World Screen

AMSTERDAM: Netflix is planning to launch in Italy and Portugal this October, alongside the previously announced plans to bring the service to Spain that same month. The fall launch in Italy will bring users a fully localized version, offering Italian subtitles and dubbing. In Portugal, Netflix will offer Portuguese subtitles. …

STOCKHOLM: Cirkus, an on-demand channel that features British programming, has secured a carriage pact with Vodafone Iceland. Cirkus was founded by the British television executives Mark Bradford and Hugh Williams. The service launched in Sweden in December 2013 and has entered Norway and Finland. ITV purchased a minority stake in …

LONDON: Initial, part of the Endemol Shine UK group, has received a two-season order for The Almost Impossible Game Show from ITV2. The series sees ten contestants pit themselves against a range of simple, yet hilariously difficult, physical games. The contestants are given 50 attempts to complete just five of them. …

LUXEMBOURG: The RTL Digital Hub is a brand-new initiative from the RTL Group that will house a dedicated team to develop the company's investments in multi-channel networks and digital ad sales. The team will be led by Marcel Reichart out of the U.S. and Europe as executive VP of RTL …

This article originally appeared in the MIPTV 2015 issue of TV Europe. Getting value for money and negotiating for multiple windows are key issues for Europe’s top buyers as they seek out new content. European TV buyers attending MIPTV this spring [had] plenty to think about. The election of a …

LONDON: BT is making all 351 matches from the UEFA Champions League and Europa League next season available for free to BT TV customers, and is also planning to launch a 4K sports channel in Europe in the fall. BT TV customers will be able to receive the full BT …

LONDON: The comedy Parks and Recreation, which finished its series run after seven seasons on NBC, has been picked up by UKTV's Dave. The series will launch on Dave on July 27, thanks to a deal with NBCUniversal International Distribution. The pact sees seasons four through seven coming to Dave, …

KNOXVILLE: Scripps Networks Interactive is making a public tender offer to purchase 100 percent of Poland's TVN, after having picked up a majority stake in the outfit in March. Scripps is required under Polish law to initiate a mandatory public tender offer to increase its ownership interest in TVN up …

DUBROVNIK/LONDON: FremantleMedia is working with Jadran Film Zagreb to bring the novels of Croatian writer Marija Jurić Zagorka to global TV audiences. Jadran Film, which has produced more than 200 regional and international movies in its 70 year history, will combine its cinematic expertise with FremantleMedia’s production and distribution capabilities …

MADRID: Mediaset España has secured the broadcast rights for a host of Disney movies, among them the Star Wars saga and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Through the deal, the Spanish company has nabbed a roster of recent and upcoming theatrical releases, including the superhero flicks Avengers: Age of Ultron …