Recap To The Week: The Real Housewives Is Becoming A Cinematic Universe On DStv

The Real Housewives Of Johannesburg, The Real Housewives Of Cape Town, The Real Housewives Of Durban and these are just some of the few reiteration to the popular Bravo franchise seen across various M-Net channels through the DStv platform.

During the week, MultiChoice and NBCUniversal unveiled another Housewives instalment for the kykNET channel titled Die Real Housewives Van Die Winelands which will basically follow the hustle of various women in a certain geographical area.

It will follow the champagne catfights and soirée-filled social circles of a new group of Afrikaans-speaking women, all living and gossiping in South Africa's famed Cape winelands region around Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek, known for its "old money" and its centuries-old, multi-million rand family-owned wine estates.

According to kykNET, the Cape winelands offer "wealth, vineyards and wine" but it is also here where the tongues are wagging in the high-society social circles over the latest and never-ending gossip in the region over the ins and outs of this conspicuously wealthy community.

But that's not what's got me hooked personally I don't watch it not that it's bad or anything but everyone has their own preference which is the case here as MultiChoice has been dishing out more and more housewives adaptions across their platforms.

It had sort of got me thinking, could it be that M-Net may rollout a standalone channel featuring these local variations alongside the international components which have been gracing our screens for several decades I mean the idea wouldn't seem far fetched at this point.

WWE has got a dedicated channel why not The Real Housewives I mean M-Net has got too much of this content on their plate already that I doubt a lot of consumers particularly those into such content will be able to keep up to all these variations.

Just like WWE, my hunch for this channel would be that content that was probably not accessible on DStv would be found here while the fresh local offering will serve as rebroadcasts or simultaneous premieres I can see only of those options working.

On top of these instalments across DStv, we would also be getting doccies or behind the scene type programming. I mean after seeing brands like SuperSport Schools build their offering from various SuperSport channels the idea doesn't seem far fetched.

Curious as to how long it will be till MultiChoice announce the launch of The Real Housewives Channel. I mean hey they've found new ways of distributing repeats and making them knowledgeable to more consumers this case wouldn't be any different.

Why MultiChoice Hasn't Cancelled The Duplicate Telemundo Channel?

Telemundo is a general entertainment channel owned by NBCUniversal which since it's launch in 2013 has served fans across Africa with a number of Portuguese telenovelas including My Heart Beats For Lola, Fearless Heart, Nurses and Lord Of The Skies.

Also part of the launch was the duplicate channel on 507 which is an exact copy of 118 but unlike the channel there's no English audio much less subtitles as seen with the likes of StarPlus and Zee TV but weird is how 118 is viewable in Portuguese.

As seen in September 2020, WWE Channel operated by SuperSport in partnership with WWE on channel 128 and 236 as mentioned when the channel got a duplicate. The idea was to get the channel close to the other SuperSport brands as selected content is viewed there.

Fast forward to 2021, MultiChoice decided to backtrack on the duplicate channel as pay-tv company highlighted a division in consumers and the reason for its remainder on the general entertainment section dealing with the fact consumers are accustomed to 128.

When it comes to Telemundo, there hasn't been any complaints about the duplicate channel I mean they were rumours about them unifying both brands cause as mentioned 118 supplies both English and Portuguese soundtracks to the channel.

But that seems highly unlikely as just like WWE is on 128. For those who view Telemundo on 507 are just as accustomed to the fact it's there same goes to those who were currently viewing the dubbed audio on channel 118.

Imagine hailing from Angola, watching channel 118 and having to always change the soundtrack from English to Portuguese whenever you browse the channel I mean there's no way to leave it under the Portuguese soundtrack and overtime that gets really irritating.

Peacock To Rollout In The African Market Through MultiChoice's Showmax In A New Partnership With NBCUniversal

African pay TV giant MultiChoice Group and Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Sky on Thursday unveiled a partnership that “will bring some of the world’s best content and technology to streaming customers across MultiChoice’s 50-market footprint in sub-Saharan Africa at a time when Africa is approaching an inflection point in terms of broadband connectivity and affordability.”

They will form the new Showmax group, which will be 70 percent owned by MultiChoice and 30 percent owned by NBCUniversal. “It will build on Showmax’s success to date and aim to create the leading streaming service in Africa,” the companies said. “Powered by Peacock’s leading, globally-scaled technology, Showmax subscribers will have access to an extensive premium content portfolio, bringing African audiences the best of local and international programming.”

Further details about the new Showmax service, including launch date, content and pricing will be announced at a later date.

The streaming service will combine MultiChoice’s growing investment in local content with international content licensed from NBCUniversal and Sky, third-party content from HBO, Warner Brothers International, Sony and others, as well as live English Premier League (EPL) soccer matches. “The partnership will also provide access to all the best African content, such as Showmax Originals and local content from MultiChoice’s proprietary channels, including Mzansi Magic, Africa Magic and Maisha Magic.”

NBCUniversal and Sky will provide ongoing support through the licensing of both technology and content, the partners highlighted.

“We launched Showmax as the first African streaming service in 2015 and are extremely proud of its success to date,” said Calvo Mawela, CEO of MultiChoice. “This agreement represents a great opportunity for our Showmax team to scale even greater heights by working with a leading global player in Comcast and its subsidiaries. The new business venture deepens an already strong relationship.”

Dana Strong, group CEO of Sky, said: “This new collaboration in streaming and content with MultiChoice, NBCUniversal, and Sky takes our partnership to the next level in one of the world’s most vibrant, fastest-growing markets. Last year, we announced MultiChoice as a customer of the Sky Glass platform, and now we are excited to help innovate its Showmax streaming service.”

Matt Strauss, chairman, direct-to-consumer & international at NBCUniversal, added: “This partnership is an incredible opportunity to further scale the global presence of Peacock’s world-class streaming technology, as well as to introduce millions of new customers to extensive premium content from NBCUniversal and Sky’s stellar entertainment brands.”

 

Comcast, Parent Company Of NBCUniversal To Rollout Fourth Kids Brand In The UK, Sky Kids

Sky, a division of Comcast and in some way the UK version of NBCUniversal announced the rollout of Sky Kids bringing the total number of kids to 4 from February 2023.

As you may recall, NBCUniversal is responsible for conceiving the other 3 brands. DreamWorks being the eldest has been dominating the cinema circuit, Universal Kids the middle man is going through troubled times and the last Peacock Kids is still in daycare.

Sky Kids, the pay-tv children's channel sets out to be fourth edition to the trio exclusively in the UK. Home to ad-free 24-hour programming, the new channel will showcase quality Sky Originals and big names that kids love and parents can trust.

Some of the content announced include originals such as My Friend Misty, Ready, Eddie, Go!, Dino Club and The Very Small Creatures alongside other content like TrollsTopia, Where’s Wally, Madagascar a Little Wild, and Clifford The Big Red Dog.

Insidus Games:
- Bugs Bunny & Lola Bunny: Operation Carrot Patch
- Buzz Lightyear Star Command
- Fix It Fun! Bob The Builder
- Daffy Duck: Fowl Play

Lucy Murphy, Director of Kids Content at Sky said:

“We’re so excited to announce the launch of our brand-new linear channel. Millions of our customers already love watching our huge range of Original shows on-demand but families with younger kids have told us that watching on linear channels is an important part of their day; so, we’ve listened and expanded our Sky Kids offering at no extra cost.

“The new channel will have a whole breadth of brand new and much-loved shows for kids and families to enjoy and we can’t wait to reveal the full fantastic line-up of shows.”

Regular Nick:
- The Twisted Timeline Of Sammy And Raj to rollout on Nicktoons in Africa
- Two current shows from Boomerang rolling out on the Cartoonito block across Africa
- Moonbug Kids To Distribute New STEAM Focused Series, Ocean Explorers
- New Bear Grylls series is coming soon to Da Vinci Kids

CNBC Lists Potential Buyers For WWE Should It Be Sold

Vince McMahon has returned to the World Wrestling Entertainment board of directors to facilitate potential sale talks ahead of the company's media rights renewal.

The notion of WWE selling isn't new. CNBC reported it looked like a sale target in April and that it appeared only more attractive in July after a sexual misconduct scandal. The rationale is fairly straightforward: WWE is valuable intellectual property.

Owning IP allows streaming services to exclusively offer content without the annoyance of winning licensing rights in an auction every few years. WWE also has value to offer in merchandising and theme park businesses.

WWE has hired JPMorgan to help the company advise on a potential sale, according to people familiar with the matter. JPMorgan declined to comment. A WWE spokesman couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

If a deal occurs, it would likely occur in the next three to six months, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. WWE plans to talk to potential buyers before it makes a decision on TV rights renewal agreements.

Facilitating a sale

McMahon's return should help a sale process go smoothly, though there could still be hiccups.

The former CEO and chair is 77 years old and the controlling shareholder of WWE. He stepped down after an investigation found that he had paid nearly $15 million to four women over 16 years to quell claims of alleged sexual misconduct and infidelity. Returning to the board will give potential buyers confidence he's supportive of the details of any transaction.

"My return will allow WWE, as well as any transaction counterparties, to engage in these processes knowing they will have the support of the controlling shareholder," McMahon said in a statement Thursday.

McMahon's return doesn't affect current leadership. McMahon's daughter, Stephanie, and former CAA agent Nick Khan are co-CEOs. But it remains unclear what type of role, if any, McMahon would want at WWE if he sold the company. WWE has told investors that McMahon's role at the company is essential in "our ability to create popular characters and creative storylines." Currently, McMahon doesn't have a formal say in the company's creative direction.

Whether a buyer would be comfortable with McMahon taking a more hands-on role at the company is unknown. But WWE is McMahon's life work. It's possible a sale may only happen with at least some strings attached.

WWE has a market capitalization of more than $6 billion after rising nearly 17% percent on Friday, buoyed by heightened sale speculation.

There are three categories of likely buyers for WWE — the legacy media companies, the streamers and the entertainment holding companies. Here's who might be interested.

YouTube Premium:
- VH1 is making a comeback to international shores through BET
- DStv Streama bundles Disney+
- The Walt Disney Company to expand the reach of Star Channel
- Acorn TV shutting down in South Africa

Comcast

Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, is a potential fit as a buyer for WWE. McMahon's company already has an exclusive streaming deal with Comcast's streaming service, Peacock, and a cable TV deal with NBCUniversal's USA Network. Comcast has a market capitalization of more than $160 billion and can easily afford the company — especially with a $9 billion (or more) check coming as soon as January 2024 from Disney for a 33% stake in Hulu.

Comcast can lock up WWE in perpetuity without having to pay upcoming rights renewal increases and can use the company's IP for theme parks, movies and other spinoff series.

Still, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said in October "the bar is the highest it's been in terms of M&A" and has repeatedly said the company isn't in a rush to pursue an acquisition.

Fox

Fox seems less likely than Comcast to pull off a deal for WWE given its significantly smaller balance sheet (and its $17 billion market valuation), its ongoing dalliance with recombining with News Corp., and its lack of presence in the global streaming wars.

Still, Fox also has an existing linear TV deal with WWE for Friday Night Smackdown, and the company may feel the time is right to increase scale given its News Corp. merger ambitions. Fox sold off most of its entertainment assets in its $71 billion sale to Disney in 2019, but WWE fits with the smaller company's sports and live events focus.

Disney

Returning CEO Bob Iger may want to make a splashy acquisition as he retakes the throne at Disney. WWE fits Disney in the same ways that it fits Comcast. It would bolster Disney's streaming ambitions (perhaps ESPN+), it would support the linear network business, and it would add some heft to merchandizing and theme park businesses.

Comcast didn't want Disney walking away with Fox in 2019 and drove up the price by tens of billions by topping Iger's initial bid. Could Iger see WWE as the next IP battle between Disney and his rival Comcast?

Whether a buyer would be comfortable with McMahon taking a more hands-on role at the company is unknown. But WWE is McMahon's life work. It's possible a sale may only happen with at least some strings attached.

WWE has a market capitalization of more than $6 billion after rising nearly 17% percent on Friday, buoyed by heightened sale speculation.

There are three categories of likely buyers for WWE — the legacy media companies, the streamers and the entertainment holding companies. Here's who might be interested.

Insidus Games:
- Tom And Jerry: Infurnal Escape
- Tom And Jerry: The Magic Ring
- The Wild Thornberrys Movie

Warner Bros. Discovery

CEO David Zaslav has spent the beginning of his tenure over the merged WarnerMedia and Discovery cutting costs to better position his company for the future. Spending billions on an acquisition at this stage may run counter to his strategy — especially when it's unclear where live sports fits in the company's broader portfolio of assets.

Still, Zaslav has said both publicly and privately that while he's not interested in renting sports rights, he would be interested in deals that give the company ownership over IP. WWE is one of only a small handful of assets that fit this premise. Rival wrestling league AEW currently has a traditional carriage rights deal with Warner Bros. that expires this year.

Netflix

Netflix has long shied away from sports and other live events, but it's recently become open to the idea of owning a league outright or taking an ownership stake. Owning a sports league would give Netflix the ability to create video games and spinoff series without friction. Netflix found success in its Formula 1 "Drive to Survive" documentary series, giving co-CEO Reed Hastings faith that certain sports properties will resonate with Netflix's huge global audience. But Netflix doesn't own Formula 1, limiting its future options.

Acquiring WWE or another sports league would be a path toward offering live entertainment without renting content — similar to Zaslav's thinking.

"We've not seen a profit path to renting big sports," said co-CEO Ted Sarandos last month at the UBS Global TMT Conference. "We're not anti-sports; we're just pro-profit."

Amazon

Amazon is perennially around the hoop when it comes to acquiring sports content, from spending $1 billion per year on Thursday Night Football to streaming Major League Baseball games to exclusively broadcasting a bunch of Premiere League soccer games.

Amazon could bolster Prime Video with live matches and WWE's library content while easily boosting merchandizing opportunities through its gigantic e-commerce business.

Unlike Apple, which is also interested in sports rights but has almost no history of doing multibillion acquisitions, Amazon spent $8.45 billion on MGM and $13.7 billion for Whole Foods. That suggests the company has the DNA to buy big.

Endeavor Group Holdings

Endeavor, run by superagent Ari Emanuel, could add WWE to its stable of assets after agreeing to buy 100% of UFC in 2021.

Emanuel bought UFC to increase the scope of the talent agency's business to live events. WME-IMG, now just a part of Endeavor, represents many UFC athletes — as well as WWE superstars. The UFC deal has been a success for Endeavor, which paid about seven times 2016's $600 million revenue in 2016. UFC generated more than $1 billion in revenue in 2022.

Endeavor's enterprise value of just about $11 billion makes WWE a huge swing for the company. The company's relatively small balance sheet would likely prevent Endeavor from winning a bidding war against media giants. But McMahon's outsized personality may fit with the brash Emanuel and UFC President Dana White.

Selling to a third party would also allow WWE to increase rights renewals every few years. That may or may not be a positive for the long-term future of the company as the media distribution ecosystem changes.

WWE:
- Could the WWE channel be exiting the DStv platform?
- NXT Europe to rollout later in the year
- The controversial history of The Fabulous Moolah

Liberty Media

While Endeavor owns UFC, Liberty's Formula One Group owns Formula 1. John Malone, Liberty's controlling shareholder, and CEO Greg Maffei, along with Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, have figured out how to globally market the car racing league, including cracking American culture after decades of obscurity.

Malone and Maffei have extensive track records at maximizing media valuations and acquiring media assets for less than $10 billion, including Formula 1, Sirius XM and Pandora. The global success of Formula 1 could provide a roadmap for a future WWE strategy.

Disclosure: Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC.

Could Universal Kids Be The Next Channel From NBCUniversal To Close Soon?

Universal Kids is a children's entertainment channel operated by NBCUniversal in the United States targeting audiences aged 2-14. For those who aren't familiar with the brand, it's basically the American counterpart of DreamWorks Channel.

Universal Kids once offered live-action series like Hank Zipzer and Top Chef now it only offers animation mainly from DreamWorks Animation and NBCUniversal archives such as Where's Waldo, Norman Picklestripes, Dragons and Trolls: The Beat Goes On.

As seen within Nielsen's ratings for the year end 2022, Universal Kids has lost 34% of their viewers. It went from having at least 34000 viewers to a whopping 23000 and a year prior it increased to about 4% so why is that.

Regular Nick:
- Here are other ways to view PBS Kids
- The Twisted Timeline Of Sammy And Raj coming soon to Nickelodeon
- Predictions: Nicktoons and Boomerang's untimely demise

Before Universal Kids, the brand was once a preschool channel refered to as Sprout which competed with brands like CBeebies and Baby TV with shows like Chica, Nina's World and Jay Jay The Jet Plane.

After its acquisition by NBCUniversal in 2015, the company was looking to invent a channel that could take on the likes of Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. How good that turned out to be still lost on why they couldn't have done with DreamWorks.

As analysed by several friends of mine, NBCUniversal rushed to have this channel onboard. To me it would have made more sense to change the content as Sprout was still relevant around the time Universal Kids entertained.

Perhaps, NBCUniversal could have greenlit original series particularly for Sprout but catered to a wider audience aged 8-14 and try getting shows like AFHV and Ripley's Believe It Or Not as one is family oriented and the other educational.

Overtime we could have got more entertaining shows from the brand as more audiences would have been glued.

Thereafter they could have fiddled around with the brand name a bit refer to it as Universal Sprout and shortly after Universal Kids but I think DreamWorks would have made sense as more people would have been familiar with the brand and it wouldn't bomb so much.

Insidus Games:
- Tom And Jerry: Infurnal Escape
- Tom And Jerry: The Magic Ring
- The Wild Thornberrys Movie

As mentioned, Universal Kids' audience continues to plummet behind closed doors NBCUniversal hasn't bothered to source out anything for the channel through their archives so it's safe to say that the channel might as well be closing down.

Joining another channel that pulled far less viewers which is the gaming brand G4.

Although Universal Kids' demise seems more transparent within each passing second. The upside to all this is DreamWorks as distribution and popularity for the brand continues to accelerate after Disney closes their channels.

So if there's anything I think NBCUniversal should learn from all this is that they don't need to work hard to be another Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon but fight to their own strengths and the rest will come later as seen with DreamWorks.

Roundups #123: DreamWorks To Rollout New Local Production Inspiration Station, The Kelly Clarkson Show To Make It's Free-To-Air Debut On SABC 3 And Till Jail Do Us Apart Still Not Accessible In The African Market

DreamWorks investing in its first local production for the market

INSPIRATION STATION
Bringing local youth talent to the screen​.
Opportunity for children to connect more deeply with DreamWorks on DSTV​.

Aimed at kids ages six to 12, the series (six x 22 minutes) is hosted by two boys, Tanaka and Aaron, who discuss topical issues with other children from Johannesburg and Cape Town. The hosts will also explore the stories behind award-winning DreamWorks Animation series and films. Inspiration Station Africa will premiere from 13 January 2023, with a new episode airing weekly on the Universal+ SVOD in Latin America and on the DreamWorks channel available via African broadcaster DStv.

Broadcast: Friday 13th of January 2023 to Sunday 19th of February
Times: Fridays at 5.05pm, Saturdays at 8.35am, 4.35pm, Sunday at 9.05am, 7.35pm

Regular Nick:
- CBeebies picks up second season to Tish And Tash
- Best & Bester coming soon to Nicktoons
- We Baby Bears currently the only original program on Cartoon Network
- January on Cartoon Network and Boomerang
- January on Disney Channel
- January on Da Vinci Kids

Kelly Clarkson is coming to S3

A few years ago, the public broadcaster cancelled The Real Talk With Anele since then S3 has been funneling the schedule with rebroadcasts. As seen in their showcase, the SABC transitioned to video entertainment and is looking to reinventing their offering.

As such the team acquired the talk show The Kelly Clarkson Show where the singer brings her gift of connection to a fun and funny hour each weekday, offering heartwarming stories, live musical performances, games and surprises.

M-Net acquired the show when it broadcast in 2018 and offered an open window to other consumers but didn't bother to give consumers a chance to view the Emmy Award winner now leaving consumers to flee to SABC 3 by January 2023.

DStv Flex:
- What to expect this January on Curiosity Channel?
- What to expect this January on The Home Channel?
- Reyka renewed for season 2 on M-Net
- What to expect this January on Qwest TV?
- Reviewing major changes coming soon to the SABC
- What to expect this January on TNT?

Kate Del Castillo stars in this female led drama

Ángela, Viri, Esme and Sofía hate each other. When their husbands wind up in jail for stealing millions from the biggest drug lord in Miami, the foursome ends up on the street at his mercy. As they adapt to their new lives, the wives must work together to survive.

The show is currently streaming on NBCUniversal's Peacock which still hasn't been made available in South Africa and the rest of Africa but the DStv friendly version of the service Universal+ launched a while back.

As seen with Paramount+ and HBO Max, several content have been made for available for linear viewing and questions amount to how Till Jail Do Us Apart would rollout on a brand like Telemundo or pass down to Universal since it's more short form.

Everyday Novelas:
- Televisa's Fall Into Temptation rolls out in Nigeria
- Prediction: What to expect on Telemundo by next year?
- Prediction: eBolly to rollout on the Openview platform
- Prediction: What to expect on TLNovelas by next year?
- Laxmi and more content awaiting launch on Star Life
- Daai Crazy Somer coming soon to e.tv

Sprout Is Dead But Still Lives On Through DreamWorks Junior

Sprout was a preschool channel NBCUniversal acquired from PBS, Sesame Workshop and HiT Entertainment from the period of 2011-2013. Under the new ownership, the channel increased investment toward original programming.

The channel went to experiment with its offering by sourcing more half hours for older preschool audiences with shows like Noddy: Toyland Detective, Floogals, Kipper, LazyTown, The Wiggles, Poppy Cat, Nina's World and Justin Time.

In 2017, it was announced that Sprout would become serve as programming block to Universal Kids a new channel that wanted to aim toward older children with shows like Bajillionaires, Hank Zipzer, Polly Pocket and The Deep.

Universal Kids is not known by a lot of consumers internationally same with Sprout but for several years now the international feed has been known as DreamWorks Channel within the brand there's a preschool block known as DreamWorks Junior.

Unlike Sprout, DreamWorks Jr. doesn't offer much educational content as it follows the likes of Disney Junior and Nick Jr. that gear toward character driven shows or anything remotely similar but tone down to main brands Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

No matter what opinion Sprout fans have over DreamWorks Junior, these type of content get viewers glued not that the offering on Sprout was bad but the world evolves and you still find alternatives like CBeebies and PBS Kids that do have a following.

Some of the content seen on this new version of Sprout includes Noddy: Toyland Detective, VeggieTales In The House, Doug Unplugs, Go Dog Go, Madagascar: A Little Wild and Dragons: Rescue Riders and you even get nostalgic content like Little Charley Bear and Olivia.

Although Universal Kids was said to have destroyed Sprout. DreamWorks Junior actually saved the brand from complete annihilation. I know the content ain't branded as Sprout but think about for a second.

Not a lot of households had access to Sprout and same outcome had fallen onto Universal Kids. If NBCUniversal had kept Sprout would it have survived the linear business especially now that more consumers are binging their favourite shows through their cellular gadgets.

John Aniston, Father Of Jennifer Aniston Who Played Victor Kiriakis On "Days of Our Lives" Has Died

Jen said in her emotional post that her father passed away on Friday, November 11. She says, "Sweet papa ... You were one of the most beautiful humans I ever knew. I am so grateful that you went soaring into the heavens in peace - and without pain."

John famously played Victor Kiriakis on "Days of Our Lives" for nearly as long as his daughter's been alive. He joined the soap cast in 1970 and remained on the show right up until his death. In fact, his final credited show is listed as Friday.

Noting that he passed on 11/11, Jennifer says, "You always had perfect timing. That number will forever hold an even greater meaning for me now. I'll love you till the end of time "

After 52 years with 'Days,' he earned the Daytime Emmy Awards' Lifetime Achievement trophy in 2022. He also won Soap Opera Digest awards in 1986 and 2001.

John was born in Greece, and before his TV fame, he acted in several dozen theater productions. He's also had roles in "The West Wing," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Mission: Impossible" and "Kojak."

He and "Kojak" star Telly Savalas were best friends, and John even picked him to be Jennifer's godfather.

John is survived by Jennifer, his son Alexander and his wife Sherry Rooney.

He was 89.

RIP

Hallmark Channel Possibly Making A Comeback To Africa As Peacock Becomes Official Home To All Its Content

Peacock has closed a pact with Hallmark Media to stream live and on-demand programming from Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and Hallmark Drama. It’s a first-of-its-kind linear plus SVOD deal for the network.

Hallmark Channel was once available in Africa and across the world but following it's acquisition by NBCUniversal the feed was replaced by Universal TV, Studio Universal, 13th Street Universal and Diva Universal.

Now Hallmark has a hub on Peacock’s home page which features live simulcasts of all three channels with current-season programming available live and on-demand next day as well as a library of movies within the Hallmark library, which includes holiday titles.  

“As we continue to make Peacock a premium streaming destination, Hallmark is exactly the type of brand we want to align with,” said Kelly Campbell, President of Peacock, and Direct-to-Consumer, NBCUniversal, in a statement. “Through this groundbreaking partnership, we’re giving Hallmark viewers a unique viewing experience while continuing to grow our audience, boosting engagement across both brands.”

“We’re proud to enter this partnership with Peacock and bring our widely beloved Hallmark content to their subscribers,” said Wonya Lucas, President and CEO, Hallmark Media. “The opportunity to provide our devoted fanbase access to all three of Hallmark’s linear networks will allow our audience to continue to grow and connect in meaningful ways.”

In addition to the live Hallmark channels, Peacock subscribers will have access to Hallmark content on demand, including live and next-day access to series such as When Calls the Heart, as well as the new series Ride and The Way Home coming in 2023. The hub will also include a VOD collection containing new premiere movies and Hallmark movie classics as part of a Peacock Premium subscription.

Roundups #108: PBS Kids Banks On Civics And Shorts, What To Expect In December 2022 On Comedy Central Africa? And Turkish Adaptation To New Amsterdam Launches In 2023

PBS KIDS has greenlit a new series of animated shorts focused on teaching kids about civics

City Island (20 x three minutes) will put a spotlight on topics such as city planning, how communities work and conflict resolution. New York-based Augenblick Studios and Future Brain Media are producing the shorts, which will launch on PBS KIDS in December 2022 and January 2023.

Aaron Augenblick (The Jellies! ) created the 2D-animated series for ages six to 10. Episodes follow the young lightbulb Watt as she learns about how cities run, what roles businesses like libraries and airports play, and how to solve problems.

Civics is a growing trend in the kids industry, with Netflix ordering the animated musical series We The People (10 x three minutes) from Chris Nee and executive produced by the Obama’s Higher Ground Productions. Launched in 2021, it features original songs that break down concepts like taxes and the first amendment for kids and teens. Meanwhile, the Jim Henson Company is developing Citizen Squad, a live-action one-off that encourages kids to be good citizens in their community.

What to expect this festive season on Comedy Central?

SPECIALS
MARTIN LAWRENCE LIVE: RUNTELDAT
SATURDAY 20:00 31 DECEMBER
Join Comedy Central for a night of laughter with famous Comedian and Actor Martin Lawrence in his concert film : Martin Lawrence's RunTelDat tour, it showcases his take on critics, sex and his 1999 brush with death in a filmed concert performance.​

SEASON 28
THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH
TUESDAYS - FRIDAYS
1 – 16 DECEMBER @ 23:30
South African born host, Trevor Noah delivers satirical news related to the international and American political matters in an entertaining way. This will be the final episodes of The Daily Show with Trevor as the host.

HOLIDAY MOVIE FESTIVAL
ENJOY A RANGE OF COMEDY AND CHRISTMAS MOVIES
EVERY SATURDAY
@ 20:00 THIS DECEMBER
SISTER ACT
BAD COMPANY
A HIP HOPFAMILY CHRISTMAS 1 & 2
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
CURSED FRIENDSFOREVER
A DIVA’S CHRISTMAS CAROL
RENO 911 –IT’S A WONDERFUL HEIST

NBCUniversal in association with 03 Medya welcome a new medical drama

The Turkish adaptation Hayat Bugün, meaning “Life Is Today,” will be produced by 03 Medya in association with Universal International Studios. Original show creator David Schulner is consulting on the series. It is scheduled to air in Turkey on Show TV in 2023.

The series will follow Dr. Bariş, the newly appointed chief of medicine at one of Turkey’s most famous and oldest public hospitals, as he works to reform the neglected facility by tearing up its bureaucracy to provide exceptional care to patients using creative solutions.

The original New Amsterdam was inspired by Dr. Eric Manheimer’s memoir Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital and his 15 years as medical director at the hospital. It was created for television by Schulner, who has also served as executive producer alongside Peter Horton. Produced by Mount Moriah, Pico Creek Productions and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Could E! Entertainment Be A Thing Of The Past?

E! Entertainment is a celebrity based entertainment channel owned by NBCUniversal that has mainly been used for glitz and glamour or in other words takes you on a trip to Hollywood through red carpets and interviews with their notable title being The Kardashians.

As seen these past months or in other people's perspective last year, NBCUniversal has been cutting back on original content for their channels and E! Entertainment happened to be one of those last remaining channels internationally.

As it is DreamWorks Channel is more like PBS Kids as content is funded by third parties, there's not much changes coming to Studio Universal but when you turn to Universal TV they were more like CBS Reality pitching for new content now they're the slums like BET.

E! Entertainment has lost out on several originals like Keeping Up With The Kardashians, E! News, The Soup and Daily Pop. At the time, not a lot of people knew how far NBCUniversal would go in this layoffs that was until they were reports of the channel closing in some parts of Europe.

I don't know whether this will happen in other countries as NBCUniversal has been eyeing strategic purposes in the phasing out of the E! brand but from what is known so far would the idea be far fetched.

In Africa, E! Entertainment has been adding content from NBCUniversal's Bravo channel. Overseas this two have been operating on seperate grounds but in this region they're working hand-to-hand.

And I'm not saying that E! Entertainment will turn into Bravo but the idea of what's happening in Africa possibly being the outcome overseas wouldn't be shocking I mean Days Of Our Lives is heading to streaming and NBC closed their sports channel.

Don't be surprised if there was an announcement that E! Entertainment would be closing down with further content being divided amongst their brands, Bravo.

Bravo would make a great successor I mean there's a lot the channel can do that celebrity based E! Entertainment had restricted. The channel hasn't gotten that far in terms of popularity but with the right tooling they can get ahead.

Bravo is currently positioned in a similar form to MTV and with E! Entertainment supplying various shows from the brand. They might as well source content from Oxygen since it's also female driven and from what I can make out with this combo you're basically getting Lifetime.

Lifetime was one of my least favourite channels I usually watch it for the documentaries and crime hours. Should Bravo eventually rear it's face one of my expectations is that it could fill the void left by this channel from A+E Networks.

'G4', The American Version Of Britain's Ginx Esports To Go Dark Effective Immediately

Comcast Spectacor, the cable and entertainment giant’s sports and esports division, told G4 TV employees Sunday that the gaming network was shutting down effective immediately. The decision has resulted in 45 staff members of G4 TV losing their jobs.

In a memo, obtained by the press, Comcast Spectacor chairman and CEO Dave Scott cited low viewership and said the network had not achieved “sustainable financial results.”

“Over the past several months, we worked hard to generate that interest in G4, but viewership is low and the network has not achieved sustainable financial results,” Scott wrote. “This is certainly not what we hoped for, and, as a result, we have made the very difficult decision to discontinue G4’s operations, effective immediately.”

Comcast Spectacor in July 2020 said it would reboot G4 TV, which NBCUniversal shut down in 2013 (after the network first launched in 2002). Russell Arons, the former Warner Bros., Machinima, EA and Mattel exec who joined G4 as president in September 2021, left the company two months ago.

The content studio and network officially returned to linear television on Nov. 16, 2021, after more than a year of the group releasing content online to test show new concepts. At launch, G4 TV was available Comcast’s Xfinity TV, Verizon Fios, Cox Communications and internet streaming service Philo. The network’s programming slate brought back fan-favorite legacy G4 shows like “Attack of the Show!” and “Xplay.”

In addition to Arons, Comcast Spectacor had hired two G4 alums: Brian Terwilliger, most recently at WWE and former producer for G4’s “Attack of the Show!”, joined as VP of programming and creative strategy. Blair Herter, who once worked on both “X-Play” and “Attack of the Show!”, had come on board as Comcast Spectacor’s VP of content partnerships and brand development.

G4 had established its own broadcast studio in Burbank, Calif., outfitted for professional esports gameplay. The roster of talent for the short-lived network include returning G4 hosts Kevin Pereira and Adam Sessler; esports personalities Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez (host of NBC’s “The Titan Games”), Ovilee May and Froskurinn; WWE Superstar Xavier Woods (aka Austin Creed); YouTube personalities Kassem G, Jirard “The Completionist” Khalil and Gina Darling; Twitch streamers Fiona Nova and Will Neff; livestreamer CodeMiko; and a “degenerate rat-puppet” named Ratty.

G4’s shutdown was first reported by Deadline.
Read Scott’s Sunday email to G4 staffers:
October 16, 2022

Team:
As you know, G4 was re-introduced last year to tap into the popularity of gaming. We invested to create the new G4 as an online and TV destination for fans to be entertained, be inspired, and connect with gaming content.

Over the past several months, we worked hard to generate that interest in G4, but viewership is low and the network has not achieved sustainable financial results. This is certainly not what we hoped for, and, as a result, we have made the very difficult decision to discontinue G4’s operations, effective immediately.

I know this is disappointing news, and I’m disappointed, too. I want to thank you and everyone on the G4 team for the hard work and commitment to the network. Our human resources team is reaching out to you to provide you with support, discuss other opportunities that may be available, and answer any questions you may have.

Thank you again for all of your hard work for G4.
Sincerely,
Dave Scott
Chairman and CEO
Comcast Spectacor

 

NBCUniversal International To Close E! In Germany, Austria And Switzerland By The End Of 2022

During the week, Broadband TV shared the news that NBCUniversal will be axing their female skewed celebrity based E! channel by the end of 2022 for strategic purposes.

“For strategic reasons, the channel E! Entertainment will be discontinued at the end of the year,” a Sky Deutschland spokesman confirmed to Broadband TV News. “We are fully concentrating on our very successful pay-TV channel brands 13th Street, SYFY and Universal TV, providing our customers with an exciting and broad entertainment portfolio,” said the Sky spokesman.

Both NBC Universal and Sky Group are part of US media company Comcast.

Of course this entail doesn't state what fate awaits the rest of NBCUniversal's linear offering globally or in this case E! Entertainment as traditional TV is becoming a waste for OTT platforms like Disney+ and Netflix.

NBCUniversal will be rolling out a new streaming service Universal+ in South Africa from October 14th exclusively on MultiChoice's Explora Ultra supplying content already viewed on various channels including Telemundo, Universal TV and DreamWorks Channel.

[Missed Opportunity]: Expanding The Reach Of Novela Magic Or Telemundo To DStv Easyview

eExtra was ripped off from the DStv platform for at least a month and was reinstated shortly after alongside eToonz, eMovies and eMovies Extra on the DStv platform following pending investigation by the Competition Tribunal which will take at least 6 months to resolve.

MultiChoice appears to have moved on although they don't put it in writing recent additions like DreamWorks and Movie Room has led me to believe that the pay-tv company has no plans to keep these channels past 6 months or at least a portion of channels.

As outlined by MultiChoice, eMedia Investments bulk of content doesn't fit into their 5 year content strategy for which the brand had stated consumers are viewing more DStv content than actual original programs although 2 appear to fit that description.

On top of that, they had mentioned that they won't be able to launch as much channels as they used to in the past year due to transponder constraints so whenever a new channel comes it usually has to occupy the space taken away from another channel.

In court, MultiChoice stated 3 SABC channels would accommodate for the 4 e.tv channels in the coming future but that's the thing. If anyone is similar with the SABC then you can already imagine how the content would differ.

Instead of Postman Pat you get Words And Numbers and Die Put is supplemented by past episodes of 90 Plein Street and although some of this content can benefit some audiences it's completely different.

The package I'm targeting for this article had to be Easyview cause as seen by several consumers it's one of the least valuable packages in the market with few exceptions being wrestling on TNT alongside the lifestyle and factual entertainment viewed on Real Time.

On top of that, the package isn't fortunate with additions and at times replacements for whenever a channel is removed from the DStv platform which was the case with eMedia's 4 channels of which the package inherited just 2 channels.

When they were unexpectedly scrapped from the DStv platform. Multichoice rather just add 1 channel to supplement for 2 worse is when the channel doesn't cater to a lot of viewers, PBS Kids.

MultiChoice could have done a lot for the package especially since they lost another notable brand in 2020, SABC Encore which was one of the few watchable channels on the platform and although there's plenty of channels for adults than kids as outlined only a few are worth the value.

Novela Magic or Telemundo would have done better to fill the void MultiChoice left for fans of Kuiertyd. Although, they wouldn't be better Elif, Doodsondes or Stiletto Vendetta these channels have something in common character driven content.

Aside from the content, these channels have a high level of repeats although NBCUniversal doesn't see it the channel has fallen in terms of quantity while as Novela Magic repeats from other M-Net local channels would have given them some outlet to view the bulk of local content.

Comcast Wants to Buy Warner Bros. Discovery, Merge With NBCUniversal

In a breakdown of the financial struggles Warner Bros. Discovery is currently facing by The Hollywood Reporter, an interesting piece of information emerged: Comcast has its eye on acquiring the struggling company and merging it with NBCUniversal. While the unification of Warner Bros. with Discovery seemed to be a beneficial one for all involved, things have quickly gone south. From the cancellation of Batgirl and Scoob: Holiday Haunt to the purging of numerous films and shows on HBO Max to massive layoffs, Warner Bros. Discovery's birth was quickly met with bad press and a legion of angered creatives. The highly publicized moves by new CEO David Zaslav saw WBD's stock plummet, and that's reportedly what has so enticed Comcast.

Per THR, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts is eagerly awaiting April 2024, when the legal hurdles preventing the purchase of WBD will be out of the way. Of course, the merger of two massive media companies would still face numerous antitrust concerns, but it wouldn't be impossible for the companies to join together. "Obviously, Peacock sucks," said an unnamed executive familiar with both companies about NBCUniversal's current streaming service. "There are some good synergies. I'm sure [Roberts] is licking his chops because the [WBD] stock is so low. And I think that's Zaslav's endgame. Get the place sold."

Warner Bros. Discovery Is in Financial Trouble
Zaslav has indeed proved shrewd as the head of the new company, with every indication that Batgirl was ultimately shelved as a write-off. What's more, the HBO Max purge is reportedly saving the company millions, money that's sorely needed as it faces $50 million in debt.

"People feel like it's Comcast for sure," said another source. "It's going to be so depressing to lose another major studio [after Disney bought Fox]. And Warners was the Tiffany studio."

The coalescing of Disney and Fox saw similar cancellations and concerns about creative freedom moving forward, and the merger between two more powerful film and television studios would provide creators with even fewer options. But Warner Bros. Discovery insists a sale isn't its endgame. "We are building Warner Bros. Discovery for the long term," a spokesperson said.

Either way, the next two years will present plenty of challenges for the new company and its divisive CEO as they struggle to fix a tainted reputation, win back creatives, and turn DC Films into a viable rival to Marvel Studios.

MultiChoice To Rollout Exclusive New Streaming Service, Universal+

NBCUniversal and DStv today have announced that the Universal+ video streaming service will be available to DStv subscribers in South Africa and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa next month.

From 14 October 2022, subscribers will be able to access Universal+ via Catch Up on the DStv app or on the Explora Ultra decoder.

The companies said the service offered a huge selection of full boxsets and new shows and movies from popular linear channels Universal TV, E!, DreamWorks, Studio Universal and Telemundo.

“We’re thrilled to launch Universal+ with our long-standing partners DStv, giving their customers a brand-new way to enjoy a vastly expanded catalogue of our best content,” said Lee Raftery, NBCUniversal International Networks and direct-to-consumer managing director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

“As Africa’s most-loved storyteller, we are always looking to offer top entertainment to our DStv customers, and the addition of Universal+ aims to do just that.”

MultiChoice South Africa chief operating officer Simon Camerer said the broadcaster was excited to bring the “best of international content and the widest possible choice of great shows” to satisfy its viewers.

The companies did not specify on which DStv packages Universal+ would be available.

Roundups #17: DreamWorks Animation Preps Up Four New Series, Obi-Wan Streaming May 22nd On Disney+, WWE Replaces 205 Live With NXT: Level Up And New Documentary Film KungFu Stuntmen Coming Soon To KIX Africa

DreamWorks Junior expands with two animated series on Netflix

Based on the book of the same name, Not Quite Narwhal dives into the daily adventures of a narwhal named Kelp, who discovers he’s part-unicorn and must learn to navigate life in the sea and on land.

Dew Drop Diaries pulls back the curtain
on a group of pint-sized fairies who have been assigned to help city-dwelling human families with tasks such as organizing toys and placing lost teeth under pillows for the Tooth Fairy.

Both slated to air in 2023.

Source: Kidscreen

Also read: 
- Paramount+ and Nickelodeon expand kids slate
- Possible channel closures from Warner Bros. Discovery
- ViacomCBS rebrands into Paramount
- Warner Bros. Discovery could terminate these channels
- NCIS: Los Angeles might get cancelled
- Cartoonito launches on Boomerang across Europe possibly as a trial run before scrapping the channel
- Could ESPN close alongside National Geographic and Disney Channel?
- February on ViacomCBS Africa channels
- February on TNT, Cartoon Network and Boomerang

Peacock greenlits Megamind and Abominable TV series

Megamind’s Guide To Defending Your City, follow-up to the 2010 film will see Megamind going from “being a supervillain and the scourge of Metro City to a superhero who’s learning on the job. He’ll be bringing the audience along for the ride, as Megamind’s trusty brainbots will be recording everything, making him the world’s first superhero influencer.”

Abominable and the Invisible City, a comedy adventure series that will continue the story of DreamWorks Animation’s film. “Through Everest, the yeti, Yi, Jin, and Peng know that there’s a whole magical world out there. “When they discover that their surroundings are teeming with magical creatures in need of their help, the kids will set out on extraordinary and heartfelt adventures throughout their city and beyond.

Source: Deadline

Disney+ Limited Series Obi-Wan Kenobi to Debut on May 25th

The series begins with Obi-Wan Kenobi watching over Luke Skywalker on Tatooine, ten years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), and takes the character on a "rollicking adventure".

The new Disney+ limited series from Lucasfilm, will debut exclusively on Disney+ May 25. The series stars Ewan McGregor, reprising his role as the iconic Jedi Master.

NXT is getting a spinoff, kills 205 Live

WWE has canceled 205 Live currently seen on SuperSport and the WWE Channel and will air a new series in its place called “NXT: Level Up.” According to reports, WWE will tape NXT: Level Up at the WWE Performance Center and the new show is expected to be 60 minutes long.

WWE 205 Live premiered on November 2016 on WWE Network and it primarily featured talent from the NXT and NXT UK brands and originally focused on the WWE Cruiserweight division. More recently, WWE began to phase out the weight limit originally in place for the show, and the Cruiserweight Championship was unified with the NXT North American Championship.

SuperSport's WWE Channel is available on DStv channel 128 and a ray of WWE content can be viewed on other SuperSport channels.

KIX continue their martial arts journey with a brand new documentary

The documentary features such martial arts legends as Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, filmmakers Tsui Hark and Andrew Lau, along with a number of other stuntmen in the industry.

“Many legendary stuntmen live hard lives and many are unknown. That’s why I decided to make a documentary film in tribute to their continued efforts and never-yielding spirit,” said director Wei.

KIX is available on DStv channel 114

Also read:
- Baby TV could be on the chopping block
- Curiosity Channel to launch St Patrick's Day special
- Disney closing multiple channels in Latin America
- Why VH1 Classic was terminated on DStv?
- In March, E! will also be hosting the Oscars live from the red carpet and launch the cover bands
- Could G4 launch on DStv perhaps to replace a channel like Ginx Esports TV?
- Paramount+ greenlit Knuckle TV series and Seal Team movie
- Coroner and Tell Me Your Secrets coming soon to Universal TV
- AEW: Battle Of The Belts launches on TNT

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'Days Of Our Lives': Could The Sand In The Hourglass Be Heading To A New Era In South Africa?

NBC’s long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives will be leaving broadcast television after 57 years to stream exclusively on Peacock, the network announced on Wednesday. The change means that fans who previously have been able to watch the show for free on broadcast will now have to pay for a streaming service to learn what happens next in the show’s fictional town of Salem.

“With a large percentage of the Days of Our Lives audience already watching digitally, this move enables us to build the show’s loyal fanbase on streaming while simultaneously bolstering the network daytime offering with an urgent, live programming opportunity for partners and consumers,” Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a press release.

Earlier in the year, Days Of Our Lives was swept out of e.tv's primetime offering as eMedia tries to boost their original offering with eMedia Investments expected to invest R100 million in their streaming endeavours which has seen success as the company was able to obtain half a million registrations and record breaking ratings.

Of course, Days Of Our Lives' absence still haunts a lot of consumers as they've been following the soap for half a century when it began on the free-to-air SABC 3 channel which was known at the time as CCV channel and after the SABC's controversial COO at the time Hlaudi Motsoeneng put up a ban for international series forcing the drama to air close to midnight. 

As seen earlier in the year, the sand in the hourglass for e.tv has come to an end after almost 5 years of broadcast which has some feeling agitated over an outlet to this ongoing soap opera.

Peacock overseas decided to move Days away from cable as the ratings have been slipping on a year to year basis as direct-to-consumer becomes a top priority for international brands like The Walt Disney Company.

Before this news came into affect, Vodacom's defunct streaming service supplied Bold And The Beautiful another ongoing soap opera and rival to Days Of Our Lives after it was swept out of SABC's lineup due to the corrupt bold man thereafter MultiChoice's DStv as AMC International opt to not supply EVA channel which was the home of Bold on cable.

As it is a lot of long format or in other terms old timers like The Simpsons moved from cable to streaming for consumers in South Africa as The Walt Disney Company retracted the FOX channel as they plan to become a digital exclusive platform like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Now Days Of Our Lives being a digital exclusive doesn't seem far fetched and on Peacock although not available in the region as yet wouldn't be far fetched a stretch as well seeing as Days Of Our Lives: Beyond Salem which is a spinoff to be the soap can be viewed on the platform.

Peacock on top of being a streaming service is owned by NBCUniversal the same people that own Days Of Our Lives and now the chances of it suffering the franchise getting swept on this platform is close to zero but questions amount to how this service will eventually rollout in South Africa

As it is, Peacock is just another Showmax holds a lot of third party content, limited original content and is not knowledgeable by a lot of consumers as seen with Netflix and Disney+. In some regions, the platform was able to fold under Paramount+ which is expected in Africa by early next year but that doesn't guarantee it will supply Peacock.

Peacock is a very complicated case as outlined there's not much to offer on the table that you would dump a hamburger for a salad while others found comfort on Paramount+ (also known to some as SkyShowcase). Others got it as standalone as seen overseas while others found comfort in a local provider to which I nominate Showmax.

Say what you want about their owners MultiChoice but NBCUniversal has a tight relationship to the company as they supply the only alternative to M-Net on the DStv platform as others were retracted due to content or management changes. On top of that, the movie offering on Studio Universal can come in handy when you're avoiding cartoons.