"I feel the buyers were way more serious than in the past," Jucaud told FNE as the market wound down. "The quality played a big role. There were still meetings on Thursday afternoon. TV stations are in the mood to buy."

Part of the quality was attributed to U.S. screenings that were held away from the market's central location at the Budapest Sofitel. Sellers had mixed reactions to the addition of major competition. Some smaller sellers said they found fewer buyers making drop-in visits as a result. Others, such as RTL's Croatian station, ended the market on a positive note, racking up sales to neighboring CEE territories. The Croatian channel was pitching its first original dramatic series, The Rose of the Winds (Ruza vjetrova), now in production for a fall premiere, along with a 30 minute talk show and formats placing celebrities or politicians in unfamiliar situations.

The market's more relaxed atmosphere is unlikely to substantially change, and NATPE's Rick Feldman reiterated his intention to make only minor changes in the market. However, it seems likely that the American connection will encourage the continuation and growth of screenings by the bigger players. For CEE buyers who missed those at MIP-TV, the Budapest reruns will be a welcome addition. As Jucaud noted, "The buyers were happy. I think the distributors were ready to play ball."

It makes for a logical moment for Jucaud's DISCOP team to move on. After accumulating up over 20 years of experience in the emerging markets setting, they will now apply that knowledge to newer markets.

"It's a mature market, so we cannot apply the same strategy," Jucaud said, speaking of Budapest. "I think Istanbul is going to take a lot of our time," he added, referring to the new DISCOP market launched there just 2 years ago. In addition, the DISCOP parent organization, BASIC LEAD, is involved in launching a series of new licensing markets, beginning in Warsaw, Istanbul and Moscow in 2012.