Here are the global TV and streaming TV stories that should be on your radar for Monday, March 4th 2024:
Prime Video’s African About-Face, Netflix’s IP Frenzy and Why African Producers Are Pondering ‘What Comes Next’ as Streamers Shift Course (Variety)
The anticipated goldrush for African creators sparked by Netflix’s 2016 entry into the market hasn’t entirely come to fruition, though the influx of investment from local and global streaming platforms has nevertheless been transformative for Africa’s screen industries. Budgets, production values and outputs are rising, and breakout hits — such as Netflix’s Nigerian thriller “The Black Book” and South African teen drama “Blood & Water” — highlight the power of global streaming services to deliver African stories to audiences around the world.
PN Renews Rights To UEFA Club Competitions (Sportcal)
Indian media conglomerate Sony Pictures Networks (SPN) has secured a three-year contract renewal with European soccer governing body UEFA for the rights to its trio of club competitions.
New BBC Chair Samir Shah Kicks Off His Tenure By Telling Staff Of “Tough Choices & Hard Decisions” To Come (Deadline)
“Tough choices and hard decisions” are to come at the BBC. That is the verdict of new Chair Samir Shah, who kicked off his tenure today by setting his stall out in an all-staff email that urged greater diversity of “class and thought” in the corporation’s news coverage.
Canal Given New Deadline For MultiChoice Bid (Broadband TV News)
Canal+ will make a new offer for South African pay-TV platform MultiChoice by April 8th. It follows the decline of Canal’s earlier offer for those shares in MultiChoice that it doesn’t already own.
India: News Channels Fined (Advanced-Television)
The News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA), the India broadcasting regulator, has fined three prominent news channels alleged to have been carrying content “that promotes hatred and communal disharmony, deemed to be in violation of broadcasting standards and ethics guidelines.” The channels are News18 India, Times Now Navbharat and Aaj Tak.
Ooredoo Debuts Streamer Go Play Market In MENA And Asia (Digital TV Europe)
Qatar-based telecom operator Ooredoo Group is making its debut in the streaming market, with the launch of its first-ever OTT platform Go Play Market. Go Play Market will house live TV channels and video-on-demand content leveraging MediaKind’s advanced technology platform, powered by Microsoft Azure. Ooredoo operates in in 10 countries across the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Kim Shin-young Abruptly Removed As 'National Singing Contest' Host (Korea JoongAng Daily)
KBS faces criticism for abruptly replacing host Kim Shin-young with comedian Nam Hee-suk for 'National Singing Contest' without prior discussion with the show's production team. Kim has hosted the show since October 2022.
UK Self-Tape Scandal Deepens: International Artists Management Admits Sending Client Misrepresented Audition Invites (Deadline)
International Artists Management (IAM), the London agency that claims to rep stars including Steve Guttenberg and Gary Dourdan, has admitted sending a client misrepresented invites for self-tape auditions in an attempt to secure him work.
BC Partners Considering Sale Of United Group (Broadband TV News
BC Partners is reportedly considering a sale of United Group as a whole, including Nova in Greece, and the SBB cablenet in Serbia.
Apple TV+ Launches On Ziggo In The Netherlands (Digital TV Europe)
Leading streaming platform Apple TV+ has launched on VodafoneZiggo‘s pay TV provider Ziggo in the Netherlands. Apple TV+ is available to Ziggo customers on the Mediabox Next and Next Mini set-top boxes via a subscription. The streamer joins Ziggo’s current offering of SkyShowtime which replaced its former Movies & Series XL packages.