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LONDON: Sky has strengthened its movies service through a new multiyear licensing agreement with Paramount Pictures, giving Sky Movies the first pay-TV window on titles such as Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. Sky Movies will be the first subscription service in the U.K. and Ireland to show new Paramount Pictures …

AMSTERDAM: The Antenna Group has added to its management team with the appointment of Tariq Syed, formerly the managing director for Central Europe of Universal Networks International, as the managing director of digital assets and thematic channels. Syed will be leading all digital investments for the group, along with further …

OSLO: The Nordic culture ministers, along with the region's film institutes and TV stations, have agreed to a new five-year deal with the Nordisk Film & TV Fond. The Fond will run from 2015 to 2019 at its current budget level of DKK 78 million ($14.5 million). Nordisk Film & …

MADRID: The Spanish Supreme Court has ordered nine nationwide DTT channels to shut down by tomorrow, May 6. Atresmedia closed three channels (Xplora, Nitro and laSexta 3), while Mediaset España switched off two (La Siete and Nueve). The other four channels are Net TV, Veo TV, Marca TV and AXN. …

LONDON: The Million Pound Drop is set to return to British screens this summer after getting the go-ahead for a new run from Channel 4. The game show, produced by Endemol’s Remarkable Television, will air eight new hour-long episodes hosted by Davina McCall. To win, contestants must place a million …

LONDON: The number of paying IPTV subscribers is expected to overtake pay satellite TV ones in 2018 in Western Europe, according to Digital TV Research. A new forecast predicts that IPTV subs will increase by 7.5 million (38 percent) between 2013 and 2020, compared with 1.2 million additions for both …

UNTERFÖHRING: Sky Deutschland reported revenue of 421 million euros ($586 million) for Q1, up 16 percent from a year ago, and added 64,000 subs in the quarter to reach 3.73 million. Subscription revenues were the key driver for the quarter, up 14 percent to 384 million euros ($535 million). This …

STOCKHOLM: Modern Times Group (MTG) has named Liberty Global alum Rotem Hakim as the director of business development for Viasat Broadcasting's pay-TV emerging markets team. Rotem will be responsible for expanding the geographical footprint of MTG's pay-TV channels and increasing their digital presence. He will also handle M&A and partnership …

MUNICH: The ProSiebenSat.1 Group is expanding its digital business by taking a minority stake in the Los Angeles-based Talenthouse, which operates an online platform of the same name. Talenthouse brings together brands with artists who create content. Talenthouse artists are able to retain ownership of their work, earn compensation and …

LONDON: Amazon's Prime Instant Video in the U.K. is now offering hundreds of episodes of hit U.S. series from the NBCUniversal catalogue such as Suits, Grimm and Parks and Recreation. The two secured an agreement to bring multiple seasons of a number of new series to the U.K. service. The …