Hollywood is increasingly listening to fans of shows to secure hits, while the notion of single medium franchises is unlikely to survive, according to the president of Wattpad Webtoon Studios. Aron Levitz, appearing at SeriesFest in Denver, told TBI that the “shift” of working with fandom when creating shows had proven success with the likes […]
US producer-distributor Propagate has launched a $50m fund to invest in documentaries, as the LA-based firm looks to ramp up its output in the genre. Propagate, which was founded by Ben Silverman and Howard T Owens in 2015, has been expanding into docs over recent years with the company’s latest show, Anna Nicole Smith: You […]
US studio consolidation will likely wittle down the number of streamers within three years as services find it increasingly tough to survive, according to Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries. The exec, speaking to TBI at SeriesFest in Denver, said the number of streamers would decline as smaller players found it hard to “maintain momentum”. “There […]
TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis has outlined how his company’s linear TV strategy “fundamentally” differs from competitors, adding that “big bets” will be made on Spanish-language content in the coming years. The Spanish-language firm has been expanding at pace over the past year, following the $4.8bn merger between Televisa and Univision, with streamer Vix launching into […]
Executive pay has taken centre stage as the US writers strike marks its first week, with SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator hitting out at the “immense drain” caused by pay scales at some companies. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator at US actors union SAG-AFTRA, admitted that some creatives require “a certain amount of compensation and have leverage to […]
Denver’s SeriesFest unveils line-up US-based SeriesFest has revealed the full lineup for its ninth edition, with BBC Studios creative chief Mark Linsey and TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis among those featuring. The six-day event, which takes place 5-10 May in Denver, Colorado, includes a slate of in-competition screenings, panels, workshops, as well as never-before-seen sneak peeks […]
SeriesFest lands Starz, Tubi, TelevisaUnivision execs Denver-based TV festival SeriesFest has announced the line-up for its ‘Innovation Talks’ strand, with top execs from Starz, Tubi and TelevisaUnivision in attendance. The discussions, described as “candid conversations”, will see Starz president of original Kathryn Busby and TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis interviewed by Mike Fries, CEO at event […]
International TV festival SeriesFest has unveiled a raft of new additions for the upcoming Denver-based event, as well as the return of its Google-backed development incubator backed by actor Paul Feig. The event’s eighth iteration, which takes place 5-11 May in Colorado, will include a screening of Starz’s upcoming drama Gaslit, followed by a Q&A with […]
Denver-based SeriesFest has unveiled its selections for its 2022 International Independent Pilot Competition with shows from creators including David Oyelowo and actor Simu Liu, ahead of the May event. More than 50 titles have been shortlisted from emerging voices from all over the world in categories focused on drama, comedy, unscripted, digital shorts and late night. The […]
SeriesFest updates line-up SeriesFest has revealed new additions to its previously announced line-up ahead of the launch of its sixth annual international television festival tomorrow. Moving online due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival will be streaming screenings, panel discussion and workshops from 18-24 June. New to this year’s roster of special network events is a […]
