World Screen

ATLANTA: Katz Broadcasting has secured two distribution agreements for its brand-new over-the-air broadcast network dedicated entirely to comedy, LAFF. The round-the-clock network is set to launch on April 15, airing a mix of contemporary off-network sitcoms and popular theatrical motion pictures. The LAFF brand will cross multiple platforms, with the …

MIAMI: MarVista Entertainment and its new MarVista Digital Entertainment division are both present at NATPE this week, showcasing several tween movies and action/disaster films, among other fare. “We’ve had a strong and consistently favorable response from buyers and viewers alike to our films, whether it’s our tween movies like Pants on …

BEVERLY HILLS: Netflix has ordered the new original comedy series Flaked, starring Arrested Development’s Will Arnett, to debut in 2016. The eight-episode series is set to premiere exclusively across all Netflix territories. Executive producers Arnett and Mark Chappell (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret) co-created and co-wrote the series. …

NEW YORK/BURBANK: FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) and Debmar-Mercury have partnered on the channel BUZZR TV, which has scored carriage on FOX Television Stations across the U.S. BUZZR TV will draw from FremantleMedia's library of game show content. The network is set to launch this summer in all 17 markets where FOX …

LOS ANGELES: Multicom Entertainment Group has struck up a partnership with the online video platform Gbox to launch a series of Internet VOD channels. The channels will feature Multicom's collections of classic films, TV shows and documentaries, delivering the content directly to consumers via the Internet using the functionality of …

MIAMI: Motors TV, a TV channel dedicated to motorsport, is set to launch across North and South America on January 28, according to an announcement made today at NATPE. Two new programming feeds—a Spanish-language version for Latin America and an English-language platform for the U.S.—are due to expand the motorsport …

NEW YORK: Comedy Central has revealed that 20-year-old pop star Justin Bieber was selected as this year's Roastee for the network's long-running special that pokes fun at celebrities. The Comedy Central Roast of Justin Bieber will be filmed in Los Angeles. The tape and airdate are expected to be officially announced …

MIAMI: U.S. Spanish-language channel Ecuavisa Internacional has secured the exclusive U.S. rights for ‘A’ league matches of the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF), that country’s leading professional soccer league, for the next three seasons. The matches will be available to U.S. cable and satellite carriers including Time Warner Cable, Comcast Xfinity, …

LOS ANGELES: The latest original series to join Hulu’s roster is a half-hour comedy from Freddie Wong and RocketJump, the team behind the YouTube series Video Game High School. The project is being produced in partnership with Lionsgate Television. It’s the third original series that Hulu has ordered from the …

LOS ANGELES: NBC has given a pilot order for Game of Silence, based on the Turkish drama Suskunlar. Intrigue will produce the pilot, along with Carol Mendelsohn Productions, Timur Savci and Sony TV. Global Agency’s Catherine Stryker and Intrigue’s Kelly Pancho negotiated the rights deal with Sony back in September. …