Changing Pay TV Landscape Heralds OTT Growth in Latin America

Kilmarnock's pitch and the awful weather could lead to a change in Rangers' style of play admits Steven Gerrard.

Netflix and Spin Master Corp. are teaming for a new CG animated preschool series titled “Mighty Express.”

Justin Bieber collaborator Poo Bear, whose real name is Jason Boyd, has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Peermusic. The songwriter and producer is credited on such hits as Bieber’s “Where Are Ü Now,” “What Do You Mean?” and the remix of Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” featuring Daddy Yankee along with Usher’s “Caught Up,” “I Don’t Care” by Ed Sheeran and “10,000 Hours” by Dan + Shay, among some 500 million records sold worldwide. He was named to Variety‘s Hitmakers list in 2017.

Greta Thunberg is taking her mission to save the climate to TV.

ViacomCBS Networks International, the international arm of ViacomCBS, has announced that its free, ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV will launch in Latin America at the end of March, with the service expected to reach Brazil by the end of the year.

ViacomCBS Networks International, the international arm of ViacomCBS, said Monday that it would launch its free, advertising-supported streaming service Pluto TV in Latin America at the end of March as it continues to roll it out abroad.

By Dade Hayes

Smithsonian Channel takes US rights to ‘Tower of London’ docuseries

MIAMI — During his November 2019 concert in front of 45,000 fans in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia, J Balvin did something he never had before: He gave a political speech.“I understand the situation the youth in this country are going through,” said Balvin, speaking for over three minutes to the crowd at Atanasio Girardot Stadium. “If they’re marching, it’s because something is not right.”The show coincided with a week of national strikes in the country.

By Dade Hayes

Greta Gerwig, Ava DuVernay, Reese Witherspoon and more than 40 other women directors are urging the Directors Guild of America to change its policies for new and expectant parents.

Global distributors group Cisneros Media Distribution has announced two telenovelas to be made available on Amazon Prime Video for Latin America, “Amore Secreto” and “Gata Salvaje,” as well as three Mobius.Lab-produced titles, “Cursed Bloodlines,” “Mysterious Earth” and “Super Genios.”

MIAMI — In a big, bold affirmation of the value of movies in a new TV world, WarnerMedia’s Turner Latin America, one of Latin America’s biggest pay TV operators, is launching Particular Crowd,  a film production-acquisition company with a 90 English-language movie slate for 2020.

MIAMI — Televisa plans to launch a linear Univision-branded channel across Latin America later this year.

By Dade Hayes

Veteran talent buyer Dave Poe and Oakland-based music group Ineffable Music have partnered for a new joint venture called Patchwork Presents to book and promote shows across the country. Patchwork Presents will be led by Poe and has already entered into a deal to oversee talent buying duties for The Criterion in Oklahoma City, a state of the art 3,500-capacity venue.

MADRID  — Ahead of next week’s Natpe market in Miami, Beta, one of the biggest independent TV-film powerhouses in Europe, has confirmed a swathe of sales on its U.S. TV movie productions and high-end spin-off series “Gomorrah: The Immortal.”

MADRID  — Underscoring its ambitions to grow its Latin America business, Fremantle has named Manuel Martí, one of Latin America’s most cultured and respected TV executives, to the newly-created position of head of scripted development, Latin America.

Former Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov has delivered a bizarre interview aboard his own personal submarine, claiming he came close to buying Liverpool while at the Tynecastle helm.