Another division ceases to exist
Hello Sunshine is shuttering its kids and animation business as part of a strategic decision to focus Candle Media’s kids and animation efforts under Moonbug, the family production studio the corp snapped up for a near $3 billion in November 2021.
Hello Sunshine will collaborate with Moonbug on future kids and animation projects.
As a result, a few individuals will be departing Hello Sunshine over the coming weeks.
The Blackstone-backed Candle Media, which is also co-run and co-founded by Tom Staggs, acquired Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine in August 2021 for $900M.
Regular Nick:
- Cartoonito to get a dedicated channel in France
- Da Vinci Kids plans co-viewing future
- PBS Kids has yet to rollout the new logo in other countries
- Disney renews 3 adult animated series through 2025
Another show bites the dust
M-Net has cancelled the long-running Idols with the upcoming 19th season on its Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel which will be the last for the [SIC] Entertainment-produced reality singing competition show following viewership fatigue and a massive plunge in ratings.
The cancellation of the South African version of the Fremantle format follows after a dramatic ratings plunge for Idols in season 17 that coincided with a relationship scandal involving Idols judge Somizi Mhlongo after his ex Mohale Motaung made serious allegations of emotional and physical abuse.
While Idols started off its 17th season in South Africa in July 2021 with 1 018 607 viewers as the 4th most-watched show on all of DStv for the month, it suddenly plunged to 10th place on DStv's most-watched list with 693 760 viewers at most in August 2021, shedding 32% of its viewers.
After the very large drop in viewers and in an effort to revitalise Idols, M-Net's general entertainment channels division and [SIC] Entertainment decided to retain Somizi Mhlongo for 2022's18th season and axed judges Randall Abrahams and Unathi Nkayi whose contracts were not renewed and were replaced with artists Thembi Seete and rapper-producer JR Bogopa.
DStv Flex:
- The River cancelled after 6 seasons on 1Magic
- Virtual Reality offers a new opportunity for African filmmakers
- Ratings for DStv from December 2022
- Big Cat Sunday this February on National Geographic Wild
Another merger is on the horizon
Paramount’s merging its Paramount Plus streaming service and premium Showtime channel, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. In an internal memo, CEO Bob Bakish announced the company’s rebranding its Showtime channel as Paramount Plus with Showtime.
Paramount confirmed the change in a post on Twitter, noting that the merger is “the natural next step in our evolution.” The company’s also planning to carry over “select” original content from Paramount Plus to the TV network, which could include shows like Halo and Yellowstone spinoff 1923.
Bakish says the move “brings uncertainty for the teams working on these brands and businesses” and that he’ll share more details in “the coming weeks.”
In addition to the possibility of layoffs, Deadline reports that some shows like Three Women (which was never aired), Let the Right One In, and American Gigolo could get axed as part of the consolidation. The specifics of what will happen to existing episodes of each series are unclear, but the report says that titles pulled from Showtime will be made available to take elsewhere.
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