10 Global TV Stories You Should Know: 01/23/2025
Here are the stories that should be on your radar
Warner Bros Discovery Names Jose Maria Caro As Scripted Originals Chief At Max Spain (Deadline)
Warner Bros Discovery just handed the scripted original reins at Max in Spain to Jose Maria Caro. He will lead on scripted originals coming from the streamer, overseeing development and production.
Sky News Arabia Opens New Headquarters, Announces Fresh Programming (Arab News)
The new programming will include shows such as “Studio One” hosted by Fadila Souissi, which will highlight political and societal issues, and the “Emad Eldin Adib” show, which will focus on politics in the Arab world.
BBC Boss Tim Davie Wades Into ‘The Traitors’ Scottish Production Row: “We Are Not Interested In Gaming The Figures” (Deadline)
“We are not interested in gaming the figures,” BBC DG Tim Davie repeated several times in front of a Scottish parliamentary committee this morning amid the row over The Traitors and local talent. Davie was pushed on major concerns over the lack of Scottish people working on the hit series.
Italy: Anti-Piracy Initiative Hasn’t Increased Subs (Advanced-Television)
Italy’s anti-piracy initiative, Piracy Shield, has blocked thousands of illegal streaming websites, but has not led to a rise in subscribers for legitimate platforms. Data from Italy’s Communications Authority (AgCom), which oversees the blocking system, shows viewership and subscriber numbers for DAZN remained stagnant in 2024.
Ad-Supported Streaming On The Rise In Germany (Broadband TV News)
The streaming market in Germany is undergoing a significant transformation as more viewers turn to ad-supported subscription plans offered by major platforms like Netflix, Amazon and Disney.
Amazon UK Boss Says “Greater Share” Of Prime Video TV Spend Shifting To Britain, But Streamer Would Never Have Commissioned ‘Mr Bates’ (Deadline)
Prime Video is shifting a greater share of its overall TV spend to Britain, according to Amazon UK boss Chris Bird. Bird was speaking on a Royal Television Society (RTS) panel predicting the year in UK TV, alongside the likes of Fremantle UK boss Amelia Brown, who said the industry has “lost its guts a bit” when it comes to taking risks.
Netflix And Prime Video Dominate Hindi Content, While Disney+ Hotstar Shines In Regional Languages (Storyboard 18)
Netflix dominated the list of the 15 most-watched Hindi streaming shows of 2024, while Prime Video’s Mirzapur Season 3 claimed the top spot, surpassing 30 million viewers. Shows produced by TVF took three of the top four spots on the "Most Liked" list, with Prime Video’s Panchayat Season 3 earning the title of the most-liked Hindi series, followed by Disney+ Hotstar’s The Legend of Hanuman.
ABC Australia Chief Content Officer To Depart (World Screen)
Chris Oliver-Taylor is exiting his post as chief content officer at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Oliver-Taylor was appointed by the ABC as the inaugural chief content officer in March 2023 to lead all content platforms. He was tasked with developing and launching the new content division created from the merger of the former entertainment and specialist and regional and local divisions.
Namita Thapar Accuses Shark Tank India Pitchers Of ‘Inflating Numbers’, Calls Them Out For ‘Integrity Issue’ (The Indian Express)
He said that if they had an above-the-board accounting, they would never be allowed to get away with this. When one of the founders said that this was a debate that they had with their accounting, Anupam refused to believe him. “You’re a pro, don’t pretend like you didn’t know what you were doing.” Namita agreed, “You’re inflating your numbers. It’s an integrity issue, not just an accounting issue.”
Isekai Anime Offers A Key To Understanding Globalization (The Japan Times)
With that in mind, the isekai premise could be interpreted as an allegory exploring anime’s globalization. Anime, like the protagonist of an isekai narrative, is seen as Japanese, but is suddenly transported to a foreign land and must engage with that world. As such, isekai shows — with their episodic format and longer narrative arcs that allow various subplots to unfold — aptly represent the dynamic of anime as it circulates in cultural markets outside Japan.