How Publishers Get Noticed by Streaming Commissioners: A Creator’s Guide

Feeling invisible to commissioning editors? Here’s a practical roadmap inspired by Disney+ EMEA’s executive shake-up

If you’re a creator, indie producer or publisher trying to break into streaming deals, you know the pain: great ideas that don’t land, long response times, and commissioning editors who seem out of reach. The good news: commissioning teams have structure, priorities and patterns—especially after recent leadership moves at major streamers. Use those signals to tailor your pitch strategy, strengthen showrunner relationships, and win regional deals.

Why the Disney+ EMEA promotions matter to you

In late 2025 and into early 2026, Disney+ EMEA reorganised key roles under content chief Angela Jain, promoting commissioners into senior scripted and unscripted VP roles. Deadline reported that Jain framed these changes as setting the team up “for long term success in EMEA.” These internal promotions do three things for creators:

• Create clearer editorial remits — promoted commissioners now own broader portfolios, making it easier to identify the right person for your genre.
• Open upstream opportunities — a promotion often frees up or reshapes adjacent commissioning roles and external-facing producer slots you can target.
• Signal shifting priorities — the kinds of shows those promoted commissioners champion (for example, the sports-comedy tone of Rivals or slick dating formats) tell you what a platform will buy regionally.

“Treat executive promotions as editorial signals — they reveal what a platform will prioritise next.”

Top-level strategy: align your pitch to commissioning editors and regional needs

The inverted-pyramid approach: start with the most important alignment (who the commissioning editor is and what they want), then layer on regional strategy, packaging, and proof points. Below are the core pillars to get right.

1. Map commissioners, not just platforms

Commissioning editors are the gatekeepers. After promotions like those at Disney+ EMEA, job titles and remits change — and that’s your advantage. Build a dynamic commissioner map that includes:

• Name and title (note any recent promotions)
• Genre remit (scripted, unscripted, kids, docs, formats)
• Regional remit (UK, Nordics, DACH, MENA, Iberia, CEE)
• Recent commissions and examples (what shows they greenlit)
• Preferred sourcing channels (festivals, agents, marketplaces, referrals)

How to build this map fast: track Deadline, Variety, Broadcast, ScreenDaily, LinkedIn updates, and market reports. After the Disney+ moves, for example, you’d flag Lee Mason (scripted) and Sean Doyle (unscripted) as higher-priority contacts for EMEA projects that fit their recent slate.

2. Tailor to regional editorial priorities

Streaming commissioners buy regionally-rooted stories that travel. Use a two-axis test for every pitch:

1. Local authenticity: Will this resonate with a specific country or language group? (Casting, locations, cultural hooks)
2. Global hook: Does it have a universal premise, format or emotional core that translates across windows?

Example: a UK-set character drama with a strong central hook (e.g., a high-stakes rivalry) can be marketed across EMEA if you highlight themes that translate: class, ambition, family, sport. When Disney+ EMEA promotes a scripted VP with experience commissioning shows like Rivals, you can pitch into that language: “a locally rooted series with universal stakes.”

3. Package around a showrunner and a delivery plan

Commissioning editors buy teams and deliverability as much as concepts. Here’s what a commissioning-savvy package needs:

• Showrunner attachment — proven showrunners reduce perceived risk. If you’re the writer-showrunner, present your track record and workflow.
• Production partner — attach a production company with EMEA credits or a local partner that understands tax incentives and CEF-style financing.
• Delivery timeline & budget band — realistic, region-aware, and flexible (tier your budget: premium, mid, lean).
• Rights strategy — explain windows, language versions, and format exploitability.
• Safety & moderation plan — for formats and social extensions, show you have a content safety and audience moderation approach (a rising concern in 2026).

Practical outreach: how to reach a commissioning editor and get a meeting

Cold emails rarely work. But a short, data-driven, personalised approach—backed by a 30-second sizzle and a credible attachment—does. Use this three-message outreach sequence.

Outreach template (3 messages)

1. Email 1 — The 60-second opener
   • Subject: [One-line hook] — 10–12 words
   • Body: 2 short paragraphs. Paragraph 1: 1-line logline + why it's right for [Commissioner name] (reference a recent commission they made). Paragraph 2: attachments (showrunner name, production company, 60-sec sizzle URL). Ask for a 20-minute call.
2. Email 2 — The value add (7–10 days)
   • Send a brief market insight or data point (audience interest, viewing trends in their region). Reiterate why your project fits the commissioner’s remit. Offer a one-pager or scene sample.
3. Email 3 — The polite close (2 weeks)
   • If no reply, offer to meet at an upcoming market (MIPCOM, Series Mania, Berlinale) or to share a 4-minute annotated pilot concept. Keep it brief and option-rich.

Pro tip: include a 20–30 second sizzle that shows tone, not plot. Commissioning editors scan for voice and audience fit.

Use your network—don’t spam

Warm introductions convert. Use these pathways:

• Co-pro partners who have existing commissions with the platform
• Agents who represent talent the platform has already worked with
• Festivals and pitching forums where commissioners sit on juries
• Publicists who brief commissioning teams

Showrunner relationships: build them before you need them

Showrunners are the bridge between your creative idea and the commissioning editor’s risk thresholds. Here’s how to nurture those relationships:

• Joint development sessions — run a 90-minute jam with a showrunner and a commissioner-friendly producer to test tone and structure.
• Proofs of tone — produce a 2–4 minute scene or format demo to show how the showrunner handles key beats.
• Clear credit & compensation plans — showrunners are more likely to attach if there’s a transparent pipeline for pay and control.

2026 trends that change how you pitch

Recent market shifts mean you should update what you include in a pitch pack. Key trends for 2026:

• Regional-first commissioning — platforms are investing in local originals with export potential. Show cultural specificity early in your packet.
• Data-led commissioning — use audience signals (short-form traction, social engagement, small-window SVOD success) as proof points.
• AI-assisted localization — platforms expect pipeline plans for dubbing, subtitling and cultural adaptation, accelerated by AI tools in 2025–26.
• Format adaptability — formats that can localise (dating shows, competition formats, docuseries templates) are high-value across EMEA.
• Mental-health-aware storytelling — commissioners are looking for projects that responsibly represent mental health and community moderation strategies.
• Shorter seasons & modular storytelling — 6 x 30–45 minute seasons or modular 4–6 episode arcs are easier to commission and export.

Deal and rights strategy: what commissioners expect in EMEA

To get a content deal you must be fluent in finance and rights—especially across multiple EMEA territories.

• Co-pro clarity — list which rights are owned by which party, where the show will first air, and where windowing is planned.
• Format/licensing opportunities — highlight if the concept can be licensed as a local format in 3–6 markets.
• Language & subtitle plan — commit to a delivery plan for dubbing and subtitles (AI + human QC is acceptable in 2026).
• Tax incentives & rebate strategy — show you know local incentives (e.g., UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany schemes) and how they affect budget bands.

Practical checklist: Pitch pack essentials

Every commissioning-ready pitch pack should include:

• 1-page logline and 60-second hook
• 4-page pitch document (tone, episode guide, character arcs)
• Showrunner & producer bios and credits
• Budget band & delivery timeline
• Sizzle (20–60 seconds) + 2–4 minute proof of tone
• Audience data or platform fit notes
• Rights & windowing sheet
• Optional: scene sample or pilot script

Case study: aligning a fictional pitch with Disney+ EMEA’s new remit

Imagine you have a 6 x 45’ dark-comedy drama called “Underdogs” about rival semi-pro football clubs in a coastal UK town (think Rivals style tone). Here’s how you’d align it post-promotion:

• Target Lee Mason (scripted VP) because his recent commissions suggest appetite for sports-rooted, character-driven drama.
• Package with a UK-based showrunner who has a track record in character comedy-drama and a production partner that knows UK tax credits.
• Prepare a 60-second sizzle that shows the series’ tone: humour, rivalry, and local colour.
• Include export hooks: football’s popularity across EMEA, potential for local adaptations, and modular storylines for shorter seasons.
• Offer a flexible budget band and an AI-accelerated localization plan for subtitling/dubbing across major EMEA languages.

Networking and markets: where to be visible in 2026

Face-to-face still matters. Prioritise markets and festivals where commissioning editors are active in EMEA:

• Series Mania (France)
• MIPCOM & MIPTV (Cannes)
• Berlinale / European Film Market (Germany)
• Toronto International Film Festival and Hot Docs for documentary exposure
• Local markets: BFI London, Lisbon Formats Market, Nordic Talents events

At markets, be concise: 90-second logline, 4-slide deck, and the sizzle reel on your phone.

Follow-up: turning a meeting into a commissioning conversation

After a meeting, send a 48-hour follow-up that includes:

• Meeting summary and next steps
• One new piece of value (a fresh scene, updated budget, or a talent attachment)
• Clear proposal for the next milestone (development deal, full script, or pilot proof)

Final thoughts: promotions are openings—use them

Executive promotions, like those at Disney+ EMEA, are more than corporate housekeeping. They rewrite remits, redraw editorial maps, and create new entry points for creators. Treat them as strategic signals: research, target, and tailor your approach to the newly empowered commissioners. Align your package to regional needs, attach credible showrunner and production partners, and embrace 2026 trends like AI-assisted localization and data-led proof points.

Actionable takeaways (quick checklist)

• Update your commissioner map every quarter — watch promotions and remit changes.
• Attach a showrunner or clear deliverability plan before pitching.
• Create a 20–60 second tone sizzle and include it in your outreach.
• Prepare a rights and localization plan for EMEA markets (AI subtitling + human QC).
• Use market events for warm introductions; follow up within 48 hours with a single new value add.

Join the community

If you want templates, an outreach email sequence, and a one-page commissioner map you can edit, join our creator toolkit. We also run monthly virtual office hours where indie producers dissect live pitches with commissioning alumni — places are limited.

Ready to get noticed? Sign up to download the pitch checklist and sizzle template, or join our next live briefing to get direct feedback on your one-page pitch.

Related Reading

• Zero-Waste Citrus: Using Every Part of Rare Fruit from Peel to Pith
• Transmedia Travel: Turning Real Trips Into Multi‑Platform IP (Lessons From The Orangery)
• How to Use an M4 Mac mini for Pattern-Making, Client Files and In-Store Design on a Budget
• How Transmedia Franchises Create Gift-Ready Collector Bundles
• Insurance Ratings Matter: How an A+ Upgrade Changes the Vault Insurance Landscape for Bullion Holders