ITV has confirmed it is acquiring a controlling stake in Thinkfactory Media, a US producer of reality, entertainment and drama, including the Emmy award-winning Hatfields & McCoys. ITV will pay an upfront cash consideration of $30 million for a 65 per cent stake in Thinkfactory Media, with a put and call option to buy the […]
Video streaming service Netflix will increase its original programming slate through a new, multi-year deal with DreamWorks – the maker of movies such as Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. DreamWorks is looking to expand its television production and distribution worldwide through this deal that has 300 hours of new programming. The agreement, Netflix’s largest for […]
Three CEOs told delegates here they should be more aggressive on international growth. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, Liberty Global boss Mike Fries and Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman all said international strength was a vital factor in their stock rising over the past 12 months. Zaslav told the audience: “This past year, we made more money […]
Modern Times Group, the international entertainment broadcasting group, has revealed that MTG Studios has signed an agreement to acquire Digital Rights Group (DRG) from Ingenious Media. The UK independent content distributor representing titles such as Inbetweeners, Singing Bee, Catch Phrase and Don’t Tell the Bride. MTG have taken a 92.4 per cent stake in the […]
Time Warner Inc and China Media Capital, China’s leading investment fund focused on media and entertainment, have formed a strategic investment partnership. The news was revealed in the western Chinese city of Chengdu, where business leaders convened for the 2013 Fortune Global Forum. The partnership aims to capitalise on China’s rapidly expanding media sector as […]
Spanish viewers to Canal Plus’ coverage of the important Roland Garros tennis tournament will not be able to hear the grunts from the players or the spectator’s applause, because a strike by technicians at Canal Plus means no audio, or commentary, from the matches. The tournament is wildly popular in Spain because of the regular […]
Amazon has announced the five original TV series it will make this year after seeking customer feedback on 14 pilot shows. Political comedy Alpha House, starring John Goodman, and Betas, a sitcom about Silicon Valley, were among those selected for full series production. Children’s programmes Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf will also be made. The […]
A first-quarter gain of just over 2 million subscribers to its streaming service helped Netflix shares soar, passing $200 a share in after-hours trading for the first time since 2011. Industry expectations were of about 1.7 million. Quarterly revenue exceeded $1 billion for the first time. Netflix also announced a new subscription option designed to […]
MTV has cancelled its top-rating reality show Buckwild, days after the death of its 21-year old star Shain Gandee. The show was in the middle of shooting its second season. According to US gossip site TMZ, the show’s producer JP Williams said he plans to continue the show, which follows the lives of a group […]
Dolby Laboratories and Royal Philips Electronics in association with CAMERON | PACE Group (CPG) announced at NAB in Las Vegas that they have signed an agreement to integrate the Dolby 3D format into CPG’s 3D video content production workflow and to collaborate on the use of the Dolby 3D format. All parties believe that glasses-free […]