Toronto-based media company Brunico Communications has announced the cessation of its U.S. television events business, a strategic realignment that includes the permanent closure of NATPE (National Association of Television Program Executives) events and its acclaimed Kidscreen and Realscreen Summits. This decisive move, communicated by Brunico President and CEO Russell Goldstein on Tuesday, reflects a profound acknowledgement of the evolving landscape within the global content production and distribution sectors, which have been increasingly shaped by market consolidation and significant structural transformations. The decision effectively cancels the planned combined NATPE and Realscreen TV conferences and markets, which were slated for a singular event in Miami in February 2026, marking a final chapter for these once-prominent industry gatherings.
Goldstein’s statement underscored that the decision was "deeply considered," highlighting the gravity of discontinuing events that have, for decades, served as critical hubs for deal-making, networking, and thought leadership within the television industry. The market forces at play, particularly the relentless wave of mergers and acquisitions among major media conglomerates and the consequent streamlining of operational budgets, have created an environment less conducive to large-scale, generalist trade shows. The content production business has witnessed a seismic shift, moving away from traditional models of syndication and broadcast sales towards an ecosystem dominated by direct-to-consumer streaming services and increasingly integrated global content strategies.
While the U.S. events arm is being wound down, Brunico Communications confirmed that its highly respected industry publications, Kidscreen and Realscreen, will continue to operate as essential news and analysis platforms for the children’s content and unscripted programming sectors, respectively. This pivot signifies a strategic emphasis on content delivery and market intelligence over large-scale physical events in the U.S. The operational restructuring also entails significant personnel changes, with Claire Macdonald, executive director of NATPE, and Jocelyn Christie, publisher of Kidscreen, departing Brunico. Their departures mark the end of an era for two executives who have played pivotal roles in shaping and executing these industry-leading events.
The Storied Rise and Challenging Fall of NATPE
The closure of NATPE events marks the end of a long and often illustrious history for an organization that, for decades, stood as a cornerstone of the television industry. Founded in 1963, NATPE quickly grew into a global powerhouse, renowned for its annual market where program executives from across the U.S. and around the world converged to buy and sell television shows, particularly syndicated content. In its heyday, NATPE was the essential destination for independent producers, local broadcasters, and international distributors looking to secure programming, forge partnerships, and track emerging trends. Its January gathering in glamorous locations like Las Vegas and Miami Beach was a fixture on the industry calendar, often dictating the programming slate for the year ahead.
However, the dawn of the 21st century brought a gradual erosion of NATPE’s traditional relevance. The rise of cable television, followed by digital distribution platforms and, most significantly, the streaming revolution, fundamentally altered the content acquisition landscape. The traditional syndication model, which was NATPE’s bread and butter, began to wane as networks and studios increasingly sought to retain rights for their own platforms or pursue global distribution directly. Attendance at NATPE events, once in the tens of thousands, started to dwindle, reflecting the changing priorities of industry players.
The COVID-19 pandemic delivered a particularly devastating blow. The forced cancellations of NATPE’s flagship U.S. TV markets in 2021 and 2022, due to public health restrictions and travel uncertainties, starved the organization of crucial revenue. Operating largely on the income generated from its annual conference, NATPE found itself in an untenable financial position, ultimately leading to its filing for bankruptcy protection in October 2022. This moment signaled a profound crisis for an institution that had long been synonymous with the American television business.
Brunico’s Attempted Revival and Unforeseen Headwinds
It was in this precarious context that Brunico Communications stepped in. In a testament to NATPE’s historical significance and the perceived ongoing need for a U.S.-focused content market, Brunico acquired NATPE’s assets following its bankruptcy. This acquisition was part of Brunico’s broader strategy in the events space, complementing its successful operation of the Banff World Media Festival, which it took over in 2016. Brunico, having also previously run the Realscreen Summit and Kidscreen Summit conferences, brought considerable experience in managing international markets and conferences.
The revitalized NATPE Global, under Brunico’s stewardship, made its return to Miami in 2024. The ambition was to breathe new life into the brand, adapting it to the contemporary industry landscape. However, the timing of its return coincided with a confluence of unprecedented challenges that proved formidable. The year 2023 saw Hollywood gripped by dual strikes from the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). These prolonged industrial actions brought much of film and television production to a standstill, disrupting content pipelines, delaying releases, and creating immense uncertainty across the industry. For a content market, the absence of new projects and the reticence of talent and executives to engage in new deals during a strike-impacted period significantly diminished its immediate value proposition.
Furthermore, the television industry was already navigating the disruptive forces of emerging streaming platforms and accelerating cord-cutting. The "streaming wars" intensified competition, driving up content spending while simultaneously pressuring traditional linear television revenues. Major studios were grappling with balancing the expensive proposition of building and maintaining streaming services with the offsetting losses from their declining linear TV businesses. This strategic recalibration often led to internal consolidation of acquisition teams, reduced travel budgets for external events, and a preference for highly targeted, direct engagements over large, open-market forums.
The Enduring Value of Kidscreen and Realscreen Summits
Alongside NATPE, Brunico also operated the Kidscreen Summit and Realscreen Summit, which had established themselves as critical, specialized events within the industry. The Kidscreen Summit was globally recognized as the premier annual event for the children’s entertainment industry, attracting creators, producers, broadcasters, distributors, and merchandisers focused on content for kids of all ages. It was a vibrant hub for pitching new shows, discussing educational content trends, and navigating the complexities of a highly regulated and rapidly evolving market segment.
Similarly, the Realscreen Summit served as the leading international conference for the non-fiction and unscripted content industry. It brought together documentary filmmakers, reality TV producers, network executives, and buyers specializing in factual programming, offering unparalleled networking opportunities, pitch sessions, and insights into financing and distribution models for reality series, documentaries, and lifestyle shows. Both summits carved out indispensable niches, fostering communities and facilitating deals within their respective content verticals.
The decision to discontinue these summits as U.S. events, while retaining their publication counterparts, reflects a nuanced understanding of their value. The publications Kidscreen and Realscreen continue to be vital sources of news, analysis, and market intelligence, demonstrating that the need for information and industry insights remains robust, even as the mode of inter-industry interaction shifts. The continued success of these publications underscores the enduring importance of specialized media in an increasingly fragmented landscape.
A Broader Industry Reshaping: Consolidation and Contraction
Brunico’s announcement is not an isolated incident but rather a symptom of a broader, systemic reshaping of the global media and entertainment industry. The past decade has witnessed unprecedented levels of consolidation, with mega-mergers like Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, WarnerMedia’s merger with Discovery, and Amazon’s purchase of MGM fundamentally altering the competitive landscape. These integrations often result in fewer, larger entities with centralized decision-making, leading to reduced external spending on marketing, travel, and third-party events.
The economic headwinds of recent years, including global inflation, rising interest rates, and the specter of recession, have further tightened corporate budgets. Companies across the media ecosystem are under pressure to demonstrate profitability and efficiency, leading to widespread cost-cutting measures. Attending and exhibiting at large-scale trade shows represents a significant investment in terms of time, travel, and resources. In an era of austerity, the return on investment from such events is being scrutinized more rigorously than ever.
Moreover, the very nature of deal-making has evolved. While physical markets once offered the primary forum for face-to-face negotiations, the digital age has facilitated more direct, year-round communication and targeted meetings. Virtual platforms and sophisticated data analytics allow companies to identify potential partners and content more efficiently, reducing the perceived necessity of mass gatherings. The serendipitous encounters and broad networking opportunities that were once the hallmark of events like NATPE are increasingly being supplanted by more curated and often digitally-driven interactions.
Brunico’s Strategic Pivot and the Future of Media Events
By discontinuing its U.S. television events, Brunico Communications is undertaking a strategic pivot, rationalizing its portfolio to focus on its core strengths and what remains viable in a challenging market. The continued operation of the Banff World Media Festival serves as a potential model for future success in the events space. Banff, which attracts a diverse global audience and benefits from strong Canadian government and industry support, has successfully adapted to changing market conditions, maintaining its relevance as a key event for content creation, production, and distribution. Its focus on creative excellence, thought leadership, and high-level networking, perhaps coupled with a more boutique and less sprawling format than traditional trade shows, may offer lessons for surviving industry events.
The implications for the industry are multifaceted. On one hand, the closure of these events represents a loss of established platforms for networking, discovery, and community building. Many independent producers, emerging talent, and smaller distributors relied on these markets to gain visibility and secure deals that might otherwise be out of reach. The informal connections forged in hallways and at evening receptions often proved invaluable.
On the other hand, this shift may catalyze the emergence of new, more specialized, or hybrid event models. We might see a proliferation of smaller, more focused conferences catering to specific niches, or a greater reliance on virtual components to extend reach and reduce costs. Industry professionals may need to adapt by leveraging digital tools more effectively, engaging in more direct outreach, and seeking out bespoke opportunities for collaboration.
Ultimately, Brunico’s decision is a stark reminder of the profound and ongoing transformation within the global media landscape. It signals that even well-established and historically significant events are not immune to the relentless forces of technological disruption, economic pressures, and market consolidation. While the industry mourns the loss of these familiar gathering places, it simultaneously looks ahead to an uncertain future, where the ways content is created, distributed, and consumed continue to evolve at an unprecedented pace. The enduring legacy of NATPE, Kidscreen, and Realscreen will now primarily reside in their historical impact and the continued influence of their namesake publications, rather than in the bustling halls of their once-vibrant U.S. events.
