Netflix password sharing crack down a success,Bauer to remove radio stations from Freeview in April and May, plus sequels spotlight, and more...

1. Emily Shelley has been appointed as the new chief executive officer at the PA Media Group, the first woman to lead the business in its 155-year history. Ms Shelley, formerly managing director of PA’s stock imagery agency Alamy , began her career with PA as a graduate trainee 25 years ago.She replaces Clive Marshall, who is retiring after 14 years at the helm, and will step into her new role in the coming weeks.News source The Independent : https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/pa-media-group-names-emily-shelley-as-new-chief-executive-officer-b2516929.html
2. Broadcast (MBI) 's Indie Survey showed Netflix accounted for more than half of total hours commissioned by SVoDs in 2023, with UK-produced hours up 36% to 197. Squid Game: The Challenge producer Studio Lambert was the biggest supplier on 30 hours, ahead of Box to Box on 26 and Left Bank on 20.News Source Broadcast (MBI) : https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/top-suppliers/studio-lambert-wins-as-netflix-ups-hours/5191653.article
3. Warner Bros. Discovery announced it is to launch streaming service Max in the Nordics, Iberia and central and eastern Europe in May, before rolling out to France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland. The service cannot launch in the UK until at least 2025 due to the group's content deal with Sky . Global streaming CEO JB Perrette said Max is “way ahead of what we thought we’d do” financially, adding: “We didn’t think that we’d be profitable this fast... Medium to long term, there are three or four big global streaming players. I believe that WBD is an anchor tenant."News source Financial Times : https://www.ft.com/content/1e3f71ba-9499-46c4-8af2-e20b0d6798f4
4. Research firm MTM said Netflix 's password-sharing crackdown in the UK has been a success, with the proportion of users paying for accounts rising from 60% to 70%. However, head of strategy Rob Collier questioned whether other SVoDs would be able to replicate the figures: “It’s a success for Netflix, so they’ve shown that it can be done. But at the same time, we see that Netflix has a really strong content proposition, is a really popular service, awareness is really high, it’s the biggest operator in the market. It’d be quite difficult for smaller operators to follow in those footsteps.”News source The Media Leader UK : https://the-media-leader.com/netflix-password-sharing-crackdown-a-success/
5. Leichtman Research Group earlier said pay-TV subscriber losses in the US widened to 5m last year from 4.59m in 2022. It said: “At the end of 2023, top pay-TV providers had about 71.3m subscribers, down from 91.5m at the end of 2018.”News source Advanced Television : https://advanced-television.com/2024/03/11/research-us-sheds-5m-pay-tv-subs-in-2023/
6. Bauer Media Group is to remove its radio stations from the Freeview platform in April and May, months after they were taken off satellite and cable services.News source RadioToday : https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/03/bauer-radio-station-to-leave-freeview-platform-following-satellite-and-cable-exit/

Staff Spotlight: Paul Wallace, Head of Client Services

Working with the Letchworth team for over 20 years, Head of Client Services Paul Wallace is a lynchpin of the PA TV Metadata team, both commercially and operationally.

Using his industry experience and understanding of customer needs, he bridges communication between our major clients and service team. He also spearheads improvements in our products, systems, and processes to maintain the quality of our work for clients.

In this latest staff profile, we ask Paul to reflect on some of the big industry changes he has witnessed such as the rise of FAST channels or having to wait a week for the next episode of LOST back in the early 2000s - a simpler time for many!Fast-forward to 2024, is it satisfying to binge-watch content or has some of the thrill been ‘lost’ to satisfy consumer consumption habits?

Discover whether he thinks AI is a friend or foe in the world of metadata management, and what’s on his watch list for streaming at home.

Read his profile here: https://lnkd.in/eVtJyGj3

Sequels Spotlight: 5 sequels to look out for in 2024

Sequels are set to go stratospheric this year. We have already witnessed the sand-sational Dune: Part Two spice up the global box office and surpass $500 million in ticket sales in its first three weeks of release.

More franchise films are on the way and our latest blog spotlights five sequels to look out for in 2024.Whether it be Deadpool & Wolverine teaming up in July for an irreverent MCU adventure that the biggest comic book fans will be eager to get their adamantium claws into, or stripy-suited bio-exorcist Beetlejuice enjoying another Day-O! at the box office in September, we give our take on some of the hottest sequels poised to blaze across the big screen.

And to get you geared up for these upcoming sequels, we’ve also taken the stress out of discovering where to watch earlier films in each series!

Read the blog here: https://lnkd.in/eWhCCZER

This week's Critic's Picks

Justice will be swerved in this week’s Critic’s Picks of the latest films and TV shows on streaming channels.

The punishment always fits the crime with Damon Smith’s righteous recommendations and the platforms you can find them on:

If you have a story or an opinion piece you would like to contribute, get in contact with the team here.

Stay tuned for next week's article.