Byron Allen Looking To Make MTV, Nickelodeon And Comedy Central "Cost Efficient", How Does This Impact Paramount Global's Linear Channels?

Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global were reportedly in talks for a potential merger. Fast forward to the present, Shari Redstone is looking to sell her shares at Amusement Park with Skydance that has collaborated with the company on various films making their bid with Byron Allen topping them.

As reported sometime ago, Allen Media Group made a proposal to acquire Paramount Global for $30 billion (R562 billion) part of which helps them cover up pending debts. Should this deal move forward, they would keep TV channels and the Paramount+ streaming service intact while selling off film studios and other intellectual properties.

The impact on TV channels in the United States

Byron Allen, the founder of Allen Media Group is looking to make these brands cost effective. Selling off "film studios and other intellectual properties" is another way to minimise expenses. It's not really known whether Allen will look to retaining various content from Nickelodeon and MTV.

Similar to CW, it's likely that we'll be seeing Nickelodeon and MTV relying more on third party content and possibly distributing even lesser originals. As mentioned, he was looking to run them on a more "cost-efficient basis". Nickelodeon has garnered popularity for shows like SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House, MTV on the other features shows like Teen Mom and Ridiculousness.

The impact on TV channels on a wider spectrum

With Nickelodeon and MTV getting less content, Paramount will likely look into closing channels across the country. This was likely implied when they mentioned selling off "film studios and other intellectual properties" I mean the company in question doesn't have much international presence.

There's always chances that they could retain a portion of channels such as Comedy Central and BET while secondary networks like Nicktoons and MTV Base cease to exist as they won't be much content to supplement the existing line-up of channels.

But then again Sony once offered linear services across the country before closing down most feeds while a few such as the UK were put under different management. Disney had been reducing the carbon footprint for Disney Channel while it continues to operate in the United States.

The future of SpongeBob SquarePants and Ridiculousness

As mentioned, Allen is looking to sell their film studios and it's possible that they could retain the more relevant brands such as Nickelodeon Animation Studios and sell majority of Paramount Pictures. There's been various companies that had their eye on their studios such as Netflix, Skydance, Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney perhaps one of them could look into acquiring.

As for the content in general, Paramount's remaining offering could be licenced to various local broadcasters I mean should these channels not have much of a presence globally.

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.

New Series Alert: Devoted Daughter Coming Soon To Zee One

Zee One, a Bollywood channel operated by Zee Entertainment Enterprises that distributes various English dubbed series and films from India is reported to be rolling out for the second new series for the year, Devoted Daughter (Ghar Ek Mandir - Kripa Agrasen Maharaj Ki).

It revolves around Genda, who is an ardent devotee of Agrasen Maharaj and belongs to a low-income family. She is married into a business family and faces a huge loss in their business after marriage. Meanwhile, Genda’s husband also suffers from epilepsy.

Produced under the banner Zee Studio, it premiered through &TV on 10 August 2021 and 139 episodes are reported to have been filmed soon so far. It starred Shrenu Parikh as Genda Agarwal, Akshay Mhatre as Varun Agarwal and Sameer Dharmadhikari as Agrasen Maharaj.

As reported through various media outlets, Devoted Wife will be making its freemium debut on Zee One after launching on Zee Family sometime in 2023.

Aside from Devoted Daughter, & TV had produced a number of productions to have been aired in Africa. That includes Begusarai, The Heir, Perfect Pati, Razia Sultan and Gangaa all of which are made available to Zee World and Zee One with Dayan, Destructive Beauty on eExtra.

New Series Alert: Get Ready For A Rollercoaster Of Laughter With CN Challengers Go!

Straight from the heart of South Africa, Cartoon Network Africa's newest YouTube series, CN Challengers Go!, is bound to keep you entertained at any time of the day! Hosted by the laugh-out-loud dynamic duo of Ryan and Wilsy, each episode unfolds with the spin of the challenge wheel unveiling their next crazy mission. From unexpected and fun activities like bagpipe-playing antics and rocket launches to testing fans' Cartoon Network knowledge and the suspenseful 'doughnut lottery,' where mustard may replace custard for one lucky (or unlucky) participant – expect nothing less than a whirlwind of weird, wacky, and wild moments. 

 

Ana González, Editorial Lead Southern Europe and Africa, Warner Bros. Discovery, shares her excitement, "CN Challengers Go! is a fresh take for our brand, and we're confident it'll be a smash hit with kids across the continent. We're thrilled to bring a South African-produced show with new local talent and fun  challenges to our audience." 

 

Crafted by South African filmmaker and content creator Howard James Fyvie, CN Challengers Go! is led by two dynamic local hosts. They will take turns spinning the crazy CN Challengers Go! Wheel and tackle three to four challenges every episode. Ryan Dube, a 15-year-old student from Brooklyn, Cape Town, brings his academic prowess and passion for acting, filming, and presenting to his breakout role. Wilsy Kituku, also known as 'Where's Wilsy,' is a 20-year-old creative and social media performer who effortlessly combines his love for comedy with the rhythmic beats of hip-hop music, injects his optimistic outlook and love for film, animation, and comedy into the mix.  

 

“Wilsy and Ryan had briefly met before and hit it off immediately during the auditions, becoming friends during the casting. You can see this great older brother and younger brother synergy between them on screen. They're hilarious,” reveals Howard.  

The first episode of this exciting new series is set to premiere on the @CartoonNetworkAfrica YouTube channel on Friday, 9 February, with a new instalment released every other week after that. González emphasises, "This series is all about bringing the fun directly to your screens – it's local, it's big, it's bold, and it perfectly embodies the spirit of our channel: laughter, adventure, energy, and a touch of wackiness!" 

Channel Termination: One Freestate Televisual And NWTV No Longer Available On DStv

One Freestate Televisual was a community channel based in Bloemfontein embracing the culture of the Free State while NWTV catered for the North West and Southern Africa. Both channels featured a variety of programs ranging from news, reality shows and drama series.

As seen this past week, MultiChoice has opted to discontinue carriage of One Freestate Televisual (channel 264) and NWTV (channel 266) after residing on the platform for less than 3 months. Both channels had shared different statements regarding their removal.

Statement from NWTV

Good day, NWTV viewers and supporters.

It is with sadness that we announce that DStv/Multichoice has opted to switch NWTV off. We thank you for your support, and we're honoured to have served you for this short time.

Basically, producers and other crew members will be left unemployed and MultiChoice doesn't mention what will happen to existing local content viewed on NWTV. If we had to guess, the latter might surface on existing community channels particularly Soweto TV as seen with Faith Cooking.

Statement from One Freestate Televisual

According to One Freestate Televisual, they're currently having a carriage dispute with MultiChoice. They hope to resolve the matter and return to the platform soon but as of right now the channel can only be found on StarSat.

One Freestate Televisual and NWTV closures comes a few days after B4U Movies had left the platform following its troubleshooting issues last year. This would be the third and fourth TV channel to have exited the platform in under a month with Emmanuel TV being the first.

MultiChoice doesn't outline a reason for the sudden closures of NWTV or One Freestate Televisual. Prior to this, MultiChoice had planned to axe two other channels from their platforms, 1Magic and Me.