10 Stories You Should Know: 05/15/2023

Here are the TV stories that should be on your radar

Here are the global TV and streaming stories that should be on your radar for Monday, May 15th, 2023:

‘French Model’ Boosts Production (Variety)
While welcoming nearly 80 international productions in 2022, the local film and television industry in France continued its own substantial output, helping fuel what Vincent Florant, director of digital at France’s National Centre for Cinema and the Moving Image (CNC), calls “the French model.”

“We like to have the best of both worlds,” says Florant. “To develop strong creative and technical knowhow, and then to put those skills at the service of international producers.

Global SVOD To Reach 1.76BN Subs By 2028 (Rapid TV News)
Revealing that contrary to recent reports there is still plenty of growth left in the industry, a study from Digital TV Research is forecasting that the global subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market will increase by 400 million customers over the next five years to reach 1.76 billion.

Paramount+ Now On Virgin TV (Advanced-Television)
Customers of UK pay-TV operator Virgin Media with Virgin TV 360 or Stream can now access the Paramount+ SVoD service directly via their set-top box for £6.99 (€8.03) per month, or £69.90 per year. Paramount+ is the latest in a series of apps to become available on Virgin TV.

French Commercial Broadcasters Slam ‘Unfair’ Competition From Pubcaster (Digital TV Europe)
French commercial broadcasters have grouped together to complain to the country’s prime minister about what they regard as unfair competition for audiences by public broadcaster France Télévisions.

Vice Media Formally Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (Variety)
The company said in a court filing that it listed both assets and liabilities in the range of $500 million to $1 billion. The statement also said that the group had agreed to the terms of an asset purchase agreement with a consortium of lenders. These include Fortress Investment Group, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital. The consortium agreed to provide total purchase consideration of approximately $225 million in the form of a credit bid for substantially all of the company’s assets, in addition to the assumption of significant liabilities upon closing.

Bundled Offers Driving SVOD Growth In Finland (Digital TV Europe)
According to the research outfit, subscribing SVOD households have passed the 1.5 million threshold, corresponding to a penetration of 61%. This is equivalent to an annual growth rate of 8% in subscribing households.

Saudi Rival To Al Jazeera Emerges (Broadband TV News)
A media organization backed by Saudi Arabia is considering launching a new international news channel. The Saudi Research and Media Group has approached a number of media consultancies to establish whether such a project would be viable. Preparations for the channel are said to be in their early stages.

ABC In Oz Overhauls Content & News Teams, With Job Losses Expected (TBIVision)
The ABC in Australia has unveiled more details about the overhaul of its news and content operations, with job cuts expected. The content division will be led by former Netflix and BBC exec Chris Oliver-Taylor, while the pubcaster will ditch its regional bureaus and move staff into a single, central news unit.

‘Like A Dildo In The Wind’: Maria Slams Ruan At ‘Real Housewives Of Durban’ Reunion (The South African)
“You said to me when I come into this group Sorisha would hate me because she’s the only Indian that’s been in this group,” said Maria.

Jojo then asked Ruan if that happened and he replied “I don’t remember”. Maria then lashed out at Ruan calling him a “dildo in the wind”.

“Of course you don’t remember, you’re like a dildo in the wind,” she said. 

BAFTA TV Awards: ‘I Am Ruth,’ ‘Bad Sisters,’ ‘Derry Girls’ And ‘The Traitors’ Lead With Two Wins Each (The Hollywood Reporter)
I Am Ruth, Bad Sisters, Derry Girls and The Traitors were the top winners at the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards on Sunday. Kate Winslet won the BAFTA for leading actress for her role in I Am Ruth, which also won for best single drama. Bad Sisters took home the award for best drama series.