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Wednesday 26 July 2023
‘Tom And Jerry’ To Spar In Singapore; First Ever Localized Version To Premiere On Cartoon Network & HBO GO
Disney To Halt Distribution Of DVD And Blu-ray In Australia
Recently, Disney announced it was closing down its Movie Club program in Canada following a shift in consumer patterns to watching films on digital and Disney+. And now, according to Digital Bits, multiple industry, distributor, and retailer sources, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will be pulling out of distributing physical discs in Australia.
Over the past few years, many retailers in Australia and other countries, have slowly been withdrawing physical media, including video games, movies and music from sale, as audiences shift to digital platforms. Disney has previously stopped releasing movies on physical media in Latin America and across most of Asia. And it is likely other countries and regions will follow, as the sales of physical discs continue to fall.
For context, in the United States, in 2006, “Pirates of the Caribbean – Dead Man’s Chest” sold 14,476,924 million discs. In 2012, the highest-selling disc was “Hunger Games”, with 7,434,058 discs sold and in 2022, “Top Gun: Maverick” was the highest-selling DVD with 829,831 sold. However, in 2023, currently, “Black Adam” is the highest-selling DVD of the year, with just 74,353 discs sold in the US.
Many movie fans are unhappy with this news, especially with a growing trend of streaming services like Disney+ making changes or removing content without notice. Disney has been releasing fewer of its films and shows on physical media over the past few years. Australian film collectors will still be able to import films from global retailers, but this will result in much higher costs due to international shipping etc.
“Guardians Of The Galaxy: Vol 3” is set to be the last physical release in Australia, which arrives in stores in August. Previously released titles will continue to be on sale, but as stock is reduced, these may become unavailable over time.
Ultimately, as audiences have moved to watching films on streaming services such as Disney+ and buying/renting films on digital platforms, it now looks like it’s no longer sustainable to distribute physical discs in Australia.
Tuesday 25 July 2023
Warner Bros Discovery President Of International TV Distribution Robert Blair Is Leaving After 25 years With The Company
Wednesday 19 July 2023
Development Alert: Ramo Coming Soon To eExtra + Release Date, Die Put Season 4 Currently Streaming On eVOD
Thursday 13 July 2023
Disney+ Developing New Animated Series ‘Duckie’
Friday 7 July 2023
Recap To The Week: AMC Networks International Launches New Content Group Across UK & EMEA
Trepanation Of The Skull And You: Lost Pilot For The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy Has Surfaced The Net
Sunday 18 June 2023
Regular Nick Shorts: Cartoon Network And Max Acquired Rights To Lana Longbeard With Tara Duncan Loading Up On Disney Channel And Gamebox To Rollout A 60 Minute Ghostbusters Game
Zephyr Animation
2D-animated comedy Lana Longbeard has landed its first presales, with Warner Bros. Discovery (EMEA), Super RTL (Germany), Gulli (France) and CBC (Canada) claiming it for their regions. Co-produced by Zephyr Animation (APC Kids’ production arm) and Canadian studio Copernicus, the 52 x 11-minute series for six to nines tells the story of a courageous teen girl who sets sail on her father’s viking ship on a quest to become a famous adventurer. APC Kids has the global distribution rights.
Superights
Animated adventure series Tara Duncan will be distributed worldwide (excluding China) by Paris-based Superights. Produced by Princess Sam Pictures and based on a 15-book series by Sophie Andouin-Mamikonian, this CG-animated show stars a girl who travels to a magical planet to learn how to control her powers and defeat evil villains. Princess Sam has already sold the first season (52 x 13 minutes) to buyers including Disney (France, Belgium, Japan, Africa and the Netherlands), Rai (Italy) and RTE (Ireland), and a second 52-ep season is currently in production.
Columbia Pictures Location Based Entertainment
Who you gonna call? A Ghostbusters VR game is in the works at Columbia Pictures Location Based Entertainment and Immersive Gamebox. Based in London, Immersive Gamebox operates experiential game rooms where content from popular entertainment brands is projected onto the walls for kids to interact with through touch-screens and motion-tracking. The techco is gearing up to launch a 60-minute Ghostbusters: The Cursed Collection game at its 20 locations in the UK, EMEA and US later this year. In the experience, kids will explore haunted streets and battle ghosts from the ’80s movie franchise.
Monday 12 June 2023
New Series Alert: Cartoon Network And Max Greenlight New Preschool Series For Cartoonito, Hop! From Arthur Series Creator Marc Brown
Following last year’s momentous finale of the beloved “Arthur” series, creator Marc Brown is beginning his next chapter in the world of children’s television with “Hop,” a new preschool animated series greenlit today by Max. The series marks Brown’s first television show since “Arthur’s” staggering 25-year run, where he began telling children’s stories. Co-creators and fellow “Arthur” alums, Peter K. Hirsch and Tolon Brown, will join Marc in bringing his beloved children’s book illustrations to life on “Hop,” produced by Epic Story Media and animated by Loomi Animation.
Epic has engaged RespectAbility – the esteemed advocacy nonprofit organization fighting stigma and advancing opportunity for people with disabilities – to consult on the series. “Hop” follows an eclectic group of besties whose comedic adventures teach preschoolers about embracing their own uniqueness. Led by Hop, an enthusiastic, empathetic frog with one leg shorter than the other, he and his quirky friends address kid-relatable problems with a healthy dose of laughter, silliness, and adventure.
Set in the aspirational community of Fair Village, every episode is grounded in emotional reality but soars into the world of fantasy, populated by dragons, trolls, talking banjos, and magic crayons. With a gentle balance of humor and heart, our heroes go on fun escapades to discover that they can overcome any obstacle with perseverance, creativity, and teamwork. Together, they show us the power of friendship and kindness as they navigate the mud puddles of life.
“Even before ‘Arthur’ ended, I was nurturing a new project about a little frog named Hop, for a younger audience,” said Brown. “As Hop’s world grew in my imagination, I drew inspiration from the great work my friend Fred Rogers had done. With ‘Arthur,’ we occasionally introduced characters with disabilities, but they never became part of the ensemble cast in any meaningful way. But the characters in “Hop” reflect many kids who are underrepresented in the media. Some of our characters have disabilities but they never define who they are or what they can achieve. Kids are kids and each one is unique and filled with potential. And kids love to have fun, that’s what ‘Hop’ is all about!”
Ken Faier of Epic Story Media adds, “We’re extremely proud of our work and collaboration with industry experts on representing characters in an inclusive way. It is an honor to have developed ‘Hop’ with Marc, Peter and Tolon who know how to engage not only today’s youth but parents looking for quality content. We believe ‘Hop’ will have longevity in the marketplace for many years to come.”
Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, and Boomerang added: “Marc is a legend in children’s programming, having created one of the most iconic television shows that has garnered almost every honor imaginable. ‘Hop’ exudes everything families love about ‘Arthur,’ but with a fresh cast of modern characters that authentically represent the sundry of little eyes watching TV.”
Monday 5 June 2023
CG 'Dora The Explorer' Reboot Now Set For Spring 2024
Last February, it was announced that the long-running Nick Jr. series Dora the Explorer would be getting a 3D CG reboot on Paramount+. While initially set for sometime this year, it will unfortunately not be the case.
The June 2023 issue of Toy World Magazine declares that the new series with the Latina heroine will arrive next spring. The series, tentatively titled ¡Dora!, is described as a reimagining of the classic show which “promises to strike the perfect balance between the comfort of the familiar and the excitement of the fresh.” It will feature the notable characters from the original series, with not only Boots and Swiper but as the only released art shows, Isa, Tico, and Benny too. A key modernization to the storytelling is also teased, unclear as to what (could it be the fact that the series was originally in the world of a point-and-click PC game?). While Toy World is a British magazine, that only makes the difference of a day or so based on recent releases rather than be any substantially staggered rollout separated by months or even whole seasons.
In addition, the live-action series that had been announced the year before alongside what became The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder? That's still coming. As previously revealed, it’s tween-aimed and inspired by the tone of the 2019 film Dora and the Lost City of Gold, an occasion that several original series episodes that had still yet to air for five years would be used to commemorate.
Paramount is set to showcase the new Dora the Explorer series at Licensing Expo 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada, taking place June 13-15. Whether it’s both series is unclear. Of course, these are the franchise’s fourth and fifth series, following Go Diego Go! which ran from 2005 to 2011, and Dora and Friends: Into the City, which ran from 2014 to 2017. All three released TV series are currently streaming on Paramount+.
Saturday 27 May 2023
Afrikaans Voice Actors For Roekeloos Dade, Annekan Die Swa Kry And Ramo
Roekeloos Dade (Hayat Sarkisi)
Roberto Kyle as Kerim Cevher
Rene Cloete as Hülya Çamoglu
Melanie Scholtz as Melek
Pierre Nelson as Hüseyin Cevher
Margit Meyer-Rödenbeck as Süheyla Cevher
Anja Taljaard as Filiz
Dee Theart as Nilay
Helena Baard as Bade Cevher
Chante Crainger as Ceylan
Liande Valentyn as Nürgul
Annekan Die Swa Kry (Kardeslerim)
Melissa De Vries as Sengül
Megan Spencer as Nebahat
Richard Van Die Westhuizen as Akif Aktul
Talitta Jameson as Asiye
John Koopman as Ogulcan
Marunzo Thomas as Kadir
Curtley Pitt as Mazlum
Anna Louise Bischoff as Harika
Zaan Du Toit as Suzan
Melissa Myburgh as Melisa
Christian Schoeman as Berk
Hunter Plaatjies as Aybike Eren
Ramo
Hein De Vries as Ramo
Veronique Jephtas as Sibel
Keenan Herman as Alpay
Christian Bennett as Kasak
Anrich Herbst as Yavuz
Craig Adriaanse as Sakik
Jacques Theron as Hale
Grace Pienaar as Neslihan
Abdurgaman Adams as Süleyman
Jill Levenberg as Kerimak
Sanchia Davids as Afet
Hein Poole as Bücür
Rushney Ferguson as Fatos
Basil Appolis as Ismail
Maria Van Die Almeida as Cavidan
Jurgen McEwan as Docak
Nethanel Swartz as Arap
Celeste Matthews as Sebanat
André Samuels as Durdu
Recap To The Month: Showmax Acquired Broadcasting Rights To Berry And The Big City
Toronto-based WildBrain has closed several broadcast sales for 2D-animated series Berry in the Big City (120 x four minutes), as well as signing new licensing partners for the Strawberry Shortcake consumer products program.
Portuguese/Spanish preschool channel Canal Panda has acquired the first three seasons of the 2D-animated series, along with four 44-minute seasonal specials, with French AVOD platforms TFOU MAX and MYTFI and Polish preschool net MiniMini+ picking up seasons one and two, and Paramount’s AVOD Pluto TV, Africa’s SVOD Showmax and LA-based AVOD Kanopy buying just the first season.
Meanwhile, WildBrain CPLG is moving Strawberry Shortcake into the spotlight with a series of strategic licensing deals. In addition to the iconic character being Funko-ized in the collectibles category, A Leading Role has signed up for costumes, SkinnyDip for phone cases and Diamond Art Club for crafts.
Houston-based cosmetics company Hunnideux will also create character-inspired make-up palettes for the US market, with Florida’s Little Bird Bamboo releasing matching “mommy & me” apparel sets, and American clothing retailer Hot Topic launching a new Strawberry Shortcake collection spanning apparel, accessories and footwear.
The Strawberry Shortcake franchise is experiencing a new surge in popularity, according to The Insights Family. During the last quarter, the UK-based research firm ranked Strawberry Shortcake as the sixth most popular character with kids ages six to nine in the US, putting it ahead of the likes of Harry Potter, SpongeBob SquarePants and Barbie.
Thursday 11 May 2023
Disney+ Loses Another 4 Million Subscribers
Today, the Walt Disney Company has released its latest quarterly results for the fiscal second quarter 2023, and that means we get an updated look at how many subscribers Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ have.
This gives us a clear indication of how the apps are doing, especially with growth or decline in subscriber numbers. These subscriber numbers are based up to April 1st 2023.
Disney+ now has 157.8 million subscribers globally, down over 4 million subscribers from 161.8 million subscribers last quarter. All of these losses have come from subscribers leaving Disney+ Hotstar in India, following the loss of the cricket and, most recently, HBO content. In the US and Canada, they lost 300,000 subscribers, likely due to the recent price rise, less content and political issues. However, Disney+ subscribers in other areas, including Latin America, Europe and Asia, increased by 900,000.
While Hulu has added around 200,000 subscribers, ESPN+ has also added 400,000 subscribers in the US.
Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement:
“We’re pleased with our accomplishments this quarter, including the improved financial performance of our streaming business, which reflect the strategic changes we’ve been making throughout the company to realign Disney for sustained growth and success. From movies to television, to sports, news, and our theme parks, we continue to deliver for consumers, while establishing a more efficient, coordinated, and streamlined approach to our operations.”
More importantly, Disney’s streaming businesses have been able to increase its revenue by 12% to $5.5 billion and decrease its operating lost by half a billion dollars, which mainly came from better Disney+ and ESPN+ results, partially offset by lower operating income at Hulu.
The improvement at Disney+ was due to higher subscription revenue and a decrease in marketing costs, partially offset by higher programming and production costs and, to a lesser extent, increased technology costs. Higher subscription revenue was attributable to subscriber growth and increases in retail pricing, partially offset by an unfavorable foreign exchange impact. The increase in programming and production costs was due to more content provided on the service. Improved results at ESPN+ were attributable to growth in subscription revenue due to an increase in retail pricing and subscriber growth.
The decrease in operating income at Hulu was due to higher programming and production costs and lower advertising revenue, partially offset by subscription revenue growth and, to a lesser extent, lower marketing costs. The increase in programming and production costs was attributable to more content provided on the service and an increase in subscriber-based fees for programming the Live TV service, partially offset by a lower average cost mix of SVOD content. Higher subscriber-based fees for programming the Live TV service were due to rate increases and more subscribers. The decrease in advertising revenue resulted from lower impressions, partially offset by higher rates. Subscription revenue growth was due to increases in retail pricing and subscribers.
Disney has also provided a detailed breakdown per region: (Million)
Disney+ – Global – 157.8
Disney+ – Domestic (US & Canada) – 46.3
Disney+ – International excluding Disney+ Hotstar+ – 58.6
Disney+ Core – (excluding Hotstar) – 104.9
Disney+ Hotstar – 52.9
ESPN+ – Million Subscribers (US Only) – 25.3
Hulu – Million Subscribers (US Only) – 48.2
To compare, here are the subscription numbers (Millions) from November’s Investor Call:
Disney+ – Global – 161.8
Disney+ – Domestic (US & Canada) – 46.6
Disney+ – International excluding Disney+ Hotstar+ – 57.7
Disney+ Core – (excluding Hotstar) – 104.3
Disney+ Hotstar – 57.5
ESPN+ – Million Subscribers (US Only) – 24.9
Hulu – Million Subscribers (US Only) – 48.0
How Will Disney+ Adding Hulu Content Work?
It’s finally happening. Disney CEO Bob Iger has announced plans to bring together its streaming services in the United States under one app, bringing Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ content all together to offer subscribers a better experience but it also comes with many business benefits.
The details of how all of this will work are still very much unknown. Bob Iger was very vague about how Hulu content would be added within Disney+, but there are some key things we know.
• It will be happening by the end of 2023
• Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu will still be offered as separate services
• Hulu content will be available within Disney+
• More advertising is going to be offered
• Price rises for Disney+
However, we still know very little about how all of this will work out because the Hulu situation is very complicated. First off, Comcast still owns 33% of Hulu and due to a contract that was put into place when Disney purchased 20th Century Fox, which means Disney or Comcast can force Disney to buy out the 33% stake, for a minimum of around $9 billion. Bob Iger has said he has had meetings with Comcast over Hulu, but ultimately, the deal hasn’t been finalised, which is why the information has been so vague.
Disney is being open about its plans to consolidate its streaming services, similar to how HBO Max and Discovery+ will merge and how Paramount+ and Showtime have recently done. It’s setting the tone for the future, which Disney knows will be all about the streaming business as the linear business is declining yearly.
There are many reasons why the merger of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ will make sense. It will drastically reduce costs for the company. They can make less content and stretch it out easier, because when you look at all of the content being created across Disney’s studios, they release lots of shows and films. Publicity costs can be reduced, since they will be only promoting one app. Bob Iger even mentioned in the quarterly conference call that they’ve been releasing so much content on their streaming platforms, they’ve not been advertising them properly to get the most out of their investment. That’s in addition to savings that can be made on just running one platform, reduced overheads etc.
The merging of the platforms also will help reduce churn, as subscribers of the Disney Streaming Bundle have been generally less likely to unsubscribe, since there is usually something someone wants to watch on one of the three platforms.
ESPN+ is already available within the Hulu app, so Disney has already begun getting subscribers used to them being together. However, adding ESPN+ into Disney+ should hopefully be something that can happen easier, since they are built on the same tech. Disney has also already added ESPN content onto Disney+, but with the high costs of sports, it’s likely this will remain a premium add-on or as part of a bundle.
Internationally, Disney+ has had lots of success with the addition of the Star brand, which offers the majority of Hulu Originals and other general entertainment from Disney’s studios like 20th, FX and ABC. Bob Iger has said that it’s been a huge success and one of the reasons why they want to merge the platforms.
Unfortunately, with the Hulu contract, Disney has never been to share its plans for the future properly, but now with just over six months until 2024, it is starting to let subscribers know what’s going on. It makes the recent decisions for Disney+ to make more sense, such as moving to the next-day programming for Disney Channel and National Geographic content. Or why more Disney+ Originals have been added to Hulu and why “A Small Light” and the next Searchlight Pictures film, “Flamin’ Hot”, are being released on both Hulu and Disney+ simultaneously. Slowly blending together the two platforms.
Disney’s CFO Christine M. McCarthy also revealed during the quarterly results that they are going to be taking an impairment charge of approximately $1.5 to $1.8 billion, due to them planning to remove content from their streaming platforms. Disney+ in the United States generally probably doesn’t have a huge amount of content to remove, but Hulu has thousands of titles, many of which aren’t owned by them, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see lots of content removed from Hulu in the coming months, ahead of the merger.
There will no doubt be many more questions about how all of this is going to work in the coming months ahead. We know that Disney has been working on incorporating Hulu’s legacy system into the Disney+ tech since last year. Plus, the Disney Streaming Bundle accounts already use a single login, so that’s something that will hopefully make this smoother, but it’s bound to be a bit bumpy.
There are so many questions that we know nothing about such as:
• How much is the combined app going to cost?
• When will it happen?
• Will Hulu + Live TV continue?
• Will the Hulu brand continue?
• Will ESPN+ be a paid add-on?
• What will happen to other add-ons like HBO within Hulu?
• What will happen with the Star brand internationally?
Ultimately, the direction for a combined streaming platform for Disney makes sense. Offering multiple outlets is more expensive, and one platform will offer more content to more people. It’s already proven to work, but there are lots of hurdles, including Disney paying Comcast a huge cheque for billions of dollars. But now we know there is a plan to combine Disney’s streaming services under a single offering.
Eventually, a single app for all of Disney’s content is going to make it much easier for both subscribers and Disney, but it will also likely lead to less overall content being available, as Disney is looking to scale back its general entertainment side, but pairing it with Disney+, which has been lacking general entertainment, means the combination will result in us getting regular content constantly.
Tuesday 9 May 2023
New Series Alert: Barney's World Coming In 2024 To Cartoonito And Max
Warner Bros Discovery announced that it has picked up the new CG-animated series Barney’s World for Cartoonito on Cartoon Network and streaming on Max. The series, announced earlier this year as part of Mattel’s Barney franchise relaunch, will aptly be titled “Barney’s World” and will revamp the iconic character for modern audiences. Co-produced by Mattel Television and Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, “Barney’s World” will debut globally in 2024.
With all the heart and comfort of the original iconic dinosaur, “Barney’s World” is modernized with dynamic characters and music-filled storylines that highlight themes of love, community, and encouragement. Set in a local playground, Barney is joined by dinos Billy and Baby Bop and their three kid best friends. Throughout silly and imaginative adventures together, Barney helps kids explore big preschool emotions and shows them how to love themselves and other.
“Barney’s World perfectly exemplifies our ‘best in animation’ approach. It strikes the right nostalgia chord for today’s parents and introduces this iconic dinosaur to a new generation of preschoolers,” said Michael Ouweleen, president, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Discovery Family, and Boomerang.
“Having grown up watching the original series, many of today’s parents have fond memories of laughing, singing and learning with Barney and his friends,” said Fred Soulie, senior vice president and general manager, Mattel Television. “We are proud to partner with Warner Bros Discovery to reimagine this famed brand and bring a fresh and modern version of Barney to a global audience of families.”
The show will be executive produced by Fred Soulie and Christopher Keenan for Mattel Television and by Colin Bohm, Doug Murphy and Pam Westman for Nelvana.
Saturday 6 May 2023
New Series Alert: Grizzy And The Lemmings And The Weasy Family Coming Soon To CBeebies And BBC Kids
The BBC has just picked up a pair of CG-animated series from French studio HARI— Grizzy and The Lemmings and The Weasy Family (pictured above and below, respectively).
Seasons three and four of Grizzy and the Lemmings World Tour (156 x seven minutes) will join the pubcaster’s schedule soon, targeting kids ages six and up and families. Production is still underway on a fourth season that should deliver in 2024. This slapstick comedy series centers around a grizzly bear who is perpetually perturbed by a group of mischievous lemmings.
Since launching in 2016, Grizzy has built up a strong viewership on both streaming platforms and linear channels. Last year alone, it landed among Netflix’s top-10 shows in more than 60 territories, and was the most-aired French animated series worldwide, according to a release. HARI also estimates that the show generates roughly a billion views on YouTube each year.
The new deal with BBC includes a presale for HARI’s upcoming series, The Weasy Family (78 x seven minutes), as well. Set in a Wisconsin barn, this family-centric toon follows an irresponsible weasel who must raise twin ducklings after accidentally incubating their egg. Broadcast partners already on board include France Télévisions, Germany’s Super RTL and Télé-Québec in Canada.
Both series will launch on linear nets CBBC and CBeebies, as well as on BBC iPlayer, in 2023 and 2024.
HARI is executing what it calls a “benevolent slapstick cartoon” strategy with The Weasy Family —while the series doesn’t have any dialogue, it stands apart from Grizzy and typical slapstick shows by not featuring its characters getting hurt.
The genre has a lot of potential in the UK market, according to HARI head of sales Sophie Prigent, who noted in a release that slapstick humor “really resonates with British families.”
Thursday 27 April 2023
Prime Video Loads Up On Batman Toons
Amazon’s streaming service picked up 2D-animated movie Merry Little Batman, which was among the kids projects canceled at HBO Max last year. Continuing efforts to age down the Batman franchise (starting with the launch of preschool-skewing Batwheels on Cartoonito in 2022) this action-comedy pic stars Damian Wayne—a young boy who turns himself into “Little Batman” during Christmas Eve to stop Gotham City’s supervillains from ruining the holidays. Mike Roth (Regular Show) is directing, with Morgan Evans (Teen Titans Go!) writing the screenplay. Roth will also executive produce alongside Sam Register.
Spinoff series Bat-Family is also headed to Prime. Exploring the unique capers of being part of a superhero family, the toon centers around Batman, Alfred and Damian, who has now taken on the mantle of Little Batman full-time.
Finally, Amazon has confirmed a previously reported two-season order for Batman: Caped Crusader—a darker, noir-inspired series that will be similar to Batman: The Animated Series, which aired on Fox Kids from 1992 to 1995. Bruce Timm, J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves are executive producing this series, which was another casualty of the HBO Max cancellations last year that has now landed at Prime.
All three projects will premiere exclusively on Prime Video worldwide. And they reflect the streamer’s growing investment in comic book IPs. Last year, Sony Pictures Television signed a multi-title deal to produce live-action series based on Marvel characters for Amazon, with a Silk: Spider Society series already underway.
Meanwhile, DC Studios is also prepping multiple projects based on the Batman IP for the big screen. In addition to DCU installment The Brave and the Bold and Matt Reeves’ sequel to last year’s The Batman, the studio is bringing two incarnations of the iconic character together on screen in The Flash, which hits theaters this June.
Tuesday 25 April 2023
Three Ways To Watch tvN's K-Dramas In South Africa
tvN is a South Korean entertainment channel owned by CJ ENM which broadcast a variety of content including reality shows, drama series and movies. It was added as a pop-up channel on MultiChoice's DStv attributing success with shows like Flower Of Evil and The K-2.
But MultiChoice went against the idea of launching a permanent channel thus leaving various households without shows like Another Miss Oh, Tail Of The Nine Tailed and The Tunnel so we turn through two simple methods of getting access to some of these shows.
1. eVOD
eVOD is a video on demand home to various local productions by eMedia Investments including Splintered Pieces, Housewives, Piet's Sake and Whatever It Takes. It's also home to various shows already viewed on eMedia Investments' e.tv and eExtra channel including Gebroke Harte, House Of Zwide and The Black Door.
As mentioned, eVOD is also home to Asian programming or in this case content seen on tvN including Ice Adonis, The K-2, Flower Of Evil and The Devil Judge. The best part all of this is free but the only downside is the limited offering.
2. Showmax
Showmax is a streaming service owned by DStv's parent company also known as the tvN hater MultiChoice. Just like eVOD, they're also home to various local productions including Blood Psalms, Recipe For Murder, Devilsdorp, St. Agnes and The Wife. It is also licences various content from NBCUniversal, CBS Studios, Sony Pictures Television and Disney Star.
The streamer is also home to the corporation that deprived DStv consumers of tvN as they rather keep the best shows on Showmax including Melting Me Softly, Cheese In The Trap, Encounter and Revolutionary Love. Unlike eVOD, you can browse a number of content but it comes with a fee.
3. VIU
VIU is an Asian based streaming service from VIU International Ltd. which distributes a number of drama series and movies from Indonesians, Malaysians and Burmese to audiences in the Middle East and Africa. They also offer a selection of content from Paramount, AMC International and A+E Networks.
Just like the previous two, they also offer Korean Programming such as L.U.C.A The Beginning and Mouse and some of this comes with a fee while others come at no charge.
WB Discovery Acquires ‘Totally Spies!’ S7
Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired the seventh season of spy-fi animation series Totally Spies! across EMEA and the U.S.
French broadcaster Gulli and Discovery Kids LatAm have previously been announced as co-producers of the Zodiak Kids & Family France (part of Banijay Kids & Family) show.
The 2-D animated franchise returns to screens in 2024, following its original six-season run beginning in 2001. Premiering on Cartoon Network U.S. and later launching on Max in EMEA, the upcoming series follows the three legendary secret agents, Sam, Clover and Alex, as they move to a new city and take on a fresh crop of villains.
The 26 x 22’ season will be produced by Benoît Di Sabatino and directed by Stephane Berry, who directed five previous seasons of the show. Gary Milne and Ludovic Taron serve as executive producers. Zodiak Kids & Family Distribution handles global distribution for the franchise.
Netflix To Spend 2.6 Billion In Korean Entertainment
Netflix Inc said on Tuesday it plans to invest $2.5 billion in South Korea over the next four years to produce Korean TV series, movies and unscripted shows, doubling the amount the company has invested in the market since 2016.
"We were able to make this decision because we have great confidence that the Korean creative industry will continue to tell great stories," said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos
The US streaming service announced this after a meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Yoon arrived in Washington on Monday for a six-day state visit.
President Yoon welcomed the investment as a "major opportunity" for South Korea's content industry and Netflix as the country seeks to increase cultural exports and soft power.
Shares of South Korean production and entertainment companies rallied on Tuesday, with Showbox and Studio Dragon up 8.75% and 2.26%, respectively, compared to the country's smaller Kosdaq index's 2.21% drop.
Known as the "Korean Wave" or Hallyu, South Korea's entertainment industry has enjoyed a global boom in recent years. Its music market, led by K-pop groups such as BTS and Blackpink, has led the charge.
In 2021, exports of content, including music, video games and films, reached a record high of $12.4 billion, according to the latest government data, leaving behind home appliances and rechargeable batteries in export volume.
"We were able to make this decision because we have great confidence that the Korean creative industry will continue to tell great stories," Sarandos said in a statement, citing the streaming platform's global hits produced by South Korean creators such as Squid Game, The Glory and Physical:100.
Squid Game, a 2021 release, remains Netflix's most-watched series of all time, having racked up 1.65 billion hours of streaming in the first 28 days.
Netflix offered a lighter-than-expected forecast last week as it looks to crack down on unsanctioned password sharing into the second quarter to make improvements, delaying some financial benefits.