10 Global TV Stories You Should Know: 01/08/2024

Here are the global TV and streaming stories that should be on your radar for Monday, January 8th, 2024:

GB News Has Tested British TV Rules To Breaking Point — Will 2024 Be Its Year Of Reckoning? (Deadline)
Like it or loath it, GB News is a trailblazer.  The news station, backed by Brexit-supporting billionaire Paul Marshall, crash-landed on British screens in June 2021, but overcame tech and studio fails to establish itself as a genuine force, with a loyal following of around 3M viewers a month.

Prestigious Film And Television Awards To Be Broadcast Exclusively On Thaqafiya Channel In Middle East (Arab News)
The Riyadh-based Thaqafiya channel has secured exclusive rights to broadcast three of the most prestigious cinema and television awards in the Middle East in 2024. The awards ceremonies will include the Golden Globes, the Emmys, and the Academy Awards — known as the Oscars.

Animal Logic CEO exits as firm merged into Netflix Animation under Karen Toliver (TBIVision)
Netflix is merging Australian animation studio Animal Logic into its in-house structure, with its VP of animation film, Karen Toliver, to now head up teams in Sydney, Vancouver and LA. As a result of the restructure, Animal Logic CEO Sharon Taylor is stepping down from the company, which Netflix acquired in 2022.

U.K. Music Streamer Roxi, Backed By Simon Cowell, Kylie Minogue and Sheryl Crow, To Launch In U.S. (The Hollywood Reporter)
U.K.-headquartered TV-based music streaming service Roxi, backed by such investors as Simon Cowell, Kylie Minogue and Sheryl Crow, is gearing up to launch in the U.S. during the first quarter of 2024.

Showmax Set To Relaunch In February With More African Content (CIO Africa)
In February, the streamer will also be releasing a record 21 Showmax Originals from four African countries, a revamped international content slate, and the continent’s first standalone Premier League mobile streaming plan. More than 1 300 hours of new Showmax Originals will be released in 2024 across Africa so viewers will be able to watch an average of more than 3.5 hours of fresh local content on Showmax every day of the year.

Forecast: Africa To Add 12m Pay-TV Subs (Advanced-Television)
The number of pay-TV subscribers in Africa will climb by 12 million between 2023 and 2029 according to the Africa Pay-TV Forecasts report from analyst firm Digital TV Research. This means an extra 7 million pay satellite TV subscribers and 5 million more pay DTT homes.

Channel 4 Planning To Lay Off Up To 200 Staff (Deadline)
Channel 4 is compiling a plan to enact its biggest round of layoffs for more than 15 years, with up to 200 staff potentially in line to be made redundant. The figure would represent around 17% of the network’s overall headcount.

WBD Sports Outlines Australian Open Coverage (Advanced-Television)
Some of the biggest names in tennis return to Melbourne Park for the first Grand Slam of 2024, kick-starting a busy year of sporting action for Warner Bros Discovery Sports Europe. From January 14th to 28th, tennis fans in 50 markets in Europe won’t miss a single ball hit throughout the tournament.

TF1 Group And Free Extend Partnership With New Distribution Agreement (Digital TV Europe)
French broadcaster TF1 Group and and Iliad company’s Free have expanded their partnership, with a new distribution agreement that will provide the broadband operator’s subscribers access to the new free streaming service – TF1+. The deal is effective from this month, with Freebox subscribers to have unlimited access to over 15,000 hours of TF1+ programming.

Netflix Lat Am Series Exec Roberto Stopello Exits Streamer (TBIVision)
Roberto Stopello has stepped down as Netflix’s VP of series for Latin America after five years at the global streaming giant. It is understood that Stopello is leaving his Mexico City-based role to return to the US for family reasons and will continue to work with Netflix as head writer or showrunner on future series.