TBI’s 2023 Predictions: Lucy Smith, entertainment division director, RX France

Lucy Smith

As the new year gets underway, TBI talks to some of the biggest names in the global TV industry to get their thoughts on the major trends and best shows coming up in the next 12 months.

Here, Lucy Smith, entertainment division director at MIP Markets organiser RX France, talks Succession, DE&I and distributon models.

What is the biggest growth area for your company this year?

Delivering the irreplaceable in-person international markets that no-one else can. But even bigger. With MIPTV, MIPCOM Cannes and MIP Cancun now all successfully bounced back, we’ll be at pre-pandemic levels and beyond, with ambitious plans to make the shows even more unmissable in 2023.

Succession

What is the key trend going to be this year?

Distribution models will continue to evolve in a fast, fascinating and febrile way. No ‘one size fits all’ now… Studios previously holding on to rights are clear they’re ‘open for business’, the competition for talent has never been so intense whilst co-production and international partnerships are increasingly important. The so-called ‘norms’ are being rewritten almost daily. That’s an exciting backdrop.

What is your New Year’s resolution and why?

To continue to push sustainability, diversity and inclusion agendas at our markets. For example, this MIPTV will see an even bigger staging of our Sustainable Development Goals Awards (SDG’s), established three years ago with the United Nations. To us it’s crucial not to just tick boxes, but to make the most of the opportunity when we have the global entertainment community gathered to inspire further cultural and industry change through recognising those making a difference.

What will be the biggest headline in 2023 and why?

“MIPCOM Cannes Breaks All Records”.

What show (from outside of your own company) are you most looking forward to?

Succession season 4.

Read more from TBI’s 2023 Predictions

• Tom Fussell, CEO, BBC Studios
• Marco Nobili, EVP & Int’l GM, Paramount+
• Mikiko Nishiyama, EVP, Nippon TV
• Julian Bellamy, CEO, ITV Studios
• Nomsa Philiso, executive head of programming, Multichoice
• Marina Williams, co-CEO, Asacha Media Group
• James Burstall, CEO, Argonon
• Lucy Smith, entertainment division director, RX France
• Mark Fennessy, founder, CCO & chair, Helium