Global TV, Film & Media Industry News Roundup, Thursday 26 June 2025
Streaming giants shift strategy; Netflix board changes; Amazon targets India; Spotify takes on YouTube; Liman directs The Stand; Blue Ant merges with Boat Rocker; Laika, Feig, and Bookish rise.
Today’s Highlights:
Cable’s Collapse at Major Studios – Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal and Paramount are dismantling their cable operations amid layoffs and strategic pivots to streaming-first models.
Netflix Board Overhaul – Despite a shareholder vote to remove him, Jay Hoag has been retained on Netflix’s board, while Airbnb CFO Ellie Mertz joins, and former CMO Leslie Kilgore shifts to a new role.
Amazon’s Dual Strategy in India – Amazon outlines a twin-platform approach via Prime Video and MX Player to cover both premium and ad-supported audiences in the competitive Indian market.
Spotify Expands Video Ambitions – A leaked deck reveals Spotify is actively courting YouTube creators for its video platform, offering ad and subscription revenue without exclusivity.
Blue Ant’s Reverse Takeover of Boat Rocker – A major Canadian media merger nears completion, combining two major entities following regulatory and shareholder approvals.
Bookish Sells Globally Ahead of Premiere – Eagle Eye Drama’s literary-themed crime drama secures key international deals and a renewal ahead of its UKTV premiere.
Doug Liman to Direct Stephen King’s The Stand – Paramount taps Liman for a feature adaptation of the post-apocalyptic epic, planned as a standalone film.
Laika’s Return with ‘Wildwood’ – Laika is staging a comeback after Missing Link and pandemic delays, while founder Travis Knight directs Masters of the Universe for Amazon MGM.
Paul Feig to Receive SXSW Sydney Award – The director will be honoured with the inaugural Screen Pioneer Award and present a keynote at SXSW Sydney 2025.
Grierson DocLab Reveals 2025 Cohort – Twelve new creatives join the UK’s prestigious factual TV training scheme, backed by National Geographic and Banijay UK.
Plus: Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals, Renewals & Jobs with UKTV, Amazon MGM, Netflix, Sony, Disney, Paramount & BBC in London. Melbourne & LA.
Our subscribers receive one clear, concise daily bulletin that distils the latest global TV, film, and media headlines, deals, exec moves, and job listings.
Our subscribers include executives from:
Streamers: Netflix, Apple, Viaplay, SkyShowTime, Amazon Prime, Marquee TV, Paramount Television International, MTV Entertainment Group, BET, Cineverse.
Broadcasters: NBC Universal, France Televisions, Sky, ABC, Channel 4, ITV, A+E Networks, CBC, TV2, SVT, ARTE, RTBF, SBS Play, TCL FFalcon, RTL, TVNZ, SRF, Kanal D, UKTV, Ceská Televize, FOX.
Producers: Fifth Season, Sony Pictures Television, Banijay, Fremantle, Endemol Shine, Gaumont, Pathé, Warner Bros Television Productions, Universal Pictures International Australasia, UFA Fiction, Vivendi, Entertainment One, BBC Studios, Warner Bros Discovery, Talpa Studios, Keshet, Tiger Aspect, Wild Bunch TV, Red Planet Pictures, Go Quest Media, Eureka Productions, The Ink Factory, Nordisk Film, Reel One Entertainment, Bunya Productions, Beach House Pictures, Beyond, The Global Agency, Esha Bargate Productions, blue Entertainment, Paper Plane Productions, Paprika Studios, Playmaker, Off the Fence, Goalpost Pictures, Spin Master, Stand By Me, Halcyon Studios, DPG Media, Envision, Rive Gauche, Blue Ant Media, Squareone, Great Southern Studios, Collective Media Group, New Dominion Pictures, RAW TV, Optomen, Magpie Pictures, KOJO, ShinAwiL, WildBrain, Nine Daughters, Amazon/MGM Studios, October Films, Legendary Entertainment, Bad Wolf, Mediapro, Bron, Red Arrow.
Also: Aarhus Series Festival, The Wit, Norwegian Film Commission, New Zealand Film Commission, IMDA, MIA, Getty Images, Ottawa Film Office, Simkins, Harbottle & Lewis, Screen Brussels, Sheffield DocFest, FilmChain, Documentary Business, Zero Gravity Management, SXSW, MEA, DOC, Attraction Distribution, Kaplan Stahler Agency, Passion Distribution, Audible, Screen Queensland, Canada Media Fund, My Smash Media, Artists First, Grey Seal Media, Screenforce Finland, BAFTA, IMAX.
INSIGHTS
Indiana Production Reflects on Netflix’s Ambitious Adaptation of The Leopard
Fabrizio Donvito and Daniel Campos Pavoncelli of Italy’s Indiana Production discuss leading Netflix’s lavish new series The Leopard. Set against 19th-century Sicilian backdrops, the show features opulent sets and a star-studded cast, marking a milestone for Italian-language dramas and paving the way for more high-end, locally produced shows with global appeal. Read More
Verve Slashes Executive Salaries Amid Industry Slowdown
Talent agency Verve has introduced temporary salary cuts for staff earning six figures or more, with higher earners facing steeper reductions. The cost-saving move, effective until year-end, comes amid industry-wide contraction. Verve is also tightening oversight on expenses and assistant overtime. The changes aim to address financial pressure as film and TV markets continue to struggle. Read More
"The Bachelor Ukraine" Redefines Romance Amid Wartime Reality
Filmed entirely in Ukraine under wartime conditions, The Bachelor Ukraine highlights love’s resilience through curfews, blackouts, and air raids. Showrunner Anna Kalyna explains that casting a war veteran as the lead reflected evolving ideas of strength and partnership. With limited electricity, no drones, and constant risk, filming became a defiant act of love, showing that even in chaos, life and connection persist. Read More
Danny Boyle’s Signature: Scoring Cinema’s Most Iconic Moments
From Trainspotting’s “Lust for Life” and “Born Slippy” to Slumdog Millionaire’s “Jai Ho!” and 28 Days Later’s haunting “East Hastings,” director Danny Boyle is renowned for pairing unforgettable visuals with powerful music, turning scenes into cinematic landmarks. Read More
The Kitchen’s Julie Bénéteau Sees Growth in Animation and Localisation at MIFA 2025
Julie Bénéteau praised MIFA 2025 as a vibrant hub for animation, noting increased industry momentum and networking. She highlighted The Kitchen’s rising animation workload and Miami’s key role in affordable, high-quality U.S. English dubbing, positioning the company as a cost-effective solution for producers facing tight localisation budgets. Read More
Amazon Doubles Down on India With Prime Video and MX Player Strategy
At the APOS Convention in Bali, Amazon execs outlined their dual-platform strategy to compete with JioStar in India. Prime Video targets subscribers seeking premium content, while Amazon MX Player caters to a broader, more ad-supported audience. “Consumers have different needs, and the two platforms cover the spectrum,” said Gaurav Gandhi, VP of Prime Video Asia Pacific & MENA. Read More
Laika Eyes Comeback After 'Missing Link' Setback and Pandemic Delays
Six years after Missing Link flopped at the box office despite critical praise, Laika is aiming to rebound. The pandemic stalled work on its next stop-motion feature, Wildwood, which only began production in late 2021. Meanwhile, Laika founder Travis Knight has focused on directing the live-action Masters of the Universe for Amazon MGM. Read More
Eva Victor Clears the Air: Sorry, Baby Cat Is Safe and Thriving
Ahead of Sorry, Baby’s limited release, director Eva Victor launched an informal PSA campaign to assure audiences the film’s cat is alive and well. After hearing potential viewers feared the feline might die, Victor emphasised it’s not that kind of movie: “The cat lives a wonderful life and nothing bad ever happens to the cat.” Read More
TV Producers Eye YouTube’s Family-Friendly Gap as Next Big Opportunity
Family-friendly YouTube content for 8–12-year-olds is an underserved sweet spot, and a natural fit for experienced TV producers. While preschool content thrives and teens gravitate toward edgier creators, few channels offer safe, high-quality entertainment that appeals across generations. With advertisers and parents craving trustworthy formats, and traditional kids’ TV squeezed by funding shifts, there’s a clear opening for producers to bring their pre-watershed instincts to the creator economy. Read More
Spotify’s Video Ambitions Target YouTube’s Turf
A leaked pitch deck reveals Spotify’s aggressive push into non-podcast video, inviting creators to upload their libraries and share in ad and subscription revenue. With 44% growth in video watch time and over 70% of users foregrounding video, Spotify is positioning itself as a viable alternative to YouTube, without demanding exclusivity. Top YouTubers like Nick DiGiovanni and JackSepticEye are already charting on Spotify, despite not hosting traditional podcasts. Read More
Cable’s Collapse: Inside the Industry’s Reckoning at WBD, NBCU & Paramount
As Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, and Paramount dismantle their cable empires, anxiety grips the industry. With scripted originals vanishing and layoffs mounting, finance execs now steer the fate of legacy networks like TNT, TBS, and USA. NBCU’s Versant and WBD’s Global Networks signal a shift toward streaming and studio-first strategies, leaving many to wonder: Is this the end or the start of reinvention? Read More
Matt Campion Urges TV Producers to Embrace Digital-First, Multi-Platform Models
Spirit Studios’ Matt Campion is championing a bold shift: TV producers must think like creators and move fast into digital-first production. Speaking at events like TellyCast and MIP London, he emphasised building multi-platform IP and repurposing content across formats, including podcasts, YouTube, and linear TV. His mantra? “Screw it, just do it”, a call to action for legacy media to adapt or risk irrelevance.
How Jesse Armstrong Brought Succession's Flair to Mountainhead | BAFTA
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