TV, Film & Media Industry International News Roundup, Tuesday 1 October 2024

SPA announces 2025 advisory boards; Lionsgate offers severance; Paramount drops Nielsen; Wellington pushes VFX; Amazon expands UK Originals; Tony Vinciquerra steps down as Sony CEO; FX orders The Bea

Today’s Highlights:

• Screen Producers Australia Announces 2025 Screen Forever Advisory Boards—SPA unveils industry professionals from Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US for the advisory boards guiding the Screen Forever conference and Online Global Market.

• Lionsgate Offers Voluntary Severance and Early Retirement to Employees – In response to industry layoffs, Lionsgate offers voluntary severance packages to US employees as an initial approach before potential layoffs.

• Paramount and CBS without Nielsen Ratings Contract—Paramount Global’s contract with Nielsen expired, leading to a dispute and a transition to VideoAmp for audience tracking amid shifting viewing habits.

• Nathalie Wogue on Fox Entertainment Global Formats – Nathalie Wogue discusses Fox’s $100 million International Unscripted Format Fund and its role in reshaping the global unscripted entertainment landscape.

• Wellington, New Zealand, Positions as a Global Hub for Games and VFX – Wellington promotes itself as a leader in VFX, games, and animation with its "Make It Here" showreel, aiming to expand its international influence.

• Screen Australia CEO Deirdre Brennan on Cultural Confidence – Deirdre Brennan emphasizes cultural confidence and audience engagement in storytelling as vital to maintaining competitive content in the global market.

• Roblox’s Potential in the Kids' TV Industry – Julian Scott and Maggie Liang discuss how platforms like Roblox reshape media consumption for younger audiences and challenge the traditional TV industry.

• Amazon's UK and European Originals Strategy – Amazon executives outline their approach to balancing high-quality content with mass appeal in Europe, tapping into regional talent for global projects.

• Tony Vinciquerra Steps Down as Sony CEO—Tony Vinciquerra announces his resignation as Sony Pictures CEO. After a planned leadership transition, Ravi Ahuja will succeed him in 2025.

• Evan Peters and Ashton Kutcher Join FX's 'The Beauty' – FX has ordered Ryan Murphy's new drama series, The Beauty. The series will star Evan Peters, Ashton Kutcher, and Anthony Ramos and explore physical perfection and its costs.

Plus: News, Insights, Executive Moves, Festivals & Markets, In Development, Deals, Renewals and Jobs with Catface, Foxtel, BBC, Moonbug & Hulu.

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NEWS

Screen Producers Australia Announces Screen Forever Advisory Boards

Screen Producers Australia (SPA) has revealed the 2025 Screen Forever conference advisory boards featuring industry professionals from Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US. The Online Global Market will occur from April 29-30 and Screen Forever from May 6-8. SPA CEO Matthew Deaner emphasized the diverse expertise on the boards, which will guide the event’s strategic direction, ensuring valuable business benefits for the Australian screen industry. Notable members include Screen Australia, Foxtel Group, and Apple TV+ leaders. Read More.

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Lionsgate Offers Voluntary Severance and Early Retirement to Employees

Lionsgate offers U.S. employees voluntary severance and early retirement packages in response to industry-wide layoffs and a shrinking media landscape. After job cuts and reduced TV producer deals following the eOne acquisition, the company aims to start with this voluntary approach. However, layoffs may follow if not enough staff at Lionsgate Studios accept the offer. Read More.

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Paramount and CBS without Nielsen Ratings Contract

Paramount Global's contract with Nielsen for audience measurement has expired, leading to a broader dispute just before CBS airs the high-profile Vice Presidential debate. Paramount criticised Nielsen for price hikes and is shifting to VideoAmp for audience tracking. The company aims to negotiate a new deal with Nielsen, addressing long-standing concerns over Nielsen's ability to measure diverse audiences across streaming platforms. TV networks have increasingly sought alternatives as viewers shift from linear to on-demand streaming. Read More.

INSIGHTS

Disappearing Act

Apple TV+ launches its first German-language series, Where’s Wanda?, a dark comedy-drama about the Klatt family’s desperate search for their missing daughter, Wanda. When the police fail, the family takes matters into their own hands, using surveillance to uncover their neighbours’ secrets. Set in the fictional town of Sundersheim, the series blends emotional highs and comedic moments. Stars Heike Makatsch, Axel Stein, and Lea Drinda discuss the show’s unique mix of humour and drama. Read More.

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Nathalie Wogue On Fox Entertainment Global Formats

Three years after launching its $100 million International Unscripted Format Fund (IUFF), FOX Entertainment has introduced four series and established partnerships with France’s TF1 and Studio Ramsay Global. The fund allows flexibility to explore unconventional ideas and take risks in the format space. Nathalie Wogue, senior VP of global formats at FOX Entertainment Global, discusses the strategy behind third-party deals and the thriving state of the unscripted entertainment landscape. Read More.

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Italy's TV Season Premieres September 2024 with Reality Shows, Talent Competitions, and Returning Favourites

Rai 3 kicked off September with Insider: Faccia a Faccia con il Crimine, attracting 785,000 viewers (5.2%). Reality hits like Primo Appuntamento and Bake Off Italia returned, with Temptation Island leading with 3.3 million viewers (23.9%). Tale e Quale Show drew 3 million viewers (19.9%), while Tú Sí Que Vales dominated with 3.6 million (28.5%). Major premieres like Grande Fratello and X-Factor Italia also boosted viewership, keeping reality TV strong in Italy. Read More.

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Wellington, New Zealand, Positions Itself as a Global Hub for Games and VFX Production

Wellington, currently hosting the Avatar film series production, is promoting itself as a leading hub for games, VFX, and animation with its new "Make It Here" showreel. Known for iconic productions like Lord of the Rings and Wellington Paranormal, the city is home to companies like Weta Workshop and PikPok. With a growing game development sector supported by NZ On Air's Game Development Sector Rebate, Wellington aims to expand its international influence in creative industries. Read More.

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Screen Australia CEO Deirdre Brennan on Embracing Cultural Confidence and Audience Connection

Deirdre Brennan, CEO of Screen Australia, discusses the importance of cultural confidence in the Australian screen industry. She emphasizes the need to engage with diverse audiences through storytelling that reflects their experiences. Brennan highlights strategies for content creators to remain competitive in a global market while staying true to local identity and how Screen Australia supports projects that resonate culturally and commercially. Read More.

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Film London's Julian Scott and Media Pioneers Maggie Liang Discuss Roblox and Its Potential

Julian Scott, animation consultant for Film London, and Maggie Liang, MD of The Media Pioneers, discuss how social gaming platforms like Roblox reshape the kids' TV industry. In 2023, UK children spent an average of 125 minutes daily on Roblox, while TV viewership dropped to 38 minutes. The shift in media consumption is challenging the TV industry to adapt and engage with young audiences increasingly drawn to interactive gaming experiences. Read More.

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Content funding by advertisers

Roku’s David Eilenberg explains how shifting market dynamics have brought advertisers back into content financing, with brands increasingly interested in scripted genres, not just unscripted. As prominent streamers like Netflix and Disney+ add ad tiers to counterbalance over-investment in subscriber growth, AVoD platforms like The Roku Channel and Freevee ramp up original programming to attract viewers. Amazon’s bold strategy includes defaulting Prime Video users to an ad-supported tier. Streamers are accelerating their advertising and brand-funded content efforts to boost revenue in the evolving digital landscape. Read More.

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Amazon’s UK and European Originals Strategy: Balancing Quality and Mass Appeal

Tara Erer and Nicole Morganti, Amazon’s UK and European Originals team, discuss their strategy for delivering high-quality content that appeals to broad audiences. Focusing on scripted films and series, they emphasize the importance of balancing unique storytelling with mass-market appeal. The executives outline their approach to expanding Amazon’s footprint in Europe, with a focus on tapping into regional talent and creating projects that resonate globally. Read More.

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TV Writers Navigate Development Hell, Wage Theft, and Changing Pilot Season

The traditional TV pilot season, once a structured process, has largely faded with streamers and networks like CBS, NBC, and ABC adopting year-round development. While this shift allows more flexibility, it has also destabilized writers' careers. Only 6 out of 14 pilots were picked up in early 2023, a sharp decline from past years. Writers like Marc Guggenheim express frustration over increased workload and unpaid labour, while some studio execs argue that this new model isn’t entirely detrimental. Read More.

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Will Ferrell and Harper Steele Tapped Longtime Friends and Collaborators to Create ‘Will & Harper’

The team behind Will & Harper is deeply connected through decades of friendships, marriages, and artistic collaborations, resulting in a personal film premiering in New York. Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, who met at Saturday Night Live in 1995, have been close ever since. In the film, they journey across America, discussing Steele’s experience as a trans woman. Their creative partnership flourished after SNL, with Steele writing some of Ferrell’s most memorable work, including Casa de mi Padre. Read More.