Here are the global TV and streaming stories that should be on your radar for Monday, February 19th, 2024:
Agents & Producers Debate Pay Deals And Why Creatives Need Better Financial Chops — Berlinale Series Market (Deadline)
Pay deals in the U.S. and the streamer reset’s impact on international TV development were among the topics at the opening panel of the Berlinale Series Market this morning in Europe. During the panel at the EFM event, Gersh partner Roy Ashton described that while production costs have gone up in recent years, writer pay had not kept up with the inflation.
Max Latin America & Hispanic President Talks About Upcoming Expansion Of Service (Variety)
Fernando Medin, president and managing director of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) Latin America and U.S. Hispanic, drilled down on the company’s programming and growth strategy for the region where it launches its rebranded streaming platform, Max, on Feb. 27. This will be WBD’s first major international roll-out of Max after the U.S.
Bloomberg TV Names Joumanna Bercetche As Host Of Morning Flagship Show (Arab News)
Bloomberg Television on Monday announced the appointment of Joumanna Bercetche as the new anchor of “Daybreak: Middle East and Africa,” Bloomberg’s flagship morning prime time show. From April Bercetche will spearhead the delivery of global market insights, analysis and exclusive interviews, with a dedicated emphasis on the Middle East and Africa.
Mubi Acquires Martin Scorsese-Narrated Doc ‘Made In England: The Films Of Powell And Pressburger’ (Mubi)
Mubi has snapped up rights across multiple territories on Made In England: The Films Of Powell And Pressburger, the Martin Scorsese-narrated doc set to debut this week at the Berlin Film Festival. Under the deal, the global film distributor, production company, and streaming service will retain all rights in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, LATAM, Turkey and India. Altitude is releasing in UK and Irish cinema on May 10.
Italy: Piracy Shield Live But Needs Refining (Advanced-Television)
Piracy Shield, a new system designed to combat online piracy in Italy, became operational earlier this month and has since managed to block 528 IP addresses and 114 illegal sites. According to estimates by Italy’s Communications Authority (AgCom), this move has prevented around 100,000 households from illegally watching premium content.
Spanish TV Biz Eyes Bigger Global Platform, Via Co-Production, and Drawing on Talents From a New Creative Generation (Variety)
This year, Spain has more titles at the Berlinale’s two TV showcases, Co-Pro Series and Berlinale Market Selects, than any other country in the world— a total of four shows, beating the U.S. with one, and even Germany, which has three.
Shahid VIP Forecast To Overtake Netflix’s MENA Market Share (TBIVision)
Netflix is forecast to lose its market leadership to Shahid VIP in MENA n the next five years, according to a report from Digital TV Research. There will be 26 million SVOD subscriptions across 13 Arabic countries by 2029, up from 14 million in 2023, said the research’s firm’s recent Middle East and North Africa OTT TV and Video Forecasts report.
New Version Of Indonesia’s Vision+ Debuts, Powered By Mirada (Digital TV Europe)
Indonesia-based multinational conglomerate MNC Group has launched the planned updated version of its streaming service Vision+, using technology from Mirada. Vision+ has tapped Mirada’s Iris platform to deliver a revamped personalized video streaming experience to over 40 million monthly active users.
Research: Content Licensing Mounts Comeback (Advanced-Television)
Research from Ampere Analysis shows that, after four years of major studios employing an exclusivity approach to the distribution of their TV content on streaming, licensing is steadily making a comeback. Analysis reveals that the number of TV seasons cross-licensed between Netflix and Warner Bros Discovery’s (WBD) Max and Discovery+ more than tripled in 2023.
ITV Studios Unveils Drama Slate & Sales Ahead Of London TV Screenings (TBIVision)
ITV Studios has announced a slew of drama sales and its 2024 slate ahead of London TV Screenings next week. Quay Street Productions’ thriller After The Flood has sold to Pumpkin Films in China and Now TV in Hong Kong, as well as Cosmote in Greece and Yes TV in Israel. World Productions’ Until I Kill You has been acquired by ABC in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand, as well as Pumpkin Films in China and Now TV in Hong Kong. In Europe, BritBox Nordics, NPO Netherlands and Cosmote Greece have also licensed the series, as has Yes TV in Israel.