10 Global TV Stories You Should Know: 02/26/2024

Here are the global TV and streaming TV stories that should be on your radar for Monday, February 26th, 2024:

Streamers Will Not Be Regulated Fully In UK For Another Two Years (Deadline)
Streamer regulation in the UK will not come into place in full for two years, Ofcom said today. Delivering its roadmap for implementing the Media Bill, which includes the regulation of major U.S. streamers for the first time, the UK regulator said it will spend the next year hosting roundtable discussions on the subject and putting together a report on the state of the VoD market for the government.

Paramount+ Launching On Multichoice (Advanced-Television)
Paramount Global Content Distribution has announced a licensing deal with MultiChoice to create a new Paramount+ destination on the African continent. The hub will offer African audiences direct access to a range series and movies from CBS, Paramount+ Originals, Showtime and Paramount Pictures, and marks the debut of the Paramount+ brand in pan-Africa.

Reliance, Disney May Announce Star-Viacom18 Merger This Week (Economic Times)
Reliance Industries and the Walt Disney Company have signed a binding agreement to merge Viacom18 and Star India, with the deal expected to be announced early this week, people privy to the development told ET. The deal, which has been in the works for over four months, will create India's largest media empire, spanning TV broadcasting, streaming, movies and sports.

London TV Screenings Insights: Lisa Kramer, President Of International Content Licensing, Paramount Global (TBI Vision)
Today we hear from Lisa Kramer, president of international content licensing at Paramount Global Content Distribution, who talks about the demand for ‘co-exclusivity’ and how streamers are looking for shorter periods when it comes to rights.

CME’s Voyo Passes 1 million Paying Subscribers (Broadband TV News)
Voyo has surpassed 1 million paying subscribers in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia, making it the leading local SVOD provider in most of CME Group's markets. The announcement comes just three years after the acquisition of CME by PPF Group and represents a nearly seven-fold increase since 2020.

Sony Denies Reports About Acquiring Stake In Aha (4EM)
Culver Max Entertainment (Sony Pictures Networks India) has denied media reports about the company being in talks to buy a strategic stake in Arha Media & Broadcasting, which owns the South video streaming platform aha. Sun TV Networks was also reportedly in the fray. 

Proximus Sees ‘Constrained’ TV losses In Q4 (Digital TV Europe)
Belgian telecom operator Proximus reported what it described as ‘constrained’ TV and fixed voice losses in the fourth quarter. The telco lost 8,000 TV customers in the quarter, along with 39,000 fixed phone customers. Proximus had 1.674 million TV customers at the end of the year, down 2.1% year-on-year, and 2.267 million broadband internet customers, up 2.3%.

Paramount Global’s Lisa Kramer On New Paramount+ Branded Hub In Africa & The Changing World Of TV Distribution (Deadline)
International originals are lower priority, but they will not entirely go away. “We are pouring billions into our American content, and it was clear that is our strength,” Kramer said. “But international originals are important for local audiences, and we actually love the cycle. We are producing internationally, and we are also using international talent in our [U.S.] productions.”

Canal+ Amplifies Global Streaming Presence With Strategic Stake In Viu, Amidst Booming International Content Deals (BNN)
Canal+ Group's strategic investment in Viu marks a significant shift in the global entertainment landscape, reflecting a trend towards cross-border collaborations. Explore how this move impacts international streaming and content distribution.

Zee Sets Up Advisory Panel To Tackle 'Market Rumours' (MSN)
Amid market rumours and media reports about its accounting and financial issues, among others, Zee Entertainment has set up an advisory committee to guide its board on how to tackle such issues. Embattled Paytm too has set up an advisory panel recently.