Apple Looking To Close Deal On FIFA World Cup, Might Block SuperSport And SABC

Soccer's global governing body FIFA is close to an agreement with Apple to give the tech company worldwide television rights for a new, month-long club tournament, the New York Times reported on Monday.

The deal with Apple could be announced as soon as this month and valued at around $1 billion, a quarter of the $4 billion FIFA had first estimated, the report said, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The potential agreement would give the company's streaming business an edge amid competition among streaming services providers to lap up rights for widely watched sporting events in a bid to add subscribers.

If the deal goes through, this would mark the first time that FIFA has agreed to a single worldwide contract, the report said.

Senior executives at FIFA, however, have raised concerns over the possibility of "free-to-air rights", which would make the event only available to subscribers of Apple TV+, according to the report. It is unclear whether the deal includes any such rights.

Sponsors have also been reluctant to commit the $150 million that FIFA is seeking for sponsorship packages, the report said.

The 32-team event will be held next year between June 15 and July 13. Usually, no major events are scheduled during this period in order to allow players to rest in the off-season a year before the World Cup, according to the report.

FIFA has faced criticism from players unions for not consulting them before making announcements about the event, according to the report.

"As a general practice, FIFA does not confirm or deny commercial discussions," a spokesperson for the governing body said in a response. Apple declined to comment.

Trouble for sports in SA

Seeing as Apple is looking to secure this for their platforms being Apple TV+ it's possible that SuperSport and SABC might miss out on the action. Considering that MultiChoice opted to minimize the sports on Showmax its likely that it could be televised. 

Provided that SuperSport licenses the rights from Apple same goes for the SABC as opposed to running through SuperSport. This comes after eMedia Investments had won a broadcasting dispute against MultiChoice in regards to the Rugby World Cup.

Although this news may seem pleasing to some readers, in other countries you have most sporting events from SuperSport viewed on multiple platforms (additional fees) while in South Africa it was under one tile (one fee).

Staylive To Distribute WBD Cycling And Motorcycling Content

Spring Media company, Staylive, was first founded in 2013, now delivering over 1,000 live sports events per week to audiences globally.

A selection of WBD Sports cycling and motorcycle sport events will be available on Staylive through pay-per-view and subscription packages in markets independent of exclusive WBD platforms and broadcast partnerships.

The cross-country cycling tournament UCI Mountain Bike World Series which kicked off the 2024 season last week in Brazil is the first sport event to stream on Staylive. The competition will also be available on WBD platforms on Max, Eurosport and discovery, as well as across several local and national broadcasters.

WBD programming also includes the FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC), FIM Speedway Grand Prix (SGP) and UCI Track Champions League.

Matt Parker, CCO of Staylive, said: “Partnering with WBD Sports for this historic season of cycling and motorcycling events is a testament to Staylive’s technical capabilities and commercial expertise. We are immensely proud to work with and alongside industry powerhouse, WBD Sports, as they secure new and innovative ways to maximise content distribution and reach. This collaboration highlights our ability to meet the high technical demands of streaming world-class sports events, while enhancing the fan experience across the globe.”

Trojan Paillot, SVP Sports Rights Acquisitions and Syndications at WBD Sports Europe, added: “Our partnership with Staylive demonstrates the commitment of WBD Sports in serving sports fans around the world with premium and diverse content from leading sports formats and properties. Through this partnership, we are not just distributing sports content, we are creating a more accessible and immersive experience for fans, no matter where they are. This is a prime example of how we’re increasing our ability to meet the evolving needs of our audience and to bring them closer to the sports they love.”

Pending Investigation: The Competition Tribunal Orders MultiChoice To Televise Their Sporting Content To Openview Consumers

The Competition Tribunal has granted interim relief to eMedia in its fight with MultiChoice over the carriage of sublicensed sports from the SABC on its Openview free-to-air satellite platform.

eMedia took MultiChoice, which owns SuperSport, to the Competition Commission last year after the pay-television broadcaster refused to allow the SABC to broadcast rugby and cricket games on its channels it broadcasts via Openview.

According to a statement by the tribunal on Monday, eMedia has accused MultiChoice of “abusing its alleged dominant position by concluding anticompetitive and restrictive sublicensing agreements with the SABC”.

“eMedia alleges that MultiChoice prevents the SABC from broadcasting major sporting events (such as rugby and cricket games – including World Cup tournaments), sublicensed to the SABC, on the SABC’s channels carried on eMedia’s Openview platform.”

eMedia lodged a complaint with the Competition Commission last year and subsequently also sought interim relief from the tribunal to “stop MultiChoice from enforcing the restriction in existing sublicensing agreements or including such restrictions in any new sublicensing agreements until the merits of the case are decided”.

“The tribunal has granted eMedia interim relief pending the final determination of its complaint to the commission, or for a period of six months, whichever occurs first,” it said.

SuperSport Vs. Canal+ Sport: Who Is Likely To Survive Canal+ Potential Takeover Of MultiChoice?

Canal+ Sport is a French based sports broadcaster owned by Canal+ that offers services in parts of Europe and Africa. Similar to the likes of SuperSport, Canal+ Sport also comprises of various linear channels featuring football, rugby motorsport and basketball. 

Last month, it was reported that Canal+ had increased its offer to takeover DStv by 19% with a sum of R35,9 billion. This comes after their initial offering of R32 billion was rejected with the Takeover Regulation Panel (TRP) ordering them to propose a new deal.

As some readers are aware, South African laws limit the ownership of businesses to foreign entities with Canal+ voting rights reduced to 20%. Although, they'd have majority stake of the company they wouldn't be able to exercise that level of ownership.

Since news of Canal+ possible takeover of MultiChoice came about, several consumers have been very skeptical about this ordeal. With some very keen on the fate awaiting several brands such as SuperSport for instance.

SuperSport is the biggest player in the world of sports across the African market. It is home to major sporting events such as Premier League, PSL, La Liga, MotoGP, Formula E and WWE most of which aren't accessible on Canal+ Sport.

Even if Canal+ was successful in obtaining MultiChoice most of the company's assets could remain intact this includes SuperSport. It has more reach in the market Canal+ also resides and offers sporting events Canal+ Sport was unable to retain due to exclusivity. 

Regions with Canal+ Sport will most likely see content from SuperSport surface on their channels and overtime fold under the trademark.

News Shorts: New 8-Bit Rugrats Game Available For Pre-Order, ‘Mandalorian & Grogu’, ‘Moana’ Live Action & ‘Toy Story 5’ Stake Out 2026 Release Dates And ‘Quantum Leap’ Canceled By NBC After 2 Seasons

Rugrats: Adventures In Gameland Honors The 8-Bit Era

Adventures in Gameland appears to be an old-school platformer where you need to do a little exploring and a little digging (literally) to find your way forward. My demo ended with a dramatic, multi-screen battle against the boss, "Big Boy" Pickles, the imaginary younger brother of Angelica Pickles from the TV show — a nice nod to Rugrats fans.

Last month, at PAX East at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, I was lucky enough to chat with Tomas Guinan, lead developer at The MIX Games, about what went into the creation of Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland. I was also fortunate to demo one of the game's six levels.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland doesn't have a firm release date, but it should arrive by the end of spring, according to Guinan. It will launch on PC, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and, coolest of all, NES. 

Disney unveils a slate of content 

In big 2026 news, Jon Favreau’s big screen version of The Mandalorian — The Mandalorian & Grogu— is the updated Star Wars title on May 22, 2026. Star Wars films on a theatrical release calendar far far away use to release around Memorial Day weekend. The last one to do so was Solo: A Star Wars Story. No rival wide releases on Mando‘s date.

Toy Story 5 is the title of the untitled Pixar movie on June 19, 2026. Warner Bros/New Line also have this date on hold for an untitled release. The live action version of Moana, impacted by the Thanksgiving release this year of Moana 2, will hulla- dance its way from June 27, 2025 to July 10, 2026. No competitive releases on that date.

The 20th Century Studios Rami Malek thriller, The Amateur, keeps getting kicked around the calendar, it’s moving from Nov. 8, 2024 this year to April 11, 2025. 

Quantum Leap axed on NBC 

NBC has decided not to proceed with a third season of its Quantum Leap reboot starring Raymond Lee. The news comes more than a month after the two-hour Season 2 finale aired Feb. 20.

The development is not entirely surprising as the series, from Universal Television, had been on the bubble. That is in contrast to last season when Quantum Leap received a very early renewal in December 2022.

A follow-up to the original series, which aired on NBC from 1989-93, Quantum Leap is set in present day. It’s been 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now a new team has been assembled to restart the project in the hopes of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.

Reminder: M-Net's Me And 1Magic Alongside Ginx eSports TV Will Close On DStv From 31 March 2024 (Schedule Attached)

MultiChoice will be axing M-Net's 1Magic and Me alongside Ginx eSports TV from the DStv platform by the end of March. This would bring the number of scrapped TV channels on the platform to nine joining B4U Movies and People's Weather which exited a month prior. 

Another brand looking to exit DStv soon is WildEarth as both parties failed to reach new agreement. Since then, a petition has been going around to keep it on DStv with the channel seeking donations as they've been going through financial woes.

1Magic

1Magic will end its run with the female led drama Lee Daniel's Star at 23:55 and from what we've seen most shows within that week would end to their climax. With a few exceptions such as Lockdown seeing as those are basically repeats.

According to the pay-tv company, further content from 1Magic would be available on the remaining M-Net channels. That would mean those currently watching 1Magic would have to revert their focus to Mzansi Magic for further content currently viewed on Showmax. 

Unlike most items on the list, MultiChoice had promised to supplement 1Magic with another TV channel known as Channel X. It has no relation to Elon Musk but will base their lineup and identity on Showmax as the revamped streamer also trademarks an X.

Me

Me will ends its run with reality based series The Real Housewives Of Atlanta based from The Real Housewives franchise at 23:10. Most shows within this week would reach their climax including M-Net originals Reyka and Recipe For Love And Murder.

According to the pay-tv company, further content from Me would be available on the remaining M-Net channels. That would mean those watching Me would need DStv Premium to watch the latest international and locally produced content on M-Net.

Although some of the entertainment like Chicago Med and The Equalizer is available on Universal TV with Young Sheldon on Comedy Central. These channels are lagging behind with one of two not having an estimated timeframe on new episodes. 

It's currently unknown whether Me will fold under Channel X or the pay-tv company will look find other means for compensation.

Ginx eSports TV 

Ginx eSports TV will end its run with The Games That Made Me at 23:00. Despite SuperSport handling distribution rights and other technical aspects of the brand, current seasons of programs won't be completed with other portions being repeats.

Unlike the other two, MultiChoice doesn't offer an alternative offering to Ginx eSports TV this leaves WWE as the only sports brand to be grouped under general entertainment section of their platforms. 

Could Warner Bros. Discovery Look Into Adding TNT Sports In Africa?

During the month, it was reported that TNT Sports would be expanding to the United States. This comes a few months after Warner Bros. Discovery had launched it in the UK in place of BT Sport offering a variety of sports ranging from MMA, Bundesliga and UEFA.

Unlike the UK, TNT Sports would be rolling out in the United States as a dedicated nightly block on TruTV. Aside from live events, Warner Bros. Discovery is looking to get more sports themed content with a range of films and documentaries. 

Confirmed titles for the block include a betting show known as The Line, an interactive show known as The Bill and an NBA themed show known as The Inside Story.

Warner Bros. Discovery could look into building TNT Sports portfolio within the African market. I mean the idea wouldn't seem far fetched considering that the main TNT channel already offers All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Initially, TNT was a channel curated for movies and following the induction of AEW in the United States. The sporting event was in high demand for consumers in Africa with some wondering if TNT would get it or rely on existing broadcasters like SuperSport.

As mentioned despite being a movie channel, Warner Bros. Discovery was willing to go the extra mile by even adding doccies and content from Adult Swim. TNT Sports could form part of AEW On Weekends with its other content taking up other days in the week.

Depending on whether Warner Bros. Discovery views TNT Sports a priority in Africa. The chances of it serving as a separate tier from TNT are slim considering that majority of live sports are costly and tied up in contractual agreements with SuperSport.

News Shorts: A Rebroadcast Of Game Of Love Launches On Star Life, WWE Channel Extends Its Reach To DStv Ahead Of WrestleMania And Vodacom Will No Longer Offer Facebook Free Mode

Game Of Love returns to Star Life

The series celebrates the extended relations particular with Indian family set up while it follows the lives of three brothers as they navigate through life, career, family and falling in love. The show first follows the bond between the brothers and then shifts to the bonds they share with their significant others.

Game Of Love (Ishqbaaz) will start on 25 March replacing The Inseparables.

WWE Channel extends reach to DStv Access

With the school holidays around the corner, SuperSport will be opening up the WWE Channel to DStv Access from 28 March to 8 April as fans gear up for WrestleMania. Consumers will be able to browse various content such as This Is Awesome and WWE 24.

Prior to this, MultiChoice will be removing M-Net's Me And 1Magic channels alongside Ginx eSports TV on the DStv platform by the end of March.

Vodacom ends free mode on Facebook 

During the week, several Facebook users were alarmed after reports had surfaced that the free version to their service would end on 31 March 2024. With some confusing it for Meta when in reality Vodacom is ending its basic Free Flex campaign.

From 1st April, anyone who wishes to continue using their service would need to allocate airtime in order to get 15mb of Facebook data. Such endeavors had already been seen with other networks such as MTN.

Channel Closure: Ginx eSports TV Will Stop Airing On DStv By 31 March 2024

During the week, it was reported that M-Net's Me and 1Magic would exit the DStv platform by the end of March after failing to do so last month. Now MultiChoice will continue their reign of destruction with Ginx eSports TV that serves as the latest victim. 

Available in more than 40 million households, Ginx eSports TV is a UK based esports gaming channel operated by both Sky Group and ITV. It was launched in Africa as an experimental brand on DStv Stream by 2015 before becoming a fully fledged channel by 2017.

Some of the content it would offer includes the doccie series Ginx Docs which would explore several historical facts to the world of gaming. This was followed by Top 10 which would rank some of the best characters or games of certain certain genres genres.

As seen through the programme guide, MultiChoice will be bidding farewell to their 9th TV channel in under 4 months on DStv by the end of March. Ginx TV would join NWTV, One Freestate Televisual, DW, Emmanuel TV, People's  Weather, B4U Movies, 1Magic and Me.

News of its demise isn't shocking as it was long speculated after it switched to a streaming exclusive brand in the UK by 2023 that the same fate awaited consumers elsewhere. Gaming fans aren't reliant on linear TV for gaming but rather watch cartoons or anime. 

MultiChoice over the cancellation of Ginx TV:

The termination is in line with our strategy to continuously review international and local content lineups and optimise the suite of channels on offer on DStv. Due to this ongoing process, we will bid farewell to Ginx eSports channel (DStv channel 127). This is done to ensure we deliver the best content, and that our services cater for the needs and viewing requirements of our customers. We continuously review our channels and content offering based on "viewing trends" and consumer needs, which may lead to channel additions or terminations. 

SuperSport Schools Celebrates Successful Partnership With Mzwandile Mali-Tournament

SuperSport Schools celebrates a successful partnership with the Mzwandile Mali Schools Rugby Tournament run by the Lincoln Mall Leadership Foundation.

We are delighted to announce the successful streaming of the Mzwandile Mali Schools Rugby Tournament in the Eastern Cape over the past few weeks, the tournament has garnered incredible support from the community showcasing the passion and enthusiasm for rugby in the region.

We are proud to have covered the thrilling matches leading up to the finals on the 15th of March at Isaac Wolfson Stadium Live on DStv Channel 216 and the SuperSport Schools App.

The tournament was named after Mzwandile Mali, father of Lincoln Mali has not only provided a platform for young talents to showcase their skills but has also fostered a sense of community and sportsmanship among participants.

In addition to the upcoming finals, SuperSport Schools is excited to announce the coverage of the touring teams’ matches set to take place in Kent, United Kingdom on 6-12 October 2024, this presents a unique opportunity for the chosen 22 players to gain international exposure and experience, further enhancing their rugby journey with the support of the Lincoln Mali Leadership Foundation.

News Shorts: Muhammad Ali Enters The WWE Books As Hall Of Famer For 2024, Dora The Movie 2 Is Reportedly In Development By Paramount Alongside A New Animated Feature Film Based On The Super Mario Movie

Muhammad Ali is now an inductee

As reported by Variety, Muhammad Ali will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

One of the most iconic figures in sports history, the three-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and Olympic gold medalist was known around the world for his charisma, his confidence, and his ability to back it up inside the ropes.

Known simply as “The Greatest”, Ali’s influence transcended sports as his work as an activist, artist, and personality established him as one of the most renowned figures in the entire world.

Second Dora movie in the works 

According to Insider Daniel Richtman on Patreon, Paramount is developing ‘Dora The Movie 2,’ titled ‘Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado.’ Isabela Merced and the rest of the cast will not be returning, as the film will feature a whole new cast.

The production is set to begin this fall, with a scheduled release date in 2025. However, the director has not yet been announced.

Recently, Nickelodeon released a new trailer for the CG-animated series ‘Dora,’ comprising 26 11-minute episodes, all of which will be available on Paramount+ on April 12, 2024. The plot follows, “With all-new CG animation and imaginative character-driven storylines, the upcoming DORA series follows everyone’s favorite bilingual explorer, Dora (Diana Zermeño), and her best monkey friend, Boots (Asher Colton Spence), as they embark on epic adventures in a fantastical rainforest. 

New Mario film is hitting theaters

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a huge hit for Nintendo, raking in over $1 billion at the box office, so producing a follow-up movie was an easy decision to make. In a new video, Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination Entertainment’s Chris Meledandri shared that the next movie is in development, with a release date set for April 3rd, 2026.

Meledandri says Illumination Studios Paris, which worked on the first film, is storyboarding the movie under the direction, once again, of Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. He added that animation is starting soon. And after the movie’s April 3rd release in the US “and many other markets globally,” it will come to “select territories” throughout the rest of the month.

Miyamoto says that the movie will “have a bright and fun story” that expands on the world established in the first movie.

Recap To Last Month: SABC 3 Reaches 2 Million Households Becoming The Second Most Watched Channel By The Public Broadcaster By February 2024 Behind SABC 1

SABC 3 is a free-to-air channel operated by the public broadcaster catering to audiences with content in English and Afrikaans. It was also the least watched channel behind SABC 1 and SABC 2 this was before TAMS ratings from the last month had been revealed.

Thanks to AFCON, SABC 3 has managed to lure 2 million households after a decade on air surpassing SABC 2 where their most watched title Muvhango only lured just half of AFCON's figure.

Amidst reports of ratings decline for Deal Or No Deal SA and Skeem Saam, this is something should have been branding a "historical figure" from last month which it didn't. SABC 3 was only able to obtain 1.5 million viewers by 2014 versus 600,000 by 2024.

This goes to show the lack of attention the public broadcaster has for their brands. As seen below are the ratings figures and if you look carefully AFCON has more viewers on SABC 3 than any of the sports viewed on their most watched channel, SABC 1.

SABC 3 is operating on a loss and this figure would have helped lure in revenue. As to whether, the public broadcaster has caught on to this "historical figure" it has yet to be seen as this type of figures would have helped build the viewership for their other titles.

Adult Swim Games Titles Are Being Pulled From Stores By Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Discovery has begun the process of delisting video games from digital stores that have been published under the Adult Swim Games label, as reported by Game Developer. Adult Swim Games has been inactive for a few years now, but the publisher’s games are still available on platforms like Steam and the PS Store under the label.

However, solo developer Fire Face Corporation, who made the puzzle game Small Radios Big Televisions published by Adult Swim Games, has now been informed that the publisher’s owner, Warner Bros. Discovery, would be “retiring” the game and it would be delisted in 60 days. Fire Face reacted by making the game available for free on their own website.

Speaking to Games Developer, Owen Deery – the man behind Fire Face – called the decision by WBD “depressing,” but said he “can see why they did it.” As reported by the site, which saw the notice sent to Deery, WBD explained the delisting with “internal business changes” without going into much detail.

Since then, another indie developer who had worked with Adult Swim Games in the past got the same notice about their title, Fist Puncher. Matt Kain Lewandowski, one half of the brother duo making up Team2Bit, wrote in a forum post that WBD declined to transfer ownership of the title’s Steam page to their own publisher account so the game could stay visible on the store.

“This is incredibly disappointing,” he stated. “It seems like more and more the videogame industry is filled with people that don't like and don't care about videogames. All that to say, buy physical games, make back-ups, help preserve our awesome industry and art form.”

It seems likely that other Adult Swim Games-published titles will suffer the same fate, although no additional developers have come forward with similar announcements yet.

Warner Bros. Discovery published the best-selling game of 2023 with Hogwarts Legacy as well as one of 2024’s biggest flops so far in Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. This setback had one executive describe the video game industry as “volatile” and call for a strategy change.

Could TNT Sports Replace TruTV In The United States?

During the week, it was reported that TNT Sports would be expanding to the United States. This comes a few months after Warner Bros. Discovery had launched it in the UK in place of BT Sport offering a variety of sports ranging from MMA, Bundesliga and UEFA.

Unlike the UK, TNT Sports would be rolling out in the United States as a dedicated nightly block on TruTV. Aside from live events, Warner Bros. Discovery is looking to get more sports themed content with a range of films and documentaries. 

Confirmed titles for the block include a betting show known as The Line, an interactive show known as The Bill and an NBA themed show known as The Inside Story.

News of the blocks arrival traces back to 2022 where Warner Bros. Discovery was looking to increase their investment toward the sector. After halting original productions for TNT and TBS, a turnaround plan was purposed with one of the two emphasizing sports.

With the standalone TNT channel remaining intact for the time being. Consumers are led to believe that Warner Bros. Discovery could be looking to replace TruTV with TNT Sports as it was reported that one of their flagship shows Impractical Jokers would move to TBS.

TruTV has been going through identity crisis for several years after converting to a court based brand would divulge into crime and variety. Since its inception, the brand has garnered traction for Hardcore Pawn, Carbonaro Effect, Top Funniest and Impractical Jokers. 

Development Alert: TNT Sports Expands To The United States Through TruTV, Impractical Jokers Moves To TBS

Warner Bros. Discovery is making cable network TruTV a regular home for sports, adding a weeknight sports block and shifting established franchise Impractical Jokers to TBS this summer.

A mix of live sports, original sports programming and ancillary sports content will start appearing on TruTV next Monday, March 11, under the banner “TNT Sports on TruTV.” The block will start at 6 p.m. ET and run through late night.

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, aka March Madness, gets under way the following week. WBD, which shares in March Madness rights with Paramount, often makes use of TruTV as a home for early-round tournament games.

The push toward daily sports programming comes as WBD, Fox and Disney have embarked on a joint sports-focused streaming venture. The JV, scheduled to launch this fall, will bring 14 linear network feeds to subscribers via the internet. Apart from the NCAA tournament, TNT is known for its NBA coverage and TBS broadcasts Major League Baseball.

Impractical Jokers, a cornerstone TruTV property since its premiere in 2011, will move to TBS with a batch of new episodes this summer. During the transitional period, the series will continue to simulcast on both truTV and TBS through early April. Series from the TruTV library, including past seasons of Impractical Jokers, will air on TruTV prior to 6 p.m. each day. 

“We are constantly striving to create and deliver the best sports content and experiences to sports fans wherever they are, and this is an exciting opportunity to expand the reach of our premium TNT Sports programming with greater consistency throughout the year,” said Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO, TNT Sports. “By creating a primetime block of sports programming on truTV, in addition to our existing premium live sports on TNT and TBS, we are now able to deliver a more comprehensive sports offering for our fans, while generating additional growth opportunities for our sports division and strategic business and league partners.”

The upcoming programming lineup will include select alternative presentations of live TNT Sports games; simulcasts of games appearing on TNT or TBS; a new 30-minute news and highlight show, TNT Sports Update, airing nightly at 6 p.m.; betting show The Line, airing weeknights at 6:30; NBA-centric show Handles airing in late night; and a House of Highlights show produced weekly as a TruTV exclusive. (WBD’s digital subsidiary Bleacher Report is known for its House of Highlights vertical.)

Also in store for the new sports block are movies and documentaries, including The Inside Story, which looks at TNT’s Inside the NBA studio show; in-season episodes of The Steam Room vodcast featuring Ernie Johnson and Charles Barkley, and special editions of Shaqtin’ a Fool, among other originally produced programming; and an upcoming schedule of MotoGP races.

News Shorts: Epic Mickey Getting Remade For The Nintendo Switch Later In The Year, Arch Nemesis Coke And Pepsi To Face Off In Standalone Film And Harry Potter TV Series To Stream On Max In 2026

Disney is doing another remake

Developer Purple Lamp and publisher THQ Nordic announced that their 3D platformer remake dubbed ‘Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed’ will be coming to PC via Steam, PlayStation, Xbox consoles, and the Nintendo Switch later this year. Previously a Nintendo Wii exclusive by Warren Spector many moons ago, this beautiful remake sends Mickey Mouse on an epic journey through Wasteland, a realm of forgotten Disney characters. As Mickey, you will dive into a fantastical world and, armed with paint and thinner, shape your adventure and the fate of this alternate world.

Cola Wars greenlit by Sony

Sony has stepped up with a seven figure bid to uncap Cola Wars, a movie pitch that tells the true story of Pepsi’s attempt to challenge Coca-Cola’s century-long reign as the world’s top cola, sparking the unforgettable “Cola Wars” of the mid-1980s. This behind-the-scenes account, from Michael Jackson’s fiery mishap to the New Coke debacle, tells the ultimate underdog tale of history’s most iconic second-place contender vying for the No. 1 spot. Sources said it was around $1.5 million while Sony said it was $1 million, still a whopping deal for a pitch.

It falls into place alongside films about products like the Ben Affleck-directed Air, about the battle by Nike to win Michael Jordan for a shoe line that transformed the company. There were rival bids massing with elements attached, but Sony stepped up. Maia Eyre, the exec who oversaw the hit Anyone But You, will shepherd this one.

Harry Potter remake coming in 2026

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav confirmed Friday that a long-planned Harry Potter series is aiming to debut on Max in 2026.

This new Max Original series will dive deep into each of the iconic books that fans have continued to enjoy for all of these years,” said Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & Max Content about the project, which he also assured fans would be “a faithful adaptation.

News Shorts: SuperSport Motorsport Opens Up To DStv Compact And Compact Plus Customers In Time For The F1 Season, Undercover Billionaire Returns On Discovery Family For Season 2 And PBS Kids Loads Up On Civics And Media Literacy With New Shorts

Undercover Billionaire returns for season 2

With just $100 in their pockets, three business titans are dropped in unfamiliar cities, stripped of their names, money and contacts and given a simple challenge: Build a $1 million business in just 90 days.

First TX: 13 March 

TX Day: Weekdays 

TX Time: 19:40

SuperSport Motorsport opening up to more DStv customers

The 2024 Formula 1 season will be the longest campaign on record with 24 races and six Sprint events from March 2nd to December 8th. There were 24 races planned for 2023, but the cancellation of the Chinese GP due to COVID-travel restrictions and Emilia Romagna due to floods reduced the number to 22.

MultiChoice will be making the F1 on SuperSport Motorsport accessible to DStv Compact+ and Compact from 28 February to 11 March.

PBS KIDS enters the classroom

PBS KIDS has commissioned a collection of themed content touching on civics and media literacy in order to address a learning gap that isn’t being well-served by the US school system.

On the greenlit list is Sesame Workshop’s new series of 20 Together We Can music videos for four-to-eight-year-olds, exploring topics such as rights, voting and what it means to be part of a community. 

PBS KIDS is also reupping its civics-focused City Island series of three-minute shorts for a second season, plus working on a City Island Sings spinoff (10 music videos). The next batch of 20 City Island episodes will tackle media literacy topics like news, advertising and fact-based reporting for six to 10s in an expanded 2D-animated story world.

Recap To The Month: Could MultiChoice Look To Close/Restructure The DStv Compact And Compact+ Onto Existing Bouquet As SuperSport La Liga And SuperSport PSL Rolls Out On DStv Family And Access?

In the waking hours of NWTV and One Freestate Televisual silent dismissal from the DStv platform. MultiChoice added SuperSport La Liga to DStv Family and Access and word going around is that SuperSport PSL is next victim to have been purged to these consumers.

Similar to La Liga, PSL was being curated for MultiChoice's mid tier market being Compact. As seen in a recent conversation with several consumers, it appears that the Access households is gradually phasing the Compact as this would be the third sports channel.

In December, MultiChoice extended the reach of ESPN 1 to Access and also made it accessible to GOtv consumers in selected countries. Since last month, various questions have been looming around regarding some of the recent developments to have occured on their platforms.

As some readers are aware, MultiChoice was slated to axe 1Magic and Me earlier in the month. There was no plans to substitute the content immediately after they went dark leading to the possibility that M-Net could be extending its reach to more households I mean it wouldn't seem far fetched.

M-Net has been losing viewers on a yearly basis and this is due to rise in costs and existing competitors such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+. I mean if MultiChoice were able to add La Liga and PSL to Access what's stopping M-Net from finding its way to more households.

If there's one thing that some of these developments could be hinting at would be a possible restructure to their services. Similar to the premium market, Compact hasn't been in the best shape and with the current economic climate things aren't looking well for DStv.

The only consumers I'm not expecting any of these changes to affect would be their lower mass market which range from Family to Easyview. There's been a surge in consumers although MultiChoice is discreet on figures for each individual package as seen with their mid tier market.

As for Compact and Premium, those numbers continue to decline and with channels like Trace Urban, E! Entertainment and ESPN 1 finding their way to more households and reducing the value of these packages. A possible restructure to this line-up wouldn't seem far fetched.

Through financial records, Compact+ is regarded as premium and with 1Magic's possible demise it could revert to that. As for Compact, MultiChoice could merge it with Family under on its tile and separating it from Access and Easyview I mean the offering is almost identical.

About SuperSport PSL

SuperSport PSL focuses mainly on domestic soccer matches in South Africa and other African countries

through live broadcasts, magazine shows and

highlights. Aside from Premier Soccer League (PSL) matches, it is also home to various PSL themed programs like PSL News.

As reported, MultiChoice extended the reach of SuperSport PSL to their DStv Family customers across Southern Africa including Namibia and Botswana while in South Africa it is also available on DStv Access.

When WWE Will Start Streaming Exclusively On Netflix And Exit SuperSport, DStv And GOtv Across Africa?

Last month, it was reported US streaming giant Netflix that it had acquired the broadcasting rights for WWE shows and specials in the US, Canada, Latin America and other international markets. With growing fears looming around DStv, MultiChoice had issued a statement.

"WWE events, including RAW, Smackdown, NXT, Wrestlemania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble will continue being available on SuperSport".  "As Africa's premium sports broadcaster, we're pleased to continue entertaining our viewers with the best in international wrestling".

In November 2022, MultiChoice and the WWE announced a major broadcast partnership and said in a statement that it will see Showmax becoming the new home of WWE Network in Africa. Only the streaming portion never to pass as seen with the linear offering on DStv.

Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, with more territories to be confirmed soon and others added overtime. Raw will be exiting linear television since it's inception 31 years ago.

Although Netflix won't get access to WWE's extensive line-up of shows when it streams in selected territories by 2025 due to an existing agreement with MultiChoice. They may be able to snatch the rights from the pay-tv company once it expires in 2027.

This means Netflix can only become the official home of the WWE Network in Africa two years after it launched elsewhere meaning by late 2027 or early 2028. Raw, SmackDown and various other content from WWE would have exited linear television after 26/7 years in Africa.

ESPN, FOX And Warner Bros. Discovery To Launch Joint Sports Streaming Platform

Walt Disney’s ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery plan to launch a joint sports streaming service this fall, giving consumers a new way to access marquee live sports for the first time, the companies said Tuesday.

The platform, which will be owned by a newly formed company with its own leadership team, does not yet have a name or a price. Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery will each own a one-third stake.

Consumers would be able to subscribe directly via a new app. Subscribers would also have the ability to bundle the product with the companies’ streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu and Max.

The product will be a skinnier bundle of linear networks than a standard cable offering, specifically tailored for sports fans. It will consist of all the broadcast and cable networks owned by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery that carry sports, along with ESPN+.

From Disney, that includes ESPN and its sister networks, such as ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, as well as the ABC broadcast network. Warner Bros. Discovery’s networks that showcase sports are TNT, TBS and TruTV. Fox will include the Fox broadcast station along with FS1, FS2 and BTN.

“The launch of this new streaming sports service is a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a major win for sports fans, and an important step forward for the media business,” Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger said in a statement. “This means the full suite of ESPN channels will be available to consumers alongside the sports programming of other industry leaders as part of a differentiated sports-centric service.”

The launch of the product will not stop ESPN from offering a full direct-to-consumer streaming product, which Disney is still researching, according to a person familiar with the matter. ESPN has previously said it plans on releasing that product this year or next year.

The competitors expect to form the joint service at a time when the value of sports media rights is spiking, but viewers have moved away from watching on traditional cable.

Disney, in particular, has suffered from a shift away from its ESPN network, and sought new ways to revive the business, including searching for strategic partners such as the National Football League and the National Basketball League.