10 Global TV Stories You Should Know: 01/11/2024
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, January 11th, 2024:
‘Bake Off’ Producer Love Productions Preps U.S.-UK School Swap Docuseries For Channel 4 (Deadline)
Channel 4 has organized a U.S.-UK student exchange program for its latest project from The Great British Bake Off producer Love Productions. Working titled School Swap, Love followed seven British students from London’s Elmgreen School as they spent time at Mena High School in Arkansas.
Max In Spain Unveils First Entertainment Shows With ‘Peking Express’ & Naked Duo (TBIVision)
Local adaptations of Naked And Afraid and Naked Attraction have been revealed alongside a new version of long-running series Peking Express, with all three shows forming part of the local offering for Max when it is rolled out in spring 2024.
BBC To Close BBC Entertainment In Dutch Market (Broadband TV News)
Dutch cable operators including Vodafone Ziggo, Stichting Kabelnet Veendam and Delta will lose the BBC Entertainment channel as of March 31, 2023.
Zee Intends To Conclude Sony Merger (Advanced-Television)
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), in a regulatory filing, insists it is working to successfully complete its long-planned merger with Sony’s Indian channels and studios. In its January 9th filing Zee described the widespread reports that the merger might not go through as being “baseless and factually incorrect.”
Viaplay Group Receives Bondholder Approval (Broadband TV News)
Bondholders have given their approval to the SEK 4 billion recapitalisation of Viaplay Group. SEK 4 billion worth of shares are being issue to existing shareholders through a rights issue that is being supported by prorata investments from shareholders including Canal Plus and PPF Cyprus Management Limited.
Analysis: Channel 4 Staff Cull Plan Could Help Repair Ruptured Relations With Indies, But Some Commissioners May Pay The Price (Deadline)
A producer wryly tells us that they arrived to Channel 4 HQ in late 2023 to discover a boarded-up front, feeling their way around to a narrow door on the side of the building “where there stands a huge f***ing bouncer." If ever there was a metaphor for the British broadcaster's relations with the indie sector in recent months, surely this is it.
Nancy Cotton & Marcy Kaplan Among Senior Exits As Amazon Restructures MGM Teams (TBIVision)
MGM+ execs Nancy Cotton, EVP of scripted programming, and Marcy Kaplan, head of production, are among a slew of senior executives being let go from tech giant Amazon, which is consolidating its MGM scripted, unscripted and MGM+ teams into a single division.
Lodewick named SVP, CEO Viaplay Netherlands (Advanced-Television)
Viaplay Group has appointed Roger Lodewick as SVP and CEO Viaplay Netherlands, effective immediately. Lodewick has a 20-year executive track record spanning a range of gaming, entertainment, media and sports businesses, and joins from ESL FACEIT Group, the eSports and gaming festival company, where he was President Sports Games.
FilmBox Hungary To Launch Dedicated Channel Feed (Broadband TV News)
SPI International is launching a dedicated version of its Filmbox channel for the Hungarian market following a new agreement with RTL. From this month, the new feed will be fully tailored for Hungary and feature an enhanced selection of content. RTL Saleshouse will facilitate advertising sales and audience measurement.
FIH Signs Media Rights Deals With Viacom18 And BBC (Digital TV Europe)
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) events will air in India and the UK, with major broadcasting rights deals with Viacom18 and BBC. The FIH events, except the FIH Nations Cup will air on the Indian broadcaster Viacom18 through to 2027, in a new four-year deal.