Pitching to Streamers in EMEA: Lessons from Disney+’s New Commissioning Team

Pitching to Streamers in EMEA: Use Disney+’s New Commissioning Moves to Reframe Your Approach

Hook: You’ve got a great format, a killer lead, and a five-minute sizzle—but EMEA streamer commissioners aren’t just buying ideas anymore. They’re buying regional strategies that move subscribers, fit promotional windows, and scale internationally. If you want to win commissions in 2026, you must tailor your pitch to commissioner priorities, not a generic “one-size-fits-all” deck.

In early 2026, industry outlets reported a reshuffle inside Disney+’s EMEA arm, with content chief Angela Jain promoting several homegrown commissioning executives. These moves signal what commissioners care about: local tastes, fast-to-market formats, and teams set up to sustain long-term slate performance. Use this as a trigger: if a major streamer is reorganizing around regional expertise, your pitch should map to that reorientation.

"We want to set the team up for long term success in EMEA." — Angela Jain, as reported by Deadline

Why this matters to creators and producers

Executive promotions are not just corporate gossip. They are directional signals about what the platform will prioritize in commissioning: local tastes, repeatable formats, cross-border potential, and measurable subscriber impact. For creators and producers pitching in EMEA, that means reshaping every part of your package—from your logline to your distribution asks.

Top 2026 trends shaping EMEA commissioning

• Regional hubs and local commissioners: Platforms are building continent-wide teams with local leads. Commissioners expect regional nuance and culturally-accurate storytelling.
• Data-driven creative decisions: Streaming platforms increasingly combine viewing data, search trends, and campaign response metrics to assess risk.
• Shorter dev timelines: Speed to market matters—commissioners want formats that can be produced and localized quickly.
• Hybrid formats: Live, interactive, and companion-first experiences (including FAST and ad tiers) are moving from experimental to expected.
• Rights flexibility: Co-pros, windows, and exploitation models are scrutinized in commission stages to optimize ROI.
• Promotion-first packaging: Commissioners now ask, “How will this show help us attract and retain subscribers?” Your pitch should answer that.

How Disney+ EMEA’s promotions reveal commissioner priorities

The recent promotions at Disney+ EMEA (for example, the elevation of scripted and unscripted commissioners with deep regional experience) reveal several priorities:

1. Local first, then global: Commissioners want projects that can be rooted in a territory but scale across markets via dubbing, localized remakes, or format export.
2. Format repeatability: Shows like connection-driven unscripted formats or serialized dramas that can sustain seasons and spin-offs get attention.
3. Promo-readiness: Projects that are easy to sell via campaign hooks, star power, and clear metadata rise higher on slates.
4. Cross-platform impact: How a show will perform on FAST channels, AVOD, linear partnerships, and social clips matters to commissioning teams tightly measured on ROI.

Practical pitching strategies: align your package to commissioner priorities

Below are step-by-step actions to build a pitch that speaks the language of EMEA streamers in 2026.

1. Research the regional slate and the commissioner

• Map the platform’s recent EMEA commissions (last 12–24 months). Note genres, episode lengths, language mixes, and talent nationality.
• Study the promoted executives' prior projects. If the VP of Unscripted built fast-paced dating formats, emphasize format mechanics and episode tempo in your deck.
• Tailor language to business goals: use subscriber-language (trial-to-paid uplift, retention) rather than creative-only terms.

2. Lead with a one-line commissioner benefit

Start your pitch with a single sentence that answers: How does this show help the streamer in EMEA? Examples:

• "A 6x30 docuseries about local football rivalries that drives subscriptions in France and Spain and feeds short-form social clips for match-day viewing."
• "An interactive, live-adjacent crime format designed for the UK market that scales to localized editions across Europe."

3. Packaging: attach regional talent and measurable KPIs

By 2026, commissioners expect more than an idea: they want proof it will reach audiences.

• Talent: Secure at least one name with regional pull (a host, lead actor, or producer). Explain their audience profile and prior impact on viewership.
• KPIs: Propose clear commissioning KPIs: 30-day retention, trial conversion uplift, social view target, FAST debut reach.
• Promotion plan: Outline earned, owned, and paid tactics. Show short-form clip strategy for Instagram/X/TikTok and how it feeds platform recommendation signals.

4. Format alignment: make format mechanics explicit

Commissioners are format people. They think in episodes, seasons, and repeatability.

• Include a clear episode breakdown (Act structure, runtime, key beats).
• Demonstrate why the format is repeatable: scoring mechanics, themes for season 2+, and spin-off potential.
• For unscripted formats, show production cadence and per-episode cost ranges—commissioners weigh budget vs. scale.

5. Rights and windows: be flexible and transparent

In EMEA, co-productions and licensing windows are often the difference-maker.

• Offer multiple rights packages: exclusive first-window, shared FAST/AVOD windows, or territory-limited exclusives.
• State your preferred co-pro partners and pre-sales if any.
• Be explicit about language adaptations—dubbing, subtitles, and localized presenters reduce friction for commissioners.

6. Data-first sizzle and AI-assisted visualizations

By 2026, AI tools for rapid sizzle creation and viewer profiling are mainstream. Use them—but ethically.

• Create a 60–90s sizzle focusing on tone and promo moments. Use AI-assisted editing to generate language-specific subtitles and teaser cuts.
• Include a simple data slide: target demo, estimated reach in top 3 markets, and comparative titles on the platform.
• Note any AI usage in production and how you’ll preserve authenticity and compliance (clearances, likeness rights).

Pitch meeting playbook: what to say (and what to show)

Commissioners are busy; structure meetings to answer their commercial questions within the first 10 minutes.

1. Top line benefit (60 seconds): One-sentence hook about streamer advantage.
2. Audience & scale (2–3 minutes): Data shows who will watch and why. Mention core markets in EMEA and localization plan.
3. Format mechanics (3–4 minutes): Episode map, production timeline, and per-episode budget band.
4. Promotion & ROI (2 minutes): How it will be promoted, retention levers, and measurable KPIs.
5. Packaging & team (2 minutes): Key names, producers, and attached talent.
6. Ask (1 minute): Be specific—are you seeking development funding, commission, co-pro, or a first-look deal?

Example 90-second pitch script

“Our show is a 6x45 scripted drama set in Lisbon that explores modern family ties through a football club—built to drive subscriptions among 18–34s in Portugal and Spain. It’s built on a proven format: five acts per episode, strong social clips at the half-hour mark, and a star lead who reaches 2M monthly listeners on regional streaming platforms. We’re asking for an EMEA co-commission to produce a first season in Portuguese with a Spanish-dub rollout and a cross-promo launch timed with local football fixtures. Expected KPI: 20% trial-to-paid uplift in Portugal within 30 days.”

Packaging checklist: what to attach to your pitch

• One-page sell sheet (top-line benefit + KPIs)
• 5-slide deck: Hook, Audience, Format, Production, Ask
• 60–90s sizzle or mood reel
• Episode one outline + series bible summary
• Budget bands and timeline
• Talent attachments and bios
• Provisional promotion plan (social + platform activations)
• Rights and distribution options

How to demonstrate regional impact (examples & case studies)

Don’t theorize—show evidence. Use short case studies or performance analogues.

• Local unscripted success: If comparable formats performed well on local channels, show topline numbers—viewership, social traction, and any sales to other territories.
• Format exportability: Cite an example where a local format was remade successfully in another market, and show how your mechanics support similar exports.
• Cross-platform wins: If your previous project increased subscriber retention or boosted social engagement in a market, summarize the metrics.

Negotiation tips that matter in 2026

• Be flexible with windows: Offer a tiered exclusivity model so the streamer can test with a shorter exclusive period in a market.
• Protect IP while enabling scale: License the format for international remakes with revenue-share clauses rather than selling complete IP outright.
• Ask for promotional commitments: Secure minimum paid campaign support, a social clip slot, or homepage promotion during launch week.
• Include data-sharing clauses: Request access to anonymized viewer engagement data after launch to iterate the format and build future seasons.

Common pitching mistakes—and how to avoid them

• Too much art, not enough business: Always translate creative choices into subscriber outcomes.
• One-size packaging: Don’t send the same deck to every EMEA commissioner—localize it.
• Vague timelines: Commissioners want to know when you’ll deliver. Give realistic milestones.
• No promotion plan: A great show without a launch plan underperforms. Tie your pitch to campaignable moments.

Advanced strategies for ambitious producers

If you want to move beyond single-commission pitches, consider these advanced moves.

• Slate-first partnerships: Pitch a small slate of related projects to demonstrate breadth and reduce risk for commissioners.
• Data-for-content swaps: Propose a pilot funded in exchange for first-access data to refine the format.
• Co-pro with local broadcasters: Secure a local partner to share costs and guarantee visibility—commissioners appreciate near-term audience guarantees.
• Creator-led community campaigns: Build early audience proof by releasing short-form serial content or podcasts to prove demand. See a micro-event monetization playbook for social creators for tactics on turning early clips into revenue.

Quick pitch templates you can copy

Use these short templates to form your one-page sell sheet.

1. Logline + Benefit: One sentence idea + one sentence benefit to streamer.
2. Format Snapshot: Episodes, runtime, season length, repeatability.
3. Audience & Markets: Primary demo + top 3 target territories in EMEA.
4. Budget Band & Timeline: High/low per-episode and delivery window.
5. Ask: Development funding vs. full commission, co-pro, or pre-sale.

Final checklist before you hit send

• Have you localized the deck for the commissioner's market?
• Is the top-line benefit explicit and measurable?
• Is at least one regional talent or partner attached?
• Do you offer flexible rights and windows?
• Is there a clear promotion & KPI plan?

Conclusion & next steps

Disney+ EMEA’s commissioning reshuffle is a reminder: platforms are reorganizing to win regionally. If you pitch like it’s 2019, you’ll be outpaced. Pitch like it’s 2026—data-smart, region-aware, promotion-ready, and flexible on rights—and you’ll be speaking the same language as the commissioners now leading EMEA slates.

Actionable takeaway: Spend one day adapting your core pitch to a single EMEA market: localize the deck, attach a regional talent, add one measurable KPI, and offer a flexible rights package. Then test it with a friendly commissioner or a trusted creative executive.

Want a ready-made toolkit? Join our upcoming webinar where we walk through a live pitch to an EMEA commissioner, break down feedback, and give you a rewrite you can use immediately.

Call to action: Sign up at talked.live/pitching-emea to get the pitch templates, a sizzle checklist, and an invite to the webinar. Bring your one-page sell sheet—leave with a commissioner-ready package.

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