10 Global TV Stories You Should Know: 09/05/2024

Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Thursday, September 5th, 2024:

French True Crime Breaks Barriers At Home And Abroad (Variety)
“Sambre: Anatomy of a Crime” broke records in primetime when it aired on public broadcaster France 2 last winter, scoring more than 4 million viewers per episode and earning an average market share of 19%. The limited series drew another 3 million views online and nearly 6 million VOD plays.

Netflix's 'The Devil's Plan 2' Teases Medieval Concept But Producer Stays Silent On Other Details (Korea Joongang Daily)
The producer of the second season of Netflix's “The Devil’s Plan” spilled not a single drop of tea on the upcoming season. But he did tell reporters this: the production hired real-life game maniacs to design the most brain-teasing, fist-clenching games to test the contestants' intelligence and competitiveness.

Fremantle Lays Off All Staff At ‘Wreck’ Producer Euston Films, Newly-Launched Doc Label Undeniable (Variety)
Euston Films, who have produced series including “Wreck” and the forthcoming “Nightsleeper,” was originally founded in 1971 as a subsidiary of Thames Television, producing shows including ’70s favorite “The Sweeney,” before shuttering in 1994. Fremantle, who bought Thames in 2001, subsequently revived Euston Films in 2014 led by managing director Kate Harwood.

ESPN Swoops For Premier League Rights In Caribbean After VertiCast Exit (Sportcal)
ESPN, the major international sports network, has picked up rights to English soccer’s Premier League in the Caribbean for the remainder of the 2024-25 season after pay-TV broadcaster VertiCast Media terminated its deal a year early.

Mattel, Wild Brain Close Deals For ‘Fireman Sam’ And ‘Polly Pocket (World Screen)
The new agreements are part of a multiyear co-development, production, distribution and licensing agreement between Mattel and WildBrain. In Europe, the latest buyers for season 16 of Fireman Sam include Cartoonito (Italy, U.K.), RTÉ (Ireland), NRK (Norway), CANAL+’s MiniMini+ (Poland) and NPO (Netherlands), which has also picked up season 15.

Joe Wright On The Importance Of Making Benito Mussolini Series ‘M’: It’s A ‘Howl Against The Current Rise Of The Far-Right’ (Variety)
Based on Italian author Antonio Scurati’s eponymous bestselling novel which traces the birth of Fascism in Italy, “M” reconstructs Mussolini’s ascent with an innovative approach. Luca Marinelli (“The Eight Mountains,” “Martin Eden”) plays the despotic leader during the period between 1919, when he founded the fascist party in Italy, and 1925 when – having gained power with the 1922 March on Rome – Mussolini made an infamous speech in the Italian Chamber of Deputies declaring himself a dictator. 

Viasat True Crime For Czechia, Slovakia, Slovenia (Advanced-Television)
Viasat World, the independent international media company, has announced its new crime-themed television channel, Viasat True Crime, will launch in Czechia, Slovakia and Slovenia on September 17th.

ITV In Late Deal For Scotland, Northern Ireland Nations League Fixtures (Sportcal)
The rights have been acquired through a last-minute deal with embattled broadcaster Viaplay, which was forced to withdraw from the UK market earlier this year. Viaplay had initially acquired rights to Nations League games across the UK (excluding England fixtures in that specific country), in April 2022.

US-Funded Broadcaster Alhurra Lays Off 160 Staff, Merges Iraq Channel (Arab News)
The parent company of US government-funded Arabic language broadcaster Alhurra has cut 160 jobs and is merging its Iraq channel after a 20 percent budget cut mandated by the US Congress, its CEO said in a note to staff.

Thums Up Partners With Ranveer Brar For A Sizzling New Season Of Toofani Biryani Hunt On Disney+ Hotstar (Business News This Week)
Thums Up, India’s billion-dollar, homegrown beverage brand from The Coca-Cola Company, is thrilled to announce Toofani Biryani Hunt Season 2. A sequel to the successful first, this new chapter seeks to rekindle the taste for the perfect biryani pairing. With celebrity chef Ranveer Brar back at the helm, the upcoming edition is all set to deliver an exceptional culinary adventure.