Channel Closure: Comedy Central Family Will Stop Airing In Hungary On July 6th

Comedy Central Family is a general entertainment brand operated by Paramount Global and also a sister network to Comedy Central. It focused on humorous and family oriented shows such as See Dad Run, Mike & Molly, Young Sheldon and The Middle.

According to Hungarian website Media1, Comedy Central Family is set to end its run in Hungary from July 6th. This news comes after the channel had ceased operation in Poland and Dutch territories years prior making it the last feed to offer such brand. 

It is believed to be part of a strategic approach within Paramount Global as the closure was described as something beyond the pay-tv service's control. With further content from Comedy Central Family set to be integrated with Comedy Central. 

Consumption is said to have contributed to the decision to terminate Comedy Central Family similar to the likes of M-Net's Me and 1Magic on DStv. 

Earlier in the year, VH1 was shuttered in the remaining parts of Europe as the latter integrates with MTV and NickMusic. This was followed by a possible rebrand of the TeenNick channels to Nickelodeon Teen and an alignment of some MTV Base African feeds.

EarthxTV & Dailymotion To Rollout Sustainability Focused Network On Earth Day

EarthX will showcase EarthxTV’s most popular series such as Texas Gator Savers, The Story of Earth Day and EarthxNews and Dailymotion programming that celebrates Earth’s people, landscapes and wildlife.

The channel launches on Earth Day (April 22), free via Dailymotion.

The partners say that by combining curated offerings from EarthxTV’s library with diverse content spotlighting sustainability available on Dailymotion, the network will “inspire, educate, and empower viewers to become stewards of the environment.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Dailymotion to introduce EarthX, a channel that embodies our shared commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship,” said Dan Russell, President of EarthxTV. “Through this collaboration, we can amplify our reach and deliver impactful content that celebrates the majesty of our planet while highlighting the urgent need for conservation efforts.”

“We’re excited to welcome EarthX to the Dailymotion platform and align ourselves with a partner who is leading the video landscape with content that is driving awareness for conservation and sustainability while educating and inspiring audiences,” said Sean Black, SVP and General Manager for North America at Dailymotion. 

EarthxTV, which launched in 2023, is available on DirecTV, Charter’s Spectrum TV, Fubo, Philo and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC) in the U.S., Sky and Freeview in the UK, M7 in Europe and Total Play and Claro Video in Mexico. Vivendi-owned Dailymotion claims to attract an overall audience of 350 million worldwide.

Sibongile & The Dlaminis Surpasses 2 Million Live Viewership

Mzansi Wethu telenovela Sibongile & The Dlaminis has recorded viewership numbers of over 2.6 million, making it the most watched show on Mzansi Wethu.

The past month has seen an impressive average viewership of over 2 million, with the highest being  2,688,338 live viewers.

“This is a cause for celebration and a clear indication of the love and appreciation that our viewers have for Sibongile & The Dlaminis,” says Nomsa Philiso, CEO of General Entertainment. “What makes this telenovela so special is the combination of good scripting, casting and overall production, which makes it a pleasure to watch. Thank you very much to our Middle and Mass scripted team for this one and we hope that with Season 2 coming soon, we will see more growth in viewership numbers because there is still more to this story.”

Sibongile & The Dlaminis tells the story of Sibongile Mbambo (played by Luyanda Zwane), a young woman from the rural village of Ixopo in KwaZulu-Natal who becomes a domestic worker in the lavish mansion of the wealthy Dlamini family. Her journey to fulfilling her dreams of happiness, love, and success is met with challenges which include having to lie to her father, losing out on love, and missing the opportunity to rise above expectations that people have of her.

Other star cast members who make this a must-watch include Vuyo Biyela (Kwenzo), Siyabonga Shibe (Njengaye Dlamini) Ayanda Borotho (Phetheni Dlamini), and Slindile Nodangala (Deliwe Mbambo)

Sibongile & The Dlaminis has been renewed for season 2 and you can continue watching it on Monday-Wednesday at 18:30 on Mzansi Wethu DStv Channel 163 and you can also watch it on DStv Stream, anywhere. 

Development Alert: SPI International Expands With Digital Virgo in Key Regions (Including South Africa), FilmBox And Other Branded Channels Exit Turkey

SPI International, a CANAL+ company, has launched three dynamic channels — FilmBox Action, FilmBox Family, and FilmBox Middle East — in key regions, including South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, and Tunisia in partnership with Digital Virgo.

The FilmBox lineup will be accessible as part of the basic tier on platforms such as PLAYVOD, Veedz.TV, Unlimited Streaming, Moov TV, and MTTV.

“We’re thrilled to introduce FilmBox channels on Digital Virgo platforms in South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, and with Arabic subtitles in the Middle East. This expansion reflects our commitment to providing diverse, high-quality content that resonates with audiences globally. We believe these channels will further enhance the entertainment experience for viewers in these regions,” commented Georgina Twiss, MD Western Europe and Africa at SPI International.

“Digital Virgo remains committed to enhancing its value proposition to Telecom Operators through the provision of TV and VOD platforms that are ever richer in functionality and content. The renewed partnership with SPI International is part of this overall strategy,” added Vincent Taradel, CMO at Digital Virgo.

SPI International departs Turkey

During the week, SPI International had phased out its linear offering in Turkey as parent company Canal+ exits the market. With various channels under such as FilmBox (now Filmscreen), DocuBox (now Docuscreen) and FightBox (now Fightscreen) owned by Cosmoblue.

Most details pertaining to the content and graphics from each brand remain the same. We presume they could work closely with SPI International in terms of content allocation or they're slowly phasing that out.

Development Alert: Canal+ Acquires Additional Shares In MultiChoice

French broadcaster Groupe Canal+ has disclosed that it has bought even more shares in South Africa’s MultiChoice Group in recent days, taking its shareholding closer to the 50% mark.

In a regulatory filing with the JSE on Thursday, Canal+ disclosed that it bought millions more of the JSE-listed MultiChoice’s shares between 12 and 17 April. It acquired 3.65 million shares in that period, and has said it could buy more in the open market as it pursues its plan to acquire control of the parent company of DStv, Showmax and SuperSport.

According to the filing, Canal+ acquired the following shares in recent days:

• Friday, 12 April 2024: About 1.82 million shares in on/off-market transactions for an average consideration of R117.50/share;

• Monday, 15 April 2024: Some 810 000 shares in on/off-market transactions for an average consideration of R115.99/share;

• Tuesday, 16 April 2024: About 1.01 million shares in on/off-market transactions for an average consideration of R115.95/share; and

• Wednesday, 17 April 2024: Some 5 100 shares in on/off-market transactions for an average consideration of R116/share.

Following these share purchases, Canal+ holds 40.83% of the MultiChoice shares in issue.

“Save as may be prohibited under the Companies Act and the takeover regulations, Canal+ may acquire further MultiChoice shares after the date of this announcement while the offer [to MultiChoice shareholders] remains open…,” the French company said.

News of the additional share purchases comes 10 days after the two companies informed investors that they had agreed to work together on a mandatory offer that Canal+ must make to the MultiChoice shareholders. This was after Canal+ triggered a mandatory offer under South African rules by acquiring more than 35% of MultiChoice’s equity earlier this year.

Canal+ plans to offer MultiChoice shareholders R125/share in cash in exchange for their shares

The “cooperation agreement” will see the two broadcasting giants using “reasonable endeavours to cooperate in relation to the offer, including in relation to the fulfilment of the offer conditions and the publication of a combined offer circular”.

Canal+ is offering MultiChoice shareholders R125/share in cash in exchange for their shares.

If the deal hasn’t been consummated by 8 April 2025 – including securing the necessary regulatory approvals, which could still prove to be the biggest stumbling block to a transaction – then it could be terminated. This “long-stop date” can, however, be extended, with the concurrence of South Africa’s Takeover Regulation Panel, a financial regulator that is overseeing the mandatory offer.

Delisting

If the deal goes ahead, MultiChoice could be delisted from the JSE. If Canal+’s offer is accepted by shareholders with at least 90% of eligible MultiChoice shares, then the French firm has reserved the right to delist MultiChoice from the JSE. At the same time, though, Canal+ has said there is an opportunity, potentially, for South African investors to participate in its own proposed listing in Europe.