News Shorts: Moonbug Short PeaKeeBoo Gets Full Series Order At CAKE, Rebroadcast Of Zee World's I Do And My Heart Knows Release Dates, And Mzansi Magic Debuts Outlaws And Ekhaya

PeaKeeBoo breathe new life

London-based distributor CAKE has inked a deal with Toikido to develop an animated PeaKeeBoo series (TBD x five minutes). This new format will build on a package of 30 x one-minute shorts that Moonbug Entertainment is launching on its Moonbug Kids YouTube channel later this year. 

CAKE is in the early stages of development on its five-minute series treatment and hasn’t locked down an animation style yet. But it will resemble Moonbug’s CG/2D-animated shorts, although Moonbug is not involved in the long-form series. 

PeaKeeBoo centers around three friends (Pea, Kee and Boo) who love to play hide-and-seek and take in all the sounds and sights of nature. CAKE and Toikido have already tapped singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor (“Take Me Home”) to narrate the series. 

Zee World hits the snooze button

I Do follows a fun-loving girl named brought up in the USA enters Bhopal in search of her real father and stays with her foster sister's aunt who has a a son. They gradually fall in love, but his childhood friend Tanveer Baig creates obstacles for them.

My Heart Knows brings out the story about a young girl who loses her mother at a young age. It all started when her mother slipped on their balcony, and her then 18-year old father could not save her mother. Her father Atul is then arrested and grants custody to his ex-wife, Anupriya.

The rebroadcast of I Do launches 29 July replacing Zara's Nikah for the rest of Africa (excluding South Africa) while My Heart Knows replaces Second Chances in Southern Africa from 30 July. 

Mzansi Magic adds two shows 

Catch Ekhaya Backpackers, a comedy about the quirky Mthembu family turning their Soweto home into a guest house for backpackers to pay off their debt, stars Kwenzo Ngcobo, Abdul Khoza, Felix Hlophe, and Eve Rasimeni.

Meanwhile, Outlaws, is a drama series set along the Lesotho-KwaZulu-Natal border, featuring the feuding Biyela and Tseole families, starring Thembinkosi Mthembu, Lehlohonolo Mayeza, and Nirvana Nokwe-Mseleku.

Don’t miss Ekhaya Backpackers premiering on Mzansi Magic on September 16 at 20:00, followed by Outlaws on October 6 at 20:00.

Disbanding. Warner Bros. Discovery Looking To Disinvest Or Split Up Assets To Minimize Overflow Of Debt

Warner Bros Discovery has discussed a dramatic plan to split its digital streaming and studio businesses from its legacy television networks as the US media giant behind CNN and HBO weighs options for boosting its sagging share price.

People familiar with the matter said chief executive David Zaslav was examining several strategic options, ranging from selling assets to hiving off its Warner Bros movie studio and Max streaming service into a new company unburdened by most of the group’s current $39bn net debt load.

WBD, whose market capitalisation has fallen by a third to about $20bn in the past year, has yet to hire an investment bank to initiate any specific transaction, but its top management has been talking to advisers to find a solution in shareholders’ best interest, people briefed on the matter said.

WBD’s biggest backers include cable billionaire John Malone and the Newhouse family, which controls Condé Nast.

People close to WBD have also informally approached advisers to rival media groups to understand if they would be interested in exploring M&A options with some of its existing assets, one person said.

WBD reportedly considered earlier combinations with both Comcast’s NBCUniversal and Paramount, which has since agreed to sell itself David Ellison’s Skydance studio. Both have legacy television assets and subscale streaming platforms.

WBD declined to comment. People familiar with the matter said WBD could still ultimately decide to continue operating as it is currently structured.

A break-up appears to be the strongest option, these people said, and most of its debt could remain with the mature pay-TV networks business in such a scenario. That could help the faster-growing streaming spin-off achieve a higher valuation multiple, but one person familiar with the matter said WBD’s management was aware of the risk of crossing creditors.

Analysts at Bank of America have warned that such a split could have a “potentially devastating” impact on bondholders, and WBD rival Lionsgate recently faced a creditor revolt after separating its Starz pay-TV network. A person involved in the discussions noted that WBD’s debt was raised in a lenient environment with few covenants preventing such financial engineering.

The “strategic spin-off” idea under consideration would create a company made up of WBD’s legacy television assets, which have experienced a decline in revenues despite still generating most of its cash flow. Much of WBD’s heavy debt load would be housed in the TV group, leaving the faster-growing streaming and studio business with fewer borrowings and more flexibility to invest in growth.

The discussions reflect wider concerns about WBD, whose shares have fallen by about 70 per cent since AT&T spun off Warner Bros and it merged with Discovery two years ago. They have been hit by a cratering advertising market, the high costs of developing its streaming offering, the Covid-19 pandemic, Hollywood strikes and some expensive flops.

WBD has slashed costs and paid down debt, but in February the stock dropped 10 per cent after its chief financial officer said he could not give projections for free cash flow this year.

BofA analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich wrote this week that WBD’s “current composition as a consolidated public company is not working”. It should explore asset sales, restructuring and mergers, she argued, even as she acknowledged that the potential for a creditor backlash to a spin-off meant “the optics are not ideal”.

Could MultiChoice And Possible M-Net's Local Offering Be Under Siege?

As some readers are aware, Canal+ intends to merge their operations alongside MultiChoice which would create an African powerhouse. This would need approval from local legislation including the Competition Commission and ICASA.

Since then, there's been a lot of concern of the implications awaiting this deal should it move forward. Canal+ serving as the new owners of MultiChoice would likely decrease the workforce on top of minimizing production and licensing agreements. 

One of the endeavors that are said to be a subject on this matter is in regards to local IPs from M-Net this includes Mzansi Magic, SuperSport and Africa Magic. Even third party offering curated exclusively by the pay-tv company like Moja Love and ROK.

From what we've outlined through previous stories wherever there is a clash one of the two are likely to go. In Lago's case, the ROK Studios and TV channels could merge into M-Net's Africa Magic while Maisha Magic and ZACU TV could as well remain unaffected by this situation. 

But in SA's case, this is said to be somewhat worrisome as Canal+ broadcasting license is limited to 20%. What this means is that financially the French broadcaster's expenses for brands like Moja Love can't exceed that percentage which is where BEE comes in.

Whoever is going to join Canal+ on this bid will have to burden themselves to the responsibilities of these brands which is where the fear lies. Usually in cases of mergers and acquisitions of big corporations a lot of cost cutting measures are implemented. 

In this case, it can't be guaranteed that this anonymous partner will keep the local aspects of DStv intact for the years to come. This includes brands like eNCA, Moja Love and Newzroom Afrika that could get scrapped or budget reduced.

Taking a page of the StarSat handbook, there's been questions as to whether M-Net and SuperSport could fold under the entities of Canal+ Premiere and Canal+ Sport. Or if similar to Maisha Magic and ZACU TV these entities will mostly likely just co-exist. 

It's not really known what Canal+ and this local partner would manage but if we had guess. Canal+ would manage whatever is left of MultiChoice Africa like Zambezi Magic and Africa Magic while the other manages 80% of Mzansi Magic and SABC News - MultiChoice SA.  

TA-DAA. eExtra Loads Up On New Action Series In Net 20 Minute This August

More eVOD content is set to rollout in the coming months with Net 20 Minute from 28 August replacing Die Put once it ends. 

Net 20 Minutes follows Ali thrown into a world of action and intrigue when his beloved wife Melek is arrested for attempted murder. Ali must abandon his books, find inner strength and courage in order to free his wife and reclaim his family life. 

Set in Turkey, 20 Minutes was inspired by the 2010 American film The Next Three Days and starred Tuba Büyüküstün and İlker Aksum in leading roles. Star TV served as broadcaster when the series was broadcast in 2013. 

Since it's debut, the Emmy nominated series had been sold to 55 countries including Bahrain, Algeria, Djibouti, Morocco, Greece, Romania, Poland, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Qatar, Kuwait, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt, Mauritania, Somali, Sudan, Syria, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.

Ramo was originally set to replace Die Put once it ends but similar to Doodsondes their final seasons will be air in 2025. Aside from Net 20 Minute, eExtra will be offloading another series from eVOD, Pad Na Die Hart. 

The PFL Partners With CANAL+ To Broadcast Live MMA Action In French-Speaking Sub-Saharan Africa, Myanmar, And Haiti

The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, has announced a multi-year media rights agreement with CANAL+, the longest standing and market share leader in French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa, for French language rights. The partnership also includes Myanmar and Haiti where CANAL+ broadcasts several top sports competitions. 

CANAL+ will provide live localized programming, continuing across all PFL Global, PFL Europe, PFL MENA, Bellator Champions Series, PFL Super Fights, selected PFL and Bellator archives, and also PFL Africa which will launch in 2025 and will benefit from the prime exposure offered by Canal+ Sport channels in Sub-Saharan Africa, where CANAL+ will carry PFL action live with French commentary on linear channels to nearly 8 million homes.

The Professional Fighters League could not be more excited to partner with Canal+ bringing our brand to French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa. The PFL believes strongly in connecting with MMA fans in areas that have been traditionally underserved in the sport and doing so in their native languages. Canal+ is the sports media brand that lives in the hearts and minds of the French speaking population in Sub-Saharan Africa and is synonymous with premium sport.

James Frewin, Managing Director International, PFL

We are proud to bring PFL to our African subscribers. Fighting competitions, and MMA leagues in particular, attract ever larger audiences of fans among African audience. And we are all the more thrilled to partner with a dedicated PFL franchise in Africa and broadcast top fights with stars such as Francis Ngannou or Cedric Doumbe. This perfectly fits our strategy of promoting African sport on the continent and beyond.

Jacques du Puy, CEO, CANAL+ International

The 2024 PFL Global Season and Global Season Playoffs are available live across ESPN platforms in the U.S. and via DAZN in Canada, Europe and additional premium sports platforms internationally.

PFL is the only organization in MMA with the sports-season format, where individual fighters compete in a Regular Season, Playoffs, and Championship each year. The combined roster of PFL and Bellator boasts 30% of its fighters independently world-ranked in the top 25 of their respective weight-class. PFL has an expansive global vision for the sport and is building the “Champions League of MMA” with PFL Europe, PFL MENA, and more international leagues in development. PFL leads in technology and innovation, with its proprietary PFL SmartCage, powering fight analytics, real-time betting, AI scoring, and a next-generation viewing experience. PFL is available on ESPN/ESPN+ in the U.S., DAZN in Canada and Europe and broadcast and streamed in 160 countries with 20 premium media distribution partners.