Kidscreen Summit’s Shutdown Is Shocking, But Hardly Surprising In An Era Defined By Media Consolidation

The kids’ entertainment business was hit with shocking, if not entirely unsurprising, news this week that marks both the end of a major industry event and may signal the end of an entire operating model.

Brunico Communications’ decision to discontinue the long-running Kidscreen Summit, alongside the Realscreen Summit and NATPE Global, ends the 30-year run of one of North America’s most important screen content marketplaces. In an open letter published on its website, the company framed the move in macroeconomic terms, with CEO Russell Goldstein writing that the decision was “deeply considered” and driven by “market consolidation” that is having “structural impacts on the content production business.”

Between the Lines

That language is doing some heavy lifting and barely scratches the surface of the issues forcing change in the screen industries today. What it describes is a system, at least in the U.S., that no longer supports the kind of large-scale, travel-heavy, dealmaking conferences that once defined how animation and children’s TV got financed, sold, and distributed. With so much content now owned by so few organizations in the U.S., and increasingly abroad, there is less need than ever for these kinds of get-togethers.

For decades, Kidscreen Summit functioned as a vital date for the global kids’ media industry. It routinely drew thousands of delegates from across production, broadcasting, licensing, and distribution. It was equal parts conference and market floor, where projects were pitched, partnerships were formed, and deals were closed. The shutdown removes one of the few remaining spaces where smaller outfits could make real progress with their most ambitious projects.

A Strategic Shift

Goldstein’s letter reassures that Brunico’s publishing brands will continue editorially, emphasizing that Kidscreen and Realscreen will “continue to provide a forum for thought leadership” and “deliver the dedicated daily intel needed to stay informed.” But the pivot from physical event production to publishing only will have long-lasting consequences for sellers and buyers of nearly all sizes.

This is the reality of an industry being relentlessly consolidated by acquisitions, mergers, and shutdowns. There are fewer commissioners, tighter budgets, and capital is being concentrated among fewer players. The traditional economic rationale for flying reps to multi-day conferences no longer aligns with current marketplace realities. The model depended on volume, and there are now not enough buyers, sellers, or viable projects to justify the cost.

Mixed Message

Compounding the significance of the announcement is the human dimension, which the official statement fails to address fully. Brunico notes that longtime Kidscreen publisher Jocelyn Christie will be “leaving…to pursue other opportunities.” Framed that way, it reads like a routine transition.

According to Christie, that is not what happened.

In a LinkedIn post addressing the news directly, she wrote: “After 28 incredible years building Kidscreen into a global brand and community I am immensely proud of, I was let go as part of Brunico’s decision to shut down its events business, including Kidscreen Summit.”

That rebuttal cuts through the corporate language so common in this era of layoffs and closures. Christie had been one of the defining figures behind Kidscreen’s rise, and her departure is inseparable from the summit’s shuttering.

Impact on Animation

For animation in particular, the implications of this shutdown are significant. Kidscreen Summit was one of the few places where studios, especially independent and international outfits, could physically meet a diverse group of buyers efficiently. Without that hub, a major, perhaps irreplaceable, resource has now been lost. That impact will be felt disproportionately by emerging creators and smaller studios, which relied on the summit to earn a seat at the table.

Writing on the Wall

The Summit’s shutdown is the latest in a long stream of changes already affecting the industry, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic and its fallout. Digital communication, virtual pitching, and year-round dealmaking have been chipping away at the need for fixed annual gatherings for years.

The need that the Summit fulfilled has not disappeared, however. The kids’ media business still requires ways to discover projects, finance them, and build partnerships. The largest lingering question now is what replaces these events. Smaller, more targeted gatherings could be one answer, as could hybrid digital markets that better reflect how deals are now made.

End of an Era

What is clear is that the shutdown is not an isolated incident. It did not come out of the blue, and although shocking, it is hardly surprising given long-term changes observed in recent years. It would not be surprising if other high-profile get-togethers follow suit. The end of Kidscreen Summit suggests that industry forces have shifted in ways that make traditional mechanisms no longer meet participants’ needs, and whatever comes next will likely look very different.