Here are the global TV and streaming stories that should be on your radar for Monday, January 22nd, 2024:
Sony Walks Away From $10B Merger With Zee Entertainment In India (Deadline)
Sony has terminated plans for its long-in-the-works merger of its television and streaming operations in India with local giant Zee Entertainment Enterprises, saying that closing conditions were not satisfied. The $10 billion tie up has been in the offing for more than two years.
Viaplay To Exit US And Canada In February (AllYourScreens)
The service will shut down in Canada on February 28th and the US on February 29th. Some Viaplay content will still be available in those countries through partner deals.
In the US, the sports rights formerly shown on Viaplay will be broadcast across Xfinity X1, Flex, Roku, and Xumo, and in Canada the Crave service will host its content. Viaplay holds several sports rights, including for high-profile soccer competitions such as Spain’s top-tier LaLiga competition.
Forecast: MENA Pay-TV To Lose $1.6bn (Advanced-Television)
MENA’s pay-TV revenues will fall by $1.6 billion (€1.46bn) between peak year 2016 and 2029, mainly as a result of the OTT push and widespread piracy, according to the Middle East and North Africa Pay-TV Forecasts report from analyst firm Digital TV Research.
Sky U.K. CEO Stephen van Rooyen Steps Down, Team Will Report To Group CEO Dana Strong (Variety)
Stephen van Rooyen, CEO of Sky U.K. and Ireland, is stepping down after almost 17 years at the company. He will official depart the media conglomerate, which is owned by Comcast, in February. Van Rooyen was also CCO for Sky Group.
Viaplay Recap Plan Continues As CEE Producer Paprika Studios Exits Group (Deadline)
Viaplay’s Central and Eastern European production division Paprika Studios has exited the Scandinavian media group. A management buyout led by Paprika CEO Ákos Erdős will return the Budapest-based producer to its indie roots.
Telefónica Reclaims Rights To La Liga After Market Intervention (Broadband TV News)
Telefónica has again won the exclusive broadcast rights to top-flight Spanish football after the controversial involvement of the competition commission. The telco will pay €1.29 for the exclusive broadcast rights to five games per matchday.
Taiwan Expands Investment For International Co-Productions (TBIVision)
The Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) has expanded the Taiwan’s International Co-funding Programme (TICP) to create further collaboration with the global industry. The revamped TICP 2.0 fund, which provides investment to encourage projects with “significant Taiwanese elements”, has increased the investment ceiling from 30% to 49 for projects with a “higher concentration” of Taiwanese elements.
BBC ‘Needs to Adapt or Risk Losing Trust of Audiences,’ Says Culture Secretary as U.K. Government Publishes Mid-Term Review (Variety)
The review also stresses the need for the BBC to clearly demonstrate how it will meet its obligations on distinctiveness over the remainder of the Charter period, and for it to “meaningfully engage with its competitors, such as radio stations and local newspapers, when it is considering a change to its services.
How SVOD ‘Stacking’ Is Falling For First Time In US & Brazil (TBIVision)
Consumer appetite for subscription streaming services has transformed the industry over the past decade, but exclusive new data suggests SVOD ‘stacking’ behaviour in two key countries is now shifting. Richard Middleton reports. The number of SVOD subscriptions held per household in the US and Brazil have fallen for the first time.
WBD airs Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 (Digital TV Europe)
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will air the Winter Youth Olympic Games Gangwon 2024 as part of its Olympics programming plans. The Winter Youth Olympic Games is underway featuring athletes who are set to star at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.