Here are the global TV and streaming television stories that should be on your radar for Thursday, February 20th, 2025:
Netflix Pledges $1B For Mexican Films & Series As Ted Sarandos Tells President Sheinbaum, “We Share Your Vision Of A Vibrant, Prosperous Mexico” (Deadline)
Netflix has pledged to spend a whopping $1B on Mexican production over the next four years. The streamer's Co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, spoke at President Sheinbaum's morning press conference, Thursday, and unveiled the bumper commitment to Mexican production.
Amazon Prime Video To Show Ligue 1 On PPV In The UK (Broadband TV News)
Amazon is launching a new pay-per-view service in the UK market starting with matches from France’s Ligue 1.Up to three matches will be made available each weekend including Le Classique between Paris St Germain and Marseilles that will be held later in the season. A match is priced at £2.49 with no need to first be a Prime subscriber.
Nazi Art Thief, UFOs And Women At War Among Subjects Covered In Shows Presented by PBS Distribution At Mip London (Variety)
A Nazi art thief, UFOs and women at war are among the subjects covered in new factual shows being presented by PBS Distribution at Mip London, which takes place Feb. 23 to 27. Further titles will be announced in the lead-up to the market, including PBS Distribution’s lineup for the London TV Screenings, which runs Feb. 23-28.
‘A Lot Can Be Learned’ From Saudi Arabia’s Media Sector: Pakistan Minister (Arab News)
“We spoke about further collaborations, because Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are strategic partners — there is a people-to-people contact, that contact is from the heart. “We are bound by culture, we are bound by religion, we are bound by so many common things that we have, and we discussed how we can collaborate further.”
TelevisaUnivision Moves Sideways In Q4: Revenue Slips 1% Despite Influx Of Political Ad Spending (Deadline)
Hispanic media giant TelevisaUnivision posted relatively flat results in the fourth quarter compared with the same period in 2023. Revenue for the Mexico-U.S. firm in the frame ended December 31 slipped 1% to $1.3 billion. U.S. revenue inched up 2% to $835.5 million despite the presidential election, with U.S. ad revenue climbing 2% to $476 million.
BBC Studios Continues Growth Across CEE (Advanced-Television)
BBC Studios has extended the reach of its channel brands across CEE with new launches in the Czech Republic and Romania. BBC-branded channels, BBC Earth and BBC First, are now available to the customers of Vodafone in Czech Republic, whilst BBC First has joined Orange Romania.
Netflix Leads Southeast Asia Streaming Revenues To $1.8 Billion As Regional VOD Viewership Surges (Variety)
Netflix dominated the landscape with a 52% viewership share and 42% revenue share, while capturing nearly half of all new subscriptions in Q4. The company closed 2024 with more than 12 million subscribers across Southeast Asia’s five key markets. Indonesia emerged as the largest revenue generator at $552 million, followed by Thailand with $473 million. The growth story was primarily driven by strong performance in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, which helped offset a minor slowdown in Thailand.
Max Launches In Greece With Vodafone TV (Advanced-Television)
Vodafone TV is ushering in the exclusive launch home of Max in Greece. The streaming service from Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is making its debut in Greece through Vodafone TV, offering a unique of premium series and films.
Viaplay Continues Financial Turnaround With Reduced Q4 Losses (Deadline)
Sweden’s Viaplay continues to head back towards the black, as its fourth quarter financial results showed dramatically shortened losses. The Nordic streaming service reported a Q4 operating loss of SEK92M ($8.6M), way down from SEK2.7B last year when the company was firefighting huge financial gaps and moving to a new strategy based around unscripted programs and sports. Q4’s net loss was also significantly down, from SEK 2.86B to SEK230M.
Blackpink's Jisoo, Seo In-guk To Star In Upcoming Netflix Rom-Com (Korea Joongang Daily)
Netflix’s new romance comedy series, starring Blackpink’s Jisoo and Seo In-guk, will soon begin production, the streaming platform announced on Thursday. Under the working title of “Boyfriend on Demand,” the upcoming series will revolve around a female webtoon producer who uses a virtual dating simulation program to escape reality.