10 Global TV Stories You Should Know: 04/03/2024
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 Wednesday, April 3rd, 2024:
Sudan Suspends Al Arabiya, Al Hadath And Sky News Arabia Channels (Arab News)
Sudan suspended Saudi Arabia’s state-owned broadcasters Al Arabiya and Al Hadath and the UAE-owned Sky News Arabia channel on Tuesday “due to its lack of commitment to the required professionalism and transparency and failure to renew its licenses,” according to Sudan’s state news agency.
‘House Of Ninjas’ Kento Kaku & Dave Boyle Launch Production Company Signal181 (Deadline)
House of Ninjas creator Dave Boyle and the star and co-EP of the Netflix series, Kento Kaku, are opening the doors to their new production company, Signal181. The international nature of the venture is reflected in the name, which combines the country codes of Japan (+81) and the United States (+1).
UKTV Licenses Titles From Disney (Advanced-Television)
UKTV has secured the rights to six shows from Disney Entertainment which will air across its portfolio of brands. Alaska Daily and The Company You Keep will both air on UKTV’s crime channel Alibi this summer; A Small Light will feature on free-to-air channel Drama in May; Mike will air on entertainment channel Dave later this year; additionally, on UKTV Play, all seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy (pictured) will be available to stream in the summer, and all five seasons of Brothers and Sisters in late-spring.
Viaplay Content Distribution Boss Talks Strategy, Fresh Sale Of ‘End of Summer’ To Canal+’s Polar+ Ahead Of MipTV (Variety)
On the eve of the global content market MipTV in Cannes, Viaplay Group’s Vanda Rapti, EVP Viaplay Select and Content Distribution, has offered a confident outlook on the Scandi streamer’s international activities and content sales.
SPI International Launches Streaming Channels In MEA (Digital TV Europe)
Canal+-owned channel and streamer provider SPI International has launched three channels – FilmBox Action, FilmBox Family, and FilmBox Middle East – in South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, and Tunisia in partnership with mobile payment technology specialist Digital Virgo.
HBO Max Added To Movistar Plus+ (Broadband TV News)
Streaming service HBO Max has joined the Movistar Plus+ line-up ahead of its reimagining as Max. The Warner Bros. Discovery service is available to subscribers to the Total Fiction (Ficción Total) package.
ABS-CBN Boss On Partnering With Former Network Rival GMA On Filipino Variety Series ‘It’s Showtime’ (Deadline)
The CEO of ABS-CBN has lifted the lid on how the media conglom’s first collaboration with former network rival GMA typifies a new era of business for the Filipino company. ABS-CBS teamed with GMA to air the popular midday variety show It’s Showtime, which will air from April 6 on GMA’s main channel.
French Rugby’s LNR Launches Rights Tender For 2027-31 (Digital TV Europe)
France’s Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) has launched a tender for media rights for the country’s Top 14 and Pro D2 rugby leagues for the seasons from 2027-28 to 2030-31.
Major Expansion For FilmBox Channels (Advanced-Television)
Channel management and curation specialist SPI International has announced the launch of three dynamic channels—FilmBox Action, FilmBox Family, and FilmBox Middle East—in key regions, including South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, and Tunisia in partnership with mobile payment specialist Digital Virgo.
OSN+ And Anghami Complete Merger To Form Major MENA Streamer (Digital TV Europe)
The move will see the newly combined streamer rival streaming giants Netflix and Spotify across the MENA region, bringing together over 120 million registered users, over 2.5 million subscribers and more than $100 million revenue at closing.