Afternoon all, Max Goldbart here looking back on quite a week. Lots to digest so the Insider has you covered. Read on.
As SVOD Race Heats Up in MENA Region, Dubai’s OSN Boss Talks Launching New Streamer (EXCLUSIVE)
15.03.2022 - 06:15 / variety.com
Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentProminent Dubai-based satellite pay-TV and streaming service Orbit Showtime Network (OSN) is launching OSN Plus, a new premium streaming service that replaces its streaming app and marks OSN’s full-fledged entry into the MENA region’s increasingly crowded SVOD landscape.The move comes after OSN in January re-upped its long-term exclusive partnership with HBO, and expanded its rapport with NBCU to include more premium content from Peacock and Sky Studios. The company also has new deals for premium shows in place with Endeavor Content and All3Media, supplementing existing partnerships with Paramount, Warner Media, Sony, Discovery, MGM and Lionsgate.However, OSN recently lost the SVOD leverage it had under its exclusive deal with Disney, which will be launching Disney Plus in the region this summer and has rescinded the SVOD aspect of that arrangement.
OSN Plus is being headed by Nick Forward, the former chief content officer at Australian streamer Stan. The rebranding is being spearheaded by OSN Group CEO Sangeeta Desai who stepped into the role in September 2021.Desai, a former global COO at Fremantle where she was key to building the company’s drama operation, spoke to Variety about her push to take OSN streaming to a new level.
Excerpts.The Plus strongly communicates to our viewers that we are available as a streaming service, anytime, anywhere, on any device. And importantly, at an accessible price point.
I think pay television in general, and certainly OSN with its satellite TV routes, is viewed as expensive and targeting an older demographic. With this [new service], we are very clearly speaking to a younger, youthful demographic.
The website popstar.one is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
dailyrecord.co.uk
31.03.2022 / 11:59
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou's Australia void unfilled as Socceroos legend admits no one compares
Tim Cahill insists Australia are suffering without Ange Postecoglou at the helm.
nme.com
30.03.2022 / 08:07
Pixies announce 2022 Australian and New Zealand leg of ‘Come On Pilgrim… It’s Surfer Rosa’ tour
Pixies have announced their return to Australia and New Zealand, taking to stages this December for their long-paused ‘Come On Pilgrim… It’s Surfer Rosa’ tour – get tickets here.It’ll be the band’s second time taking the run Down Under, after an attempt in 2020 was cut short by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They played four of the dates on that tour – two headliners in Melbourne, one in Auckland and a set at that year’s Golden Plains festival in regional Victoria – but were forced to cancel shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth.All three cities are featured on the new itinerary, which is set to kick off in Brisbane on December 2.
who.com.au
28.03.2022 / 08:07
Did that just happen? Will Smith hit Chris Rock on-stage at the Oscars
WATCH: Will Smith appears to punch Chris Rock at the OscarsDuring the 2022 Oscars, Will Smith walked up on stage and hit Chris Rock across the face before returning to his seat and yelling: "leave my wife's name out your f---ing mouth."In the American broadcast the language was muted just in time, based on footage shared by US publications such as Variety, but not here in Australia.The on-stage altercation came while Chris was presenting an award and made a joke at the expense of Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Chris made a joke about Jada appearing in a GI Jane sequel.The joke in question referred to the 1997 Demi Moore movie GI Jane, where the actress shaved her head.
deadline.com
23.03.2022 / 22:17
‘Moonzy & Moona’ Animation IP By Russian & Ukrainian Artists Saved With Western Deal
EXCLUSIVE: Producers Kenn Viselman (Teletubbies) and Brooklyn Weaver (Extant) have acquired all the rights for the western hemisphere of animated series Moonzy & Moona. This includes all mediums of the pre-existing IP which spans the rights to develop original films, series, books and merchandising.
variety.com
22.03.2022 / 17:07
‘Starstruck’ Creator Rose Matafeo Just Wants to See Women Enjoying Life Onscreen (and to Get ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary’ in the Criterion Collection)
Starstruck” in March 2020, Rose Matafeo found herself onstage at London’s “Magic Mike: Live” having a surreal, more than slightly panicked conversation with a gyrating Australian dancer.“As he was making me touch his chest, he was like, ‘So do you think you’re gonna go back? The flights are all being canceled!’” Matafeo, who’s from New Zealand, recalls with a laugh that rings with disbelief even two years later. “It was the weirdest experience.”After a lengthy delay, she still got to shoot the first season of “Starstruck” later that year — and, not for nothing, come out the other side with a new appreciation for “Magic Mike: Live” that would eventually make it into the second season, which drops Thursday on HBO Max.
ok.co.uk
22.03.2022 / 11:29
'Tired' Emily Andre on Peter's trip to Puerto Rico: 'I've got used to him being away'
Emily Andre has opened up on "holding the fort" at home with four children as her husband Peter hosts the Miss World final in Puerto Rico. Peter, 49, has spent weeks away from home after taking a trip to Australia to be reunited with his family and has since jetted to the Caribbean island for work.
newidea.com.au
20.03.2022 / 22:56
Vodka Cruiser launches new range of limited-edition Cruiser Magnums
Vodka Cruiser has long been Australia’s favourite ready-to-drink vodka beverage, with the colourful and flavourful drinks finding a permanent home in the esky at every house party.
starobserver.com.au
17.03.2022 / 11:39
Gay Miami Police Officer Pulled Gun On His Grindr Date For Stealing Wallet
A gay police sergeant from Miami, Florida, has claimed that he is being victimised by the Tallahassee, Florida Police Department for reporting being robbed on a Grindr date. According to the New Times, Sergeant Tommy Reyes pulled his gun on his Grindr date after the man allegedly stole Reyes’s wallet. “I was a victim and I have nothing to hide but I cannot comment on an open investigation. I was a victim of a crime, and Tallahassee PD victimized me again,” Reyes said.Reyes, explaining the situation, said, “I will stand strong and tell you my brothers and sisters that I was the victim of a crime, and I am once again being victimized by some of our own people.”The two arranged an anonymous or “anon” meeting in which you meet without showing your faces.
ok.co.uk
11.03.2022 / 17:31
Who is EastEnders’ star Dean Gaffney’s Russian model girlfriend 19 years his junior
Ex-EastEnders actor Dean Gaffney has found a new love interest - and she’s the same age as his twin daughters Chloe and Charlotte.The 44-year-old soap star became a grandad last year and vowed to stop dating women in their twenties. But according to a close pal, he’s getting cosy with a fresh-faced Russian model.The friend told The Sun: “She is absolutely gorgeous so it’s no surprise she has caught Dean’s eye.