Television News and Headlines
Television News and Headlines
Endemol Shine Brasil and A Fábrica, both part of Banijay Americas, announced a partnership to produce a slate of vertical‑format microdramas for mobile‑first audiences. Endemol will lead production and brand negotiations, while A Fábrica will handle creative development and screenwriting. The duo has already delivered an 89‑episode microdrama and secured greenlights for 147 additional episodes, alongside projects for Globoplay and branded collaborations with Coca‑Cola, Honda and Meta. The move expands Banijay’s scripted portfolio in Brazil and underscores the growing demand for short‑form vertical storytelling.
On March 26 in Lille, the Council of Europe signed the first international convention dedicated to the co‑production of television and streaming series. Chaired by Secretary‑General Alain Berset, the ceremony took place during the Series Mania Forum’s Lille Dialogues summit....
Richard Osman announced his departure from BBC Two's quiz series House of Games after nine years, citing a focus on his Thursday Murder Club franchise. The BBC confirmed actor Michael Sheen will replace him, marking Sheen's first full-time hosting role....
Research by YouGov shows short‑form video on TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts is now a primary discovery tool for full‑length TV shows and films. In a survey of 2,035 British adults, more than 75% of those who saw a...
The weekly roundup highlights how pre‑negotiation preparation is reshaping deals across sectors. The NFL leveraged a dormant change‑of‑control clause to push CBS toward a $3 billion‑plus annual rights fee, setting a new benchmark for the entire rights cycle. Simultaneously, big‑tech firms...
Netflix will remove the BAFTA‑winning two‑part drama "See No Evil: The Story of the Moors Murders" from its catalogue on March 26, 2026, after a one‑year licensing window that began on March 27 2025. The 2006 series, starring Maxine Peake, Joanne Froggatt and Sean Harris,...
Nielsen’s Q4 2025 data shows sports accounted for nearly 30% of all ad‑supported TV viewing, far outpacing non‑sport broadcast, cable and streaming. The NFL, college football and MLB postseason drove the surge, while streaming platforms captured 66.7% of ad‑supported viewing among...
Banijay Kids & Family has broadened its existing deal with WildBrain to exchange children's programming across their YouTube channel networks. WildBrain will host Banijay titles such as *Totally Spies!* and *LoliRock*, while Banijay’s ZeeKay platform will add WildBrain series like...
DMC Production and Broadcast Solutions Group have introduced an OB truck that runs all core production functions on‑site using Grass Valley AMPP servers, while remote teams in Helsinki and Hilversum control the workflow. The system streams a low‑latency multiviewer over...
The Unmade Index posted its eighth consecutive loss, slipping 0.12% after an after‑hours correction and settling at a new low of 350.4, down 0.79%. Leading decliners were ARN (-2.94%) and Vinyl (-6.25%), with Vinyl’s market capitalisation hovering just above $100 million....
NASCAR and the NHL are navigating a fragmented sports‑media landscape by striking multi‑partner rights deals that span broadcast, cable and streaming. NASCAR’s 2025‑2031 agreements involve Fox, NBC, Amazon, TNT Sports and Nexstar, giving the league five promotional avenues. The NHL’s...
Nielsen has entered a multiyear agreement with A+E Global Media, effective immediately. The partnership expands Nielsen’s measurement and analytics services to A+E’s linear and digital properties, including A&E, Lifetime, and History Channel. A+E will adopt new Nielsen products such as...
Dana Walden, newly appointed Disney President and chief content officer, announced her entertainment leadership team in a memo. Walden will oversee television, film, direct‑to‑consumer, games and other digital products while collaborating with Disney Entertainment Chairman Alan Bergman on the movie studios....
MiQ has introduced Sigma, an AI‑powered platform in India designed to unify fragmented cross‑screen data for advertisers. The tool aggregates browsing, TV and commerce signals, offering intelligence, activation and measurement layers to streamline campaign planning. Launched by global CEO Gurman...
NCIS: Sydney, the franchise’s first international spin‑off aimed at Australian viewers, has become a surprise ratings hit for CBS. After a 2023 writers’ and actors’ strike opened a programming gap, the series was added to the domestic Tuesday lineup alongside...
Chief Sales Officer Rod Prosser has announced his resignation from Paramount Australia, ending a 15‑year tenure. He will leave the company at the end of April, with his exit communicated to more than 130 sales staff during a morning call....
Andy Cohen appeared at SXSW to unveil NBCUniversal’s new AI‑driven Andy Cohen avatar, part of the upcoming “Your Bravoverse” experience slated for a summer launch on Peacock. The avatar will use AI to scan every second of Bravo’s library, allowing...
Ray Bradbury walked out of an NBC meeting in the mid‑1980s after executives asked him to tone down his literary style and produce something "like Franz Kafka." The network wanted to adapt his classics such as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man, but...
The Australian Children’s Content Summit returns to Coffs Harbour for its fourth edition, running from 24‑27 August 2026. The four‑day event will host more than 260 delegates from 12 countries, featuring senior executives from ABC, Screen Australia, and global kids‑content...
Disney/Pixar’s animated sequel Hoppers held the weekend box‑office lead with a $28.5 million second‑weekend, pushing its global gross to nearly $165 million and ranking third among all 2026 releases. Universal’s romance Reminders of Him debuted with $18.2 million, while A24’s micro‑budget horror Undertone...
Universal Pictures’ blockbuster Fast X, the latest Fast & Furious installment starring Dwayne Johnson, Jason Momoa, Vin Diesel and an all‑star ensemble, has launched on Peacock’s streaming platform. The film earned over $714 million worldwide during its theatrical run and holds...
The hit crime drama Power is set to leave Netflix on March 31, ending its six‑year streaming run. All six seasons, totaling 63 episodes, remain available for a final binge before the departure. The series, executive‑produced by 50 Cent, boasts an...
Adult Swim has not yet announced whether the critically acclaimed animated series Primal will return for a fourth season. The show, created by Genndy Tartakovsky, concluded Season 3 only weeks ago, leaving renewal prospects uncertain. Tartakovsky told Forbes he would love...
Paramount Global announced a plan to merge its Paramount+ streaming service with BET+ and HBO Max, creating a single super‑streaming platform. The move follows Paramount Skydance’s $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and aims to combine libraries, technology and subscriber...
Former Fox broadcaster Piers Morgan has turned his YouTube channel, Uncensored, into a growing media platform. The channel now boasts over 4.3 million subscribers and recently secured $30 million in funding to launch new shows and hire talent, including a former MSNBC...
Talent agency 22 has denied allegations by Australian singer Sophie Monk that it improperly withheld over $500,000 in earnings. Monk is suing for $544,683 in unpaid commissions, interest and fees, while the agency has filed a cross‑claim for $124,000, alleging...
Warner Bros. Discovery investors anticipate a roughly 14% upside if the $111 billion Paramount‑Skydance merger closes by the Sept. 30 deadline. WBD’s stock slipped to $27.14, down from $29, after Netflix withdrew its $83 billion offer, while Paramount has pledged $31 per share...
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr used social media to warn broadcasters that stations spreading what he calls “fake news” about the U.S. bombing of Iran could face license renewal challenges. He emphasized the FCC’s public‑interest mandate and suggested that non‑compliant stations...
Hulu has cancelled its planned *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* reboot starring Sarah Michelle Gellar after the pilot failed to meet internal standards. The project, ordered a year ago and directed by Oscar‑winner Chloé Zhao, featured a script by the Zuckerman sisters and...
The Los Angeles Angels have bought Main Street Sports Group’s 50 percent stake in FanDuel Sports Network West, gaining full ownership of the regional sports network. The deal eliminates the bankruptcy‑related uncertainty surrounding Main Street and allows the Angels to launch an...
Namita Jadhav has stepped down as vice‑president of corporate communications at JioStar after a 1.5‑year stint, ending a career that includes nearly two decades at Disney and senior roles at Weber Shandwick. Her departure marks the loss of a seasoned media‑industry...
Hip‑hop entrepreneur Dame Dash has secured a partnership with BET to launch a new talk‑docuseries titled “OG Stories.” The series, which he will produce and host, will spotlight “OGs,” cultural architects, street legends, and self‑made bosses, debuting in the spring...
Netflix offers two contrasting subscription tiers: Premium at $25 per month delivers 4K HDR video, spatial audio, and four simultaneous streams, while the ad‑supported Standard plan costs $8 per month, limits streaming to two devices and caps video at 1080p....
Psyop has named Dotti Sinnott executive vice president of studio, adding a seasoned production and studio‑management leader to its senior team. Sinnott will direct studio operations, production pipelines, and creative development while overseeing Psyop’s global network of partner studios. Her...
Blumhouse Television, under new chief Melissa Aouate, is expanding its horror portfolio beyond traditional monsters and slashers to embrace a full spectrum of sub‑genres. The strategy is exemplified by the Amazon series "Scarpetta," a forensic procedural infused with creepy elements,...
John Rice, CEO of JAM Media, warned that the traditional broadcaster‑centric model for preschool animation is becoming obsolete as platforms cut budgets and demand more audience ownership. He highlighted the need for studios to build direct relationships with children and...
At Streaming Media Connect 2026, Philo and Roku executives discussed how contextual data drives brand‑safe CTV advertising. Philo, a lean MVPD with just 11 ad‑operations staff, relies on programmatic workflows and granular tone signals—such as happy versus sad moments—to match...
Fox Sports shattered World Baseball Classic pool‑play viewership records, delivering an average 3.17 million viewers – a 183% increase over 2023 – with the Italy‑USA upset becoming the most‑watched telecast on FS1. ESPN posted its strongest men’s college basketball season in...
Marc Allera, chair of CVC Capital Partners' Global Sport Group (GSG), said streaming platforms have made the sports media rights market healthier and that data‑driven revenue streams will drive future growth. GSG, which consolidates over €4.6 billion of CVC’s sports investments,...
Shorties Studios, the premium vertical‑series producer founded by OGM Pictures’ Onur Güvenatam, has debuted a new micro‑drama titled “The Prince and the Royal Wedding Planner” on the GammaTime streaming app. The five‑episode romance stars Toby Elliot, Emily Gateley, Kayleigh Foster,...
Simulmedia announced two senior hires to boost its commercial and product capabilities. Justin Nesci, formerly iHeartMedia’s EVP of Advanced Audio and Data Revenue, joins as chief commercial officer to steer global sales, marketing and brand partnerships. Adam Gaynor, with a track record...
Netflix’s romance series "Virgin River" has become one of the platform’s most reliable hits since its 2019 debut, despite modest budgets and a cast without A‑list names. Filmed largely in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley, the show leverages authentic small‑town scenery...
YouTube TV introduced a $65‑per‑month sports‑focused plan that delivers every men’s and women’s NCAA tournament game across CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN, and has expanded multiview functionality for simultaneous viewing. The service still lacks ESPN+ integration, requiring an extra subscription...
At NAB 2026, Harmonic unveiled Spectrum X Plus, the latest iteration of its Spectrum X media server line. The new platform doubles channel density, handling up to eight HD or two UHD channels per chassis while cutting rack space and...
At NAB 2026 Net Insight unveiled the Nimbra 520, a high‑density media processing node designed for live contribution and distribution. The node handles multi‑channel HEVC and AVC, UHD, 10‑bit video and low‑latency workflows while delivering up to 50 % bandwidth savings versus legacy...
Movistar Plus added 278,000 subscribers in 2025, raising its total base to 3.8 million and delivering a 7.9% year‑on‑year increase. The growth marks a sharp acceleration from the 94,000 new customers recorded in 2024 and represents the second consecutive year of...
Netflix is rolling out a three‑part Brazilian soccer documentary slate in 2026, headlined by the three‑episode series "Ronaldinho: The One and Only" premiering April 16. The docuseries offers never‑before‑seen archival footage and interviews with legends such as Messi, Neymar and Galvão...
Apple announced video‑streaming capabilities for Apple Podcasts, letting users toggle between audio and video while supporting dynamic ad insertion. The move follows Spotify’s similar rollout and reflects a broader industry shift toward video‑first podcast experiences. Independent Studio argues that standing...
Series Mania Forum’s Buyers Upfront, an invitation‑only market event on March 23 in Lille, has selected ten premium series for its second edition. Among them are two Spanish productions – the sci‑fi drama *In Vitro* and the thriller *The Dark Book:...
Portugal ended 2025 with 4.7 million pay‑TV subscribers, a modest 0.5 % year‑on‑year increase – the slowest growth since 2006. Residential customers accounted for 88.3 % of the base, rising to 4.1 million, while non‑residential connections grew 2.3 % to 546,000. Fibre‑to‑the‑home remained dominant, delivering...
