From books to screen

To mark the launch of the brand new TV/Film Rights Centre at the last Bologna Children’s Book Fair, several conferences during the International Kids Licensing Days were dedicated to book-to-screen adaptations. Here is an interview with Olivia Deane, Senior Analyst, Ampere Analysis, who chaired a panel on some figures and trends in audiovisual development inspired by children’s books.

What is the role of book-based IPs in today’s turbulent children’s media market?

One of the most important changes in the media landscape between 2018 and now is that streaming growth has stalled. As SVoD commissioners accounted for the 232% of growth in the entire media market between 2018 and 2023, this has had a direct impact on the volume of new commissions being announced. The volume of commissions announced in 2023 dropped by 13% compared to the previous year, with children’s titles being among the most affected.

These challenges mean that creating content based on ideas that have already proven popular is more important than ever. This is particularly clear in terms of Children’s book adaptations, where titles based on existing literature have proved more robust than titles based on original ideas. The volume of Children’s book-adaptations announced declined by 9% between 2022 and 2023, compared with an 17% decline in all Children’s commissions over the same period.

How do childrens’ preferences are affecting content acquisition and commissioning?

At Ampere we ask consumers about their motivations for subscribing to a streaming service, our survey includes questions about price, content, and viewing habits. Unfortunately, the question that the least respondents related to was one about children. Only 15% of SVoD consumers in 2023 signed up for a service because it had content that their children like to watch. This means that in a time when subscriber growth is stalling, Children’s content is simply not a priority for streamers.

However, Ampere’s consumer data also shows that subscribers who live in households with children are less likely to churn than consumers with no children. This means that while companies have reduced their commissioning budgets for children’s content, they are acquiring more children’s content for their platforms in favour of Original content in order to appease this important consumer group.

What excellent opportunities are currently being offered to IP owners by public broadcasters? And what other opportunities could they take advantage of?

Public broadcasters, and in particular those in Western Europe, were the only commissioner type to increase their volume of children’s book adaptations between 2022 and 2023, providing the most consistent opportunities for those looking to sell Children’s book IP.

However, those who can find alternative funding models for Original content, for example a self-funded production company, will be able to take advantage of the active acquisition market.