PARIS: Vivendi has acquired the Studios de Boulogne facilities in Paris, where two of CANAL+'s leading TV shows, Le Grand Journal and Canal Football Club, are being produced. The studio was established in the early 1940s and was the setting for more than 300 French features, including La dame aux …
World Screen
SVOD Service MUBI Inks Deal for Paramount Pictures Films
September 14, 2015
LONDON: SVOD service MUBI has inked a multi-year licensing deal with Paramount Pictures that will make the studio’s library of content available to U.K. subscribers for the first time. Through the deal, films such as No Country for Old Men, Mission: Impossible, Zoolander, Roman Holiday and Revolutionary Road will join …
Sky Completes Full Acquisition of Sky Deutschland
September 15, 2015
LONDON: Sky has officially taken over 100 percent ownership of Sky Deutschland, completing the acquisition of the remaining 4 percent minority shareholding earlier today. Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s group chief executive, said: “The full acquisition of Sky Deutschland is the latest step in creating an even stronger business for the future. …
New Executive Appointments at Endemol Shine UK’s Kudos
September 15, 2015
LONDON: The Endemol Shine UK label Kudos has made a number of key senior executive appointments, among them naming Jo Strevens as head of development. Strevens will focus on the origination and development of scripted content for the company, seeking new commissioning opportunities with U.K. and international broadcasters and partners …
Stéphane Quéneudec Moves Up at Warner Bros. Intl. TV Distribution
September 15, 2015
PARIS/BURBANK: Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD) has elevated Stéphane Quéneudec to VP of sales for French-speaking territories. In his new role, Quéneudec will work out of Paris, where he will continue to report to Caroline Lang, the senior VP and managing director of WBITD. He will continue to oversee …
FilmBox Channels Land on Ukraine’s VOLIA
September 15, 2015
NEW YORK: SPI International has revealed that seven FilmBox-brand television channels are now available through VOLIA, a leading provider of entertainment services in the Ukraine. VOLIA's FilmBox package, which launches today, includes FilmBox Basic, FilmBox Arthouse, DocuBox HD, FightBox HD, Fast'nFunBox HD, FashionBox HD and 360 TuneBox. FilmBox-brand channels are …
FremantleMedia to Rep Irish Lifestyle Show Lords & Ladles
September 16, 2015
DUBLIN: FremantleMedia has acquired the worldwide format and finished-tape rights to Lords & Ladles, a lifestyle show from Irish indie Mind the Gap Films. In the series, three chefs arrive at a great Irish country house to recreate a grand dinner from its past, though they must first draw lots …
FOX to Launch in Belgium
September 17, 2015
AMSTERDAM: On October 1, the general-entertainment channel FOX is set to launch in Belgium on Telenet. The channel will be available to all Telenet Digital TV basic package customers and is set to premiere hit entertainment series, including FOX International Channels’ (FIC) dramas The Walking Dead, Da Vinci’s Demons and …
BBC’s Tony Hall Unveils Plans for U.S. OTT Service
September 17, 2015
LONDON: In a speech at the RTS Cambridge Convention, BBC Director-General Tony Hall revealed the launch of an OTT video service for the U.S. next year, among other plans. In his address, Hall shot down rumors about a proposal to sell off the BBC Worldwide commercial division. "It is an …
ITV Extends Deal for Formula E Coverage
September 18, 2015
LONDON: ITV in the U.K. is due to continue airing live coverage of the FIA Formula E Championship, along with additional highlights. All 11 rounds of the race will be broadcast live on ITV4 and ITV4 HD, with the season-ending London ePrix aired live on ITV. The network’s flagship channel …