TBI Weekly: Three moves that may chip at Netflix dominance

Moves to combat the Netflix-effect are high on the agenda for major broadcasters and networks this week.

Three TV groups have laid out global streaming and content ambitions in the past seven days, including UK broadcasters BBC, Channel 4 and ITV, European broadcasters France Télévisions, Rai and ZDF, and US-based Discovery.

We found that the British trio are likely to board “Kangaroo 2”, a second attempt at building a collaborated streaming service after an initial plan was blocked by regulators in 2009.

The move could see the trio join forces to make the BBC’s iPlayer a master brand. Other options include expanding BBC, ITV and AMC’s service Britbox outside of its current home in the US.

France Télévisions, Italy’s Rai and Germany’s ZDF have begun taking action with content pact. The alliance aims to encourage partners to develop fiction programming with international appeal, allowing participating pubcasters to reserve the rights to shows.

Three projects are currently being developed under the pact including Leonardo, produced by Lux Vide and Beta Film, Mirage, produced by Linclon TV, Cineflix and Wild Bunch, and Eternal City, produced by Aurora TV, Fearless and Banijay Studios France.

Most recently, Discovery’s CEO David Zaslav also chipped in to the conversation and hinted that the company may be eyeing a global factual direct-to-consumer service while the genre remains underserved. Offerings currently focus on sport and scripted according to the exec.

He said that the OTT market is currently dominated by Netflix and Amazon, with Disney aiming to try to match them. However, he explained that the next player “to get to 100 million subscribers” was not going to be another scripted content player in an overcrowded market.

Either of these ambitious plans may reduce Netflix dominance over time, but how will they fair in an increasingly fragmented landscape?

Also in the news…

Global Agency’s Evermore has sold to TV Azteca in Mexico, with Keep It or Lose It selling over at SBT Brazil and The Legend selling to Brazil’s Band TV

Blue Ant Media has new carriage deals for Love Nature 4K across Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, continuing its expansion in Southeast Asia

CJ E&M and CJ Group’s home shopping subsidiary CJ O Shopping will be named CJ ENM upon completion of a merger on July 1^st 2018

Nickelodeon UK & Ireland has acquired the complete series of Novel Entertainment’s Horrid Henry

FX has landed the first-run North American rights to The New York Times’ first foray into TV news, named The Weekly

Elephant TV has been commissioned to produce a major four-part documentary series for national public service broadcaster France 3

ProSiebenSat.1 has commissioned a first season of My Genius Country from Newen Distribution

Sky Vision will showcase two major new shows at LA Screenings, Patrick Melrose and A Discovery of Witches

The week’s top TBI stories…

• Netflix makes moves to meet EU’s SVOD quota
• BBC, C4, ITV discuss service launch to combat Netflix
• Apple plans Amazon-style distribution strategy
• France Televisions, Rai, ZDF drama pact takes on Netflix
• YouTube commissions Priyanka Chopra series from Sundog