Channel 4 has acquired the rights to show England’s Test cricket series in India in a deal that means Test cricket will return to free-to-air television in the UK for the first time in over 15 years. Global rights holders Star Sports, owned by Disney, and Channel 4 have agreed a contract for the live […]
UK broadcast regulator Ofcom is inviting evidence on the relationship between public service broadcasters (PSBs) and the independent TV production sector. In December 2020, Ofcom published Small Screen: Big Debate (SS:BD), a consultation looking at how to strengthen and maintain public service media in the UK for the next decade and beyond. The current regulatory […]
Responding to speculation that it was seeking a buyer for its holding in French broadcaster M6, media group RTL has issued a statement suggesting that “it has repeatedly said that there is a strong case for consolidation in the European broadcasting sector”. “RTL Group reviews such options on an ongoing basis with a view to […]
Documentary+, a global streaming platform, has gone live. The service is a joint venture between non-fiction studio XTR and the late Tony Hsieh. With a large curated collection of feature-length and short-form content, the Documentary+ library ranges from Academy Award-winners to festival darlings and is available to audiences for on any device. Documentary+ launches with […]
As the nation remains in lockdown, Sky has unveiled a range of free offers to give its Sky VIP customers a boost, including free Sky Original films and free access to fitness apps. Throughout February, all Sky customers will be able to benefit from these perks, as long as they’re enrolled in the free VIP […]
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has unveiled what it describes as a “pioneering” online initiative that will enable public service media to transcend language barriers and offer their audiences trusted news content produced by counterparts from across Europe. This multilingual content will provide a pan-European perspective on issues of key interest to national audiences such […]
Telenet is adding a new, linear sports channel to its basic offering. The new Play Sports Open channel will offer all Telenet TV customers a selection of matches from different Play Sports competitions, including Premier League football, European League, Eredivisie, ATP and WTA Tennis, Belgian Hockey and Basketball, Cyclo-cross, Formula 1 and MXGP. Play Sports […]
Italian broadcasting group Mediaset has acquired the streaming rights for 104 matches from the UEFA Champions League during the 2021-2024 seasons. According to Italian news agency Radicor, Sky Italia and Mediaset have snatched up the most important Italian TV rights packages for Europe’s premier football competition. Besides the streaming rights, Mediaset also obtained the exclusive […]
MPs on the UK House of Commons, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee have confirmed the appointment of Richard Sharp as the new Chair of the BBC Board following his appearance before the Committee. In a Report, Committee members say they were impressed by Sharp’s understanding of the business, the need to deliver on public […]
Increased movement and competition on UK DTT platform Freeview is among the developments for 2021 predicted by Chris Parsons, Chief Executive at channel operations specialist MediaPaedia Broadcast. His five predictions are: Covid efficiencies are here to stay 2020 saw unprecedented changes in the broadcast industry, one traditionally based on trade shows and meetings. Production has […]