News


EuropaCorp revenues, profit soar

French mini-major EuropaCorp has posted improved revenues and profit for the first half of this year. Overall revenues at the film and TV production studio were €98 million (US$122 million) for the six months to September 30, 46.3% up on the €67 million reported in 1H13, driven by international sales. Profit came in at €7.3 […]

Norway’s TV3 picks up NBC’s State of Affairs

Norwegian free-to-air channel TV3 has picked up State of Affairs, the political drama that airs on broadcast net NBC in the US. The show, which stars Katherine Heigl (Knocked Up) as a brilliant CIA analyst briefing the president on security matters, is produced by Universal TV, Abishag Productions and The Bob Simonds Company. It is […]

Ad standards body slams YouTube stars, retailers

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has called for YouTube video bloggers to be clear if they are being paid to advertise products, after finding a host of YouTube stars in breach of ad standards. The ASA found that food company Mondelez and YouTube stars including Dan and Phil, Emma Blackery and Tom Ridgewell, aka TomSka, […]

ZDF, GoldBee sell kids into Asia

The commercial arm of German pubcaster ZDF and fledgling distributor GoldBee have sold a raft of kids series to broadcasters in Asia. The deals, agreed ahead of the ATF market in Singapore, include drama series Wolfblood (pictured) and Mako Mermaids to HBO Family in Southeast Asia. In Thailand, MCOT has bought a 100-hour package of […]

Hulu renews original gameshow

On-demand and streaming service Hulu has renewed its original gameshow series Money Where Your Mouth Is. The show is produced by US indie Believe Entertainment Group. Billed as a ‘gameshow for the man’s man’, the show has friends going head-to-head over ‘man knowledge’ trivia rounds to win items from one another. It is presented by […]

Nordic World ‘disagreement’ leads to Geneste exit

Nordic World has terminated a consultancy agreement with Patty Geneste just weeks after completing a deal to acquire her formats distributor, Absolutely Independent, TBI can reveal. Geneste’s departure follows a disagreement over the future direction of Nordic World, according to a statement on behalf of the Nordic World board from Trond Kvernstrom, who is director […]

Netflix dominates traffic as Amazon ups share

Netflix remains by far the most-used paid-for website in North America during peak hours, while Amazon Prime Instant Video is officially now the second-most used paid-for service, according to a new report. Netflix accounts for 34.9% of downstream traffic in peak hours in North America, broadband solution intelligence firm Sandvine’s Global Internet Phenomena Report for […]

Brazil’s TNT adapting Israeli sex industry drama

Turner Broadcasting System’s Brazilian channel TNT is creating local version of Israeli drama Allenby. The commission marks TNT Brazil’s first large-scale original production, and will run to eight episodes, according to distributor Armoza Formats. The original show is a psychological drama set on Tel Aviv’s nightlife spot Allenby Street, and follows a stripper that is […]

Lifestyle sports firm plots TV, MCN push with Smith

Bullseye TV co-founder and former Discovery Communications executive Dee Smith has landed the post of director of content at sports lifestyle group Factory Media, which is pushing into television. UK-based Factory has around 27 lifestyle sports and culture online and print brands, and has employed Smith in part to use these to create a multi-channel […]

Cristela gets full season as Hulu takes Selfie

US broadcast network has taken freshman comedy Cristela to a full season, as the already-cancelled Selfie’s remaining episodes transfer to Hulu. ABC has given Cristela a back-nine order to the 20th Century Fox Television-produce show, which stars comedian Cristela Alonzo as a Latin American straddling cultures in the US. Ratings have been solid, averaging 5.5 […]