The Public Accounts Committee of the UK’s House of Commons, in a report – BBC strategic financial management – has expressed concerns that the BBC, “at a critical juncture” in its history, appears “complacent and unconcerned” in the face of a series of commercial and financial challenges: the time people spend using its services is declining it recently lost […]
UK film and television body BAFTA has announced plans to expand the work it does to find and support new talent in the UK and globally. In 2022, the charity plans to relaunch its year-round learning and talent development programme, engaging over 10 million learners online and equipping 80,000 people a year with the tools […]
UK culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, told the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee that privatisation of Channel 4 was “on the table” as an option to “provide a sustainable future for the broadcaster”. He said that th “rapidly changing broadcasting landscape”, and the growth of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, meant sweeping changes were […]
Vice Media has launched a free online television channel available on the Roku platform in the US this week, as it markets an IPO to refinance some of the funding taken from TPG private equity in 2017 when it was valued at $5.7 billion (€4.7bn) – it is now hoping for a value of $3 […]
Recast, the UK based sports OTT platform, has raised £5.9 million (€6.7m) in its Series A round of investment. Recast said the success of the round follows increased demand from rights holders looking for alternative ways to monetise their video content as consumption and payment patterns continue to evolve. Among the investors is Simon Bax, […]
iSIZE, a deep-tech company that applies deep learning to optimise video streaming and delivery, has raised a further $6.3 million (€5.2m) in funding as it seeks to make streaming more environmentally friendly without reducing quality. The round was led by Octopus Ventures, with participation from existing investors including TD Veen and Patrick Pichette, Chairman of […]
Eutelsat is taking a 24 per cent stake in UK/India-owned low Earth orbiting business OneWeb. Eutelsat will invest $500 million (€455.4m) in the company, which “almost” fully funds the satellite venture. Eutelsat will use its FCC-granted ‘incentive’ payment for giving up its C-band frequencies over the US to fund its stake. In a press statement, […]
More British film and screen content will reach an international stage thanks to a £7 million (€8m) UK Global Screen Fund launched by Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden. Developed in partnership with the British Film Institute (BFI), the fund will support the UK independent screen sector to export their productions to markets around the world, helping […]
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced that US rapper Wiz Khalifa has invested in the league and will play an active role in continuing to shape the PFL brand. In his advisory role, Khalifa will collaborate with the league on integrating various elements of pop culture – from music integration and content creation to […]
Bitmovin, a provider of video infrastructure for global digital media companies, has raised $25 million (€20.7m) in Series C financing. The company says it will leverage this investment to drive the continued expansion of its product innovation and technology leadership in the streaming space. Bitmovin’s Series C round was led by Swisscom Ventures with participation […]