10 Global TV Stories You Should Know: 04/02/2024

Here are the global TV and streaming TV stories that should be on your radar for Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024:

Viaplay Finalises UK Business Sale & Signs Talpa Linear TV Deal (Digital TV Europe)
Financially struggling Nordic outfit, Viaplay Group, has revealed it will complete the sale of its UK direct-to-consumer business to SSBL, trading as the Dublin-based Premier Sports, on April 4. The proposed transaction which Viaplay announced in December, has been cleared by the Irish authorities.

Amazon & Lionsgate Strike UK Content Deal (Deadline)
Amazon and Lionsgate have struck a content deal in the UK. The partnership will see a wealth of Lionsgate and Starz content featured on Amazon streamer MGM+ including Outlander, Power Book and The Serpent Queen. It is the third instalment in a series of content deals that MGM+ has closed recently with Lionsgate for Europe and Latin America.

Liberty Media Acquires MotoGP (Advanced-Television)
Liberty Media has announced an agreement to acquire MotoGP. The deal will see Dorna Sports, the exclusive commercial and television rights holder of MotoGP, remain an independently run company attributed to Liberty Media’s Formula One Group tracking stock.

K-Entertainment Streamer Kocowa+ Continues Rollout With Europe & Oceania Launches (Deadline)
The Hallyu march continues this week, as a major Korean content streaming service continues its global rollout. K-entertainment subscription streamer Kocowa+ has launched in Europe and Oceania, offering 30,000 hours — what Kocowa claims is the “largest Korean content library outside of Korea.”

WBD Adds HBO Max To Spain’s Movistar+, With Max To Follow (TBI Vision)
Warner Bros. Discovery has partnered with Spanish streamer Movistar+ to launch its HBO Max service in the country. HBO Max has now been made available to all customers of Movistar’s Ficción Total package, at no extra cost. This will be followed up by its enhanced streaming offering, Max, which will be made available to Movistar+ subscribers from 21 May.

Netanyahu Revives Moves To Shut Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV In Israel (Arab News)
Thereafter, Netanyahu “will take immediate action to shut down Al Jazeera in accordance with procedure set out in the law,” the Likud party statement said. Israel has previously accused the channel of working with Hamas in the Gaza war.

Disney+ Korean Tentpole ‘Uncle Samsik’ Set For May Launch; ‘Nine Puzzles’ To Premiere In 2025 (Deadline)
Disney+ tentpole Uncle Samsik will debut on May 15 on the platform globally, and on Hulu. The streamer also announced that Korean crime thriller Nine Puzzles will premiere exclusively on the platform in 2025.

Sky Italia Keeps Hold Of Premier League Rights Until 2028 (Digital TV Europe)
Comcast pay TV operator Sky Italia has retained its rights to the UEFA Premier League until 2028. The English football tournament will air exclusively on Sky and sister streaming service Now in Italy, starting from the 2024/2025 season, for another three seasons.

MultiChoice Nigeria Woos Subscribers With Easter, Ramadan Promo (Business Day Nigeria)
In commemoration of the Easter and Ramadan celebrations, MultiChoice, an African entertainment broadcasting company, has announced that GOtv customers will have access to a one-month open window to watch the Africa Magic Showcase channel.

Data: Italian TV Sees Audience Growth (Advanced-Television)
Despite a rapidly changing landscape with more screens and platforms, Italian broadcasters managed to grow their audience by 1.4 per cent in the 2022-2023 season compared to the year before, according to ratings company Auditel.