Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Monday, February 16th, 2016:

Banijay Entertainment Unveils ‘Staying Alive’ Format (Advanced-Television)
Media and entertainment content distributor Banijay Entertainment has announced new music entertainment format, Staying Alive, produced by Endemol Shine Germany for ProSieben and Joyn. Through next-gen technology, the show delivers a musical experience in which today’s chart-topping artists perform showstopping duets with some of the most iconic voices in music history, such as Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse and Freddie Mercury.

Next Narrative Africa Fund Founder Akunna Cook on Why Hollywood Needs An Africa Strategy (The Hollywood Reporter)
In Africa policy circles there’s a saying: “African solutions to African problems.” I used to say: actually, we can have African solutions to global problems. And we should expand our imagination — and that also means African narratives for a global audience, talking about politics, climate, health, class issues. There’s no reason you couldn’t have a show set in Lagos or Nairobi tackling the sam themes Parasite did. So how do you create a fund that has a narrative shift at its core, that gets more productions to think about Africa as a place to produce, more writers to think about Africa as a setting, and to be intentional about infusing projects with meaning — because those are the projects that travel and win awards?

Netflix’s ‘Single’s Inferno’ Producers Credit ‘Compelling Personalities’ Like Choi Mina Sue For Season’s Success (Korea JoonGang Daily)
The production team attributed part of the season's success to what they called a "law of qualitative transformation." By increasing the number and diversity of cast members, they said, the likelihood of participants finding compatible partners rose, ultimately improving the overall quality of communication. The number of contestants increased from 12 in Seasons 1 through 3 to 13 in Season 4 and 15 this season. Several members, including Choi, Park and Lee, are based in or reside in the United States.

Some critics have argued that many female contestants are former Miss Korea participants and that the show serves more as a stepping stone into the entertainment industry than a pursuit of sincere romance. Kim Jae-won rejected the claim.

"We do not seek such profiles," he said. "Our only criteria are individuals with appealing looks and communication styles. Among ordinary applicants, many decline to appear despite fitting those standards. We do not evaluate 'specs.'"

’The House Of The Spirits’ Premieres On Prime Video This April (Advanced-Television)
At the 76th Berlinale Film Festival, Prime Video announced that The House of the Spirits, the first Spanish-language television adaptation of Isabel Allende’s iconic novel, will premiere on the streaming platform globally on April 29th.

Based on Isabel Allende’s internationally acclaimed novel, The House of the Spirits is an eight-episode family saga spanning half a century, centered on three generations of women – Clara, Blanca, and Alba – in a conservative South American country shaped by class struggle, political upheaval, and magic.

ZDF Studios Seals 1,200-Hour Drama Deal With Hungary’s TV2 Group (Variety)
ZDF Studios has closed a multi-year deal to supply Hungary’s TV2 Group on more than 1,200 hours of drama, with free TV, pay TV and VOD rights for Hungary that allow the broadcaster to run the package across its linear channels and streaming services.

The package leans into high-recognition German brands suited to weekday stripping, themed scheduling and on-demand stacking — a volume play aimed at keeping schedules filled with proven titles.

Morocco Is Ready To Tell Its Own Stories (The Hollywood Reporter)
“Morocco has established itself as a dynamic bridge between Africa, the Arab world and Europe. Filmmakers such as Sofia Alaoui, Hicham Lasri, Maryam Touzani and Nabil Ayouch reflect the strength and visibility of contemporary Moroccan cinema, including the rising presence of women directors,” says Berlinale Pro Director Tanja Meissner. “This combination of creative momentum, industrial capacity and openness to international collaboration makes this the right moment to spotlight Morocco and engage in a broader conversation about its role within global line production.”

Canal+ Takeover Of MultiChoice Puts Local Shows Under Pressure (ETWN)
French media giant Canal+ has officially taken control of MultiChoice, the company which owns Showmax and DStv, and it isn’t wasting any time cutting costs.

In two years, Multichoice has lost 2.8 million subscribers, with many customers opting for cheaper streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The French firm is now trying to save even more at DSTV, a massive €400 million a year by 2030.

FIFA World Cup Media Rights Snapped Up In Philippines By Aleph (Sportcal)
Aleph, a global digital advertising firm, has snapped up exclusive broadcast rights to men’s soccer’s upcoming 2026 World Cup, in the Philippines.

Via a gatekeeper deal unveiled yesterday, Aleph will lead commercialization and multimedia distribution of media rights to the World Cup, which will take place in June and July across Mexico, Canada, and the US.

It will appoint media rights partners across all platforms, including free-to-air, pay-TV, digital streaming, mobile, and video-on-demand.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Monday, October 6th, 2025:

Meet The Women Reshaping Global Television (The Hollywood Reporter)
For the women on THR‘s 2025 list of the Most Powerful Women in International Television — all of whom are based abroad at least part-time — challenge and transformation go hand in hand. From Lagos to London, Munich to Mumbai, these executives are not only navigating upheaval but shaping what comes next.

Nandy Mulls ‘Mixed Funding’ For BBC licence Fee (Advanced-Television)
Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, has indicated that Labour is considering a ‘mixed funding’ model for the BBC as the government looks for ways to replace the unpopular licence fee. Speaking during a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Nandy said she was looking at a “whole range of options” to replace the broadcaster’s licence fee, including a “mixture of licence fee, commercial funding and some subscription services…

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Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Monday, September 8th, 2025:

Report: Over 55s Feel Ignored By Modern TV (Advanced-Television)
According to the report, more than a quarter (26 per cent) of these mature viewers feel forgotten by today’s TV producers and advertisers, despite watching more television than any other age group – averaging three hours and 42 minutes a day. The report also finds that two-thirds (67 per cent) of all Brits enjoy watching nostalgic TV – but the biggest lovers of classic shows are men aged between 55-64 (76 per cent).

MySports Consolidates Ice Hockey Coverage With NHL Rights For 2025-26 (Sportcal)
Swiss pay-TV player MySports has struck an exclusive deal with North America’s National Hockey League (NHL) for the rights to the elite ice hockey competition in Switzerland across the 2025-26 campaign. MySports, the pay-TV sports vehicle of telecoms firm Sunrise UPC, will show over 300 NHL fixtures across the season, which will begin on October 7, including every game from the post-season playoffs and the season-ending Stanley Cup finals.

Prime Video Becomes Streaming Home To Sony Pictures & Roadshow Movies In Australia (Deadline)
The agreements, which began in August, means Prime Video is the exclusive streaming home to the likes of SPE’s 28 Years Later and Roadshow’s In the Grey. From SPE are including Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s 28 Years Later, Karate Kid: Legends, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Australian horror Bring Her Back, upcoming crime Caught Stealing and A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, the romantic drama starring Colin Farrell and Margot Robbie from filmmaker Kogonada.

Lion Television & Vinted Team For Competition Series (World Screen)
The six-part series, which will bow on Prime Video in the U.K. in October, sees eight emerging European fashion designers compete to create capsule collections exclusively from secondhand items. Former model Emma Willis hosts the series, and the judging panel includes Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe and Zadrian Smith, as well as celebrity guests such as Henry Holland, Stacey Dooley, Clara Amfo, Laura Whitmore, Vogue Williams and Oliver Cheshire.

Disney Inks Spanish Partnership With Atresmedia (Broadband TV)
Starting this September, Disney+ customers in Spain will gain access to a curated selection of Atresmedia content, under the Atresplayer label, as part of their subscription, in the latest addition to Disney+’s European broadcaster partnerships. This integration agreement will see Atresplayer have its own distinct space on Disney+ and feature more than 300 hours per year of their content produced in Spain, which will be regularly updated.

Prime Video To Provide Free ICC Women’s World Cup Coverage In Australia (Sportcal)
The Amazon Prime Video streaming service will provide coverage of cricket’s upcoming ICC Women's World Cup for free in Australia as the team looks to defend its title. The platform will stream all 31 games from the tournament, which will take place in India and Sri Lanka. Matches from the eight-team event will be available live, exclusive, and free via Prime Video, with viewers required to sign into a free Amazon account to access the content.

Netflix Criticized For Denying Researcher Credit (M9 News)
Satyen Bordoloi revealed that he spent months researching even the smallest aspects of 1970s India and Pakistan for Saare Jahan Se Achha. He said his efforts were ignored when the credits rolled, despite his essential contribution. Bordoloi shared that what he wanted was basic acknowledgement of his work. Instead, he was told that Netflix did not want to include his name in the credits. He called this deeply unfair and disrespectful.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Monday, August 11th, 2025:

Seven Renews NFL Broadcast Commitment, Adds Thursday Night Football (Sportcal)
Seven Network, the Australian commercial broadcaster, has retained and expanded its free-to-air rights in the country for American football’s elite NFL. Through the 2025 campaign, which begins in September and runs through February 2026, Seven will carry its previous rights - two Sunday afternoon games per week (broadcast Monday in Australia) - while also adding rights to the weekly Thursday Night Football slate of games (broadcast Friday in Australia), adding as many as 17 games per year to its commitment through that slot alone.

Tim Burton and 'Wednesday' team visit Seoul to win over Korean audiences (KoreaJoongAngDaily)
Netflix’s “Wednesday” team is making a renewed push to once again win over audiences with its second season, including in Korea — the only country where its first season failed to top the charts. “Numbers and things like that don't matter if we're able to connect with one person that's incredible, and you know we've been fortunate to connect with the world,” said Ortega during the show’s press conference held in Jongno District, central Seoul.

‘Empathie’ Renewed For Season 2 At Crave & Canal+ (Deadline)
Canada’s Crave and France’s Canal+ are going in for another round of empathy. The French and Canadian players have recommissioned Empathie from creator and star Florence Longpré shortly before Season 1 launches on Canal+. Exploring the depths of mental illness, Empathie tells the story of Suzanne (Longpré), a criminologist-turned-psychiatrist who goes to work at the Institut psychiatrique Mont-Royal. There, she befriends Mortimer, an intriguing security officer, and meets a variety of patients with compelling stories.

Shu Qi’s ‘The Resurrected’ Among Netflix-Heavy Busan Film Festival Drama Lineup (Variety)
The 30th Busan International Film Festival has unveiled its On Screen selections, featuring six premium drama series that will make their world premieres on the big screen before hitting streaming platforms, led by “The Resurrected,” starring international icon Shu Qi.

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TNT Sports Partners With Grenfell Athletic FC (Advanced Television)
TNT Sports has announced a documentary as part of a new partnership with Grenfell Athletic Football Club (GAFC), a community football team established following the tragedy of the Grenfell Tower Fire in June 2017.

Canada’s Home Network Reveals New Lineup (World Screen)
The Home Network has revealed an all-new lineup, which includes three exclusive Canadian series. This fall, the Home Network will welcome the return of Bryan and Sarah Baeumler with a new Corus Studios original, Building Baeumler. Canadian designer Kristen Coutts joins the lineup with Beer Budget Reno. Lastly, Natalie Chong transforms rentals in Rentovation.

MultiChoice Responds To Ghana’s Ministry (Advanced Television)
The Ghanaian government last week instructed Africa pay-TV giant MultiChoice to cut its subscription rates in the country, which the Ghana Minister of Communications, Digital Technology and Innovation, Samuel George, said were far too high. In a statement, MultiChoice has expressed regrettable disappointment over the Minister’s stance while reaffirming its commitment to constructive dialogue.

BBC Bitesize Launches Planet Planners Roblox Game (World Screen)
BBC Children’s and Education’s BBC Bitesize has partnered with Roblox to create Planet Planners, the game platform’s first curriculum-linked educational experience. The game is ultimately a decision-making exercise where players learn about human and physical geography across topics such as tectonic hazards, coasts and population migration, balancing needs of the population, economy and environment. It is mapped to the relevant curricula for 11- to 14-year-olds in the U.K.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Wednesday, June 11th, 2025:

UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 On Course To Reach $100 Million In Media Revenue (Sportcal)
One month out from the tournament, GlobalData’s sport data team estimates that media rights revenue for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 national teams’ competition has hit $99.54 million, an increase of 142% from the 2022 edition (€37.5 million; $41.03 million).

WBD Sees Record Audiences For Roland-Garros (Advanced-Television)
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has reported that its coverage of Roland-Garros 2025 resulted in a record-breaking edition with more fans across Europe (excluding France) streaming action from the tennis Grand-Slam than ever before.

Netflix Co-CEO Greg Peters Calls UK Production Ecosystem A Great Example For U.S. (Deadline)
“We’ve invested a lot here is because there’s incredible infrastructure, there’s incredible talent, and there’s a great production incentive model. So everything is in place to make this ecosystem really, really work. And I think that that’s a great example for the United States.”

Vincent Cassel To Star In Netflix’s Next Big French Movie, ‘Quasimodo’ (Variety)
Set in Paris on the eve of the July Revolution in 1830, the epic movie reimagines the life of the man who inspired the fictional character of Quadimodo, a disfigured man who as the bell-ringer for Notre Dame cathedral in Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.”

MultiChoice Still Bleeding DStv Subscribers, But It’s No Longer Technically Insolvent (IT Web South Africa)
Over this period, MultiChoice says the group lost 2.8 million active linear subscribers and had to absorb a R10.2 billion negative impact on its topline due to local currency depreciation against the US dollar. For the year ended 31 March, the company reveals that linear subscribers were down 1.2 million or 8% year-on-year (YoY) to 14.5 million active subscribers, with the loss evenly split between South African (600 000) and Rest of Africa (600 000).

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AMC Networks Secures Multi-Territory Agreement With M7 Group (Broadband TV News)
AMC Networks International Central and Northern Europe (AMCNI CNE) has secured a significant multi-territory agreement with M7 Group, owned by Canal+, one of Europe’s largest pay-TV providers. The multi-year extension covers the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, and gives distribution for AMCNI’s entire pay-TV channel portfolio in each country.

Global TV Producers On Navigating Trump’s Tariff Storm: “Ignore the Distractions” (Hollywood Reporter)
TV producers have some useful advice on how to navigate a global entertainment industry threatened by Donald Trump’s tariffs war that appears drawn from a world leaders’ manual on how to survive an Oval Office ambush.

Hong Jin-kyung 'Swears On Daughter’s Life' To Deny Political Bias In Red Sweater Controversy (KoreaJoonAng Daily)
Celebrity entertainer Hong Jin-kyung again addressed accusations of political bias, "swearing" on her daughter's life that her red dress was not meant to endorse the conservative party — or anyone in particular.

Turkish Court Issues Arrest Warrant For Owner Of Pro-Opposition TV Channel (Arab News)
An Istanbul court has issued an arrest warrant for the owner of a television channel aligned with Turkiye’s main opposition party on charges of bid-rigging, the prosecutor’s office said late on Tuesday. The arrest warrant for Cafer Mahiroglu, owner of Halk TV, was issued as part of an investigation into an alleged criminal organization suspected of rigging public tenders by bribing public officials.

NEM: Europe’s Audiovisual Future: Do We Have The Necessary Conditions To Succeed? (Broadband TV News)
Chris Marcich, CEO, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, President, Association Of European Film Agency Directors and President, Agicoa said he didn’t see Croatia featuring on a list of countries benefitting from increased investment. “We have almost no, no benefit from, from the Directive, at least not in terms of investment,” he said during Europe’s Audiovisual Future: Do We Have The Necessary Conditions To Succeed?

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Wednesday, May 21st, 2025:

BBC Unveils 10-Strong Comedy Slate Featuring Diane Morgan, Michael Palin, Mackenzie Crook, Lenny Rush, Rob Brydon, & Guz Khan (Deadline)
Cunk star Diane Morgan, Monty Python‘s Michael Palin and Pirates of the Caribbean actor Mackenzie Crook all feature in a 10-strong comedy slate at the UK’s BBC. BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie unveiled the shows today at the BBC Comedy Festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Channel 4 To Supercharge Indie Investment Strategy Under Plans To Launch In-House Production Unit (Deadline)
Channel 4 is planning to take majority stakes in third-party production companies as part of its plan to move into in-house production. As the UK commercial broadcaster published its annual report on Wednesday, Channel 4 unveiled its Creative Investment Fund, which will back companies with commercial potential.

Channel 4 Reports Record 1.8bn Streaming Views In 2024 (Advanced-Television)
Channel 4 has published its Annual Report for 2024, demonstrating “digital growth, creative impact and financial resilience” as the channel delivers its Fast Forward strategy. 2024 marked the final full year under CEO Alex Mahon, who has led the broadcaster through a major transformation to become the UK’s first public service streamer.

Pact Slams Channel 4’s IP Play And In-House Production Plans: ‘A Bitter Pill To Swallow For the Indie Sector’ (Variety)
The U.K. screen sector trade body for independent production and distribution companies revealed it was given virtually no advance notice of the sweeping changes, receiving only a summary of the proposals “late yesterday” before the public announcement on Wednesday.

Asharq Crowned ‘Telly Media Company Of The Year’ Globally For Second Year Running (Arab News)
The accolade recognizes the network’s efforts in producing impactful, high-quality content. In total, Asharq Network received 160 awards across various categories, including 25 gold, 76 silver and 59 bronze. The network stood out among 13,000 record-breaking entries from five continents. Its winning work includes content from across all Asharq Network brands, including Asharq News, Asharq Business with Bloomberg, Asharq Documentary, Asharq Discovery.

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Mórbido TV And Screen Capital Unveil Umbra, A Genre-First Streaming Hub For The LatAm Market (Variety)
Chilean investment firm Screen Capital has acquired Versatile Communications Inc. to launch the region’s first multi-platform hub dedicated entirely to horror and fantasy content. With an initial $2.5 million investment from Screen Capital’s Screen II Fund, the initiative marks a pioneering venture into specialized genre content with global ambitions.

ITV Reduces Daytime Output (Broadband TV News)
ITV has announced major changes to its daytime scheduling and production, reducing the frequency of some of its most popular shows, and moving production out of Television Centre. From January 2026, Good Morning Britain will be produced by ITV News at ITN at their base at Gray’s Inn Road in London. The programme will be made by a dedicated team within ITV News at ITN, the first time the network’s news provider has been wholly responsible for its breakfast update. Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women will continue to be produced by ITV Studios and will be broadcast from a new location in central London.

Canal+, MultiChoice Deal Gets Competition Approval (Advanced-Television)
France’s Canal+ and South African pay-TV broadcaster Multichoice have been informed that the South Africa’s Competition Commission recommended Canal+ takeover of MultiChoice Group will be approved, with conditions, clearing a significant hurdle. Conditions include funding commitments for the production of local South African general entertainment and sport content, and funding local content creators.

Trust Partners With Warner Bros. Discovery To Launch Superman-Inspired Gaming Gear Across Europe (Superman Home Page)
Trust International, the Netherlands-based digital accessories company, has announced an exciting new partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP) through licensing agent NLC (Nording Licensing Company) to launch a range of Superman-inspired gaming peripherals across European markets.

Ghosts Of Korea's Past: Korean Dramas Blend History With Supernatural To Draw Audiences (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Blending romance, action and occult elements, a new wave of genre-infused period dramas is captivating Korean audiences, with shows like SBS’s “The Haunted Palace” leading the trend by reimagining traditional sageuk (Korean historical drama). What makes “The Haunted Palace” appealing is its genre. Branding itself as an exorcism fantasy show, the drama’s other main character is a ghost. The title originates from the drama’s setting, a “palace possessed by ghosts.”

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories which should be on your radar for Monday, May 19th, 2025:

BBC Antiques Road Trip Experts In Heated Clash As 'Fix' Row Erupts At Auction (Daily Mirror)
The stakes were high on Antiques Road Trip as Catherine Southon went head-to-head with Charles Hanson at a tense auction in Paddock Wood, Kent. A previous episode of the BBC programme saw the duo head on a treasure hunt across Sussex, taking them from Storrington to Peacehaven. But it was Charles, 46, who managed to stir quite the controversy after Catherine insinuated he'd rigged the auction by enlisting people to bid on his antiques.

BeIN Extends FA Cup Coverage In France, Renews Malaysia Tie-Up With Astro (Sportcal)
International sports broadcaster BeIN has extended its rights deal covering English soccer's knockout FA Cup competition through the 2025-26 campaign. The extension was unveiled in advance of the 2024-25 FA Cup final on Saturday (May 17), in which Crystal Palace beat Manchester City 1-0. BeIN has covered the FA Cup live for French audiences since 2012, and will show next year's competition exclusively in the territory.

Netflix And Jeju Go From Tangerines To Teamwork With Deal To Grow Content Industry (Korea JoongAng Daily)
"When Life Gives You Tangerines," sign a content deal. That's just what Netflix and the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province did on Friday, inking a business agreement on domestic content production and revitalizing Jeju culture and tourism. The agreement aims to evolve the K-content ecosystem, creating a production environment unique to Jeju Island that provides real benefits to domestic creators and production companies.

BT Close To Selling TNT Sports Stake To WBD (Advanced-Television)
BT is reportedly in advanced talks to sell its 50 per cent stake in TNT Sports to US joint venture partner Warner Bros Discovery (WBD). A deal could be confirmed in the coming days, according to FT. WBD has an option to buy out BT’s stake before the end of 2026, the FT report added.

Gary Lineker To Leave BBC After Sharing Video Featuring Antisemitic Trope (Deadline)
They think it’s all over — it is now. Gary Lineker will leave the BBC this weekend. The BBC’s highest-paid presenter, earning £1.35M ($1.8M), will exit after he presents his final Match of the Day highlights show on Sunday — a year earlier than planned.

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Sky Deutschland Secures NHL Rights (Broadband TV News)
As in previous years, Sky Sport will continue to broadcast at least one live game per day during the NHL season. Highlights will include marquee events such as the NHL Winter Classic, the NHL Global Series, and the primetime “NHL Saturday” and “NHL Sunday” games tailored for European audiences. Selected matches will feature German-language commentary, while all games will be available with the original English-language broadcast.

Delhi High Court Orders OTTs, Producers To Include Accessibility Features In Movies (Bar & Bench)
The Delhi High Court on Monday ordered over-the-top (OTT) platforms and film producers to ensure accessibility features like audio description, same-language captioning are incorporated in a bunch of movies released on the platform. Justice Sachin Datta's order would apply to movies like the Buckingham murderers, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Shaitan, Article 370 and Kaluva. The Court directed that the movie producers are required to ensure that accessibility features are incorporated in all future releases at the time of release on OTT platforms.

Research: Over 23m SVoD Subs In Nordics (Advanced-Television)
The Nordic countries added approximately 3.7 million paid subscriptions during the last 12 months, reaching a total of over 23 million, according to data from Mediavision. Sweden leads the Nordic market, both in size and growth. Over the past year alone, more than 2 million new paid subscriptions have been added in Sweden.

Channel 4 And TNT Sports Snap Up Women’s FA Cup Through 2027-28 (Sportcal)
From the start of the 2025-26 season, English soccer's Women's FA Cup knockout tournament will be covered live domestically (and in Ireland) by a combination of TNT Sports and Channel 4 through the end of 2027-28. For the next three seasons, pay-TV broadcaster TNT Sports will cover 19 matches annually from the cup competition, starting with one in the first round and one in the second, while free-to-air commercial network Channel 4 will cover six games per campaign (one game per round).

South Africa’s Top Streaming Sites, With One Surprising Winner (Hypertext)
Now, the website shows that Netflix continues to be the largest streaming platform for the South African mind, followed closely by Amazon Prime Video at 28 percent and 25 percent of the market share, respectively. Local upstart from MultiChoice, Showmax has cornered a nice little 23 percent of the share, showing that it is battling with international powerhouses. In fourth place is a bit of surprise, as Mubi has managed to corner 13 percent of the South African on-demand market share, followed by Apple TV+ and Curiosity Stream.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Thursday, May 15th, 2025:

ProSiebenSat.1 Media Sees Q1 Profits Dive 39% As “Very Cyclically Sensitive” TV Ad Market Bites (Deadline)
ProSiebenSat.1 Media has posted adjusted EBITDA down 39%, as the linear TV advertising market bit, though streamer Joyn achieved its best quarter to date. The Germany-based TV giant posted adjusted earnings of €44M ($49.2M), which was attributed to “the highly profitable but also very cyclically sensitive linear TV advertising business.” Revenue was stable at €855M, down 1% year-on-year.

JioHotstar Leads India’s SVOD Market With 26% Share In Q1 2025 (MediaNews4U)
This marks a significant milestone, as JioHotstar edges past Amazon Prime Video, which secured 24%, and Netflix, which came in third with 17%. Apple TV+ maintained a respectable 12%, while regional favorites like ZEE5 (11%) and Sony LIV (3%) held their ground in a highly competitive space. Smaller platforms accounted for the remaining 7% of market interest.

RTL Group “On Track For Streaming Profitability” (Advanced-Television)
RTL Group has reported that Q1 revenue was down 2 per cent to €1.2 billion mainly attributed to lower content revenue from Fremantle and lower TV advertising revenue, partly offset by higher streaming revenue. Group revenue was down 5.6 per cent organically. RTL Group’s total advertising revenue remained stable at €685 million.

ITV Reports Solid Q1 Performance With $1 Billion Revenues, Expects No Direct Tariff Impact (Variety)
The U.K. media giant noted in its Q1 trading update that while it “continues to assess the possibility of trade tariffs in the U.S.,” ITV Studios “only produces TV programming and therefore do not anticipate any direct impact from the imposition of tariffs on films.”

Report: 52% Of UK CTV Viewers Prefer Streaming (Advanced-Television)
LG Ad Solutions has published its research report, The Big Shift 2025: UK Edition, uncovering a major evolution in how viewers engage with their connected TVs. The study shows that the TV is no longer just a screen for passive viewing – it’s becoming the central interface for everything from content discovery to shopping and live event streaming.

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Fremantle’s Q1 Revenue Drops 5.6% Due To “Budget Cuts” At Networks & Streamers (Deadline)
Fremantle's first quarter revenue fell 5.6% as the Got Talent maker’s parent RTL blamed “budget cuts at broadcasters and streamers.” Sales were down to €373M ($418M) in the three months to March this year. The figure for the same period in 2024 was €395M. The falls were partially offset by the acquisition of France-based Asacha Media Group, which added the likes of Death in Paradise producer Red Planet, Arrow Media and Italy’s Stand By Me into the Fremantle fold.

Telemundo & Globo Align For Co-Pro Deal (World Screen)
Telemundo Studios and Globo have inked an agreement to develop and co-produce premium scripted content. Under the memorandum of understanding, Telemundo and Globo will work together on original films and series. They will be rolled out as Globoplay originals in Brazil and across Telemundo’s broadcast and streaming platforms in the U.S.

Fifth Season’s New Global TV Sales Boss On How ‘Severance’ Could Become “The Foundation Of The Library” In The Future (Deadline)
Severance, Apple TV+’s most-watched series launch of all time, could become “the foundation” of Fifth Season's library in the future, according to the studio’s new global TV sales boss. Despite the show currently being available on Apple globally and with at least one more season to come, Jennifer Ebell said there is plenty opportunity to monetize Severance both now and further down the line, while the smash sci-fi thriller is a perpetual reputation builder for Fifth Season.

Prime Video Renews 'Last One Laughing UK' For Second Season (AllYourScreens.com)
It is a format that has proven popular across the globe, with Prime Video having localized versions in South Africa (hosted by Trevor Noah), Australia (hosted by Rebel Wilson), Mexico (hosted by Eugenio Derbez), Germany (hosted by Michael “Bully” Herbig), and Ireland (hosted by Graham Norton).

NLconnect Closes Deal With Viaplay Securing Linear Channel For Smaller Operators (Broadband TV News)
Trade association NLconnect has closed a deal with Viaplay on behalf of the smaller providers in its membership. It means the linear channel Viaplay TV will be available to the providers from the weekend in time for the Imola Grand Prix. The motor sport continues to be a big draw in the Netherlands, thanks to the popularity of driver Max Verstappen.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Tuesday, April 29th, 2025.

‘Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy’ & ‘Paddington In Peru’ Drive Canal+ Content Revs Up 8% In First Quarter Since London Stock Exchange Listing (Deadline)
Helped along by theatricals including Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Paddington in Peru and We Live in Time, revenues in Canal+'s content and distribution division rose by more than 8% per the French major’s first quarterly results since the London Stock Exchange (LSE) listing

BeIN Extends UEFA Club Rights Across MENA And 10 Asian Markets (Sportcal)
BeIN Sports, the major international pay-TV broadcaster, has extended its exclusive deal covering rights to UEFA European club soccer competitions in the Middle East, North Africa (MENA), and several markets in Asia. The deal extension runs for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons, and covers the men's and women's Champions League top-tier competitions, as well as the men's second-tier Europa League and third-tier Conference League.

Sharp Increase In Swedish Streaming Subscriptions (Broadband TV News)
More than two million streaming subscriptions have been added in the Swedish market over the last 12 months, according to Stockholm-based Mediavision. The consultancy says Swedish households now have over nine million streaming subscriptions with the growth being boosted by the arrival of ad supported subscriptions.

Norwegian Canneseries Contender ‘Rebound’ Back For Second Season (Deadline)
Following its Canneseries screening over the weekend, Norwegian relationship drama Rebound has been renewed for a second season. Null47, an emerging Norwegian streamer curated for youth and young adult audiences and other niche groups, has quietly greenlit Season 2 of the short-form show, which is from Melike Leblebicioglu Kaveh and stars Mathilde Storm, Björn Mosten and Arjan Nilsen.

UKTV Acquires NBCUniversal Titles For Alibi, U&W (Advanced-Television)
UKTV has acquired the UK premiers of The Hunting Party, the new crime procedural which recently debuted on NBC in the US, and Allegiance, the police drama set in British Columbia which has just aired its second season on CBC in Canada, for its dedicated crime pay channel Alibi.

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Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sejal Shah On Challenges Of Bringing True Heroism To Screen For ZEE5 Global’s ‘Costao’ (Variety)
Director Shah, who spent almost a year researching and developing the story with the real Costao, explains that adapting a true story came with unique challenges. “Most of the things have happened. So it was not very difficult for me to dramatize it,” she says. “But when [co-writer Bhavesh] tried to dramatize it, it was not that we stayed away from what had happened to his life.”

Banijay Group Weighing Bid For ITV Studios (The Desk)
French entertainment giant Banijay Group is exploring a potential acquisition of ITV or its production division, ITV Studios. The company, which produces shows such as “Peaky Blinders” and “Big Brother,” is considering several options, including a full takeover of the broadcaster or a partial deal focusing solely on its highly successful production arm. ITV Studios, which makes content for platforms like the BBC and Netflix, is regarded as one of the world’s leading producers.

Showmax Gets R2.7-Billion Injection (My Broadband)
MultiChoice and NBCUniversal Media have provided $145 million (R2.7 billion) in funding to Showmax Africa Holdings since 27 September 2024. This comes after MultiChoice entered into an agreement with Comcast subsidiary NBCUniversal and Sky in March 2023 to evolve Showmax into a leading streaming service on the continent. In a recent statement MultiChoice explained that the funding from it and NBCUniversal was proportional to their respective shareholdings in Showmax Africa Holdings. MultiChoice owns 70% and NBCUniversal 30%.

BBC Greenlights “Real Life ‘Black Mirror'” Doc About Artificial Intelligence As Factual Chief Jack Bootle Urges Competitors To Make More Science Shows (Deadline)
The BBC's head of science and natural history has greenlit a “real life Black Mirror"-style documentary series about AI while revealing his red lines when it comes to using artificial intelligence to make TV shows. In AI Confidential, which is produced by The Man With 1000 Kids producer Curious Films, the host will “investigate extraordinary tales from the front lines of the AI revolution,” according to the BBC.

'Two Days And One Night' Team Warns Against Impersonators After Spate Of Restaurant Reservation No-Shows (Korea JoonGangDaily)
Beware of those pretending to be us, says the production team of KBS's popular variety show "Two Days and One Night" (2007-) franchise. "Recently, there have been cases where individuals impersonated the 'Two Days and One Night' production team, made group reservations at restaurants in certain areas, and then failed to show up,” the show's production team said Tuesday.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Thursday, April 24th, 2025:

A Year After Dramatic Recap Move, Viaplay Posts Mixed Q1 Results (Deadline)
Things remain uncertain at Viaplay Group, but the Swedish company’s boss says it now has “a clear focus on value over volume.” The company posted mixed bag of interim results for the January-March period, with total net sales down 8% to SEK4.37B ($453.8M) and total reported operating income up sharply to SEK38M from an SEK473M loss in 2024.

Data: Prime Video, Apple TV+ Lead New Subs In Q1 (Advanced-Television)
Kantar, the marketing data and analytics company, has revealed growing adoption of ad-supported streaming, strong competition between Prime Video and Apple TV+, and a breakout performance by Mubi, which recorded its best-ever quarter in the Entertainment on Demand (EoD) GB streaming market data.

TF1 Secures Additional UEFA Nations League Finals Matches (Sportcal)
TF1, the French commercial broadcaster, has acquired rights to air the final four matches of the UEFA Nations League European national teams tournament in June. The finals tournament, to be played between France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal, is being staged in Germany from June 4 to 8.

Amazon Prime Video Is Now Available On Astro Ultra And Ultra Box (Technave)
For those who don't know, Prime Video by Amazon is also one of the streaming services that is available in Malaysia. It is priced at RM25 per month and is tied together with Prime Gaming. Astro customers can enjoy Prime Video's extensive library of Hollywood, Korean, local, and regional movies, TV series, and exclusive Prime Video Originals. Astro customers with an Ultra or Ulti Box can activate their two-month access to Prime Video by pressing “Home” on the Astro remote control and selecting the Prime Video app under the “Apps” rail. After that, follow the steps on the screen to create an Amazon Prime account and pair their account with their Ultra or Ulti Box by scanning the QR code.

The Chocolate Empire, New Showmax Original Cast Connect With ‘Ghost’ At CCI Kenya (Biggest Kaka)
Chocolate Empire, a new Showmax original, cast today connected with acclaimed American actor Omari Hardwick, ‘Ghost’, the powerhouse behind popular series Power at CCI Kenya. The exclusive fireside chat event served as a vibrant platform for industry pundits, filmmakers, and local actors to connect and engage with the Hollywood star, who shared his experiences and perspectives on navigating the global entertainment landscape.

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Shah Rukh Khan, Ted Sarandos, Rajinikanth, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan To Headline India’s WAVES Summit (Variety)
The summit will be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will deliver a keynote titled “Creative Bridges: Unlocking Power of Cultural & Digital Partnerships Between U.K. & India.” Sarandos will participate in a fireside chat titled “Streaming the New India: Culture, Connectivity & Creative Capital.”

Canal+ Content On Air France Flights (Advanced-Television)
Air France and Canal+ have announced a new partnership. From May 1st, the airline will be offering access to a selection of Canal+ programmes on all its long-haul flights. Customers will be able to watch Canal+ Creation Originale series, popular programmes, comedy shows, documentaries and children’s shows during their journey.

YouTube Marks 20 Years With Spotlight On MENA Creator Economy (Arab News)
YouTube has released new data highlighting the rapid growth of the content creator economy in the Middle East and North Africa, as the platform marks its 20th anniversary. The data, published on Wednesday, shows a year-on-year increase in the number of channels earning seven figures or more in revenue in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.

Israeli Streamer IZZY Adds Daily Dramas (World Screen)
Former Disney executive David Levine is leading the expansion of Israeli streamer IZZY’s content slate, with the platform adding daily dramas and a slate of series for teens. This month, the streamer is set to launch the Dori Media Group award-winning hit Dumb, about a 30-year-old failed actress who becomes an undercover agent posing as a high school student in a bid to save her drug-dealing ex. IZZY will also soon add a slate of teen dramas licensed from Paramount’s Ananey Studios.

DAZN Finally Secures UK Broadcaster For CWC With Channel 5 Deal (Sportcal)
UK free-to-air (FTA) broadcaster Channel 5 has snapped up a rights package to air games from the upcoming 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) tournament through a sublicensing deal with global streaming service DAZN. Paramount-owned Channel 5 will show 23 of the 63 fixtures from this year's revamped and enlarged CWC, set to take place in the US between June 14 and July 13. The games will be shown alongside DAZN, with the other 40 matches available solely on the streaming platform.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories you should know for Thursday, April 3rd, 2025:

‘Bad Boy’ & Shira Haas Win Israeli Television Academy Awards (Deadline)
Ron Leshem and Hagar Ben-Asher’s Bad Boy won seven gongs at the Israeli Television Academy Awards last night, while Shira Haas took home Best Supporting Actress. The Israeli version of the Emmys rewarded Bad Boy, which is made by Sipur and was North Road’s first international co-pro, as it landed big wins including Best Drama, Best Directing and Best Writing. Both Euphoria creator Leshem and Ben-Asher took home prizes.

Trump Tariffs: Australia Holds Firm On Local Content Quotas Despite U.S. Trade Pressures (Variety)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has doubled down on the government’s commitment to implement local content quotas for streaming platforms, despite mounting pressure from the U.S. amid escalating trade tensions.

Can Netflix Chill Despite The Trump Tariffs? (Hollywood Reporter)
Is the world's biggest streaming platform more exposed to the U.S. trade war? One Wall Street analyst has been pondering this question repeatedly in recent weeks. “There’s been some noise around the impact of tariffs, churn post the X-Mas NFL games, and declining engagement,” Bernstein’s Netflix analyst Laurent Yoon wrote in a report in mid-March, possibly referencing the streaming giant’s multiday stock slide after a rival analyst suggested that a gain from turning password-borrowers into paying customers had possibly run its course.

‘The Capture’ Renewed For Season 3 At BBC (Deadline)
BBC surveillance thriller The Capture is returning for a third season. The Heyday Television-produced series will take up the story 12 months after Rachel Carey (Holliday Grainger) broadcast a live deepfake of a government minister to the nation, exposing the UK intelligence service's clandestine video manipulation programme known as Correction.

Austrian Bundesliga Launching All-Encompassing Media Rights Tender (Sportcal)
Austrian men's soccer’s top-tier Bundesliga (ÖFBL) is launching an invitation to tender the domestic and international media rights for the league's next three-campaign cycle. The league announced an “open, transparent, and non-discriminatory” process will take place this month, covering both Austrian and worldwide media rights to the 2026-27, 2027-28, and 2028-29 Bundesliga seasons.

WBD Sports Europe Expands Climbing Rights (Advanced-Television)
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) Sports Europe and the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) have signed a new four-year agreement that will see all IFSC Climbing and Para Climbing World Cup and World Championship events continue to air to fans across Europe exclusively on Max and discovery+.

Netflix Supports Brazilian Cinematheque Restoration With $875,000 Cash Donation (Variety)
In a significant move for Brazilian cultural preservation, Netflix has announced a BRL 5 million ($875,000) donation to the Brazilian Cinematheque as part of its architectural restoration, modernization and expansion initiative. The streaming giant becomes the first private company to join the revitalization effort of this historic institution since its reopening in 2022.

Russia Bans The Elton John Aids Foundation, Citing LGBTQ+ Support (Deadline)
The Elton John Aids Foundation (EJAF) has been declared “undesirable” by Russian authorities, who have banned the organization in their country. According to a statement posted to its website, Russia’s prosecutor general’s office made the decision to ban both the U.S.- and British-registered branches over support for LGBTQ+ rights. This means the EJAF cannot operate in the country and its staff and associates are liable for prosecution.

Pakistan Super League Strikes Streaming Deal With Begin, Walee (Variety)
U.A.E.-based streamer Begin has scored exclusive digital rights to Pakistan’s premier cricket tournament, partnering with local tech company Walee to deliver HBL PSL X (Pakistan Super League 10) to the cricket-mad nation’s rapidly growing mobile audience.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Monday, March 31st, 2025:

Korean Actor Kim Soo-hyun Denies He Groomed And Dated Late Actress When She Was Underage (Korea Joongang Daily)
At a surprise press conference, Kim Soo-hyun denied claims he groomed Kim Sae-ron, who died by suicide in February. Flanked by his lawyer, Kim Soo-hyun, the 37-year-old star of several hit K-dramas, tearfully addressed the wave of allegations about his relationship with Kim Sae-ron, reading out a statement that gave a timeline of their relationship and reiterating that it started after the actress became an adult. Kim Sae-ron, an actress known for her roles in A Brand New Life (2009) and The Man From Nowhere (2010), died Feb. 16 at 24. Her death was ruled a suicide. The date was the same as Kim Soo-hyun’s birthday.

Netflix makes Adolescence Available To All UK Secondary Schools (Advanced-Television)
Netflix is making its British crime series Adolescence available to all secondary schools across the UK through the Into Film+ streaming platform from April 1st. Additionally, healthy relationships charity Tender will produce guides and resources for teachers, parents and carers to help navigate conversations around the series.

Grand Slam Track Secures Global Coverage With New Rights Deals (Sportcal)
The announcement raises the total number of Grand Slam Track broadcast partners to 21, including BeIN Sport across MENA, CazéTV in Brazil, CBC in Canada, L’Equipe in France, New World TV across countries in West and Central Africa, PCCW in China and Hong Kong, Rush Sports across the Caribbean, SPOTV across South East Asia, SuperSport across Africa, TBS in Japan, and TyC Sports across Central and Latin America.

BBC Says “Unprecedented Funding Challenge” Lies Ahead As Content Spend Set To Fall By $200M (Deadline)
The BBC faces an “unprecedented content funding challenge” in the year to come, the corporation’s Annual Plan setting out priorities for the next 12 months has said. “Without intervention, it will be difficult to maintain the current ambition and volume of UK content,” said the plan.

‘Adolescence’ Co-Creator Responds To Theory About Show Being “Anti-White Propaganda” (The Hollywood Reporter)
The accusation began with a post on X [formerly Twitter] by Ian Miles Cheong, a Malaysia-based right-wing commentator, who claimed the series is “about a British knife killer who stabbed a girl to death on a bus, and it’s based on real life cases such as the Southport murderer. So guess what,” the post continued. “They race swapped the actual killer from a black man/migrant to a white boy and the story has it so he was radicalized online by the red pill movement. Just the absolute state of anti-white propaganda.”

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Sky: 950m Hours Of Sport Viewed In H2 2024 (Advanced-Television)
Brits are spending more time watching content than ever before, consuming 16 billion hours of content on Sky in 2024, according to Sky’s bi-annual Attention Index report. The latest data reveals that while viewing is up, the content people consume is increasingly fragmented as audiences shift away from pre-scheduled broadcasting and instead move to on-demand.

Warner Bros. Discovery’s JB Perrette Charts Max Expansion Path As Platform Launches in Australia (Deadline)
The company expects to attract “millions of subscribers” in Australia, leveraging a partnership with Foxtel that provides immediate access to a subscriber base already familiar with WBD’s content. This follows similar distribution partnerships in Europe with companies like Canal+ in France, Sky in the U.K. and Telefonica in Spain, evolving “legacy traditional content licensing partnerships into Max distribution partnerships,” according to Perrette.

JioHotstar’s Subscriber Surge: JioCinema And Disney+ Hotstar Merger Leads To 100,000,000 Subscribers, Outpacing Netflix And Prime Video In India (DNA India)
Despite its success, JioHotstar faces challenges in India's competitive streaming market. Experts point out that while sports and reality shows like Bigg Boss have driven much of its viewership, JioCinema's prior strategy of simply adding more content without proper marketing or user engagement could hinder its ability to grow its subscriber base further. For JioHotstar to continue its upward trajectory, it will need to focus on a more strategic approach to content creation and user engagement in a market crowded with competitors.

Showmax Nigeria Originals Emerge Top Contender For 2025 AMVCA, Clinch Eight Nominations Across Six Categories (Brand Communicator)
Showmax Nigeria Originals have emerged strong contenders, with Princess on a Hill, Cheta M, and Style Magnate securing eight nominations across six categories for the 11th edition of the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCAs) Leading the charge is the Nigerian corporate drama Princess on a Hill.  The series garnered five nominations for Best Scripted Series, Best Editing for Laughter Ephraim and Peter Ugbede, and Best Writing TV Series for Bibi Ukpo, Niyi Adeniji, and Sonia Nwosu. Notably, Bimbo Manuel received his inaugural AMVCA nomination for Best Lead Actor, while Efa Iwara earned a nod for Best Supporting Actor.

Museum TV launches In Netherlands And Germany Via M7 (Broadband TV News)
Museum TV is launching in the Netherlands and Germany on April 1, the Secom Group channel and its partner THEMA, a subsidiary of the Canal+ Group, announced. The channel will now be available on the Canal+ group’s M7 network. “After successful launches on Odido and Breedband Helmond, this new expansion is a key step in establishing Museum TV in the Netherlands,” said the channel in a statement.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Tuesday, March 11th, 2025:

ITV Drops ‘Emmerdale’ Writer After He Attacked Girlfriend; Soap Withdrawn From BAFTA Voting (Deadline)
ITV has severed ties with Martin Fustes, a writer on long-running soap opera Emmerdale, after he admitted to charges of attacking his girlfriend. The UK commercial broadcaster said it was “shocked and appalled” at the details of the court proceedings against Fustes, who has writing credits on nearly 760 episodes of the early evening drama.

Amazon To Launch Shoppable Ads In UK (Broadband TV News)
David Amodio, Head of Video Sales Specialists Northern EU, told the Connected TV World Summit that Amazon wanted to make advertising as relevant and as engaging as possible. “Some of them have already launched in the US and have seen some great results over there,” he said. “The first is an interactive format. So, if you just set the scene, if you sat on the sofa and the ad for those headphones pops up, then there’ll be an interactive overlay your screen and will allow you to simply add to your basket.”

Showmax Responds To Noksie Bullying Claims On ‘The Mommy Club’ (The South African)
In a comment sent to The South African, Tracy-Ann van Rooyen, Executive Head of Content Strategy at Showmax, explained: “The Mommy Club is an unscripted reality series, and as such, the format requires the producers of the series to limit their intervention in the storytelling, allowing the participants to share their personal perspectives in a raw and unfiltered way. While Showmax does not endorse any comments or behaviours made on any of the content produced, we welcome the debate it brings when key social issues are raised.”

FanCode Enhances F1 experience In India (Advanced-Television)
FanCode, the official broadcaster of Formula 1 in India, is set to elevate the motorsport’s viewing experience for fans across the country. For the first time, all F1 races will be available in Hindi and select regional languages on designated platforms, making the sport more accessible to millions of new fans.

Coupang And Warner Bros. Discovery Strike Landmark Content Deal In South Korea (Seeking Alpha)
Korean streaming service Coupang Play has entered into a significant content partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. The deal will bring acclaimed HBO and Max series to Korean viewers starting March 21. The lineup of shows heading to Coupang Play includes popular titles such as "Game of Thrones," "Succession," "House of the Dragon," and "Euphoria," as well as fan favorites like "Sex and the City" and "Band of Brothers."

Prime Video Is Missing ‘Speed’ In India. Why? (M9 News)
Users are complaining that Prime Video is missing one very important feature that other OTT platforms have. There is no ‘speed’ button on Prime Video and it is a big headache. There is an option to change the speed of the content in all OTT platforms like Netflix, AppleTV and more. There has to be an option to slow down or fasten the movies and shows.

Research: Netflix Remains Tops With Dutch Consumers (Broadband TV News)
Netflix remains the absolute leader in spontaneous name recognition among Dutch consumers with 64%, according to research by Telecompaper. Videoland follows with 49%, and Disney+ is in third place with 35%. HBO Max and Amazon complete the top five, while other streaming services remain below 10%.

UAE Launches Global Media Initiative, Bridge Summit (Arab News)
The UAE’s National Media Office has announced the launch of the Bridge Summit to “explore the future of media.” Set to take place from Dec. 8-10 in Abu Dhabi, the summit also seeks to “lead transformation in the sector, and enhance its contribution to the global economy,” according to a press statement. The forum will feature a media production exhibition and aims to attract CEOs, state leaders, and media professionals and experts from around the world.

Best-Rated Streaming Services In South Africa (My Broadband South Africa)
Showmax is the best-rated streaming app on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store in South Africa, beating international players like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney+. This comes after MultiChoice relaunched the streaming service in partnership with Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky in February 2024.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Monday, March 10th, 2025:

BBC News Presenters Hold Settlement Talks As Legal Battle Looms Over “Sham” Hiring Process (Deadline)
A group of four female BBC News presenters are preparing to do battle with their bosses next week over what they describe as a “rigged” recruitment process — but there remains a chance that the women could settle.

Netflix To Become Exclusive Home For WWE In India (Advanced-Television)
Netflix will become the exclusive new home for WWE in India from April 1st. As part of Netflix’s long-term partnership with the sports entertainment company, Indian fans will be able to stream all of WWE’s weekly flagship shows — Raw, SmackDown and NXT — as well as WWE’s Premium Live Events (PLEs) including SummerSlam, Money in the Bank, Royal Rumble and the upcoming WrestleMania (on April 19th-20th).

Journalist Quits Broadcaster After Comparing French Actions In Algeria To Nazi Massacre (Arab News)
A prominent French journalist on Sunday announced he was stepping down from his role as an expert analyst for broadcaster RTL after provoking an uproar by comparing French actions during colonial rule in Algeria to a World War II massacre committed by Nazi forces in France.

BBC Buys Thomas Vinterberg’s Climate Change TV Drama ‘Families Like Ours’ (Variety)
Written by Vinterberg and Bo Hr. Hansen (“Department Q: Journal 64,” “The Art of Crying”) and having first premiered at last year’s Venice Film Festival, the 7-part “Families Like Ours” is set in a near-future Denmark where rising water levels can no longer be ignored and the country needs to be evacuated. As people disperse in all directions, they must bid farewell to what they love, what they know, and who they are.

CNN Streaming Networks Land On VIDAA Connected TV Platform (The Desk)
Two streaming networks owned by Warner Bros Discovery’s (WBD) news channel CNN have landed on VIDAA‘s connected TV platform. The channels — CNN Fast and the streaming version of CNN International — are now accessible within the “VIDAA free” app on Hisense-branded, VIDAA-powered smart TVs.

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F1 TV Launches Premium Tier (Advanced-Television)
F1 TV is launching the F1 TV Premium service – allowing fans to immerse themselves fully in the F1 weekend with a host of features. Viewers can watch every F1 Grand Prix, F1 Sprint, Qualifying and practice session live in 4K/HDR at home, with F2, F3, F1 Academy and Porsche Supercup sessions also available to watch live on the platform.

JIO Hotstar Edits ‘White Lotus’ In India (M9 News)
People are complaining about several scenes from the popular show ‘The White Lotus’ being cut out in the Indian version. For example a scene where a character hides behind an idol of Buddha and prays to him is removed from Jio Hotstar. Fans are not very happy about this incident. People have shared their concern for what censorship will take away from the Oscar Winning ‘Anora’ once it comes to Jio Hotstar as well.

Ben Wheatley’s ‘Generation Z’ Axed By Channel 4 After One Season (Deadline)
Channel 4 has axed Ben Wheately’s zombie comedy horror Generation Z after one season. The network is understood to have had high hopes for the show and it was touted at the Edinburgh TV Festival, but it garnered middling reviews and failed to break out.

SPI International Extends Collaboration With Evision (Advanced-Television)
SPI International is strengthening its presence in the United Arab Emirates having extended its partnership with evision, the media and entertainment arm of e& (previously Etisalat Group). The existing agreement, which currently covers FilmBox, FilmBox Family, FilmBox Action, DIZI and other thematic channels – DocuBox, FightBox, Fast&FunBox, Gametoon – has been extended for the next few years.

South Africa: Tracy-Ann van Rooyen Returns To MultiChoice As Executive Head Of Content Strategy For Showmax (Broadcast Media Africa)
Tracy-Ann van Rooyen, a prominent figure in the South African content sphere, is making a return to MultiChoice’s Showmax as the new executive head of content strategy, a role she stepped into in February. This move comes after her tenure at The Walt Disney Company Africa, where she served as the senior manager of programming and scheduling.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Tuesday, March 4th, 2025:

How ‘Yellowstone’ & The Taylorverse Helped SkyShowtime Muscle Into Europe’s Crowded Streaming Market (Deadline)
Taylor Sheridan has helped SkyShowtime establish itself on the European streaming stage. CEO Monty Sarhan says Sheridan's shows have given SkyShowtime a serious leg-up in the two years since it launched, and as it looked to persuade consumers in over 20 territories to part with cash for a new subscription service.

Research: Streaming Revenue Overtakes Public TV In Europe (Advanced-Television)
Research from Ampere Analysis shows that total revenues from paid streaming services (including subscriptions and advertising) surpassed public TV revenue (from taxes, licence fees and advertising) in Europe for the first time in 2024. Streaming has enjoyed strong growth in Europe, with Ampere predicting a 37 per cent increase in revenue to reach €38.4 billion by 2029, primarily driven by US streaming giants.

‘The Crown’ Actor Khalid Abdalla Says He’s Been Called for U.K. Police Interview Over Pro-Palestine Protest (Variety)
In a post on social media, Abdalla — who also starred in “The Day of the Jackal,” “United 93” and “The Kite Runner,” and was a key part of Netflix’s Oscar-winning documentary “The Square” about the Arab Spring — said that he received a letter “relating to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign protest of Jan 18th,” adding that it “remains to be seen if this will result in charges.”

Netflix Takes Stance On Poor Air Quality With Disappearing Billboards Promoting New UK Series ‘Toxic Town’ (Deadline)
A set of giant Netflix billboards have been erected in the UK today promoting factual drama Toxic Town, but not everyone walking past will be able to see them. Netflix is attempting to raise awareness of Britain’s poor air quality problem by making some of the billboards harder to view than others, depending on the air quality levels of the city they are in.

MultiChoice Defies Nigerian Ruling On Fees (Advanced-Television)
A price rise for subscribers to MultiChoice’s pay-TV offerings on DStv and GOtv was ruled unacceptable by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). MultiChoice subsequently argued for the old subs rates to stay in place while it discussed its dilemma with the FCCPC, but that has been overtaken by MultiChoice going ahead with the price rises anyway.

BBC Boss Isn’t “Ruling Out” Reinstating Gaza Doc, Admits “Unanswered Questions Weren’t Followed Up” (The Hollywood Reporter)
Tim Davie said no one needs "any prodding" on an independent investigation into the BBC's scandal-hit Gaza documentary, in which one of the young Palestinian boys was found to have ties to Hamas.

Warner Bros. Discovery To Launch Max In Turkey On April 15 With Plans To Ramp Up Turkish Originals (Variety)
The new Turkish streamer will leverage BluTV’s local standing and combine it with a richer content lineup combining global hits from HBO and Max Originals, alongside BluTV’s Turkish originals. Subscribers to Max in Turkey will also have access to Eurosport, Cartoon Network and Cartoonito, CNN International, and Discovery+ shows. WBD acquired BluTV in 2023.

Canal+ Confirms Production On Next Installment Of ‘Has Fallen’ TV Series (Deadline)
Has Fallen will return for another high-stakes season on TV. Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada today confirmed a second season of the action thriller series, which was spun out of the Has Fallen films, is in production in the UK on a second season.

Why ‘Emilia Pérez’ Was Oscar Snubbed But Conquered France’s César Awards (The Hollywood Reporter)
Karla Sofía Gascón's resurfaced tweets torpedoed the film's Oscar campaign — it won just 2 Academy Awards out of 13 nominations — but didn't impact the French honors, where 'Emilia Pérez' won best film. "Cancel culture plays less of a role here than it does in America,” said one producer.

BBC “Open Minded” About UK Streamer Levy To Help Solve Scripted Funding Crisis (Deadline)
The BBC has said it is open-minded about supporting calls for a streamer levy to help solve the scripted funding crisis currently gripping the British industry. BBC Director General Tim Davie told lawmakers on Tuesday that it was a “good idea” to explore ways in which the likes of Netflix could make a “contribution” to local content.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Monday, March 3rd, 2025:

France’s Canal+ Group Signs Deal With Local Guilds To Invest At Least $503 Million In French Films Over Next Three Years (Variety)
The agreement comes alongside a pact allowing Canal+ to keep its access to movies at six months after their theatrical release. It took months of intense – if not rocky — negotiations with local guilds (including BLIC, BLOC and ARP) for Canal+ to reach this accord. Under the previous agreement that came to an end last December, Canal+ injected €600 million ($630 million) from 2022 to 2024.

DAZN Creates New Basketball Division (Broadband TV News)
DAZN has appointed Chus Bueno as Managing Director – Basketball, as the streamer launches a new division for the sport. Bueno’s previous roles include Vice President of NBA Europe, Middle East and Africa, as well as Managing Director for NBA Spain. Bueno has also held positions such as Executive Director and Secretary General of the FEB (Federación Española Baloncesto), Secretary General of ABP (Asociación Baloncestistas Profesionales), and Vice President of UBE (Union du Basketeurs d’Europe).

Sky Director Of Original Film Julia Stuart To Depart (Screen Daily)
Stuart headed up Sky’s original film division for six years, working across a slate of titles including Lee, Ferrari and The Beekeeper. Alongside a day-and-date model, she also became a keen champion of the theatrical release model for Sky Original films.

WBD Brings In Binge Director Of Content John Beohm To Head Content Planning For Max In Australia (C21 Media)
Beohm will join the WBD team from Foxtel-owned streamer Binge, where he held the role of director of content for over four years. He will report to WBD APAC’s head of content and streaming Magdalene Ew.

BBC Studios Appoints New EVP & GM Of Global Media & Streaming ANZ (Mediaweek Australia)
BBC Studios has named Robi Stanton as executive vice president & general manager of global media and streaming for Australia and New Zealand. In this newly appointed role, Stanton will oversee content sales, channels and streaming, and advertising sales across the region.

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Prime Video U.K. Director Chris Bird Stepping Down After 14 Years (Variety)
The news was announced in an internal memo sent to staff by Brigette Ricou-Bellan, the general manager of Prime Video EU, who noted that Bird had been with Amazon since joining as part of its acquisition of early streaming service LoveFilm in 2010 before taking over leadership of the U.K. team in 2021.

Afghan TV Station Reopens After Closure By Taliban Authorities (Arab News)
An Afghan TV station resumed operations Saturday, its leadership said, after being shut down in December by the Taliban morality ministry. Seals placed on Arezo TV’s doors in Kabul were removed in the presence of the country’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (PVPV), said station head Bassir Abid, who reported that the outlet had “resumed our operations.”

BBC Studios Secures Trio Of Swedish Format Deals (World Screen)
BBC Studios has clinched three new format deals in Sweden, including the first adaptation of the Norwegian game show Nation’s Dumbest. Montreux Film and Fjernsyn’s Nation’s Dumbest is set to be made for TV4 by BBC Studios Nordic Production alongside the paranormal format Uncanny. Both are being produced in the spring for launch later this year. In addition, SVT opted for a local take on Curve Media’s Our Dementia Choir, set to go into production in August.

Disney Expands Deal With BeIN Media Group to Include Disney Channel And Disney Junior Across Middle East (Variety)
Disney and Qatar-based powerhouse beIN Media Group have expanded their content agreement in a new partnership, giving beIN rights to Disney Channel and Disney Junior across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

JioStar Pulling Out All Stops To Woo Brands For IPL (Financial Express)
With the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) next edition just under three weeks away, broadcaster JioStar is betting big on three main offerings to draw more advertisers to the cricketing carnival. Ishan Chatterjee, chief business officer, sports revenue, SMB and creator, JioStar, expects the combination of improved reach, new advertising innovations and a partnership with Nielsen for digital advertising measurement to draw more advertisers to the cricketing extravaganza.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Thursday, February 20th, 2025:

Netflix Pledges $1B For Mexican Films & Series As Ted Sarandos Tells President Sheinbaum, “We Share Your Vision Of A Vibrant, Prosperous Mexico” (Deadline)
Netflix has pledged to spend a whopping $1B on Mexican production over the next four years. The streamer's Co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, spoke at President Sheinbaum's morning press conference, Thursday, and unveiled the bumper commitment to Mexican production.

Amazon Prime Video To Show Ligue 1 On PPV In The UK (Broadband TV News)
Amazon is launching a new pay-per-view service in the UK market starting with matches from France’s Ligue 1.Up to three matches will be made available each weekend including Le Classique between Paris St Germain and Marseilles that will be held later in the season. A match is priced at £2.49 with no need to first be a Prime subscriber.

Nazi Art Thief, UFOs And Women At War Among Subjects Covered In Shows Presented by PBS Distribution At Mip London (Variety)
A Nazi art thief, UFOs and women at war are among the subjects covered in new factual shows being presented by PBS Distribution at Mip London, which takes place Feb. 23 to 27. Further titles will be announced in the lead-up to the market, including PBS Distribution’s lineup for the London TV Screenings, which runs Feb. 23-28.

‘A Lot Can Be Learned’ From Saudi Arabia’s Media Sector: Pakistan Minister (Arab News)
“We spoke about further collaborations, because Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are strategic partners — there is a people-to-people contact, that contact is from the heart. “We are bound by culture, we are bound by religion, we are bound by so many common things that we have, and we discussed how we can collaborate further.”

TelevisaUnivision Moves Sideways In Q4: Revenue Slips 1% Despite Influx Of Political Ad Spending (Deadline)
Hispanic media giant TelevisaUnivision posted relatively flat results in the fourth quarter compared with the same period in 2023. Revenue for the Mexico-U.S. firm in the frame ended December 31 slipped 1% to $1.3 billion. U.S. revenue inched up 2% to $835.5 million despite the presidential election, with U.S. ad revenue climbing 2% to $476 million.

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BBC Studios Continues Growth Across CEE (Advanced-Television)
BBC Studios has extended the reach of its channel brands across CEE with new launches in the Czech Republic and Romania. BBC-branded channels, BBC Earth and BBC First, are now available to the customers of Vodafone in Czech Republic, whilst BBC First has joined Orange Romania.

Netflix Leads Southeast Asia Streaming Revenues To $1.8 Billion As Regional VOD Viewership Surges (Variety)
Netflix dominated the landscape with a 52% viewership share and 42% revenue share, while capturing nearly half of all new subscriptions in Q4. The company closed 2024 with more than 12 million subscribers across Southeast Asia’s five key markets. Indonesia emerged as the largest revenue generator at $552 million, followed by Thailand with $473 million. The growth story was primarily driven by strong performance in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, which helped offset a minor slowdown in Thailand.

Max Launches In Greece With Vodafone TV (Advanced-Television)
Vodafone TV is ushering in the exclusive launch home of Max in Greece. The streaming service from Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is making its debut in Greece through Vodafone TV, offering a unique of premium series and films.

Viaplay Continues Financial Turnaround With Reduced Q4 Losses (Deadline)
Sweden’s Viaplay continues to head back towards the black, as its fourth quarter financial results showed dramatically shortened losses. The Nordic streaming service reported a Q4 operating loss of SEK92M ($8.6M), way down from SEK2.7B last year when the company was firefighting huge financial gaps and moving to a new strategy based around unscripted programs and sports. Q4’s net loss was also significantly down, from SEK 2.86B to SEK230M.

Blackpink's Jisoo, Seo In-guk To Star In Upcoming Netflix Rom-Com (Korea Joongang Daily)
Netflix’s new romance comedy series, starring Blackpink’s Jisoo and Seo In-guk, will soon begin production, the streaming platform announced on Thursday. Under the working title of “Boyfriend on Demand,” the upcoming series will revolve around a female webtoon producer who uses a virtual dating simulation program to escape reality.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Wednesday, February 19th, 2025:

‘Vigil’ Renewed For Season 3 At BBC As Hit Thriller Heads To The Arctic Circle (Deadline)
BBC smash Vigil is heading to the Arctic Circle. The hit Suranne Jones-starring show, which comes from the makers of Line of Duty, has been greenlit for a third season and will move to a research station in the Arctic where a member of a covert British special forces mission has been shot dead.

Dataxis: Ad-Supported Streaming Plans Taking Off In Europe (The Desk)
The report found that hybrid video on-demand (HVOD) services grew by 783 percent across the top five streaming markets in Europe. HVOD is a relatively new industry term that refers to a streaming platform that offers both ad-supported and premium, commercial-free service plans. Netflix, Amazon’s Prime Video and Disney Plus all offer HVOD services in Europe.

Spain: BBC Player Launching On Movistar Plus+ (Advanced-Television)
BBC Studios has renewed and expanded its partnership with Movistar Plus+ in Spain. The new agreement will see BBC Studios increase its content offering in the market with the debut of multi-genre VoD service, BBC Player, the launch of additional FAST channels, and a recommitment to natural history and BBC Earth content acquisitions.

BBC Studios Expands Partnership With Movistar Plus+ In Spain, Launching BBC Player And New FAST Channels (Variety)
Under the new, multi-year deal, BBC Studios will introduce BBC Player, a VOD service offering up to 1,000 hours of curated content from the BBC’s extensive catalogue. The service will feature a mix of scripted and unscripted titles, including popular shows like “The Louis Theroux Interviews” and “Amanda & Alan’s Italian Job.” BBC Player will be available to Movistar Plus+ subscribers later this year, alongside the launch of additional FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels.

Roku Secures American Idol Streaming Rights In Canada (World Screen)
Roku and Fremantle have inked an agreement to bring American Idol season eight live to The Roku Channel in its first single-territory live and simulcast deal, along with AVOD digital exclusive rights to the series. American Idol season eight will air on ABC in the U.S. on Sundays and Mondays and stream the next day on Hulu, with a free simulcast on The Roku Channel in Canada and streaming the next day on-demand on The Roku Channel.

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Banijay Unveils ‘AI Love You,’ Docu-Format Allowing Couples To Preserve Love Beyond Death (The Hollywood Reporter)
The show follows couples, facing an early end to life, deciding to use AI to preserve their love. Guided by a psychologist and tech expert, they spend their final months creating a digital avatar of their loved one. The journey begins with a gathering where family and friends contribute memories, letters, videos and anecdotes to shape the AI, capturing the quirks and essence of the person. Once complete, the avatar is stored away until needed after their partner’s passing. The surviving loved one, supported by a psychologist, then chooses whether to engage with it, or leave it untouched.

FIFA Takes 2026, 2030 Rights Tender To Nine European Markets (Sportcal)
Soccer’s global governing body FIFA has opened a media rights tender covering the next two men’s FIFA World Cups across nine European markets. Rights covering the 2026 (the US, Canada, and Mexico), and 2030 (Spain, Portugal, and Morocco) tournaments went out to tender yesterday across Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Ukraine.

IndyCar Reveals International TV Partners (Speed Sports)
IndyCar Series teams wrapped up two days of testing during its annual IndyCar Spring Training at Sebring Int’l Raceway. With the season beginning in the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on Feb. 28-March 2, IndyCar announced its international television package on Wednesday morning.

JioHotstar Uses City Billboards And Digital Platforms To Create Buzz Around Entry (Media 4 U)
In the days leading up to the launch of JioHotstar, JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar engaged in a playful exchange across city billboards and digital platforms, teasing each other in a light-hearted conversation. The banter witnessed JioCinema saying “Looking for someone who digs cricket, reality shows and live concerts. Know Anyone?” with Disney+ Hotstar’s responding “Cricket is my love language, who wants to match this Valentine’s Day?” teasing the launch on Valentine’s Day. The banter sparked curiosity and excitement among consumers across platforms and set the stage for the unveiling of JioHotstar.

Banijay’s Endemol Shine Australia Signs Development Deal With ‘Ninja Warrior’ Creator Tokyo Broadcasting System (Variety)
The first TBS format now in development with ESA is a take on the strategic gameshow “Actors Vs Reactors,” produced by Junya Ueda. Reinvented and scaled by ESA as “The Insider,” the format sees a group of celebrities in a strategic game where they will be continually and mercilessly pranked. But one celebrity sneakily knows the details of every prank and is faking their reactions. As the description goes, “Can the celebrities find The Insider before they win all the cash?”

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Tuesday, February 18th, 2025:

Popstars Noa Kirel & Agustin Bernasconi Teaming On Global Romcom Series ‘NOA’ (Deadline)
Pop superstars in Israel and Argentina are coming together for a global romcom series. Noa Kirel and Agustín Bernasconi are starring in NOA, a fun, playful series in which, after months of a long-distance relationship, Noa travels to Argentina to meet her boyfriend. She then meets Tomy (Bernasconi), a young man trying to reconcile with his past and forge a new life away from music, all while Noa begins a journey of discovery in search of her musical identity, while dealing with the pressure of her parents and her new reality in Buenos Aires.

Study: Streaming Ads Drive Higher Trust, Recall, Purchase Intent (Deadline)
Magnite, the independent sell-side advertising company, has unveiled the results of its latest study, Why Streaming TV Is a Must-Buy, which highlights how UK audiences engage with streaming TV and the effectiveness of ads within premium content environments.

Seoul On Screen: More Overseas Productions Choose Korea As Setting (Korea Joongang Daily)
Many drama series produced by over-the-top (OTT) platforms choose Korea as their main location. In the past, drama series based on Korean works such as “Pachinko” (2022-24) on Apple TV+ have been filmed here, but the latest trend is different. Overseas productions are willing to pick Korea as a main setting to perk up their stories.

‘Peaky Blinders’ World Will Continue After Netflix Film, Creator Steven Knight Says (Variety)
Speaking on the “BBC Breakfast” show on Tuesday, Knight said that the highly anticipated Netflix feature film continuation of the hit series has wrapped filming and is shaping up to be a fitting sendoff – though he hinted the story is far from over.

Research: British Humour Draws Young Europeans To UK Content (Broadband TV News)
The British sense of humour is a key reason why young Europeans watch UK-made television shows and films, research has revealed. A report, led by researchers at King’s College London, found that ‘humour’ was the word most associated with UK television shows and films when 16–34-year-olds in Denmark, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands were asked to describe them in a few words.

NBCUniversal Formats Takes Global On Audience Playalong Show ‘Win Win!’ Ahead Of London TV Screenings (Deadline)
NBCUniversal Formats has taken on a new show in which audiences can win a cash prize by playing at home via an app. Ahead of the London TV Screenings and MIP London, the formats seller has secured global rights (bar UK) for Win Win!, which comes from British Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win producer Hello Dolly.

Data: Linear TV Consumption Continues To Decline Globally (Advanced-Television)
Data drawn from Kantar’s annual international Global Quick View report, covering 37 countries and more than 80,000 respondents (from 2021 to 2025), reveals that the proportion of adults globally who say that nearly all of their TV/video watching is through TV channels has fallen from 12 per cent in 2021 to 7 per cent today.

‘Billionaire Island’’s Norwegian Location Frøya Voted Best European Filming Spot At The EUFCN Location Awards In Berlin (Variety)
For the first time, Norway has scooped the coveted Jury Prize for Best Film Location at the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) Location Awards 2024, which was handed out in Berlin Feb. 17. The award was given out to the location Frøya and the Midgard Film Commission in central Norway, for the filming location of Netflix’s “Billionaire Island” produced by Rubicon.

‘Come Dine With Me’: Why Enduring 20-Year-Old Format Is “The Quickest Way To Understand The Brits” & How Narrator Dave Lamb Prepares (Deadline)
“Someone once said the quickest way to understand the Brits is by watching episodes of Come Dine With Me,” says the series editor behind the beloved UK format, which turned 20 last month. Henry Hainault, who has worked on more than 1000 episodes of Channel 4’s food-cum-relationships-cum-lifestyle show, says Come Dine With Me celebrates British diversity in all its forms.

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Monday, February 17th, 2025:

“Montoya, Por Favor!”: The Story Behind ‘Temptation Island’ Spain’s Viral Sensation (Deadline)
If you’ve been anywhere near social media in the past couple of weeks, you will be familiar with José Carlos Montoya. He’s the Spanish hunk making the desperate charge across a moonlit beach to confront his girlfriend as she slips between the sheets with another man.

Saudi Invests $1bn In DAZN (Advanced-Television)
Saudi Arabia is to invest $1 billion (€0.95bn) in DAZN and a forming new JV with the sports streaming service owned by Sir Leonard Blavatnik, as the country doubles up its bet on the global sports market. Surj Sports Investment, the sporting arm of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), will acquire a “single-digit” minority stake in DAZN, just weeks after the loss-making broadcaster secured the rights to show this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup tournament for $1 billion.

In Estonian-Ukrainian Series ‘My Dear Mother,’ Love Is a Crime: ‘It Will Leave You Breathless’ (Variety)
In the Estonian-Ukrainian six-episode show, produced by Zolba Productions in collaboration with Ukraine’s Film.UA Group, the audience is put in the role of a judge and a journalist – both trying to understand what happened in the life of a girl accused of killing her own mother.

Ampere: Streamers Will Spend $12.5bn On Sports Rights In 2025 (Broadband TV News)
Streamers are forecast to account for a fifth of global sports rights spend in 2025 according to Ampere Analysis sports media rights data. It’s anticipated that the combined spend will reach $12.5 billion this year with much of the growth driven by the expanding sports budgets of Netflix and Amazon. However, sports streamer DAZN will maintain its position as the world’s top spender on sports rights.

Life After Peak TV: “It’s A New World Order… There’s A Rethink Required” – Berlin (Deadline)
Berlin tuned into TV, Monday, and the drama crowd in Germany were told that after scaling the peaks, it's time to survey the “open plain.” Ampere's influential analyst Guy Bisson broke out key data in a presentation titled: ‘The Open Plains After Peak TV’. "What do you land on after a peak?

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JioHotstar Launched: What Happens To Existing Disney+ Hotstar, JioCinema users (India TV)
JioHotstar has finally launched in India, after the dispute over domain ownership got over. Now, you might have heard about the merger between Viacom18 and Star India, which has resulted in JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar content being available on a single platform and JioHotstar. Naturally, this raises concerns for existing subscribers: What happens to their current JioCinema and Disney+ Hotstar plans? What are the new pricing options for JioHotstar, and what content will be available?

FAST Channels Make Big Splash In Indonesia As Wedotv Partners With Dens.TV (Variety)
In a major push into the Asian streaming market, global FAST network wedotv has inked a deal with Indonesian platform Dens.TV to launch four of its flagship channels, marking wedotv’s first foray into the region’s television landscape.

Dutch Viewers Get Two Viaplay Linear Channels (Broadband TV News)
The channels, Viaplay TV and Viaplay TV+, will initially be available through television providers Delta and Odido. Last year, Viaplay ran a pilot where it rebranded SBS9 as Viaplay TV, and showed a mix of content from both Viaplay and SBS6. From March 14, SBS9 will return in its own right, and the two Viaplay channels will go it alone.

Biggest NOW TV Shake-Up In Decade Kickstarts Tomorrow, Bringing All-New Design And Features At No Extra Cost (GB News)
NOW is poised to undergo its biggest overhaul in years. The streamer, previously known as NOW TV, will enjoy a fresh coat of paint across every corner of its interface. It follows similar redesigns to rivals like Netflix and Prime Video in the UK in recent years.

German Industry At A Crossroads Amid Political Upheaval & Thirst For Film Reform (Deadline)
As Germany heads into a key general election on February 23, there’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the country’s film industry. Europe’s largest economy is facing a third consecutive year of recession, which is having a stark knock-on effect on the German media landscape as inflation and cost of energy prices hit the production sector.