Advanced Television

FTA

Analysis: Hype fails to boost Anne Boleyn viewing numbers

For months, the UK red tops were full of the blind casting versus historical accuracy debate surrounding the new three-part drama Anne Boleyn (initially broadcast in the UK 1st-3rd June 2021 on free-to-air service Channel 5) and finally the figures are in. The programme, which divided critics, commentators and the public, was controversial for its […]

June 4, 2021by Angharad Rhiannon

‘Warner Bros. Discovery’ name for merged company

Multichannel programmer Discovery has revealed the new name of the proposed standalone global entertainment company that will emerge from the combination of WarnerMedia and Discovery assets as ‘Warner Bros. Discovery’. It suggests the Warner Bros. Discovery name will honour, celebrate and elevate the world’s most-storied creative studio in the world with the high quality, global […]

June 2, 2021

France: IPTV, connected TV grow in 2020

French TV reception methods are now largely dominated by IPTV, according to the 2020 findings of broadcast regulator CSA’s Observatory for TV homes equipment. At the end of 2020, IPTV accounted for a 60.5 per cent penetration rate, up 2.1 per cent, with an access share from FTTH estimated to 25 per cent at the […]

June 2, 2021From Pascale Paoli-Lebailly in Paris

LiveScore nets Ireland Champions League FTA deal

Sports media business, real-time sports updates and streaming service provider LiveScore has secured a three-year rights deal within Ireland to live-stream 137 matches in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) free-to-air on the LiveScore app. Throughout the term of the three-year deal, commencing at the start of the 2021/22 UCL season, LiveScore will be the exclusive […]

June 2, 2021

Eurovision Song Contest attracts 183m viewers

The return of the Eurovision Song Contest, following its cancellation in 2020,  was seen by 183 million viewers across 36 markets. The Grand Final of the 65th Contest achieved, on average, a 4 percentage point higher TV audience share than the last Contest in 2019 of 40.5 per cent – more than double the average […]

June 1, 2021

UMS plans ‘Egypt’ news channel

Cairo-based United Media Services (UMS) is planning to launch a news-focused channel that it says will report on regional and local news and to be launched early in 2022. It will be available to the Egyptian and Arab diaspora in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia as well as locally. UMS is very much a […]

June 1, 2021By Chris Forrester

SES extends Bibel TV capacity

Satellite operator SES has extended its capacity agreement with German-language religious channel Bibel TV Foundation. Bibel will take extra capacity on SES Astra from its European ‘hot spot’ at 19.2 degrees East. SES says the new agreement is for a multi-year contract.  Viewers in the region will be able to receive Bibel TV’s full programming […]

June 1, 2021By Chris Forrester

GB News to launch June 13th

GB News, the news channel which includes Discovery among its backers, has confirmed it is to launch on June 13th. A tweet from the service says: ‘GB News will launch on Sunday 13th June at 8pm with a special programme “Welcome to GB News”’. The channel, positioned as an alternative to BBC News and Sky […]

May 26, 2021By Colin Mann

W Series to air on Channel 4

All-female single-seater racing championship W Series says it is continuing to break down barriers as it confirms the continuation of its free-to-air broadcast partnership with UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 for the 2021 season. In line with its mission to promote diversity in motorsport, W Series’ on-screen commentary team will consist of equal numbers of […]

May 26, 2021By Colin Mann

Oprah, Harry town hall free on Apple TV+

Apple TV+ has announced that The Me You Can’t See: A Path Forward, a town hall conversation hosted by co-creators and executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry, with subjects and experts from the multi-part documentary series exploring mental health and emotional well-being, will premiere May 28th for free on Apple TV+. Following the global […]

May 26, 2021By Nik Roseveare