Here are the global TV and streaming TV stories that should be on your radar for Thursday, March 14th, 2024:
Tubi Adds 200 Movies In Canada Through Studio Library Deals (Deadline)
Fox’s free streamer Tubi has added more than 200 movies to its service in Canada through a string of deals with the U.S. majors. Library deals have been struck with NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery for franchise blockbusters and classic movies.
Thabo Bester’s Attempt To Stop Showmax Documentary To Be Heard By High Court (Showmax Stories)
MultiChoice confirms that the last-minute applications by Thabo Bester and Nandipha Magadumana to stop Showmax from airing the four-part documentary Tracking Thabo Bester will be heard in the Johannesburg High Court on Friday, 15 March 2024. That is the same day that the documentary is due to start airing on Showmax.
IATSE Receives Solidarity Pledge From Global Entertainment Unions As Contract Talks Begin (Deadline)
"Your fight is our fight," entertainment unions around the world have told IATSE, pledging their support for the group as it kicks off bargaining with Hollywood producers on a new Basic Agreement. Initial talks began last week, and a return to negotiations with the AMPTP is set for March 18.
Fremantle Acquires Global Production Rights To Japanese Comedy Format ‘Freeze’ (Variety)
In “Freeze,” contestants battle it out for a grand prize. The rules are simple: Players enter a closed room and simply must “freeze” until the presenter releases them. With traps and tricks along the way that provoke reaction from the players, such as flying mannequins and giant popping balloons, only those who remain still, will survive to battle it out for a place in the grand finale.
WBD Sports To Cover 1,000+ Cycling Races (Advanced-Television)
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has unveiled its international broadcast, streaming and content offer for cycling fans as the new season gathers pace. WBD will produce coverage of more than 1,000 races this season covering 300 days of live action, offering fans more cycling than any other broadcaster.
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BBC Scotland To Show National Team Friendlies Through Viaplay Deal (Sportcal)
BBC Scotland, the regional arm of the UK free-to-air state broadcaster, has secured the rights to show two international friendly matches contested by the Scottish national soccer team ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 international tournament.
Cillian Murphy, Andrew Scott Among Irish Film & TV Awards Nominees (Deadline)
Nominations are out for the 21st Irish Film & Television Awards with Lisa Mulcahy’s thriller Lies We Tell leading the pack on the feature side at 13, and crime drama Kin heading up the TV fields with 11. The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) will hand out its prizes on April 20 in Dublin.
Streaming Increase For RTL Group (Broadband TV News)
Paying subscribers for RTL Group’s streaming services RTL+ in Germany and Hungary and 6play in France were up 30.5% to 5.569 million at the end of 2023. The number of paying subscribers for the German streaming service RTL+ increased by 23.% to 4.941 million, compared to 4.016 million at the end of December 2022.
‘Walking Dead’ Maker Skybound Strikes “First-Of-Its-Kind” Deal With Prime Video For Scandi Dystopian Thriller (Deadline)
Walking Dead maker Skybound Entertainment has struck what it is calling a “first-of-its-kind” deal with Prime Video over a dystopian thriller series from Scandinavia. Amazon has taken rights in the Nordics for VAKA but Skybound retains worldwide distribution and controls the show’s “global commissioning structure.”
France’s W9 Preps Dreamspark Format ‘The Power’ (TBI Vision)
France’s W9 is preparing to launch a new gameshow from European prodco Dreamspark and RTL Group-owned Studio 89. The Power is set in an isolated house and features 13 celebrities who must live together while facing a series of challenges. However, each week one of the contestants gains control over the house.