World Screen

LONDON: FremantleMedia has purchased a majority stake in Fontaram, a French production company specialized in scripted programming. FremantleMedia will have a 51-percent holding, with the opportunity to buy the remaining shareholding in the future. Fontaram was recently formed by producer/writer partners François Aramburu and Pascal Fontanille, who are best known …

LONDON: Antenna Group has picked up a controlling stake in B92, a leading broadcaster in Serbia. B92 is a free-to-air, news-oriented TV station. It also has a web asset, B92.net, and a presence on radio. The acquisition strengthens Antenna Group's presence in Southeastern Europe, where it now has operations in …

LONDON: David Liddiment, a seasoned media executive, has been appointed as non-executive chairman at FremantleMedia UK (FMUK). Liddiment will sit on FremantleMedia's Operating Board, advising on a number of matters in the U.K. and around the globe. He will support and advise Richard Holloway, FMUK's interim CEO, as well as …

HELSINKI: Yellow Film & TV producer Anna Hallenberg has been lined up to become the creative director of ITV Studios Finland, effective September 21. In her new role, Hallenberg will work under Aram Aflatuni, the CEO of ITV Studios Finland. She will be charged with developing new programming and working …

LONDON: While Liberty Global has been the largest pay-TV operator in Europe for some time, Sky Europe is expected to overtake its subscriber count in Western Europe in 2017, according to Digital TV Research. Liberty Global’s subscriber count will dip, as the company has to try to convert 8 million …

LONDON: The BBC and NFL have inked a new two-year rights deal that includes live coverage of all three International Series games at Wembley, along with the Super Bowl. Additionally, the new agreement includes a weekly highlights show on BBC Two and online. Titled The Road to the Super Bowl, …

BIARRITZ: International sales of French TV programs reached an all-time record of 153.8 million euros ($171 million) in 2014, up 12.1 percent on the previous year, driven by fiction programming in particular. Exports (sales and presales) increased by 17.1 percent to reach 210.3 million euros ($234.8 million), a historic record. …

LONDON: AMC Networks International – Zone has teamed with European pay-TV provider M7 Group to launch a new HD feed of Outdoor Channel in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belgium and the Netherlands. The network will be available as a new second feed in those countries starting September 15. It will …

CEO Tim Davie highlights BBC Worldwide’s key accomplishments in the last year and sees potential for growth in several areas. WS: What has been some of BBCWW’s best-selling content? DAVIE: Core brands like Dancing with the Stars and Doctor Who have continued to go from strength to strength. In the …

LONDON: Sky Sports is continuing its partnership with the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) for three more seasons, guaranteeing subscribers up to 30 live matches per season. The deal runs through the end of the 2019-20 season. SPFL will be available to Sky Sports subscribers on mobile, laptop and certain …