10 Global TV Stories You Should Know: 07/29/2024

Here are the stories that should be on your radar

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Monday, July 29th, 2024:

Canal Plus Secures 4.6% Revenue Rise In H1 (Sportcal)
Canal Plus Group, the French media conglomerate, secured revenue of $3.2 billion in the first half (H1) of 2024, up 4.6% year-on-year. This comes with Vivendi, the media conglomerate that owns Canal Plus, looking to list it on the London Stock Exchange.

Go Rural, Get Ratings: Korea's Latest Obsession With Watching Celebrities Try Countryside Life (Korea Joongang Daily)
TV personality Jeon Hyun-moo and comedian Park Na-rae recently got away from the hustle and bustle of city life and spent a day in Chungju, North Chungcheong, as part of the reality TV show “I Live Alone.” Clad in T-shirts with flashy flower patterns and mompei pants, which are often considered a thing for grandmas living in the countryside, the two celebrities harvested some crops by themselves, grilled pork belly and beat the heat by pouring cold tap water over each other’s backs, spending the day like locals. The viewer ratings for the episode featuring Jeon and Park’s "choncance" reached 9.6 percent at one point. Choncance is a newly coined term that combines chon, meaning a rural area in Korean, and vacance, a French word meaning vacation.  

Eurosport’s Bob Ballard Apologizes Over Sexist Remark After Being Removed From Olympics Coverage (Deadline)
Eurosport commentator Bob Ballard has apologized for making a sexist remark about Australia’s female swimmers that has seen him dropped from the broadcaster’s coverage. Ballard posted the statement to X in the past few minutes, acknowledging that the “comments I made during the Australian freestyle relay victory ceremony on Saturday have caused some offence.”

National League Signs DAZN Deal (Advanced-Television)
The National League has announced a new long-term partnership with sports streaming platform DAZN. The seven-year agreement, beginning in August, will showcase the football competition across more than 200 countries globally. The deal includes both broadcast and streaming rights across the DAZN network around the world for the benefit of all 72 member clubs.

CA Report: Kenyans Prefer Radio And TV For News Over Digital Platforms (Naroibi Wire)
The latest Audience Measurement and Industry Trends report from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) indicates that a majority of Kenyans still depend on these traditional media for their news and entertainment needs.

Tunisia Reduces Jail Term For TV Host (Arab News)
A Tunisian appeals court commuted the prison sentence of a TV broadcaster from one year to eight months on Friday, his lawyer told AFP. Borhen Bssais was initially handed a 12-month sentence under a decree punishing “spreading false information” and “defaming others or damaging their reputation.”

TNA Wrestling Expands Partnership With Warner Bros. Discovery’s Eurosport India (Sportsvideo)
Anthem Sports & Entertainmen announces that TNA Wrestling has expanded its successful partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) premium sports channel Eurosport India. The exclusive multi-year agreement, encompassing hundreds of hours of content, extends TNA’s offerings, broadcasting all-new original series, iconic matchups, PPV events, and more throughout India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

From Metros To Villages: The Streaming Wave Sweeping Across India (The Economic Times)
I've heard many peers talk about creating content for "India" and "Bharat," which is all well and good. But can we really split our wonderful nation into stark binaries of urban and rural? Or mainstream and fringe? Or Hindi/English and everything else? I think not. The complex beauty of Indian audiences lies in their minute fragmentation. It’s not just about different regions, religions, languages, and cultures—we are a people with a billion views, a billion tastes, a billion likes and dislikes. 

Canal+ Launches Hungarian Streaming Service (Broadband TV News)
4iG will acquire the Canal+ satellite base in Hungary as part of a new partnership that sees the launch of Canal+ branded streaming services in the country. It’s the latest in a series of international launches that also include Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia and most recently the Netherlands.

Tomás Joins ITV Studios Iberia (Advanced-Television)
Spanish Entertainment Executive, Hugo Tomás, has been appointed Executive Producer, Non-Scripted Programmes, ITV Studios Iberia. He joins the company on September 1st and will report directly to Nathalie Garcia, CEO. In his new role, Tomás will lead on the adaptation of ITV Studios’ reality, factual, dating and game show formats, such as Come Dine With Me, Love Island and The Chase. He will also develop local originals, working closely with Miguel Vila, Creative Director.