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MUNICH: Irina Ignatiew has been named the regional sales director for German-speaking countries at SevenOne International, succeeding Bodo Braun. Ignatiew will be responsible for distributing SevenOne International’s program portfolio in the German-speaking countries and finding co-production and co-financing partners for RedArrow productions, as well as third-party programs. Previously, Ignatiew served …

LONDON: Zodiak Rights has signed a two-year development deal with Asylum Entertainment. Per the agreement, Zodiak Rights will become Asylum’s international distribution partner for non-scripted formats and finished program sales. The first Asylum program to roll out from the deal is Travel Unraveled, a clip series for Travel Channel in …

LONDON: Endemol is reorganizing its international sports business, as co-managing directors Gregg Oldfield and Lawrence Duffy exit the group. The company’s sports content will come under the direct management of the group’s operating companies around the world at a local level, rather than Endemol Sport. Endemol will pursue further growth …

BERLIN: The Walt Disney Company has firmed up a wide-ranging exclusive deal with Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland that includes the German free-TV premieres for a range of titles from Walt Disney Pictures, Disney/Pixar, Marvel and DreamWorks. The pact also includes series from ABC Studios, Disney Channel original movies and titles from …

LONDON: RTL Group and Virgin Media have joined Thinkbox, the marketing body for commercial TV in the U.K., as its first associate members. RTL Group and Virgin Media will provide consultation and involvement across Thinkbox activities and within its working groups. Full shareholder status is reserved for TV broadcasters and their …

MUNICH: Sky Deutschland, which has surpassed the 3 million subscriber mark, plans to raise 300 million euros ($394 million) this year to finance investments in exclusive new content and innovative products and services. Sky Deutschland’s subscriber base reached 3.012 million at the end of 2011, by adding 359,000 customers, almost …

MUNICH: BBC Four has given a slot to SevenOne International’s Norwegian mobster series Lilyhammer, starring Steven Van Zandt (The Sopranos). Lilyhammer is set to air on BBC Four in the U.K. It originally launched January 25 on Norway’s public broadcaster NRK1 and viewers in the U.S., Canada and Latin America …

PARIS: The two-day MIPCube event, held just ahead of the 2012 edition of MIPTV, has added to its lineup of speakers, which includes, among others, Tony Wang, the general manager of Twitter. Also on the roster is Allen DeBevoise, the chairman, CEO and co-founder of Machinima, a next-generation video entertainment …

LUXEMBOURG: Gerhard Zeiler, currently the CEO of RTL Group and a member of Bertelsmann’s executive board, is exiting the company as of April 18, with Anke Schäferkordt and Guillaume de Posch taking over responsibilities. Schäferkordt is presently the CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. She is to replace Zeiler on the Bertelsmann …

LONDON: After seven years as the CEO of LOVEFiLM, Simon Calver is leaving the company, to be replaced by Jim Buckle, currently the chief operating officer, as managing director. Calver is moving to the struggling mother-and-baby chain Mothercare to serve as its CEO. Calver joined LOVEFiLM in 2005, leading its …