Top Stories

LONDON: BSkyB has invested a further $700,000 in the OTT platform Roku, which plans to use the funds to bolster operations and activities. The U.K.’s largest premium satellite television provider previously made a total of $12.2 million investments in Roku in 2012 and 2013. BSkyB also revealed that 21st Century …

MUNICH: Red Arrow International is prepping a catalogue packed with dramas, non-scripted titles and formats for this upcoming MIPCOM. Scripted fare include Bosch, commissioned by Amazon Studios and based on the award-winning crime novels by Michael Connelly, and Sky Deutschland's first international drama co-production, 100 Code. Additionally, there’s a third …

LONDON: The technology research and advisory firm Ovum is forecasting that annual pay-TV revenue in Eastern Europe will be worth around $11 billion by 2019, as the region's TV sector enters a strong period of growth. Ovum finds that the string of low-cost pay-TV services that launched in Eastern Europe …

LONDON: BBC Worldwide has named Grant Welland as executive VP for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa (CEMA), reporting to Paul Dempsey, the company's president of global markets. Welland has held the role on an acting basis since the departure of Ian McDonough in April. Based in …

CANNES: The romantic series Storm of Love is celebrating its 2,000th episode, and Global Screen is bringing the latest season to MIPCOM. “Storm of Love is not only lavishly produced and based on excellent screenplays, its target group is also extremely faithful and sought-after,” says Marlene Fritz, the company’s head …

MADRID: There will be around 20 companies exhibiting at MIPCOM under the Audiovisual from Spain banner, an umbrella brand that was established to promote that country’s audiovisual production and distribution in the international market. This includes Atresmedia, which is presenting No Identity; Filmax International, offering I Know Who You Are; …

LONDON: The VOD platform Cirkus, delivering a slate of British content, has entered into a pact with Scandi telco giant TeliaSonera that will bring it to Finland later this year and expand its presence in Sweden in early 2015. The Finland launch will take place this fall. By early 2015, …

LONDON: all3media international has brought former Shine International exec Gordon Synn to its management team as the new senior VP of digital and business development. Synn will be based in the company’s London office, where he’ll be charged with driving its digital strategy, monetization and expanding its relationships with key global …

MUNICH: ProSiebenSat.1 Media is extending its long-running pact with CBS Studios International, scoring the rights to a range of current and future series, among them NCIS: New Orleans. In the multiyear extension, ProSiebenSat.1 has secured the exclusive free-TV broadcast rights for its stations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, plus select …

LONDON: UKTV has expanded the remit of its CFO, Jan Gooze-Zijl, to include advertising sales, technology and operations following the departure of Julia Jordan, the executive director of business and operations. Gooze-Zijl now takes the role of chief financial and operations officer, effective immediately. In his new role, the exec …