Disney Is Reportedly Looking To Sell National Geographic And Freeform To A+E Networks

Ever since back in July 2023, in an interview with CNBC, Disney CEO Bob Iger left an option open to sell some of its TV assets, including ESPN, ABC, and more. Now we have a new report that Disney may have a buyer in mind for some of its networks, including Freeform and National Geographic.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Disney has completed its review of its cable networks and has decided which ones it wants to sell. According to this report, three networks are seen as the most profitable to Disney, including ABC, FX, and the Disney Channel. These channels produce a lot of content not just for cable TV but also for its streaming service, Disney+.

According to this report, Disney is considering selling some of its smaller networks, including Freeform and National Geographic to A+E Network. This deal will let Disney keep partial ownership of these networks as A+E Networks is already a joint effort between Disney and Hearst.

This sale would let Disney break free of the high costs of these networks and remove them from their books. At the same time, keeping the door open for any potential profits from these networks. This is very similar to what AT&T did by spinning off DIRECTV but still keeping a majority ownership.

A+E Networks is a 50/50 split between Disney and Hearst Communications. In the past A+E Networks was also owned by NBCUniversal, but they sold their share to Dinsey and Hearst in July of 2012. Hearst and Disney also share ownership of ESPN, with Hearst being a minority owner.

Excluding ESPN, Disney saw TV network revenue drop 9.1% in the 4th quarter of 2023. Cutting some unprofitable networks like Freeform could help Disney reduce these losses on its books.

News Shorts: Fireman Renewed For Season 16 On JimJam And e.tv, History Channel Unveils It's Early 2024 Lineup Across Africa And A Magical Love Story Takes Up Primetime On Star Life (Divya Drishti Cancelled)

Fireman Sam renewed for 16th season

New international distribution deals have also been secured for previous seasons of both shows, which are based on Mattel brands, with the greenlights and distribution deals part of a multi-year co-development, production, distribution and licensing agreement between Mattel and WildBrain.

Fireman Sam will return in a new 26 x 10-minute season, which is scheduled to begin delivery in spring 2024. The new season is currently in production at WildBrain’s Vancouver animation studio.

Showmax secured Fireman Sam for S11-15 plus Heroes of the Storm and Alien Alert specials with e.tv securing the first two seasons while JimJam a pay-tv channel only picked up one season to the program.

History unveils its January lineup

Brand New Episodes HISTORY’S GREATEST MYSTERIES WITH LAURENCE FISHBURNE S4

6 January 

Saturdays 20h15 

The second instalment of season 4 of History’s Greatest Mysteries With Laurence Fishburne, cont nues to examine the top theories surrounding the world’s most confounding unsolved mysteries. In these episodes Fishburne turns the microscope on what secrets Stonehenge might hold and another archaeological enigma, the ‘Nazca Lines’ which are 2,000-year-old geoglyphs in the Peruvian desert. Fishburne, together with top historians, authors, scient sts, and researchers, invest gates enigmas such as Cleopatra’s missing tomb and the lost gold of WWII. Repeat: Sundays 19h25

Brand New & Exclusive SECRETS IN THE ICE S3

16 January 

Tuesdays 19h25 

Secrets In The Ice S3 goes to the most remote, cold, and inhospitable places on the planet to reveal great mysteries that were once frozen in t me. Merging CGI re-creat ons, advanced scanning technology and scient fi c research, the series invest gates many curiosit es that have been lost for millennia, or never seen before. Secrets In The Ice explores how and why they ended up in the most desolate and distant corners of the planet, and contemplate what may st ll be concealed in the frozen depths. Repeat: Next Day 11h45

Brand New & Exclusive CURSE OF OAK ISLAND S11

26 January 

Fridays 20h15 

The hit series The Curse of Oak Island returns for season 11, with the Lagina brothers’ boldest plans yet to solve the 228-year-old treasure mystery. Cont nued dig eff orts take place within the infamous Money Pit, Lot 5 and beyond while stunning discoveries cont nue to be unearthed on Oak Island. Addit onally, the team’s research leads them to embark on a journey overseas that will off er new and shocking evidence that could fi nally connect the Knights Templar to the centuries long tale. Is this the year that marks the end of the world’s longest treasure hunt? Repeats: Mondays 12h35

Star Life cutting back on shows

Star Life is an international entertainment channel operated by Disney Star which is home to variety of English dubbed Bollywood series and movies. The channel currently offers 13 TV series which is somewhat around the range of its premium counterpart, StarPlus.

Last month, it was announced that Star Life would be rolling out its third supernatural drama Divya Drishti in place of Night Of Doom in its conflicted primetime schedule serving as one of the few 45 minute offerings on the channel as the latter is padded with 21 minute shows.

As seen through an updated EPG, the current rebroadcast of A Magical Love Story will also be airing at 23:00 once Night Of Doom ends on 13 November. Theoretically, it is believed that Divya Drishti could commence in 2024 perhaps in place of Mismatched.

Interesting to note, A Magical Love Story will be ending soon so maybe Mismatched moves to 23:00 as Divya Drishti takes up the 22:00 timeslot.

New Series Alert: Skerpioen Coming Soon To kykNET & Kie

kykNET & Kie, a general entertainment channel operated by M-Net on MultiChoice's DStv that is home to variety of made for TV films and series all of which are Afrikaans will be rolling out their next international drama in the coming weeks titled, Skerpioen (Akerp).

The series follows the struggle of two women who are fighting today with what happened in the past. The fight between two women will be on the screen in the series. Furthermore, the concepts of love, betrayal, and motherhood will lock the audience to the screens.

Skerpioen was broadcast on Star TV from December 11, 2020 to June 17, 2021 with a total of 26 episodes each with a two duration. Produced by Inter Medya, it starred Demet Akbağ, Evrim Alasya, Yusuf Çim, Bekir Aksoy, Taha Baran Özbek, Aslı Melisa Uzun and Müge Su Şahin.

It will rollout across Africa on kykNET & Kie from Mondays to Thursdays at 20:00 CAT replacing Verbode Liefde once it ends on 28 November with the new series to follow on 29 November.

The series broadcaster Star TV is home to various shows already viewed in South Africa on eExtra's Kuiertyd and kykNET including Droomvelore (Erkenci Kus), Die Vertroueling (Marasli), Deur Dik En Dun (Istanbullu Gelin) and Kind Van Die Noodlot (Kaderimin Yazildigi Gün).

Recap To The Year: Checkered Past, A Forgotten Chapter In Cartoon Network's History

Checkered Past is a weeknight programming block currently viewed on Cartoon Network. I regard it as the international counterpart of Boing and Boomerang as the block features classic series like Ed Edd'n Eddy, Johnny Bravo, The From Adventures Of Billy And Mandy and Samurai Jack.

Since its inception from last month, Warner Bros. Discovery hasn't spoken about duplicating the offering in other countries. Can't really say I'm surprised as this content has it's own channel and some parts of Europe don't really acknowledge this part of Cartoon Network.

But I on the other would have loved to see more variety on Cartoon Network with or without Checkered Past. I feel Warner Bros. Discovery in these regions are just modernising as children still watch television in these regions unlike the US where adults dominate TV.

Something I've seen in some parts of Europe would be restrictions to shows like Samurai Jack and The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy. While the main feed can still be seen airing these shows others have gone as far as banning them for depicting violence or horror.

But hey it's kind of weird how this entertainment can have its own channel in some of these regions and be catered to the same demographic as Cartoon Network. Instead of falling under Adult Swim as viewers to have viewed had grown overtime with some exploring other interests.

For those in the mood for 90s and early 00s Cartoon Network, there's always Boing and Boomerang but majority of content can be streamed these days on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video or Showmax in case you find yourself in a situation where you reside in a region without Max then always VPN.

Recap To Last Year: OUTtv Standalone Streaming Service Is On The Horizon In South Africa

Last year, it was reported that a standalone streamer for the OUTtv brand would be made available in South Africa. This comes after its expansion to the US, UK and Australia of course various details about the yet to be launched streamer has yet to be announced.

During the year, eMedia Investments rolled out OUTtv as one of their first pay-tv channels on Openview Ultra alongside FUSE, Zee Family and Star Select. After MultiChoice opted not to add the gay TV channel as a permanent addition further content was viewable on Showmax.

Similar to Paramount+ and Max, consumers are still awaiting details from OUTtv about the streamer's rollout in the region. With some theories over its delayed launch having to do with existing agreements with eMedia Investments and MultiChoice over their content.

Another theory that also came to mind was sustainability, Paramount+ hasn't been profitable even after rolling out in parts of Europe and Peacock which serves as another streamer opted for partnerships with various local broadcasters in order to stay afloat.

An OUTtv streaming service might not really be sustainable in South Africa considering that a majority of households or in eMedia's case low income struggle to access premium services like Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, BritBox, Showmax and Netflix.

If anything, OUTtv might look into getting local partnerships for the yet to be launched streamer. One of the theories that would come to mind would be another collaboration with eMedia Investments which would see several content from the channel stream under eVOD.

OUTtv exists as an add-on through Openview and a similar outcome might await eVOD. There's a portion of consumers that view content from this channel as "offensive" and others that might look to divest from the streamer should content from the brand get added to eVOD.