London – Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) announced today that it has successfully acquired control of the Dutch entertainment company, 2waytraffic. The acquisition gives SPE new capabilities in the global light entertainment market, which includes games, variety and reality shows, and gives SPE one of the largest gameshow portfolios in the world. All the conditions of the public offer for 2waytraffic announced on March 13, 2008 have been satisfied or waived, and 2waytraffic has made … [Read more...] about SPE completes 2waytraffic acquisition
Channel: Content
Singapore kick-start for NBCU channels’ July launch
Singapore – The carriage deal with Singapore’s StarHub in July will be the first in a series across the region for NBC Universal Global Networks’ SCI FI and Universal Channels. The third SCI FI channel in the region, as well as the first Universal Channel, will debut on StarHub Digital Cable in July. The channels will be made available with Chinese subtitling and offer viewers local interstitials and programming. This announcement is the first in a series of deal announcements … [Read more...] about Singapore kick-start for NBCU channels’ July launch
Disney-ABC’s Army Wives march into Asia
Hong Kong – Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific), the international TV distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company, has announced licensing deals for Army Wives with six broadcasters including the pan-regional Hallmark Channel, Australia’s Network Ten, Fiji TV, India’s Zee Cafe, New Zealand’s TV2 and Korea’s Story On channel. The deals brings Army Wives to 20 territories across Asia Pacific on terrestrial and pay-TV following its debut on the Lifetime … [Read more...] about Disney-ABC’s Army Wives march into Asia
Bell Rings again for Disney Channel Australia and New Zealand
Disney Channel Australia and New Zealand will offer a second run of As the Bell Rings, the locally-made series of sitcom shorts based on Disney Channel Italy's short form series Quelli dell'Intervallo, to premiere on Disney Channel Australia in early 2009. 26 six-minute episodes of As the Bell Rings Series 2 are being shot in Melbourne from June 2008 and production is scheduled to conclude mid-July 2008 at the ABC Studios, Elsternwick in Victoria. As The Bell Rings is being directed by David … [Read more...] about Bell Rings again for Disney Channel Australia and New Zealand
Mixed reactions to Amazia cancellation
Paris – New cross-platform content show Amazia, slated for its debut in Hong Kong, November 17-20, 2008, has been shelved by its Paris-based organizers Reed MIDEM. While there had been talk in the market that the show would be cancelled if certain exhibitor and sponsorship targets were not met, optimism seemed high early April 2008 at MIPTV in Cannes. Over 50 companies had confirmed, of around 200 companies that had committed, to exhibit at the event. Keynote speakers for the Amazia … [Read more...] about Mixed reactions to Amazia cancellation
StarHub re-tiers, adds new channels
Singapore – StarHub Digital Cable has repackaged a number of its channel tiers and has announced the addition of new offerings to bring the total number of channels on its pay-TV service to a total of 159 by July 2008. Adding to its six Basic Groups, StarHub rolled out the new Lifestyle Basic Group. Most of the channels in the Basic Groups and Basic Upsize tiers have been repackaged from the unbundling of its Family Plus tier of 21 channels across different genres and the Chinese Plus II … [Read more...] about StarHub re-tiers, adds new channels