and studying social playbooks.

As the social platform-first and traditional media worlds collide, Cohan and Mann, represent two poles of an industry in transformation. Their appearances will anchor a week centered on confluence and collaboration — where traditional media reinvents itself to meet audiences’ evolving needs across their platforms of choice, and YouTube creators are producing network series and becoming studios:

• Dhar Mann, founder of Dhar Mann Studios, leads one of the world’s most-watched digital storytelling platforms, with billions of views across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Known for his cinematic, purpose-driven narratives centered on empathy, resilience, and social themes, Mann has cultivated a loyal global audience. His vertically integrated studio model combines high-volume production with real-time analytics, exemplifying how creators are building scalable media operations outside traditional gatekeeping structures. As the creator economy surpasses $250 billion globally, Mann stands at the forefront of a movement where creators’ industry influence is on the rise. He will be joined in the conversation by Dhar Mann Studios CEO and former MTV president Sean Atkins.
  
  
• Sean Cohan, President of Bell Media, leads one of North America's largest media and entertainment companies. At the forefront of innovation, Cohan is guiding Bell through a strategic reinvention, blending premium legacy brands with forward-looking digital expansion and partnerships, with the likes of Prime Video, to optimize content and increase reach. His remit spans the leading Canadian streamer Crave, top broadcast network CTV, French service Noovo, sports networks TSN and RDS, audio streamer iHeart Radio, and specialty channels. In the face of global competition, Cohan has leaned into nationally relevant content and unlocked synergies across Bell Media’s platforms to expand the company’s footprint both nationally and globally, while navigating the headwinds currently impacting the industry.

“This year’s keynotes speak to the confluence of what was once seen as two viewing solitudes – social platforms and mainstream media,” said Mary Maddever, Executive Content Director of NATPE and EVP of Realscreen. “In tandem with the broadcast business model’s migration towards streaming, what happens on different platforms is less distinct, so whether you're a creator scaling a global brand or a traditional media leader adapting to new market realities, there’s an upside in collaboration, crossing streams and learning from successes.”

“The response to our 2025 edition was phenomenal — record-breaking attendance and unprecedented buyer engagement,” said Claire Macdonald, SVP and Executive Director, NATPE Global. “In 2026, we’re raising the bar again, driven by visionaries like Dhar and Sean who are reshaping what this industry looks like. In addition to the bringing the Creator economy into the NATPE fold, we’re putting a spotlight on the Scripted side of the market with a new dedicated track and expanding our focus on bringing brands into the conversation.”

NATPE Global and Realscreen Summit to return to Miami following record-breaking 2025 edition

Following the resounding success of its 2025 edition, NATPE Global, North America’s premier content marketplace and Realscreen Summit, the largest and most influential global unscripted industry gathering, are set to return to the InterContinental Miami for another dynamic week of programming, networking, and deal-making February 2nd to 6th 2026.

Spanning the week, each event will once again maintain its own curated agenda while offering attendees a seamless opportunity to experience both markets. Realscreen Summit will kick off the week Feb. 2-4, followed by NATPE Global Feb. 4-6, with a mid-week crossover day designed to unite the unscripted and scripted communities in one collaborative environment.

In 2026, both events will further evolve to spotlight creativity and innovation across the entertainment ecosystem, with a spotlight on creators, brands and media agencies, and the launch of a dedicated Scripted strand at NATPE Global. NATPE Honors, the awards program designed to honor visionary leaders who are pushing boundaries and reshaping the industry, will return after a successful launch last year.

This dual-conference model offers a unique opportunity for buyers, distributors, and producers from around the world to connect across the full spectrum of entertainment content. The combined strength of both events continues to cement Miami as a must-attend destination for global media leaders.