Top Stories

NEW YORK: CBS Sports Digital has entered into an agreement to acquire 247Sports, a network of college and pro-team affinity sites. 247Sports’ network of sites and mobile apps, and its subscription recruiting information services, will become part of CBS Sports Digital’s multiplatform offerings, which include CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports …

HOLLYWOOD: Paramount Pictures and Hasbro have agreed to collaborate on feature films for the Hasbro properties G.I. Joe, Micronauts, Visionaries, Mobile Armored Strike Kommand (M.A.S.K.) and ROM. Paramount and Hasbro’s Allspark Pictures will establish a cross-property interconnected onscreen universe featuring the stories and characters from the five brands. Allspark will …

LOS ANGELES: Otter Media, a venture formed by AT&T and The Chernin Group (TCG), has elevated Sarah Harden from her role as executive VP of strategy and investments to president of the company. In her new position, Harden will be charged with driving strategy and operational activities for Otter Media …

LONDON: Trace has signed a carriage agreement with U.S. OTT service YipTV that will see five thematic channels launch in early 2016. The deal includes Trace Sport Stars, Trace Gospel, Trace Tropical, Trace Toca and Trace Africa. The launch of Trace Gospel, which focuses purely on Gospel music, in the …

LOS ANGELES: The combined total of scripted series on broadcast networks, basic and pay cable networks, and OTT services in the U.S. for the year was 409, nearly double from the count in 2009, according to a new study from FX Networks. Earlier this year, John Landgraf, the CEO of …

LOS ANGELES: AXS TV has picked up the first season of the U.K. mockumentary series Hoff the Record for a U.S. premiere in spring 2016. The six-episode semi-scripted series, shot in a verité style, stars David Hasselhoff (“The Hoff”) of Baywatch fame as a fictionalized version of himself. He moves …

NEW YORK: The usage of TV Everywhere services is growing, despite a relatively low awareness of the offerings among consumers, according to a new GfK study. The study reveals that 53 percent of consumers in pay-TV homes have used TVE to watch shows on a computer, mobile device or TV …

NEW YORK: ITV America’s Leftfield Entertainment has promoted four casting, programming and human resources executives. Head of talent Gretchen Palek has been elevated to senior VP of talent and casting at Leftfield Entertainment. Palek, who joined Leftfield in 2014 and reports to David George, the CEO of Leftfield Entertainment, will continue to …

CULVER CITY/ENGLEWOOD: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and DISH Network have signed long-term carriage agreements for the channels Sony Movie Channel, Cine Sony Television and getTV. The agreements include first-time nationwide U.S. distribution of classic TV channel getTV, the addition of Spanish-language Hollywood movie and entertainment network Cine Sony Television on …

WASHINGTON, D.C.: National Geographic Channel has hired Carolyn G. Bernstein, a former Endemol Shine Studios exec, as executive VP and head of global scripted development and production. In her new role, which is effective January 4, Bernstein will work out of Los Angeles under National Geographic Global Networks CEO Courteney …