MTV Entertainment Studios, Showtime Teams Merge With 4 Execs Departing as Consolidation Looms

The streamers, led by Netflix, moved into the non-scripted entertainment space in a serious way about five years.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief A court in Seoul on Friday blocked a proposed move to issue new shares in K-pop talent agency SM Entertainment to Korean tech giant Kakao Corp. and its Kakao Entertainment subsidiary. An injunction was sought by Lee Soo-man, one of the pioneers of the Korean contemporary music industry, but who is recently at the center of a storm of controversy. Lee, who has fallen out with his company’s current management team, announced at the beginning of February his plans to sell a 14.8% stake in SM to HYBE Corp., the firm behind hit group BTS and a rival to SM. It then emerged that SM’s management was proposing to issue new shares to the Kakao pair, giving them a 9.05% holding, and sign an exclusive distribution contract. The share stake would make Kakao the second biggest shareholder in the firm after HYBE and dilute its influence.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Fox has named John Hesling its new head of Alternative Entertainment, the broadcast network’s in-house unscripted studio. Responsible for overseeing the development and production of all unscripted series owned by Fox Entertainment (FAE), as well as programs FAE produces for third-party buyers in the U.S. and abroad, Hesling will be based in Los Angeles and report to Allison Wallach, president of unscripted programming at Fox Entertainment. “I am so excited for John to join FAE and lead the incredible team we have assembled,” Wallach said. “His creative vision and vast experience as both a producer and an executive working on a global scale will be key to our strategy of building FAE as a leading provider of innovative series and formats for Fox and third-party platforms throughout the world.”

Angelique Jackson Amazon Studios has picked up the rights to “Daring to Live,” produced by DeVon Franklin’s (“Breakthrough”) Franklin Entertainment. Previously set up at Paramount Players, the project is now in development at Amazon Studios. The film is inspired by Sheri Hunter’s 2020 memoir “Daring to Live: How the Power of Sisterhood and Taking Risks Can Jump-Start Your Joy.” It follows Hunter’s journey of “embracing life anew” after the sudden loss of her husband, thanks to the support of her group of friends — Angenette Frink, Mia Lewis and Brenda Jegede, collectively known as the “Dare Divas” — who encourage her to step outside her comfort zone.

Shirley Halperin Executive Editor, Music Veteran music publicists Luke Burland and Bobbie Gale are teaming up to form a new firm, 2b Entertainment. The two share more than 30 years experience working with artists, music companies and brands. Both previously served in senior media relations positions at Warner Bros. Records (now known as Warner Records) and as in-demand indies — Burland, most recently at BB Gun Press (founded by Brian Bumbery, currently a top communications executive at Apple Music); Gale at her own MixedMediaWorks. Based in Los Angeles, 2b Entertainment’s client roster includes Jojo Siwa, Danny Elfman, Mike Dean, Holly Humberstone, Josh Groban, Julian Casablancas, Justin Tranter, Maggie Lindemann, Meghan Trainor, My Chemical Romance, OK Go, Shania Twain and Steve Earle, among other artists. Corporate accounts run across entertainment, lifestyle and fashion, representing such brands as CITI, +1 Records, Laylo, Dad Grass, Muserk and Cosm. (See the full roster here.)

K-pop agency SM Entertainment has previewed its upcoming music release plans for the first half of 2023.On February 20, SM uploaded a report of its earnings for the fourth quarter of 2022 to its official website for investors. In the new report, SM also shared the line-up of comebacks it has scheduled for the first half of 2023.According to the report, April will see the release of Girls’ Generation leader and soloist Taeyeon’s fifth mini-album, the debut of a new NCT sub-unit with their first mini-album as well as girl group aespa’s first-ever full-length album.Meanwhile, veteran boyband SHINee are scheduled to make a comeback with their eighth studio album in May, marking their first group release since their seventh repackaged  album ‘Atlantis’ in April 2021.

Naman Ramachandran Singapore-based film marketing and distribution firm Continental Entertainment Pte. Ltd. (CEPL), which holds global distribution rights for Bangladeshi auteur Mostofa Sarwar Farooki’s “Saturday Afternoon,” will release the film in the U.S. and Canada through Reliance Entertainment. The Bengali-and-English-language film takes its cue from the brutal terrorist attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka in 2016, which took place on a quiet Saturday afternoon and left more than 20 people dead. It had considerable festival play, winning awards at Fukuoka, Moscow and Vesoul. The film was initially banned and had finally been cleared for release in January after a four year struggle with the Bangladesh Film Censor Board. However Bangladesh’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting appears to have taken a U turn and the situation remains fluid. Consequently, the film will open in the U.S. and Canada on March 10 before its Bangladesh release. It will also be released in other countries in subsequent months.

A warrant for Connor N. Smith, a former cast member of MTV's dating show "Are You The One?" has been issued in Lake County, Illinois.  The 32-year-old man is wanted on three felony charges, including grooming, disseminating harmful material and traveling to meet a minor. In a media release from the Lake County Sheriff's Department, Smith is described as having corresponded with a female undercover detective who was pretending to be under the age of 15.

EXCLUSIVE: CNBC has ordered a new true-crime docuseries from Law & Order creator Dick Wolf.

Connor Smith is wanted by authorities after fleeing a police setup.

Emily Longeretta Some of the biggest stars from “The Challenge” universe are coming together for the franchise’s first global tournament. “The Challenge: World Championship,” set to premiere on Paramount+ with two back-to-back episodes on March 8, will pair a “Challenge” legend — described as “a notable veteran from previous seasons of the MTV series” — with a global MVP. The MVPs include winners and top competitors from “The Challenge: USA,” The Challenge: Australia,” “The Challenge: Argentina” and “The Challenge: UK.” Each pair will work together to win a $500,000 prize. The cast includes previous stars of “Survivor,” “Love Island” and Bachelor Nation.

BreAnna Bell Sony Pictures Television’s nonfiction group is expanding. Eli Holzman, Sony’s President of Nonfiction Entertainment and co-president Aaron Saidman have revealed Gena McCarthy’s Unconventional Entertainment has signed an overall deal with SPT. As part of the agreement, Unconventional will develop, sell, and produce original formats in core genres including relationships, home, food, survival, Americana, competition, and crime, with SPT providing all associated production services. Known for her extensive resume which includes several long-running franchises like “Married at First Sight” and “Project Runway,” McCarthy has held senior positions at Discovery, TLC, We TV, Lifetime, and FYI.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has closed a non-exclusive broadcast direct deal with Fox Entertainment, the network announced Tuesday.Under the deal, the Emmy and Grammy Award-winning producer, director, actor and rapper will develop scripted dramas, live-action comedies and animated series through his production company G-Unit Film & Television, Fox Entertainment president of Scripted Programming Michael Thorn said. After rising to hip-hop royalty status, Jackson delved into filmed entertainment by launching G-Unit Film & Television in 2005, which produced Starz’s “Power,” in which Jackson served as a co-star, executive producer and director.

Sony Pictures Television is adding to its roster of non-scripted production companies.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer That didn’t take long at all: Just after revealing that Showtime co-presidents Jana Winograde and Gary Levine are stepping down from their current roles, with Winograde exiting entirely and Levine moving into an advisory position, parent company Paramount Global has revealed that the remaining Showtime team will be merging with sister brand MTV Entertainment Studios. Within the combined entity — created as Showtime’s linear and streaming platforms are being integrated into Paramount+ and rebranded to Paramount+ With Showtime — a new leadership structure has been set by Paramount’s president and CEO of streaming Tom Ryan and president and CEO of Showtime and Paramount Media Networks Chris McCarthy.

The full extent of the changes at Showtime have started to emerge as the premium cable network has set its new leadership team under Nina L. Diaz with more executives leaving following the corporate restructure.

rebranding and integration with Paramount+ later this year.As co-presidents, both Levine and Winograde were responsible for developing and supervising all aspects of Showtime Networks programming across all genres, including comedy, drama, unscripted,documentaries and films. The latter exec was also in charge of the company’s production, program operations, business affairs, casting, scheduling, research and home entertainment, operating as liaison to ViacomCBS Global Distribution.

You’re welcome! Nikki DeLoach is aware of the demand for an Awkward reunion movie — and fans aren’t the only ones pushing to make it happen.

A television series based on the critically acclaimed comic book series Wytches is headed to Prime Video. The streaming platform has ordered an animated series adaptation of Scott Snyder and Jock’s comic books, from Plan B Entertainment, Project 51 Productions, and Amazon Studios. Wytches will premiere on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.  

Netflix has given a series order to The Madness, a conspiracy thriller starring Emmy winner Colman Domingo. The eight-episode limited series hails from Chernin Entertainment via its first-look deal with Netflix, creator and co-showrunner Stephen Belber (O.G., The Laramie Project) and co-showrunner VJ Boyd (Justified, S.W.A.T.)