BBC Studios’ Achieves Record Performance Across Africa And The Greater EMEA Regions

BBC Studios has unveiled record-breaking performance for its linear channel business today, with standout growth in Africa alongside remarkable results across EMEA.

 

In Africa, BBC Studios' linear portfolio on DStv, including BBC Lifestyle, BBC Brit, BBC UKTV, BBC Earth, and BBC News, has expanded its reach by +14% in 2024. This growth marks the highest-ever performance for CBeebies and BBC UKTV, while BBC Lifestyle achieved its best results since 2017. Additionally, BBC Primetime, a bespoke two-hour content block on SABC3, has increased its reach by an impressive 24% compared to the same period last year.

 

The success in Africa complements achievements across other regions:

 

• Netherlands: BBC First, BBC Studios’ premium drama channel in the Netherlands, has gone from strength to strength, with 2024 topping 2023 as its biggest year since launching in 2015. The channel has delivered a 2.3% 4+ market share to date in 2024, up +16% from last year.

• Poland: BBC Studios channel portfolio (BBC Earth, BBC Brit, BBC First, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies) is also on track to deliver its highest share in 2024 (0.82%, 4+) since the portfolio launched in 2015, with BBC Earth and BBC First delivering the highest annual share ever in 2024.

• Nordics: BBC Nordic, BBC Studios multi-genre linear channel available in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, has ranked as the biggest international channel in its competitive set in Norway in October and November. In November, the channel delivered the highest share since launch (1.2%, 4+), and the channel has seen a +53% increase in Share in 2024 compared to 2023, when it launched.

 

Arran Tindall, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP, EMEA Key Markets, commented, “2024 has been a record year for our channels business in EMEA. We have seen incredible numbers across our whole channel portfolio in the Netherlands, Poland, Africa and the Nordics, and I am extremely proud of the growth we have seen this year. This success is a testament to BBC Studios’ extensive breadth of high-quality content and the careful curation by our teams to deliver engaging schedules that resonate with local tastes and audiences in each of our markets.”

Important Notice: ROK Can Also Be Seen On DStv Family And Access Packages In South Africa Alongside WildEarth On Easyview

MultiChoice has silently added the ROK channel to DStv Access customers after being made exclusive to Compact customers. The channel is owned by ROK Studios that serves as a division of Canal+ who is currently looking to acquire MultiChoice ahead of their split from Vivendi in the coming weeks and only time can tell what awaits Africa Magic.

ROK has become a profilic producer of original content with shows like Festac Town, Khutam, Banks Chronicles and Bloodline alongside Nollywood films like Man Pikin and Strings Of Love. Considering Africa Magic Family is viewable on Access in other African markets we can only assume ROK holds that position in South Africa.

Maybe it won't be over and out for the channel just yet it could as well be restructured into some repeats channel for imports from Africa Magic.

Another development comes from the Easyview package as WildEarth also forms part of their package after being exclusive from Access to Premium consumers. Some tabloids even marked WildEarth as a "new channel" when in reality it only counts if you're an Easyview consumer while others its seen as a relaunch.

Easyview consumers had already lost 4 channels within the year including People's Planet, NWTV, One Freestate Televisual and Emmanuel TV. If anything, WildEarth could as well be interpreted as a replacement to People's Planet as the channel in question had already been distributing content from WildEarth.

This would leave the higher paying consumers being Compact to the full library of children's shows as MultiChoice added Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. to their lineup. According to a statement, the launch on DStv Compact is there to help commemorate SpongeBob Squarepants' 25th anniversary. 

NES: The New Zealand Story + Oopi's Quest + Parasol Stars: The Story Of Bubble Bobble III + Power Blade + Nalleland

The New Zealand Story

The player controls Tiki, a kiwi who must save his girlfriend Phee Phee and several of his other kiwi chick friends who have been kidnapped by a large blue leopard seal.

Oopi's Quest

Oopi has crash landed on an unknown planet. It's up to you to guide Oopie through the different areas collecting nuts to fix his ship.

Parasol Stars: The Story Of Bubble Bobble III

Players follow the adventures of two dragon brothers, Bubby and Bobby, who have now taken on their human forms. Some fans may recall that the two protagonists regained their human forms at the end of Bubble Bobble. Now, they embark on a mission to save their neighboring planets from an evil menace. Instead of shooting bubbles, they are now armed with colorful parasols with magical powers. These parasols are also used to shield against enemy projectiles, stun enemies or just line them up and throw one into the mix for even bigger highscores.

Power Blade 

After years of fighting that took millions of casualties, Earth is recovering from revolts in the 22nd century. In 2191, New Earth has a Master Computer that holds a secret database of the colony-planet's functioning. In wrong hands, the database could prove fatal to the whole planet. 

Nalleland

Nalleland is a short platformer about a bear on an adventure. This bear is equipped with a versatile tool: an enchanted pin. It can be thrown into the terrain and bounced on, thrown at monsters to pin them in place, and more!

For more downloads: click here

TLNovelas To Debut Long-Awaited Series "A Shelter For Love" In 2025 Across Africa Alongside A Rebroadcast Of "Road To Destiny"

A few years ago, TLNovelas was slated to air A Shelter For Love known in Mexico as Un Refugio Para El Amor for consumers in Africa before it was removed from its release schedule. Now the channel is set to be revisiting the 2010 era in 2025 with the launches of the series alongside a rebroadcast of Road To Destiny.

Based on the Venezuelan telenovela La Zulianita, A Shelter For Love follows Luciana, a joyful and beautiful girl, manages to evade the clutches of Don Aquiles, an evil man, after the death of her father in order to save herself from his sexual harassment. She meets a handsome guy named Rodrigo who holds a reputation as a lady-killer.

Zuria Vega and Gabriel Soto star as the main protagonists, while Laura Flores, Jessica Coch, Humberto Elizondo and Frances Ondiviela star as the main antagonists.

Road To Destiny follows Luisa Fernanda Pérez, a beautiful, 18-year-old student, has two passions: mastering the violin and gardening, a skill she learned from her father, Pedro, the former groundskeeper of the wealthy Altamirano family's estate. A chance encounter with destiny alters her life after she is injured in a car accident caused by Luis (her biological father).

Based on the Mexican telenovela La Hija Del Jardinero, The series stars Paulina Goto and Horacio Pancheri as the main protagonists with Ana Patricia Rojo, René Strickler and Lisette Morelos as the main antagonists.

Canal+ Is Set To Become A Standalone Company After Shareholders Of Its Parent, Vivendi, Overwhelmingly Approved A Spinoff Plan

More than 97.5% voted to separate Canal+, ad business Havas and publisher Louis Hachette Group. They will begin trading on the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Growth Paris, respectively, on December 16. About 72% of Vivendi shareholders were present at the vote.

Canal+ is known for its European pay-TV operations and is also the owner of Paddington in Peru‘s Studiocanal. It has been aggressively investing in international streamer Viu and Africa’s MultiChoice, and can now look forward to a more independent future, albeit still within the Vivendi group.

“We are delighted with the very high adoption rate of our spinoff project,” said Vivendi chairman Yannick Bolloré, whose family has led the demerger plan. “This indisputable result confirms this strong support of our shareholders for this transformative transaction.

“The Supervisory Board would like to warmly thank Arnaud de Puyfontaine and the whole Management Board, all the teams involved in this project, our different advisors and our shareholders for their trust. We are convinced that this new chapter for Canal+, Havas and Louis Hachette Group will be very promising and create value for all stakeholders.” 

Vivendi’s board gave the split the go-ahead a month ago, as part of a move to tighten finances and give its verticals more flexibility. Despite floating on the London Stock Exchange, Canal+ will remain incorporated and taxed in France, and will not be required to follow mandatory stock market regulations on public offers in either its home country or the UK.

The initial spinoff plan was to leave Canal+ with virtually no debt, but it is set to begin trading with debt of €400 million ($433 million), of which about €225M will be related to the company’s investment in African content giant MultiChoice, as revealed last month. Former Paramount Global CEO Bob Bakish will take a spot on the Canal+ board next week once trading begins.

Canal+ launched in 1984 and was acquired by Vivendi 16 years later as part of a transaction that saw it grouped with Universal. Vivendi sold its Universal assets to General Electric, which formed NBCUniversal by merging the production biz with broadcaster NBC.

JP Morgan estimates Canal+ to be worth €6 billion ($6.3 billion).