News Shorts: MultiChoice Silently Adds SuperSport La Liga To DStv Access Consumers, Eureka! Cancelled After One Season On Disney Junior And Telenovela Channel Phillipines To Close By The End Of February

SuperSport La Liga on Access

Home of the Spanish La Liga & UEFA Europa League while also showcasing overflow matches from the UEFA Champions League. Several DStv consumers had spotted the channel on their package alongside Zee World, Star Life, and various others.

In an enquiry to MultiChoice, they mention that SuperSport La Liga will be opened until further notice (likely permanent) while all other channels will remain temporarily. Taking to account that NWTV and One Freestate Televisual had closed these channels are probably a distraction.

MultiChoice will be announcing their new annual prices which will come into affect from April. With these recent closures of channels, one has to wonder if MultiChoice has more developments up their sleeves aside from cost adjustments.

Another bites the dust

Eureka! is an American-Irish animated children's television series produced by Brown Bag Films. It premiered on Disney Junior in the United States on June 22, 2022. Set in the Stone Age within the location of Rocky Falls, it followed the eponymous girl Eureka who enjoys going on adventures and building gadgets.

According to Disney TVA News, Eureka! had been quietly cancelled after one season at Disney Junior, many members of the crew moved to Robogobo and non-Disney shows at Brown Bag Films. It would join The Ghost And Molly McGee, Secret Of Sulphur Springs and Bunk'd as shows to have been axed by the network.

Disney is focusing on building out its multicam strategy and that includes prioritising shows that are based on Disney-owned IP, and creating global tentpole programming.

Telenovela Channel Phillipines to go dark

Telenovela Channel served as the first and only telenovela channel in the Phillipines in 2011. Owned by Beginnings at Twenty Plus, Inc. with the partnership of Grupo Televisa would broadcast various Mexican dramas viewed on TLNovelas including Sortilego, La Rosa De Guadalupe and Las Amazonas.

After 12 years, it was reported the channel's website that Telenovela Channel Phillipines will end transmission after 12 years by the end of February which would coincide with the closure of Disney Junior in the Nordic market as further content integrates with Disney Channel.

Vince McMahon Resigns From Endeavor-Owned Sports Group After Horrific Rape & Sex Trafficking Claims

Slammed by allegations of rape, defecation, sex trafficking and more, Vince McMahon is out at WWE and UFC parent company TKO Group Holdings.

“I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth,” McMahon said this evening of the scorching lawsuit against him filed earlier this week. “I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.” 

“However, out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately,” the WWE co-founder added.

McMahon’s abrupt exit was spawned by ex-WWE staffer Janel Grant’s detailed and shocking sexual assault suit of January 25. His resignation came after a long day of discussions and deliberations among top players at TKO and WWE as the blast radius of Grant’s legal action became apparent and the corporate situation increasingly untenable for McMahon.

Explicit in its depiction of Grant as a constantly abused sexual punching bag for McMahon and various WWE executives and at least one unnamed “WWE Superstar” during her time at the company from 2019 to 2022, the suit seeks various damages and a voiding of the NDA the former staffer was forced to sign. A McMahon spokesperson on Thursday called Grant’s lawsuit “replete with lies” and declared their client would fight it in court.

Today TKO referred Deadline to McMahon’s statement when contracted for more on the situation. As for who may take over McMahon’s now vacated executive chairman gig at the company or even if that position will continue, it is all TBD, sources says.

WWE boss Nick Khan tonight told staffers in an internal email that McMahon had resigned, and “will no longer have a role with TKO Group Holdings or WWE.”

While sudden, McMahon’s fall from his TKO perch amidst the sexual abuse allegations follows his ouster in 2022 from the WWE he co-founded due to “alleged executive misconduct.” That misconduct, which named WWE talent relations chief John Laurinaitis, came as scores of multi-million dollar payoffs to former female employees and others were made public.

One of those revelations included a $3 million payoff to a woman McMahon had an affair with. In her complaint, Grant says McMahon agreed to pay her $3 million in 2022 to keep their sexual relationship quiet if she signed an NDA. Now seeking to get that NDA neutered, Grant signed it at the time, but says she has only received $1 million from McMahon so far.

Named as a defendant in Grant’s suit, Laurinaitis left WWE in 2022.

Though canned from the company by the WWE board in early 2022, the controversy courting McMahon returned not long afterwards, put a new board in place and completed the sale of WWE to Endeavor. Out of that windfall, TKO was formed last year. In her suit, Grant refers to the internal WWE probe into claims against McMahon as a “sham.”

Having previously boasted about McMahon’s role in the Endeavor-owned company, TKO, where Ari Emanuel is CEO, said yesterday after Janel Grant’s assault and abuse lawsuits was filed that “Mr. McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE.” They went on to distance themselves from McMahon by adding: “While this matter pre-dates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally.”

This latest suit against McMahon was filed just over 48 hours after it was announced that TKO had made a 10-year, $5 billion deal with Netflix for the streamer to get in the ring starting next year with WWE‘s Monday Night Raw, as well as other programs from the company. The disturbing lawsuit and now McMahon’s resignation also come as WWE’s 37th Royal Rumble is set for tomorrow. Streaming and on pricey pay-for-view, the Rumble features wrestlers from the Raw and Smackdown units meeting up in St. Petersburg, Florida and fighting it out in the ring. The lucrative event will clearly not feature Vince McMahon now.

Police Report Of Ms. Grant's Accusations Against Vince McMahon (PDF)

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, alleges that Mr. McMahon, who was subject to an internal investigation in 2022 over allegations of misconduct, sexually exploited and trafficked the former employee, Janel Grant, from 2019 to 2022.

Click the link for the full police report: Download Now

WWE Boss Vince McMahon Accused Of Sexual Assault And Trafficking

WWE boss Vince McMahon was accused Thursday of sexual assault, trafficking, and physical and emotional abuse in a graphic lawsuit by a woman who previously worked for the pro wrestling giant.

McMahon is executive chairman of the board of TKO Group Holdings, which was formed last year by a merger of his wrestling company and the mix-martial arts company UFC.

The suit by Janel Grant — which alleges McMahon directed her to have sex with a WWE “superstar” and other men — seeks to void a nondisclosure agreement that Grant said she reached with McMahon in 2022. She said he agreed to pay her $3 million as part of that deal.

The suit says McMahon paid her $1 million “but failed to make any further payments.” Grant was one of several women who received payouts from McMahon over the years.

In addition to the 78-year-old McMahon, the suit filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut names WWE and John Laurinaitis, the former head of talent relations and general manager, as defendants.

The complaint comes six months after federal law enforcement agents executed a search warrant on McMahon and served him with a grand jury subpoena as part of an investigation into McMahon’s payment of millions of dollars to multiple women after allegations of sexual misconduct.

McMahon last March paid WWE $17.4 million to cover costs related to a probe of the payouts by a law firm retained by the company.

TKO Group on Tuesday announced that Netflix would pay $5 billion over 10 years to stream the WWE’s flagship program “Raw,” and carry all other WWE shows and specials outside the United States.

Grant’s lawyer, Ann Callis, in a statement, said, “Today’s complaint seeks to hold accountable two WWE executives who sexually assaulted and trafficked Plaintiff Janel Grant, as well as the organization that facilitated or turned a blind eye to the abuse and then swept it under the rug.”

“She is an incredibly private and courageous person who has suffered deeply at the hands of Mr. McMahon and Mr. Laurinaitis,” Callis said. “Ms. Grant hopes that her lawsuit will prevent other women from being victimized. The organization is well aware of Mr. McMahon’s history of depraved behavior, and it’s time that they take responsibility for the misconduct of its leadership.”

In a statement to CNBC, TKO Group said, “Mr. McMahon does not control TKO nor does he oversee the day-to-day operations of WWE.”

“While this matter pre-dates our TKO executive team’s tenure at the company, we take Ms. Grant’s horrific allegations very seriously and are addressing this matter internally,” the company said.

A spokesman for WWE did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

End Of The Road For SuperSport And WWE??? As Netflix Banks On RAW, SmackDown, NXT And Premium Live PPVs

In 2022, MultiChoice and WWE were looking to bundle Raw, SmackDown, NXT alongside various PPVs like WrestleMania and SummerSlam on Showmax. But the deal appeared to have fallen flat as this never materialized with the streamer now partially owned by Comcast.

After e.tv halted further distribution of Raw, SmackDown and various other WWE content from their platforms in 2017. SuperSport became the official home to the WWE Network for the past 7 years and all of that is likely to change in the coming future.

As reported moments ago, Netflix had exclusive rights to Raw and various other content from WWE which will start streaming in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America beginning January 2025. There are plans underway to add more international markets to the lineup.

This puts SuperSport's current linear offering in a precarious position especially the WWE Channel. As Netflix scooped up WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects alongside the premier shows Raw, SmackDown and NXT.

The mere thought of less sporting events on SuperSport wouldn't seem far fetched a stretch. Initially, they weren't going to broadcast AFCON as they were more focused on European football even the rebranded Showmax service will only feature Premier League.

Last year, MultiChoice shuttered Showmax PRO which served as digital counterpart for SuperSport with La Liga, PSL and various other sporting content. Now the streamer will only offer a price plan for Premier League while further sports can be streamed on DStv Stream.

 

As mentioned, Netflix will become the exclusive home to WWE in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America by January 2025. It's currently unknown whether WWE will be purged on Netflix for consumers across Africa at the same time.

Its also possible that SuperSport could slide in a better deal but from what we've already seen in the past months there's some doubts. Another would be for Raw, SmackDown and NXT to be retained on the platform alongside PPVs with everything else on streaming.

SuperSport is structured for first run programming and not delayed or week old sporting events. With the possible discontinuation of channel 128 alongside various content from WWE, I wouldn't be shocked if MultiChoice were to add SuperSport Action in place.

SuperSport Action serves as an alternative offering to WWE as it broadcasts a range of extreme sports as well as major boxing matches and EFC mixed martial arts programming. They are also home to UFC which alongside WWE are owned by TKO Group Holdings.

Netflix To Become The Exclusive Home Of WWE Network Beginning In 2025

WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, Inc., and Netflix today announced a long-term partnership that will bring WWE’s flagship weekly program – Raw – to the world’s leading entertainment service. This marks a major programming shift as Raw leaves linear television for the first time since its inception 31 years ago. 

Beginning in January 2025, Netflix will be the exclusive new home of Raw in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Latin America, among other territories, with additional countries and regions to be added over time. Likewise, as part of the agreement, Netflix will also become the home for all WWE shows and specials outside the U.S. as available, inclusive of Raw and WWE’s other weekly shows – SmackDown and NXT – as well as the company’s Premium Live Events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble. WWE’s award-winning documentaries, original series and forthcoming projects will also be available on Netflix internationally beginning in 2025. 

“This deal is transformative,” said Mark Shapiro, TKO President and COO. “It marries the can’t-miss WWE product with Netflix’s extraordinary global reach and locks in significant and predictable economics for many years. Our partnership fundamentally alters and strengthens the media landscape, dramatically expands the reach of WWE, and brings weekly live appointment viewing to Netflix.”

“We are excited to have WWE Raw, with its huge and passionate multigenerational fan base, on Netflix,” said Netflix Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria. “By combining our reach, recommendations, and fandom with WWE, we’ll be able to deliver more joy and value for their audiences and our members. Raw is the best of sports entertainment, blending great characters and storytelling with live action 52 weeks a year and we’re thrilled to be in this long-term partnership with WWE.”

“In its relatively short history, Netflix has engineered a phenomenal track record for storytelling,” said Nick Khan, WWE President. “We believe Netflix, as one of the world’s leading entertainment brands, is the ideal long-term home for Raw’s live, loyal, and ever-growing fan base." 

With 1,600 episodes to date, Raw is the most iconic show in sports entertainment. Since its debut in 1993, Raw has delivered action, compelling drama and unmatched athleticism – 52 weeks a year. Blending the best of scripted content with unpredictable live entertainment, the three-hour show has helped launch the careers of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple  H, John Cena, Roman Reigns, Bianca Belair and Charlotte Flair. 

The show is currently the No. 1 show on USA Network, where it brings in 17.5 million unique viewers over the course of the year. One of television’s best performing shows in the 18-49 advertising demographic, Raw trends on X 52 weeks a year while each new episode is airing. On social media, WWE has more than one billion followers across its platforms. 

Could MultiChoice Look Into Another Restructure/Revamping Of The SuperSport Channels?

In the month of February, MultiChoice will be revamping the Showmax streaming service which now serves as a joint venture with Comcast's NBCUniversal. It will feature various shows from Universal, DreamWorks Animation and Telemundo alongside a revamped sports offering.

Last year, MultiChoice decided to do away with Showmax PRO which served as a digital version to SuperSport's linear offering on DStv. It featured PSL, La Liga, UEFA Champions League, Moto GP and Formula One all of which had been folded on DStv Stream.

MultiChoice looks to prioritise Premier League as part of the revamped Showmax streaming service which will feature all 380 matches live. With the winding down of sports on Showmax one has to wonder when the pay-tv platform will look to hit it home.

SuperSport offers over 10 sports channels which is more than Sky Sports in the UK can offer. Majority of channels are tailored for football with various others for tennis, motorsports, golf and rugby but the thing about Sky is majority of this don't have their own platform.

For several years, MultiChoice has been struggling to sustain their top tier bouquets over the likes of Netflix and IPTV. This has led to channels being cut down if consolidated on lower tailored bouquets as the pay-tv company looks to rollout an unbundled package.

Similar to AddMovies, sports will serve as an add-on and not like a standalone service as seen in parts of Europe. Again, with the decline of linear consumption it wouldn't seem far fetched if MultiChoice were to look at restructuring the sports line-up on DStv.

Earlier, they opted not to acquire AFCON granting the rights to SABC and StarTimes. According to sources, they want put more emphasis on European football which kind of brings questions pertaining to the future of PSL and La Liga standalone services.

As mentioned, Sky Sports doesn't have that much of a wider linear offering if anything it's more like how SuperSport previously set up their content. Instead of golf and tennis operating as separate entities it's more like how SuperSport Variety is currently set up.

If anything, Sky Sports' linear offering revolves on dominance which is football, rugby and cricket while some other sports are packaged like SuperSport Variety.

With SuperSport prioritising European football, perhaps La Liga and PSL will be folded under one channel, SuperSport Football Plus. SuperSport Premier League could serve as the linear counterpart to the one boarding Showmax while non-performing channels fold under SuperSport Variety.

Summary of possible outcome for SuperSport 

• SuperSport PSL and La Liga become SuperSport Football Plus

• SuperSport Tennis and Golf are folded under SuperSport Variety reducing repeats

• SuperSport Blitz, Grandstand, Premier League, Action, Rugby, Variety 1-4, Cricket, Motorsports and Schools remain intact.

• In total, SuperSport would be operating 14 channels with Ginx TV, 2 ESPN channels and Racing240 MultiChoice has 18 sports channels.

News Shorts: Bookie Renewed On Max For Season 2, Gerald Butler Reprises Role Of Hiccup's Father In Live-Action How To Train Your Dragon And Jack Black Boards The Live-Action Minecraft Feature

Bookie returns for season 2

The sports book is reopening after Max renewed Bookie, starring Sebastian Maniscalco, for a second season.

The series, which premiered on November 30, follows bookie Danny (Maniscalco) as he and his partner, former NFL star Ray (Omar Dorsey), romp around Los Angeles trying to keep their illegal sports betting operation in play.

Update on upcoming feature for How To Train Your Dragon

Universal Pictures‘ live-action adaptation of the DreamWorks Animation franchise How to Train Your Dragon is bringing back a familiar face, as sources tell Deadline that Gerard Butler, who voiced Hiccup’s father Stoick in the original movies, will reprise the role. Mason Thames and Nico Parker are set to star as Hiccup and Astrid, with Dean DeBlois directing, writing and producing.

The film is set to bow on June 13, 2025.

Jack Black joins another gaming adaptation

Production is about to get underway on Warner Bros/Vertigo/Legendary’s feature take on Mojang/Microsoft’s Minecraft, and sources are telling us that Jack Black is joining the cast of the Jason Momoa-led movie.

Also starring in Minecraft are Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks and Sebastian Eugene Hansen. The Mojang sandbox title is the bestselling video game of all time, with 300 million copies sold and nearly 140M monthly active players.

The Minecraft film hails from Vertigo, co-financier Legendary, Mojang/Microsoft and Momoa’s On the Roam. Jared Hess is directing. Producers include Roy Lee, Jon Berg, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Momoa, Torfi Frans Olafsson, Vu Bui and the late Jill Messick. EPs are Todd Hallowell, Kayleen Walters, Brian Mendoza and Jonathan Spaihts.

SuperSportBET: MultiChoice Launches New Sports Betting Platform

MultiChoice Group has announced the launch of SuperSportBet, a new betting platform aimed at sports fans.

The sport and casino betting platform, developed in conjunction with Nigeria’s KingMakers, is “aimed at being the ultimate destination for sports fans, the betting fraternity and sports lifestyle enthusiasts”, MultiChoice said in a statement on Friday.

MultiChoice Group CEO Calvo Mawela emphasised that the platform is designed for “responsible betting experiences”, with “responsible gambling at its core, offering robust tools for gambling control”.

These features include Reality Check, Loss Limit, Timeout, self-exclusion and account closure options.

The platform offers a range of global sporting events, including key sports such as the leading international and domestic football and rugby competitions.

“Sports betting is quickly growing to be a game-changer in the country and on the continent,” said SuperSportBet GM Barrie Swart in the statement. “SuperSportBet will, with its exciting features and its association to a rich brand like SuperSport, set itself apart in a competitive and saturated market.”

MultiChoice acquired a 20% stake in KingMakers, then known as BetKing, in 2020. It later increased its stake to 49%. 

SuperSport Has Failed To Acquire The Rights To Broadcast The AFCON Tournament In Ivory Coast.

SuperSport has confirmed it failed to acquire the rights to broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11. 

A SuperSport “holding statement” was leaked and circulated on social media while the pay channel was still involved in negotiations with rights holders New World TV of Togo. A deal could not be reached. 

“SuperSport will not broadcast the Africa Cup of Nations as they have not acquired the rights to broadcast the tournament,” SuperSport said.

Judging by the wording of its statement, where SuperSport indicated it will communicate any changes in the situation, it appears the company has left the door open for possible future developments. 

“However, Afcon matches will be available through the MultiChoice Africa partner broadcasters on free-to-air channels. 

“MultiChoice Africa remains committed to ensuring football fans in Africa continue to enjoy unrivalled access to entertainment and football available on DStv and GOtv platforms.” 

It is not all doom and gloom for millions of South African football fans who want to watch the Afcon on TV as the SABC is expected to reveal their Afcon broadcast plans on Friday or Saturday. 

In November, SuperSport declined to confirm or deny an allegation it was not televising Africa’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers because it wants to focus on European football.

At the time, sources close to SuperSport indicating it was not just the African World Cup qualifiers, Caf Champions League and Caf Confederation Cup the channel had not secured rights for, but also that Afcon coverage was under threat. 

Bafana Bafana open their Afcon group E campaign against Mali at Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly in Korhogo on January 16 (10pm SA time), then meet Namibia on January 21 and Tunisia on January 24. 

News Shorts: German Based Broadcaster Deutsche Welle Shutters It's Linear Operations Across Europe And Africa, National Geographic And ESPN Have Been Added To Zuku TV And A Rebroadcast Of Dayan, Destructive Beauty Launches On eExtra

DW goes dark across Europe

The move is part of a package of measures presented by DW director Peter Limbourg to the DW broadcasting council in Berlin on March 17, 2023.

“We will no longer broadcast linear programming in German after the changeover, but we will offer singular content on digital platforms,” the DW spokesman said. The date for the closure of the German TV channel has not yet been set. “I’m not able to provide a specific date at this time,” he added.

With the package of measures as part of the 2024 budget planning, Limbourg wants to drive the digital transformation of the German international service. Included are savings, budget shifts from linear to digital offerings and to regional languages, as well as investments in digital working environments.

Zee TV dying down on eExtra

After cutting down on primetime for more Annekan Die Swa Kry and axing Naagin much earlier than anticipated. A rebroadcast of Dayan, Destructive Beauty is expected to join the channel's line-up in the coming weeks replacing the timeslot of Naagin supposedly.

Dayan, Destructive Beauty was the first and probably last Bollywood drama to have been made exclusive to eVOD before being added to linear platforms. Now eVOD's international drama lineup outside of Kuiertyd is revolved on content viewed on eSeries and eExtra.

It follows Janvi Maurya, a well-educated and family oriented girl hailing from Ujjain, stumbles upon a dangerous ploy by an evil force as many unusual and mysterious happenings occur in her hometown. With a threat to her life, she must unmask the identity of a Daayan.

Sports makes a comeback on Zuku TV

Last year, it was revealed through several social outlets that Zuku TV will be relaunching National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Baby TV and ESPN 1 after removing them back in 2021. The only difference FOX and ESPN 2 aren't part of this offering.

These channels were replaced with Animal Planet, Discovery and TLC from Warner Bros. Discovery, Filmbox from SPI International and Planet Fun years prior. But the pay-tv platform failed to substitute the sporting line-up with any chances of a replacement likely dead at this point.

News Shorts: Warner Bros. Discovery Acquired Turkish Streaming Service BluTV, Bunk'd To End With A Season 7 On Disney Channel And Disney To Discontinue The FOX Sports Brand In Latin America For ESPN

Max and Discovery+ have a new home in Turkey

For the past three years, Warner Bros. Discovery and BluTV — Turkey’s first local SVOD service — have had a partnership that made WBD a 35% shareholder in BluTV. Since its 2016 launch, BluTV has shown rapid growth both in original content and its content library, leading to the launch of Discovery+ on the platform in 2021. In February, HBO content and kids channels were added to BluTV, giving viewers access to channels like Cartoon Network and Cartoonito, as well as award-winning shows like “The Last of Us,” “Game of Thrones” and “Sex and the City.”

“We are very excited for this new chapter,” Jamie Cooke, GM CEE of Middle East and Turkey at Warner Bros. Discovery, said in a statement. “Turkey has been an important investment territory for us for over 20 years and the acquisition of BluTV brings Turkey’s first local SVOD player into our portfolio. The combination of compelling Turkish content and a broad range of the best international series and shows from Warner Bros. Discovery is an unbeatable recipe to be locally relevant and successful. Together we bring Turkish audiences the most compelling viewing experience and expand the reach of Turkish content globally.”

Fan favourite show has been axed by Disney

Bunk’d, Disney Channel‘s longest-running live-action series, will end its run with the conclusion of its current seventh season. The final installment of 10 new episodes will air in 2024.

Production on Season 7 was suspended in early May due to the WGA strike. At that time, filming had been completed on 12 episodes of the 20-episode Season 7, with eight episodes remaining to be shot. The order has now been increased to 22 episodes, and production on the remaining 10 episodes is underway.

Throughout its run, Bunk’d has been a top performer on linear TV and streaming platforms. Part 1 of Season 7 was summer 2023’s second most-watched live-action series and Top 10 series overall for kids 6-11 in combined viewing across streaming and linear platforms, according to Nielsen data (Live+7 for linear, live for streaming).

Disney is adding more ESPN channels

The Walt Disney Company has confirmed that as from February 15, 2024 it will rebrand all its Fox Sports channels in Spanish-speaking Latin America and Brazil in order to discontinue the brand in the region. The new Pay TV sports channels will be ESPN 5, ESPN 6 and ESPN 7. 

According to the information given by Disney, the changes to be introduced are the following:

-Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela: ESPN EXTRA will be renamed as ESPN 4, ESPN 4 AS ESPN 5, FOX SPORTS 2 as ESPN 6 and FOX SPORTS 3 as ESPN 7.

-Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and Peru: ESPN EXTRA will be renamed as ESPN 4, ESPN 4 as ESPN 5, FOX SPORTS 2 as ESPN 6 and FOX SPORTS 3 as ESPN 7.

-Chile: ESPN EXTRA will be renamed as ESPN 4, ESPN 4 as ESPN 5, FOX SPORTS 2 as ESPN 6, FOX SPORTS 3 as ESPN 7 and FOX SPORTS 1 PREMIUM as ESPN PREMIUM.

-Central America: ESPN EXTRA is to be renamed as ESPN 4, ESPN 4 as ESPN 5 and FOX SPORTS 3 as ESPN 6.

-Brazil: ESPN EXTRA will change its name to ESPN 6 and FOX SPORTS 2 to ESPN 5. 

News Shorts: Impact Wrestling To Revert Back To The TNA Trademark In Hard To Kill, Second Chances Rumoured To Debut On Zee World In The Coming Days And uBettina Wethu Season 4 To Replace Nikiwe After It Ends

TNA is making a comeback

We are told the company has quietly polled long-term fans of the promotion earlier this year and learned that many of them stated they preferred the TNA name. Fans who have chanted "TNA" since the promotion returned to the road have also been a factor in the company thinking about making the change and then finally flipping the switch back.

There was a lot of TNA nostalgia several years ago when the promotion brought back the TNA title with Moose as titleholder with the original plan for the company to revive TNA as a separate TV series and possibly promotion out of a TNA reunion PPV but the COVID-19 pandemic stalled those plans before they were dropped. Instead of two different promotions and TV series, instead TNA has returned as the name of the company.

The plan is for Impact to close out the remainder of the year and then transition over to the TNA name in January with the Hard to Kill PPV in Las Vegas being the first official TNA show.  

Second Chances coming to Zee World

Yash (Shreyas Talpade), a rich and esteemed business tycoon, yearns for real love. While he falls in love with Neha (Prarthana Behere), the journey ahead is not going to be an easy one for him. Will he be able to win Neha’s heart?

Second Chances (Mazhi Tuzhi Reshimgath) debuted on Zee One earlier in the year and according to sources the series is rumoured to launch on Zee World across Southern Africa from 29 December but there has been no mention of the show by the channel yet.

uBettina Wethu takes the front seat

During the month, it was revealed that Nikiwe would be axed by early 2024 after it struggled to garner traction following its debut earlier in the year. eMedia Investments in not so shocking news had enlisted the fourth season of uBettina Wethu on e.tv's line-up.

After phasing out the 18:00 timeslot drama timeslot for locally produced reality shows on eReality. It lead consumers to wonder what fate awaited uBettina Wethu and as predicted sometime ago it would take up Nikiwe's timeslot.

In Season 4 we will see Betty, her comrades, and kin in a whole new light as they realise new goals and fix old wounds. Betty has lost direction, so she sets off to realign and march forward determined to win - without the distraction of personal relationships - her downfall in the past. 

Regular Nick Shorts: ALVINNN!!! And The Chipmunks Wraps Production On Nickelodeon, Classic 80s Game Monster In My Pocket Is Being Transformed Into A Live-Action Series And Toyline RoboForce Is Getting An Animated Series

ALVINNN!!! And The Chipmunks comes to a close

ALVINNN!!! and The Chipmunks has reportedly ended production. In a recent interview with Billboard, Ross Bagdasarian Jr., the son of the creator of Alvin and The Chipmunks, revealed that production on ALVINNN!!! and The Chipmunks officially finished "last year."

ALVINNN!!! and The Chipmunks is currently in its fifth season on Nickelodeon channels globally, with the show being renewed for seasons six and seven in 2019. It's currently unknown whether these seasons got produced before the cancelation.

Alvin and the Chipmunks was created by Bagdasarian Jr.’s father, Ross Bagdasarian Sr., in 1958 as a children’s music act. The Alvin Show began in 1961, featuring the three animated singing chipmunks — Alvin, Simon and Theodore — with sped-up voices to give them their trademark high-pitched sound. Several iterations of TV shows and films followed, including an Alvin and the Chipmunks movie in 2007 and three sequels. The current series is produced by Bagdasarian Productions - run by Bagdasarian Jr. and his wife, Janice Karman - in collaboration with Mikros Animation IP (previously Technicolor Animation Productions).

Monster In My Pocket is being revived

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Altar Rock Pictures have teamed up to develop a live-action series adaptation.

The two companies are currently meeting with writers to turn the collection of over 200 pocket-sized, collectible monsters, drawn from global myths and legend, into a series.

The brand was launched in 1989 by former Mattel execs Joe Morrison and John Weems, and have sold over 500M units globally. It has been turned into an ABC animated TV special, comic books and a Nintendo game.

RoboForce: The Animated Series is in development

The Nacelle Company has partnered with Seven Bucks Productions, the studio helmed by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, to co-produce RoboForce: The Animated Series. 

Nacelle announced its intention to finance the development and production of RoboForce, which is based on an ’80s toy line from the now-defunct Ideal Toy Company. Nacelle acquired the brand from Toyfinity in 2021, and released a small line of adult-targeted collectibles last year (pictured) that are selling well online and in specialty retailers across North America, Japan, Europe and Australia. 

RoboForce: The Animated Series follows lead bot Maxx 89 as he tries to reassemble the heroic crew and battle against a rogue entity infecting the Earth’s robots with code that turns them against humans. 

New Channel Alert: Zambezi Reloaded And SuperSport Reloaded To Be Allocated On The DStv And Possible GOtv Platforms

A few months ago, it was reported that MultiChoice might be looking to add Zambezi Reloaded to the DStv platform. It served as Zambezi Magic's first ever spinoff channel which similar to Maisha Magic POA and kykNET Lekker would rehash existing content.

From what my earlier prediction suggested, it would be accessible on channel 165 but unlike the above-mentioned brands. This will serve as a catch-up channel until 31 December 2023 in Malawi following DStv's exit in the market consumers had missed out on content.

Another channel which is set to join the list later this month is SuperSport Reloaded. It would serve as the second sports channel to be allocated on the DStv platform during the year following SuperSport Schools linear debut in March following its acquisition years prior.

Similar to the long-awaited reloaded channel, SuperSport will only be using this brand for repeats of sporting events like the Fast5 World Netball Series, Berlin Sports Running Marathon and even the UEFA Champions League.

If one had to guess this could be a rebranded (or temporary) version of the current SuperSport Play channel that was only exclusive to DStv Easyview consumers on DStv Stream. It's currently unknown whether it would be made available to the same consumers or move up to Access.

Recap To The Week: Disney's ESPN 1 Currently Seen On DStv And StarSat Is Set To Take On SABC Sport

During the day, it was reported that MultiChoice and Disney would be adding the US sports channel ESPN 1 to its R129 per month DStv Access package. It was previously only available on the R449-a-month Compact package or higher which concide with the addition of NWTV.

Since Openview's inception, it served as a rival brand to DStv's existing offering with general entertainment channels like eReality and eSeries, lifestyle brands like People's Weather and The Home Channel+ and Bollywood entertainment from Star Life and Zee One.

They had also garnered popularity from SABC Sport which serves as one of the top 10 most watched channels on the Openview platform.

In previous years, Access served as somewhat of an underling to the freemium platform as it lacked a worthy advisory to the current offering. Despite offering more channels there wasn't noteworthy content on the bouquet and in recent years MultiChoice had started to catch-up with eMedia Investments.

Zee Zonke was added back in August as the first Zulu dubbed telenovela channel and also Access consumers first Bollywood channel with the likes of Star Life and eExtra's Kuiertyd partially contributing to Openview's success and from December ESPN 1 will be added to the bouquet.

ESPN 1 features live football from the English Football League (EFL), Scottish Premier Football League (SPFL), Dutch Eredivisie and Major League Soccer (MLS), as well as local sports like West African Football Union (WAFU) Cup of Nations and featured boxing tournaments and events.

It will basically take on SABC Sport which too had been dominant on football particularly with Bundesliga, Cosafa Women’s Championship and Liverpool Football Club with other content like Racing Today (from 4Racing TV), Max Power and Retro Boxing.

Development Alert: MultiChoice And The Walt Disney Company Extend The Reach Of ESPN 1 To DStv Family And Access Customers PERMANENTLY

MultiChoice has announced that it is adding the US sports channel ESPN 1 to its R129 per month DStv Access package.

DStv Access customers will have access to the channel starting 1 December 2023. It was previously only available on the R449-a-month Compact package or higher.

ESPN focuses on US sports like basketball, American football, and baseball, giving fans of these sports in South Africa a significantly lower entry point to watch them.

Popular competitions include the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the National Football League (NFL).

“We continue to monitor viewership trends and are thrilled to be adding ESPN 1 for our DStv Access customers,” said Marc Jury, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa.

“This announcement is our way of rewarding our loyal customers with a wider catalogue of entertaining content to choose from,” he added.

“We are also excited that this move will also give sports fans out there looking to get more, for less, an opportunity to stay in the game and take our offering to be front row of the best sports entertainment in the world.”

Basketball and American football fans in South Africa will have access to a slew of NFL and NBA fixtures over the festive season, including on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

“We look forward to celebrating the achievements and triumphs of both international and local athletes, our quality storytelling and innovative content with a brand new audience of sports fans across the continent,” says Kyle de Klerk, director of sport for the Walt Disney Company Africa.

Noggin Will Cut The Ribbon On Its Nogginville World Next Month

Nickelodeon’s Noggin streaming app is looking to make learning more personal and help kids build real-life skills with its new game world Nogginville, which launches in early December. 

In Nogginville, kids can explore different locales from the Nick universe, play mini-games and meet their favorite characters. It’s launching with 15 different learning games (shopping for groceries and doing basic math to calculate the total, for example), Nick Jr. characters and avatars, branded locations and videos (some of which will be interactive). And the plan is to eventually expand the offering with additional branded locations and characters, including more Nick IPs and also potentially third-party brands, says Noggin EVP Kristen Kane. 

The key goal behind Nogginville is to provide a more personalized learning experience that kids can control themselves, says Kane. Noggin has to compete with numerous kids edutainment SVODs also in the market, plus it has to stand out from other streaming services that carry Nick and Nick Jr. content, like Paramount+ and Pluto. As the platform scales, focusing on interactive content, and offering a personalized, walled-garden experience have been identified as important differentiators. 

Nogginville’s game world proposition is also similar to hot platforms like Roblox and Minecraft, where kids can explore and guide their own play. But it’s built with an audience of two- to seven-year-olds in mind, which is why it’s a single-player experience that only exists within the app. 

Noggin currently has more than 1,000 educational games, videos and books in its library, and it also streams Nickelodeon series such Dora the Explorer and Blue’s Clues, Noggin originals like Noggin Knows, and third-party acquisitions including JoJo and Gran Gran (BBC Studios Kids & Family/A Productions) and Little Bear (Nelvana). 

Noggin has had success in the past with “dollhouse games” in which kids roleplay real-world skills, such as Peppa Pig: Shopkeeper. But Nogginville takes this immersive practice-makes-perfect experience a significant step further. “We like to call it a little world that helps kids prepare for the big one,” says Kane.  

Was Showmax PRO Successful In Africa?

Showmax PRO was a digital version to the current SuperSport brand distributed on DStv. It featured a range of sporting promotions including English Premier League (EPL), La Liga, World Challenge League, Serie A and Moto GP.

Unfortunately due to the revamping of the streaming service, it was announced that Showmax PRO would cease operation by the end of November with consumers getting a reduced sports offering or being redirected to DStv Stream Compact+ bouquet at the very same price.

It was also revealed Showmax would shut down internationally as MultiChoice puts more emphasis in the African market. The newly launched streamer will be a joint venture with Comcast's NBCUniversal and Sky which will see various content and software upgrades to the platform.

As some consumers are aware, Showmax joins the number of streaming services that have occurred losses including Disney+, Paramount+ and Peacock. They've never disclosed how many consumers use their streaming service much less the PRO section of the platform.

The demise of Showmax PRO may have been a matter of sustainability for which the entire streaming service is not. Should this change, MultiChoice could prioritise sports on the revamped Showmax for now it's being dominated by English Premier League.

Foley Is Good: And the Real World Is Faker Than Wrestling (PDF)

The book covers the last years of Mick Foley's in-ring wrestling career up until the birth of his second son, Michael Francis Foley, Jr., which he mentions in the book's epilogue.

It has a more celebratory tone than his first book, as he is writing about the time of his career where he has already achieved success. The book alternated between in-ring wrestling activities and Foley's life away from the ring. In the book, he also describes his obsessions, such as theme parks and Christmas.

He also writes about his experience writing his first book without the aid of a ghostwriter. He defends himself against being misquoted by news program 20/20, and explains the events surrounding his "I Quit" match with The Rock at the Royal Rumble in January 1999, which can also be seen in the documentary Beyond the Mat. 

The book also heavily defends the World Wrestling Federation against accusations of being violent. Foley made an effort to pointedly refute claims made by detractors, citing statistical data and other evidence he compiled himself. He criticizes the actions of the Parents Television Council.

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