Lionel Messi Inspired Animated Series Is Coming To Disney Channel And Disney+

A Lionel Messi-inspired animated series will soon premiere on Disney Channel after Disney Branded Television acquired Messi and the Giants from Sony Music Vision and Sony Pictures Television – Kids, Billboard has learned. 

The sci-fi animated show follows a 12-year-old boy named Leo, who is transported from his home in Argentina into an alternate universe. The series will demonstrate how the character faces adversity, builds a team, and discovers how to become a hero. 

“I always dreamed of being involved in a project that would share the values of sports, the very same values that have been so important to my career, with younger generations,” Messi expressed in a press release. “Nothing truly is impossible with teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and hard work. I look forward to sharing this series with kids around the world, and I hope I will inspire them and motivate them to achieve their own dreams. Ever since I was a kid, I always loved animated series, and I look forward to watching this series with my own kids.” 

Each episode of Messi and the Giants is 22-minutes long and will premiere on Disney Channel, followed by Disney Channel On Demand and globally on DIsney+, and will be available in English, Spanish and other languages.  

“Football — or soccer as we call it in the United States — is the world’s most beloved sport, uniting and captivating millions of fans of all ages,” noted Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We are proud to work with Lionel Messi and Sony Pictures Television to bring ‘Messi and the Giants’ to our passionate, global kids’ audience. We know that its themes of family, friendship, and teamwork will resonate with not only football enthusiasts but everyone everywhere who loves a great story.” 

“It’s been a privilege to team with Leo and our colleagues at Sony Music on this first-time collaboration,” Joe D’Ambrosia, EVP and general manager, Sony Pictures Television – Kids added. “We’re thrilled that Disney is giving a global platform to this fun take on a classic tale and look forward to launching a global consumer products and branded partnerships program alongside the show’s debut.” 

“There is an incredible team all working together on this project, with Leo’s magic as the inspiration behind it all,” said Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia. “We are thrilled that Disney has now joined our roster to help bring this imaginative series to audiences and inspire fans all around the world.” 

Heads Up! Disney Junior And National Geographic Wild Go Dark In France By January 2025 As Orange Secures Rights To The Disney Channel

The Disney Channel and National Geographic channels will survive in France through Orange boxes. Disney films will also be available 4 months after their theatrical release on Orange's VOD service. The historic operator unveils a reassuring distribution agreement with the American giant.

Following the divorce between Canal+ and Disney, Orange took advantage of the situation and announced, against all expectations, on December 20, a distribution agreement with The Walt Disney Company which strengthens access to Disney content in France and enriches the entertainment offering for Orange TV subscribers.

This partnership allows Livebox subscribers to fully access Disney content through three offers:

Included access for all TV customers to Disney's iconic channels : Disney Channel, the reference channel for young people, and National Geographic will be included from January 2, 2025 for all Orange TV customers, from their decoder and the Orange TV application on smartphones and a wide selection of connected TVs.

The possibility of subscribing to the Disney + streaming service under special conditions. Customers of the Orange Livebox Max offer benefit from a €5 discount for life by subscribing to Disney +, this offer has already been in place since last October. Other TV customers will benefit from a promotion with the first month free to discover the Disney + service. Orange subscribers will continue to be able to watch the platform's programs on their decoder.

Access to Disney films 4 months after their theatrical release on the Orange VOD service  : Orange will offer, through its transactional VOD offer, the latest cinema releases from the Disney group studios (Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures) via the Orange VOD service.

Hélène Etzi, President of The Walt Disney Company France, said, “  We are very pleased to partner with Orange to make our iconic content and stories accessible to as many households as possible,” or 12.4 million French people. It remains to be seen whether other operators such as Free, SFR and Bouygues Telecom will try to reach an agreement with Disney.

The article was originally published by Univers Freebox

Bloedspoor, An Emmy Awarded TV Series To Stream On eVOD In January 2025

eVOD, a South African based streaming service operated by eMedia Investments home to brands such as e.tv, eNCA and Openview had unveiled a new Turkish drama Bloedspoor. After being teased by sources earlier in the year, Bloedspoor (Yargi) will be debuting on the streaming service by January 2025.

The series unfolds love stories among lawyers and judges, adding a layer of emotion to the intense courtroom drama. The series starts when Ilgaz (Kaan Urgancıoğlu), a respected public prosecutor, and Ceylin (Pınar Deniz), a young attorney, cross paths due to a murder case, and are forced to work together in order to uncover the real culprit behind the event that caused irreversible changes in both of their lives.

Kaan Urgancıoğlu has made appearances in other shows such as Bittersoet which had been broadcast on eExtra while Pinar Deniz had been seen in The Red Room which was picked up by SABC 3. Other stars to join the new series include Uğur Polat, Uğur Aslan, Hüseyin Avni Danyal and Mehmet Yılmaz Ak.

Named the Best Telenovela at the 51st International Emmy Awards in New York City in 2023 filming for Bloedspoor wrapped up earlier in the year after three seasons. Ay Yapım that served as the production company for Bloedspoor offered Fenix, Voëlvry and Impak the latter which was licensed by eMedia Investments.

In other developments, Elif is set to conclude in February 2025 after its 5 year run on eExtra this would leave Blink Kant Bo as the only ongoing series as Annekan Die Swa Kry is set to conclude on e.tv in the coming months.

DStv's Linear Offering Reaches A Time Of Uncertainty

For those who have been following DStv's journey through the year would have noticed the lack of additions so far there was only 1Max which substituted 1Magic. Then followed by Arise News for Southern Africa with further expansions of La Liga to DStv Access with Nickelodeon on DStv Compact but was 2024 really the year of DStv???

MultiChoice removed about 12 channels from their platforms most of which were local and now with the company looking to complete it's takeover by Canal+ by April 2025. Former Telkom CEO, Sipho Maseko is also in talks to join the transaction either in a managerial position or a shareholder.

There's been a lot of fear for sometime about Canal+'s next steps should this deal moves ahead one of which includes existing agreements with Disney, BBC and Warner Bros. Discovery. In France, Canal+ has lost exclusivity to the Disney Channels as the content integrate with Disney+ in 2025.

Another Canal+ already offers it's ROK channels on DStv with, Marodi TV, Zacu Entertainment and France24 that reside in Africa. With this transaction, wouldn't they want to give these brands more exposure within the African market as seen with Africa Magic and Mzansi Magic.

Speaking of Africa Magic, ROK has been rivalling with the broadcaster since it's inception in 2016 and Akwaaba Magic when it launched in Ghana by 2021. What is to become of these entities once Canal+ claims the crowns of supposed rivals does ROK become an import of the two as seen with Magic Showcase.

If DStv's matters doesn't worsen, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast are shifting away from their cable networks and we're only left with questions about what could be left of Discovery Family. If TLC and Discovery have been serving as imports for the bulk of channels ranging from HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet and Food Network.

Then there's Telemundo, how is Comcast's upcoming spin-off going to retain the channel in Africa because the company has a history of discarding their cable networks e.g. Style Network. SpinCo has been the one calling the shots in Africa now this one will be not be affiliated with Comcast.

Comcast has NBC Studios, Universal Pictures, Telemundo Studios and DreamWorks Animation. From what I can recall, M-Net, SABC and eMedia Investments have been licensing select content for consumers in South Africa and this part has only been focused on these regional networks for  growth.

2025 could shape up one of DStv's most dramatic years as MultiChoice faces a lot of uncertainty not only with the arrivals of new owners but some corporate changes. It could be like analysts have said on various occasions MultiChoice will now unrecognizable in the coming years.

Canal+ Debuts On The London Stock Exchange Following Split From Vivendi

French pay TV giant Canal+, which is behind “Paddington” producer Studiocanal, has officially split from parent company Vivendi in time for its 40-year anniversary. Making its debut solo on the London stock exchange on Monday, Canal+ enlisted a homegrown executive, Amandine Ferré — who has been at the company for 15 years and was most recently based in China — to “cut the cord” and engineer the IPO.

Canal+ shares opened this morning at 290p and dropped by about 20% after noon local time, giving the banner an estimated valuation of £2.4 billion. Ferré, who is chief financial officer and a member of Canal+’s management board, tells Variety that the fluctuations were anticipated. “We know that in the first few weeks, our share price is going to be a little volatile,” she says. But the exec is forecasting Canal+’s “shares price volatility will calm down in January.”

Ferré previously spearheaded the French TV group’s acquisition of Chinese streamer Viu and flew back from China to Paris earlier this year after getting a call from Canal+ Group CEO and Vivendi board member Maxime Saada, whom she’s known from her early days working as a strategy consultant at Roland Berger. “You only do a listing once in a career, so I wasn’t going to turn it down!” she says. Ferré, 41, comes in with a deep knowledge of both Canal+ and the international market, having grown up in Africa and lived in India and China. “I’ve had nine jobs in 15 years — It gives me a good overview of what the group does,” she says, citing her experience at Dailymotion, the Canal+-owned online video sharing platform, as well as Canal+ Tech and Studiocanal.

The listing of Canal+ is part of Vivendi’s company-wide split project which also sees advertising group Havas and retail giant Louis Hachette Group listed separately in Amsterdam and Paris, respectively.

Ferré says the idea behind the split is to seek a higher valuation for Canal+ and better leverage the growth of these assets. “Before the split, Vivendi was suffering from a so-called conglomerate discount,” she says. “It is our belief that the sum of the value of each entity in the Vivendi group, i.e. Havas, Canal+, Louis Hachette and all the other shareholdings was largely undervalued when compared to the actual value of Vivendi shares.”

It’s not the first time Vivendi has done this maneuver on high-profile assets. In September 2021, Vivendi scored a major coup by listing Universal Music Group, the music powerhouse whose talent roster includes Taylor Swift and Drake, in Amsterdam, and saw UMG’s shares skyrocket by 39% to reach a valuation of nearly $53 billion. Under the leadership of Canal+ Group’s supervisory board chairman Yannick Bollore, the spinoff plan is also meant to drive growth and synergy opportunities with Canal+’s subsidiaries overseas, including MultiChoice in Africa, Viaplay in Scandinavia and Viu in South-East Asia.

“The listing will enable us to use our stock as currency. We’ve already acquired shares in a number of companies and in the future, we may exchange shares. It opens up opportunities that we didn’t have before,” Ferré says.