10 Global TV Stories That You Should Know: 02/22/2024
Here are the stories that should be on your radar
Here are the global TV and streaming video stories that should be on your radar for Thursday, February 22nd, 2024:
New World TV Snaps Up Sub-Saharan UEFA Club Competition Rights (Sportcal)
New World TV (NWTV), the Togo-based pan-African satellite television network, has secured sub-Saharan African, French-language rights to European soccer's main UEFA club competitions from 2024 to 2027. The deal includes coverage of the top-tier UEFA Champions League, second-tier UEFA Europa League, third-tier UEFA Conference League, as well as the UEFA Youth League.
Viaplay Reiterates 2024 Guidance Following Reset (Advanced-Television)
Viaplay, the troubled Sweden-based streaming company, posted a 3 per cent increase in Q4 organic sales despite a slight decline in the Nordic region, its key market. Following a mass restructuring, sales stood at SEK4.3 billion (€0.39bn) in the quarter, compared with SEK4.67 billion in the same quarter last year, and the operating loss was at SEK230 million – an improvement on last year’s SEK284 million.
Telefónica Sees TV Base Decline, With Positive Signs In Spain (Digital TV Europe)
Telefónica saw its global pay TV base decline by 3.1% in the year to December, ending with 10.259 million subs. In its domestic Spanish market, the group’s TV base increased by 8,000 during the last quarter, but was down 2.8% year-on-year to 3.568 million. The company said it had achieved a pay TV turnaround in its domestic market, with deregulation giving it more flexibility going forwards.
ITV Seeks Post Office Drama Successor With Series On Devastating Contaminated Blood Scandal Penned By Peter Moffat (Deadline)
ITV is on the hunt for a Mr Bates vs the Post Office successor and has landed on the devastating contaminated blood scandal, with Peter Moffat attached. Double-BAFTA winner Moffat is writing the untitled series based on what took place in the 1970s and 1980s, which ITV is describing as the “biggest health scandal in our history.”
BBC Drama Boss Warns Of “Peak Caution” As Pubcaster Unveils 12 Scripted Commissions (TBI Vision)
Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC, has warned that the industry has shifted from “peak TV to peak caution” in recent years and promised that the UK pubcaster will continue to take creative risks.
Sky Unveils Slate Of New Unscripted Commissions (Advanced-Television)
Sky has announced an array of new unscripted original and exclusive commissions, coming soon to Sky Documentaries and Sky Arts. Coming to Sky Documentaries later this year, Klitschko: The Fight of his Life, offers viewers access to former heavyweight boxing world champion Vitali Klitschko, along with his brother Wladimir, who together dominated the sport for more than a decade.
Viaplay To Launch Ad Tier And Take On Account Sharing As Signs Of Recovery Emerge (Digital TV Europe)
Viaplay is looking to introduce an advertising tier within its streaming offering as well as tackling account sharing and cutting back on original scripted content to keep its performance on track this after a fourth quarter that showed signs that the struggling Nordic streamer was beginning to recover from an extremely challenging year.
Showmax Applied 3 Strategies To Surpass Netflix Subscribers In Africa (Pulse Live Kenya)
Showmax, owned by MultiChoice – the South African company behind DStv – has carved a niche for itself by focusing on local content and offering flexible subscription plans that cater to the diverse economic realities across Africa.
Sweden’s SVT Acquires 280-Hour BBC Studios Factual Package (TBI Vision)
Swedish public broadcaster, Sveriges Television AB (SVT) has struck a deal with BBC Studios for the rights to more than 280 hours of factual programming to air across its platforms. BBC Studios’ factual content will be available on SVT channels and services including SVT1, SVT2, Knowledge Channel and SVT Play.
YouTube TV Now Offers The ‘Zee Family’ Package With Indian Channels (Cord Cutters News)
The move represents YouTube TV going after a segment of potential customers in the U.S. interested in Indian content in their native language. YouTube TV already offers a Spanish plan with more than 30 Spanish-language networks for $34.99.