Here are the global TV and streaming stories that should be on your radar for Friday, August 11th, 2023:

How The Creators Of Netflix’s ‘Zombieverse’ Staged A Reality TV Apocalypse In Seoul (Deadline)
Produced by Kakao Entertainment and launched globally earlier this week, Zombieverse is a hybrid immersive reality show that forms part of Netflix’s expanding Korean unscripted slate, which has already seen hits such as Physical 100 drop on the platform. Ten contestants must work together to secure basic necessities and survive the zombie onslaught with the ultimate goal of reaching an evacuation ship on Wolmi Island (35 kilometres outside Seoul). If they get bitten, they turn into a zombie and exit the game. 

Fairy-Tale Ending Will Elude Disney In India (Reuters)
The negative turn in the U.S. company’s digital fortunes was partly its own choosing. It allowed itself to be outbid last year, handing the streaming rights for Indian Premier League cricket through to 2027 to Ambani. And in April JioCinema signed a deal picking up premium content from HBO which Disney previously aired. Subscribers on the Disney+ Hotstar app, which covers India, plummeted 30% to 40.4 million in the six months through to July 1.

Lebanon’s State TV Goes Off-Air After Series Of Woes (Arab News)
Lebanon’s first public television network, Tele Liban, was shut down on Friday by Information Minister Ziad Makary, amid concerns over funding and labor issues. The decision comes in the wake of the broadcaster grappling for months with several challenges including the non-payment of salaries, according to Lebanon’s National News Agency. 

Pluto TV, DAZN Sport Content Partnership (Advanced-Television)
Free streaming television service Pluto TV and sports streaming service DAZN are teaming up to bring sport content to Pluto TV, with the launch of five DAZN channels in total across multiple territories. Through the partnership, coverage of the best Football, Darts and Fight events are coming to the platform in Germany and Austria.

TVNZ’s ‘Down For Love’ Heads To Netflix Following TVF Global Sale (TBIVision)
Netflix has picked up TVNZ show Down For Love, the dating series that follows people with Down Syndrome as they search for partners. The 5 x 46-minute show is produced by Attitude Pictures and follows ten people living with Down Syndrome on a quest to find love and companionship.

‘James Martin’s Spanish Adventure’ Will Air Shortly On ITV & Be Sold To Global Buyers At Mipcom Despite Bullying Complaint (Deadline)
James Martin’s Spanish Adventure, which was the subject of a formal bullying complaint and led to the presenter being rapped by ITV, will air shortly and be sold to international buyers at Mipcom.

Are There No Local Cable TV Companies In Malawi? (TechEconomy.ng)
Multichoice is exiting Malawi following a high court ruling preventing the company from invoking further price increases for DSTV service in the country. The Pan-African broadcaster announced it was pulling its satellite television service provider, DStv, out of Malawi. This followed a decision by Malawian regulators to reject DStv’s latest price hikes.

Nielsen, Groupe M6 Measurement Partnership (Advanced-Television)
Audience measurement, data and analytics specialist Nielsen and French media company Groupe M6 are to cooperate to power Open Web digital measurement in France. The cooperation sees Groupe M6 become the first European publisher to help fuel Nielsen’s demographic data in its Identity System for French digital campaigns.

Canal+ To Broadcast Saudi Pro League To French And African Fans (Arab News)
Canal+ has announced it has secured the rights to broadcast the Saudi Pro League to French and African football fans. The French TV network has signed an agreement to show two matches per week for the next two seasons.

Netflix UK lines Up Jack Thorne Environmental Drama With Jodie Whittaker, Robert Carlyle (TBIVision)
Netflix in the UK is linking up with Jack Thorne, former Doctor Who star Jodie Whittaker and Trainspotting‘s Robert Carlyle on a four-part drama based on the true story about one of the UK’s biggest environmental scandals.

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Here are the global TV and streaming stories that should be on your radar for Thursday, August 10th, 2023:

Sony India, Zee Entertainment Merger Gets Key Approval (The Hollywood Reporter)
Indian regulators have approved, after much delay, the proposed merger between Sony’s TV operations in India and the country’s Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It would bring together linear TV networks, digital businesses, production operations and content libraries to create an Indian sector powerhouse.

November Europe Launch For Disney+ Ad Tier (Advanced-Television)
Following the successful ad-tier launch in the US, Disney+ in the UK will introduce its ad-supported subscription plan in November, giving consumers more ways to subscribe than ever before and the ultimate flexibility in selecting a subscription plan that suits their needs.

Disney Plans To Cut Investment In Local Programming Following Streaming Losses (Digital TV News)
Disney CEO Bob Iger has admitted the Mouse House will cut investment in local programming and is exploring the future of its flagship streaming service in “multiple” markets as it seeks D2C profitability, following new details about its AVOD plans in Europe and Canada.

Indonesia Becomes Southeast Asia’s Biggest Content Market, Buoyed By Forecast Of Strong Online Growth – Study (Variety)
Total video industry revenues (free TV, pay-TV and online video) are expected to grow at 8% compound average growth rate, according to a briefing by Singapore-based research firm Media Partners Asia. The researcher forecasts the market expanding from $2.5 billion in the current year to £3.7 billion in 2028. At the same time, TV’s share, including net advertising and subscriptions, is forecast to drop from 56$ in 2023 to 48% in 2028.

Screen Australia Makes $2.2MN Documentaries Investment (Rapid TV News)
Looking to deliver high-quality projects that will engage audiences and provoke dialogue, Screen Australia has revealed that three documentaries funded through its Commissioned Program and two projects through the Producer Program are to share in over $2.2 million of its production funding.

Warner Bros. Discovery Promotes Andrew Georgiou To President For U.K. And Ireland (The Hollywood Reporter)
Andrew Georgiou has been named head of Warner Bros. Discovery’s media business in the U.K. and Ireland. He also retains his position as president and managing director of WBD Sports Europe, which operates the company’s sports assets of Eurosport across Europe and TNT Sports in the U.K. and Ireland.

LGBTQ+ Streamer OUTtv Commissions First South African Original (TBIVision)
OUTtv, the LGBTQ+ television and streaming service, has commissioned its first South African original series. Reality series The G-list is being produced by The Red Pill Productions and will start production this month. The show is set against the backdrop of Johannesburg and follows three of Joburg’s queer ‘Uber Influencers’ as they make their way the city’s dynamic social scene.

Report: Streamers See Surge In User Engagement (Advanced-Television)
Streaming services experienced a surge in daily engagement per user in the first half of 2023, reversing the downward trend that started in 2021, as competition between services began taking a toll on the amount of time that consumers can spend on each streaming platform.

Simon Carlyle Dies: Co-Creator Of BBC Sitcom ‘Two Doors Down’ Was 48 (Deadline)
Simon Carlyle, the co-creator of hit BBC sitcom Two Doors Down, has died. He was 48. Carlyle’s manager Amanda Davis confirmed the news in a statement to PA Media. “I am immensely sorry to confirm that Simon Carlyle has died."

Ownership Change For Romania’s Antena TV Group (Broadband TV News)
The Romanian National Audiovisual Council (CNA) has approved an ownership change at Antena TV Group, one of the country’s leading broadcasters.

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Here are the global TV and streaming stories that should be on your radar for Wednesday, August 2nd, 2023:

‘Hunger Games,’ ‘Lord of the Rings’ Franchises To Stream On Prime Video In France Under Landmark Deal With Metropolitan FilmExport (Variety)
The streamer will also get access to new movies, which will land straight on the service in France without being released in local theaters and will be labeled Prime Video Exclusives. These include Gerard Butler title “Kandahar” directed by Ric Roman Waugh and “Kali,” Julien Seri’s (“Yamazaki”) action-packed revenge film co-written by Luc Besson and starring Sabrina Ouazani. Prime Video also picked up “Kali” for Latin America, along with France.

CME Owner PPF Takes Stake In Viaplay (Digital TV Europe)
Czech investment outfit PPF Group has taken a 6.3% stake in Viaplay – the latest group following Canal+ to take advantage of the struggling Nordic streamer’s collapsing share price. The move gives PPF a 6% voting stake in the Nordic company.

Prime Video Takes European Rights To Peacock Gladiator Series ‘Those About To Die’ (Television Business International)
Those About To Die, Roland Emmerich’s upcoming gladiator series for Peacock, has been picked up by Prime Video for streaming in Europe. The historical drama will launch next year on the Amazon streamer in the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Turkey, Andorra, Monaco, Luxembourg and Belgium.

Love Is Blind Alum Nick Thompson Is On Brink Of Homelessness, Blames Netflix (Daily Mail)
Nick, 38, said he was only paid $10,000 for 10 weeks of filming and that there has been zero discussion about residual pay, despite the ongoing success of Love Is Blind, which has run for four seasons since its 2020 and is due to debut a fifth instalment in September of this year. 

Netflix Picks Up ZeptoLab’s ‘Om Nom Stories’ (KidsScreen)
Netflix rolled out three seasons of digital short series Om Nom Stories from Spanish game developer ZeptoLab on its global service today. With a total of 25 seasons to its name, Om Nom Stories (250 x three minutes) first launched on YouTube in 2011, and has since racked up more than 15 million subscribers across all social media platforms. Episodes star a cute green monster who finds himself in random, comical situations. 

Amazon Head Of Italian Originals Nicole Morganti Promoted To New Role Across Southern Europe (Variety)
Since joining Amazon, Morganti has led the streamer’s multi-pronged approach in Italy combining scripted, unscripted and sports content. She has launched a mix of bold scripted shows such as hit dark Mafia comedy “The Bad Guy” and young adult coming-of-age drama “Prisma,” which is about twin brothers who go against gender norms in different ways. She has also worked on the docu-reality series “The Ferragnez,” starring digital entrepreneur and fashion icon Chiara Ferragni and her recording artist partner Fedez; unscripted cooking travelogue “Dinner Club”; and the Italian versions of “Celebrity Hunted” and comedy show “LOL,” among other shows.

Pluto TV debuts In Australia With 50 FAST Channels (Digital TV Europe)
Paramount Global’s FAST operator Pluto TV is to debut in Australia with over 50 FAST channels.  Pluto TV ‘s channels will launch on the Paramount dedicated Australia and New Zealand digital platform 10 Play on August 31. The FAST platform’s footprint extends across three continents and over 35 markets.

From ‘Digimon’ To ‘Demon Slayer:’ The Rise Of Anime In Egypt (Egyptian Streets)
If you ask fans in Egypt how they first started watching anime, most will have the same answer: Spacetoon.

Before the internet and social media became the main source of entertainment for kids, many were glued to the television — and Spacetoon was a favorite to watch. While the pan-Arab channel had a variety of shows, it has become well known among fans as Egyptians’ gateway into anime.

Orange Makes Extraordinary Move In Slovakia (Broadband TV News)
Orange has issued a summons to other operators in Slovakia demanding they stop distributing the 10 most popular Czech TV channels.

King Of Comedy: TikTok Star Puts Saudi Twist On Classic Content (Arab News)
Al-Amiri studied media in the UAE and in 2018 began producing sketches for Uturn Entertainment, a Saudi YouTube channel that later branched out into other social media platforms and is known for a variety of entertainment programs.

When he was younger, he enjoyed American sitcoms like “Friends” and wanted to create similar content but with local themes and situations.

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Here are the ten global TV and streaming stories that should be on your radar for Tuesday, August 1st, 2023:

Abu Dhabi’s Twofour54 Unveils Plans To Build Production Studio By 2025 (Arab News)
The film production hub will contain a wide range of features, including 11 best-in-class soundstages, a 3,000 sq. meter exterior water tank and six versatile standing sets for filmmakers. About 7,000 sq. meters of office space will also be constructed, as well as an array of other production facilities, encompassing post-production, permanent tenancies and screening rooms.

India Strikes Blow Against Film Piracy, Streamlines Certification System (Variety)
The Indian parliament has passed the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, which aims to curb piracy that causes losses of INR200 billion ($2.4 billion) to the film industry, according to government estimates. Those found guilty of film piracy by way of camcording in theaters or unauthorized copying and online transmission and exhibition of a pirated copy of any film will now face punishment of minimum three months imprisonment and a fine of $3,650, which can be extended up to three years imprisonment and fine up to 5% of the audited gross production cost.

WildBrain Expands Prime Video Offering (Advanced-Television)
WildBrain, a specialist in kids’ and family entertainment, is expanding its offering on Amazon’s SVoD services through a trio of new deals with Prime Video for Canada, Australia and New Zealand; Prime Video in Germany; and Amazon Kids+ in the US.

MultiChoice South Africa Upgrades Streaming App (Broadband TV News)
MultiChoice South Africa has revamped its steaming app as DStv Stream. The new look app continues to combine sports, local, and international content, but with a number of new features.

Disney Cracks Down On Password Sharing In India (Digital TV Europe)
Disney is reportedly to follow Netflix by cracking down on password sharing in India. Disney Hotstar’s local streaming service will implement a new policy of allowing premium users to log in to the service from a maximum of four devices.

Israel’s Controversial Judicial Reform Has Grabbed All The Headlines But The Nation’s Thriving TV Sector Could Be Next In The Crosshairs (Deadline)
Anti-government protests in Israel are raging after controversial legislation to weaken the Supreme Court was passed, and now the very future of the nation’s thriving TV sector feels under threat. If the proposals pass in their current form, public broadcaster Kan 11 – no friend of the incumbent government – will also be banned from making money via advertising, while there are provisions to make it easier to sell off the network’s assets.

Virgin TV Adds 14 FAST Channels (Advanced-Television)
Virgin Media O2 has added a range of new themed channels to its TV line up at at no extra cost. TV favorites including Deal or No Deal USA, Fear Factor and Baywatch are now available to Virgin Media TV customers via dedicated streaming channels

LG Channels Expands Sports Offerings (Digital TV Europe)
LG Electronics’ (LG) free streaming service, LG Channels has expanded is sports FAST offering in Europe, Latin America and Australia. The football FAST channel, FIFA+ launched on LG channels across LG Smart TVs in Europe, Latin America and Australia.

Czech viewers Favor Film And Series TV channels (Broadband TV News)
Czechs spend almost half of their thematic TV viewing time watching films and series channels. Film and series TV channels alone account for 9% of the total audience share among viewers aged 15–69 in 2022. While the reach of free channels was in millions of viewers per month, for paid channels it is was in the hundreds of thousands.

Japan’s U-Next Secures Extra Distribution With Cable Deal (Digital TV Europe)
Japanese streamer U-Next has forged a partnership with cable operator Tōhoku Cable TV Network that gives it additional reach and also provides for the distribution of Tōhoku content on its service. The cable network gives U-Next additional distribution in the Tōhoku region in the northern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan.


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