Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Wednesday, February 12th, 2025:
Netflix Expands Japan Slate With ‘Final Draft’, ‘Badly In Love’ & ‘Welcome, Now Get Lost’ (Deadline)
Netflix has added a trio of unscripted series to its Japanese slate. Final Draft, Badly in Love and Welcome Now, Get Lost were announced at a Next on Netflix event today, and will sit on a Netflix Japan slate for this year also comprising the likes of Romantics Anonymous, 10Dance and Alice in Borderland.
Channel 4’s Social Audiences Thrive (Advanced-Television)
Channel 4 has reported that YouTube audiences for full episodes of its hit shows such as First Dates, Murder Case: Digital Detectives and Grand Designs have grown by 169 per cent year on year. Newly released data for 2024 shows that Channel 4’s main YouTube channel saw higher average views per video than equivalent channels from the BBC, ITV and Channel 5, as well as more views than ITV, Sky and Channel 5.
Disney Adds ESPN Content In Australia And New Zealand (Sportcal)
Media giant Disney has announced it will add ESPN’s sports content to its Disney+ platform in Australia and New Zealand, to bolster its streaming offerings in the region. The inclusion will give all Disney+ streaming subscribers access to over 10,000 hours of ESPN’s live coverage, including basketball’s NBA All-Star Weekend, NBL finals, and NBA playoffs, baseball’s MLB opening day, and ice hockey’s NHL playoffs, as well as local shows Around The Wicket (covering cricket), Nothing But Net: Aussie Hoops, and SportsCenter Australia.
Studiocanal Appoints Chief International Officer & UK CEO (Deadline)
Studiocanal has appointed Alex Hamilton as the company's Chief International Officer and Katheryn Needham has been promoted to UK CEO. As chief international officer, Hamilton will oversee direct distribution and operations across the company's nine European territories as well as Studiocanal’s kids and family business.
Traditional And Digital Media Should Not Be At ‘War,’ Says Social Media Star Anas Bukhash (Arab News)
Traditional and digital media should not be at war, social media star, podcast host and entrepreneur Anas Bukhash has told the World Governments Summit in Dubai. During a session called “How to build a social media empire in Dubai” he explained: “I think it (traditional and digital media) should be a marriage and a good marriage, not a miserable marriage. If you have a good marriage … and they talk to each other nicely, it’s the most powerful combination rather than having either-or.”
The FAST Business Will Generate Global Revenues Of $10.39 Billion In 2025 (Senal Times)
The data and insights from ~3,300 channels distributed via Amagi’s ad insertion platform reveal that FAST grew significantly YoY, with a 65% uptick in ad impressions and a 95% increase in Hours of Viewing (HOV). These numbers further emphasize the growing inclination of viewers and content owners toward ad-supported models.
Ofcom Set To Receive 60,000 Complaints Over GB News Pedophile Joke (Deadline)
A British advocacy group has said it will present more than 60,000 complaints to Ofcom about a GB News presenter’s suggestion that the LGBTQ+ community includes pedophiles. Ofcom is already “carefully assessing” more than 1,000 complaints about the GB News Headliners show during which, discussing Mariann Budde’s sermon in which she quietly implored Donald Trump to have mercy on LGBTQ+ people, comedian Josh Howie said the community included pedophiles, “if you’re doing the full inclusion there.”
Survey: Younger Consumers Ditching Prime Over Streaming Ads (Advanced-Television)
LoopMe, a company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve brand advertising performance, has revealed that consumer perception of Amazon Prime’s value for money has dropped by nearly half (47 per cent) since Prime Video introduced ads in February 2024.
United Group Sells Serbian Assets (Broadband TV News)
United Group has reached agreement to sell SBB Serbia to e& PPF Telecom, as well as the Net TV Plus business and its sports broadcasting rights for Western Balkans to Telekom Srbija. The combines businesses represent a total of €1.5 billion. United, which has been present in the Serbian market for over two decades, will retain a number of other outlets including broadcasters N1 and Nova S. The channels will remain available on SBB’s fixed network and will also be offered to Yettel customers.
British Secret Service Agency Apologizes To BBC Over Spy Abuse Story (Deadline)
British spy agency MI5 has apologized to the BBC. The unprecedented situation arose after MI5 was forced to say sorry to three courts for lying about a neo-Nazi agent who attacked his girlfriend with a machete, the BBC revealed today. Initially, the BBC reports that MI5 said it could not share share information about the agent due to the secret service’s policy of not confirming or denying informants’ identities.