NBC Universal and private equity firms Bain Capital and Blackstone Group have agreed to buy The Weather Channel from Landmark Communications. The terms of the deal have not been revealed, but the price tag is reported to have been almost $3.5 billion. The channel will be run as a separate business from the company’s other […]
MGM Networks, a division of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio, has signed an agreement with News Corp's Sky Italia, one of Europe's largest subscriptions television platforms and the leading pay television service in Italy, to launch a local language version of the MGM Channel beginning June 1st. The deal marks the MGM channel's debut in Italy.
The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has launched a voluntary online ratings scheme, extending its established ratings labels to digital downloads and computer games. Web stores and services that sign up to the content ratings system, called BBFC Online, will apply the guidance labels to downloaded and streamed films, TV shows and computer games […]
MGM Networks, a division of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio, has signed an agreement with News Corp's Sky Italia, one of Europe's largest subscriptions television platforms and the leading pay television service in Italy, to launch a local language version of the MGM Channel beginning June 1st. The deal marks the MGM channel's debut in Italy.
From David Del Valle in Madrid Sogecable, owner of Digital + and Canal +, and telco Yacom, controlled by Orange, is launching Yacom +, a joint triple play offer with broadband Internet access, phone calls and satellite pay-TV. The service, similar to Trio Plus launched last November by Sogecable and Telefonica, will be available in […]
Microsoft Corp's Zune portable media device and rival to iPod, is offering TV show downloads – including content from NBC (not available on iTunes.) More than 800 TV episodes will be available at the Zune store for the equivalent of $1.99 (E1.28) in Microsoft points that must be purchased in advance. Zune is also introducing […]
Cablevision is close to an agreement to buy the Sundance Channel, jointly owned by NBC Universal, CBS, and actor Robert Redford, in a cash and stock deal valued at close to $500 million. A purchase of Sundance will strengthen Cablevision’s position in the independent-film programming arena as the cable operator already owns another film channel, […]
Apple has announced that new movie releases from major film studios and premier independent studios are now available for purchase on the iTunes Store on the same day as their DVD release. New releases and catalogue titles will be available from 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios Home […]
Private Media Group has launched its content for Video-on-Demand on the Neuf Cegetel IPTV platform in France as part of Neuf's Triple-Play offer. Neuf VOD will provide access to hundreds of titles from Private's extensive proprietary movie library.
Modern Times Group (MTG), the international entertainment broadcasting group, has confirmed that the Swedish Radio and TV Authority has awarded Viasat Broadcasting two new channel broadcast licenses in the Swedish digital terrestrial network and renewed Viasat's existing four licenses. Premium channels 'Viasat Sport 1' and 'TV1000' will join Viasat's TV3, TV6, TV8 and ZTV free-to-air […]