With terrible conflicts raging in the Middle East and Ukraine, the world has rarely felt so troubled and simultaneously intertwined with geopolitics.
Few industries are immune to the impact of these shocks and the ever-changing world of TV distribution is no exception, having been posed difficult questions for the past 24 months.
As execs, sellers and all and sundry travel to the English capital for next week’s London TV Screenings, these conflicts will cast a shadow over what has tended to be a spirited affair. Industry sources tell Deadline that they have rarely paid so much attention to goings-on around the world in relation to their own work.
Speaking on an Rts panel late last month, renowned analyst Claire Enders described current global shocks such as the Russo-Ukrainian War and Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House as casting a “seething mass of uncertainty” over the entertainment industry,...
Few industries are immune to the impact of these shocks and the ever-changing world of TV distribution is no exception, having been posed difficult questions for the past 24 months.
As execs, sellers and all and sundry travel to the English capital for next week’s London TV Screenings, these conflicts will cast a shadow over what has tended to be a spirited affair. Industry sources tell Deadline that they have rarely paid so much attention to goings-on around the world in relation to their own work.
Speaking on an Rts panel late last month, renowned analyst Claire Enders described current global shocks such as the Russo-Ukrainian War and Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House as casting a “seething mass of uncertainty” over the entertainment industry,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
The U.S. theatrical market has never been more volatile for specialty films, even star-studded ones, but the appeal of Hollywood A-listers hasn’t faded — at least when it comes to finding investors.
Brad Pitt’s Plan B is the latest star-driven production company to be scooped up by deep-pocketed buyers, joining After Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc.
A majority stake of the company, which largely produces movies that often win laurels but seldom turn a profit, was acquired by Mediawan in a deal valued at approximately 300 million. Half of it was paid in cash and the other half in shares of Mediawan.
“We’re seeing some huge acquisition prices for companies that are fronted by a very well known, bankable star, so this is part of a trend where the value is really always linked to the talent,” said Claire Enders at London-based Enders Analysis.
Brad Pitt’s Plan B is the latest star-driven production company to be scooped up by deep-pocketed buyers, joining After Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Inc.
A majority stake of the company, which largely produces movies that often win laurels but seldom turn a profit, was acquired by Mediawan in a deal valued at approximately 300 million. Half of it was paid in cash and the other half in shares of Mediawan.
“We’re seeing some huge acquisition prices for companies that are fronted by a very well known, bankable star, so this is part of a trend where the value is really always linked to the talent,” said Claire Enders at London-based Enders Analysis.
- 12/14/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The funding model that has been the bedrock of Europe’s €35.5B (36.3B) public broadcasting sector for decades is under threat, and the industry is gravely concerned.
Last week, legislation was introduced in the French parliament that will do away with the license fee, dramatically shifting the way in which the nation’s public broadcasters (Psb) are funded and leading to potential government meddling and instability. In the UK, the 100-year-old funding model is under review from a Conservative government that is no friend to Psb and, arguably, is ideologically opposed to it.
Noel Curran, Director General of the European Broadcasting Union (Ebu) and former Director General of Irish pubcaster RTÉ, warned of a domino effect on smaller nations’ PSBs if powerhouses like the UK and France see their funding models weakened, which could threaten the very existence of public broadcasting in Europe. French state TV and radio workers have...
Last week, legislation was introduced in the French parliament that will do away with the license fee, dramatically shifting the way in which the nation’s public broadcasters (Psb) are funded and leading to potential government meddling and instability. In the UK, the 100-year-old funding model is under review from a Conservative government that is no friend to Psb and, arguably, is ideologically opposed to it.
Noel Curran, Director General of the European Broadcasting Union (Ebu) and former Director General of Irish pubcaster RTÉ, warned of a domino effect on smaller nations’ PSBs if powerhouses like the UK and France see their funding models weakened, which could threaten the very existence of public broadcasting in Europe. French state TV and radio workers have...
- 8/2/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
At a time when global streamers have been pushing local originals overseas, Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to cease all new local fare for HBO Max in the Nordics, Central Europe, Holland and Turkey has come as a rude shock to the international industry.
Variety revealed last week that HBO Max, which began its international rollout in June 2021, is halting all development of originals in the aforementioned territories and removing some locally produced shows from the platform in order to relicense the titles elsewhere. Markets where originals have been spared are Spain and France — the latter where HBO Max has yet to launch.
The pivot, which Warner Bros. Discovery attributes to a companywide 3 billion cost-savings measure, has astonished the industry, mainly because HBO Nordic has been an entrenched and respected brand in Europe for 10 years. What’s more, recent HBO Max international hits such as “Lust” and “Kamikaze” (pictured) originated from Denmark and Sweden,...
Variety revealed last week that HBO Max, which began its international rollout in June 2021, is halting all development of originals in the aforementioned territories and removing some locally produced shows from the platform in order to relicense the titles elsewhere. Markets where originals have been spared are Spain and France — the latter where HBO Max has yet to launch.
The pivot, which Warner Bros. Discovery attributes to a companywide 3 billion cost-savings measure, has astonished the industry, mainly because HBO Nordic has been an entrenched and respected brand in Europe for 10 years. What’s more, recent HBO Max international hits such as “Lust” and “Kamikaze” (pictured) originated from Denmark and Sweden,...
- 7/12/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
In a repeat of 2017, France’s 2022 presidential election is now down to the same two candidates: the incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far right leader Marine Le Pen. In first round voting which took place on Sunday, centrist Macron emerged with 27.6 of the votes while Le Pen managed 23.4. This is a bigger showing for Le Pen and her National Rally party (formerly National Front) than five years ago. The determining second round vote will be held on April 24.
While the war in Ukraine continues to dominate most headlines, the French media has naturally been focused on the election throughout yesterday and today. Newspapers in far-flung corners of the globe are not giving as many column inches as in 2017 — which saw a historic first round in which France’s major political parties did not advance. However, the UK and our European neighbors are following closely as the National Rally’s brand of...
While the war in Ukraine continues to dominate most headlines, the French media has naturally been focused on the election throughout yesterday and today. Newspapers in far-flung corners of the globe are not giving as many column inches as in 2017 — which saw a historic first round in which France’s major political parties did not advance. However, the UK and our European neighbors are following closely as the National Rally’s brand of...
- 4/11/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV, Comcast, Discovery and Paramount have been tipped as potential Channel 4 buyers, along with outside bets such as European giant Vivendi, as the UK government’s two-year-long process to privatize and sell the broadcaster begins.
Sources indicated each potential bidder will be scrutinizing the process in minute detail to see how Channel 4’s all-important remit will change. If given the opportunity to own the rights to its shows for the first since its 1982 foundation, the network becomes quite a prospect.
Deadline has spoken to several within and outside of Channel 4 to get a feel for who may be interested in acquiring when it hits the sales block, with the government valuing at £1Bn (1.3Bn) when news of the controversial privatization was leaked earlier this week. Some sources have questioned the value, pointing to a lack of cost benefit analysis from the government.
The UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, ITV,...
Sources indicated each potential bidder will be scrutinizing the process in minute detail to see how Channel 4’s all-important remit will change. If given the opportunity to own the rights to its shows for the first since its 1982 foundation, the network becomes quite a prospect.
Deadline has spoken to several within and outside of Channel 4 to get a feel for who may be interested in acquiring when it hits the sales block, with the government valuing at £1Bn (1.3Bn) when news of the controversial privatization was leaked earlier this week. Some sources have questioned the value, pointing to a lack of cost benefit analysis from the government.
The UK’s largest commercial broadcaster, ITV,...
- 4/8/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Few media watchers in the U.K. were surprised that Jeremy Darroch, CEO of Sky these past 13 years, is finally quitting two years after Comcast acquired the U.K.-based pay-tv giant.
There’s been a steady exodus of senior execs from Sky since the U.S. cable group became its owner — and just weeks ago, Sky Studios CEO Gary Davey, who helped Rupert Murdoch launch Sky back in 1989, announced his retirement.
Darroch, a direct and straight-talking executive who joined Sky after a career in retail, helped transform the company into a European media powerhouse — a complex business spanning TV and telecoms — and tripled its size. Sky now has 24 million customers across Europe.
He oversaw the takeover of sister companies Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland and the construction of Sky Elstree Studios just outside London, likely to generate up to an additional £3 billion ($3.79 million) of production investment in the U.
There’s been a steady exodus of senior execs from Sky since the U.S. cable group became its owner — and just weeks ago, Sky Studios CEO Gary Davey, who helped Rupert Murdoch launch Sky back in 1989, announced his retirement.
Darroch, a direct and straight-talking executive who joined Sky after a career in retail, helped transform the company into a European media powerhouse — a complex business spanning TV and telecoms — and tripled its size. Sky now has 24 million customers across Europe.
He oversaw the takeover of sister companies Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland and the construction of Sky Elstree Studios just outside London, likely to generate up to an additional £3 billion ($3.79 million) of production investment in the U.
- 1/8/2021
- by Steve Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
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