Money was the name of the game where streamers were concerned at Series Mania this year.

An edition that has maybe felt a tad quieter than previous Lille confabs and suffered from a couple of last-minute keynote cancellations nonetheless was privy to grand spending commitments from Disney+, HBO Max and Prime Video.

Disney+’s new European content boss Angela Jain said at a Deadline-moderated keynote, “We want to do more… And I don’t think we can do more without spending more,” as she unveiled a splashy Murder on Lake Garda adaptation along with shows in the UK, Spain and Turkey.

With Nicole Clemens now at the helm of international originals, Prime Video’s message was “more series, more series, more series,” and this declaration can only mean one thing: more budget.

And in the week that HBO Max at long last launched in the UK, paired with the Harry Potter trailer and big pledges from Casey Bloys and Sarah Aubrey, HBO execs were out in full force at Series Mania, spreading the word about upcoming content and revealing talent deals.

The proof, as ever, will now be in the pudding – although hopefully not a Europudding, as producers tend to use events like Series Mania to press home the point that that particular era of co-production is over. In a year’s time, it will be intriguing to see whether the continent’s producers really feel that this year’s message has morphed into what everybody wants: More commissions.

Many will recall Series Mania 2022, during which HBO commissioners were similarly out in force committing to big spend. Several months later, owner Warner Bros. Discovery let go of 29 staff in Europe including key programming execs, as it rapidly shifted its local commissioning model. In its defense, HBO Max very much feels here to stay internationally, and a repeat of four years ago would be a shock.

Notably absent from proceedings at Lille this year was Netflix, with no panels dedicated to the streamer and what felt like a paucity of execs on the ground. Netflix will, perhaps, feel it has less to prove when it comes to the European content spending game. It could also still be smarting from the Paramount-Warner of it all.

“New era for alliances”

Producers will be desperately hoping they can take advantage of this new streamer bounty, but this year’s Series Mania was also a reminder that the majority of European commissioning still comes from public service broadcasters and traditional commercial nets. We’re also still to see the full effects of the various streaming content quotas that have been introduced across Europe.

Execs from all the big European broadcasters – less so the Brits – were as visible as ever. Yet an alarming Federation of Screenwriters in Europe report published Wednesday posited that this established model is under threat from the influence of numerous right-wing European governments and Donald Trump. Creatives have stated they are finding it harder and harder to access government funding and there were even reports of self-censorship, as writers become nervous about pitching shows that will anger far-right regimes. The report made for scary reading.

Enter into force a landmark TV co-pro treaty that its backers say will signal a “new era for alliances in Europe.” Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset summoned the spirit of Winston Churchill as he passionately urged Europe to remember how “to tell its own story.”

Rousing an initially sleepy audience during the early morning opening Lille Dialogues session on Thursday, he said: “What Europe would give in moments like this for a storytelling tool as powerful as yours, reminding people who we are, what we built and why it still matters.”

The treaty has now officially been signed, providing rules and clarification around revenue sharing, access to funding and data transparency for co-pros.

Those we spoke to on the ground had mixed reactions. Some senior lobbyists at last night’s swanky Series Mania dinner celebrating guest of honor Russell T. Davies were highly enthused, believing that it will cut out red tape around co-pros in an era when these deals need to become more commonplace and need to move more speedily. They talked of a genuinely gamechanging moment for European entertainment and culture, and a chance re-establish Euro-centric storytelling in an era of global streaming.

Others feel that the treaty effectively ratifies something that already exists. “I look at the detail and just think that this is what we are doing already,” said the head of one big European production house who has led on many co-productions. This person suggested that the legislation could become more powerful if combined with local streamer content quotas, building up a more holistic framework that would support commissions from all players.

Top brass at the streamers will hope additional commitments pledged in Lille put to bed the ever-lingering question of whether they ‘give enough back’ to European creatives and audiences in the shape of local content. In many cases, the likes of Netflix feel aggrieved that they’ve been forced to legally commit to spends that they are already meeting or even exceeding off their own backs.

Series Mania maybe lacked a litle star power in 2026, but as ever it proved a canny indicator of where the European industry currently sits.

“The world outside is not waiting for culture to catch up, it is already here in this room,” concluded the Council of Europe’s Berset. We would struggle to put it better ourselves.

Jesse Whittock contributed reporting.