New chair and CEO for CNN, RugbyPass TV launches, ITVX reaches 2m streams, and more

This week's news

1. CNN reported on the appointment of Mark Thompson as its new chair and CEO, quoting David Zaslav, CEO of parent company Warner Bros. Discovery , who said: “There isn’t a more experienced, respected or capable executive in the news business today than Mark, and we are thrilled to have him join our team and lead CNN Worldwide into the future.”

Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/30/media/cnn-ceo-mark-thompson/index.html

2. Rugby union's global governing body has launched RugbyPass TV, a free-to-air global streaming service. World Rugby has partnered with Endeavor Streaming to expand its international media distribution, with the new OTT platform to stream its international competitions live to fans around the world for the first time. Live coverage will begin at the start of the Rugby World Cup on September 8.

Source: https://www.telecompaper.com/news/world-rugby-launches-free-ott-streaming-platform-with-endeavor--1474120

3. Guy Goma, who became a viral internet sensation after being mistakenly interviewed on the BBC in 2006, plans to sue the Corporation for a share of the royalties. He went for a BBC job interview but was mistaken for IT expert Guy Kewney and ended up live on BBC News 24, with the infamous interview subsequently shared many millions of times. Goma said: "I am going to go [to court] because of the money they made from it. They didn't give me a single penny."

Source: https://news.sky.com/story/man-mistaken-for-it-expert-during-live-interview-says-he-will-sue-bbc-over-lack-of-royalties-12949458

4. ITV said ITVX has reached 2bn streams in the year to date, after it was named best on-demand service at the Edinburgh TV Festival. Monthly active users were also up 29% year-on-year in the first half at 12.5m. Streaming MD Rufus Radcliffe said: “To be named Best On Demand Service at the prestigious Edinburgh TV Awards less than nine months since we first launched ITVX, and against such heavyweight competitors in the same category, is such an accolade for the platform and the committed team across ITV behind it.”

Source: https://the-media-leader.com/itvx-set-to-smash-streaming-record-despite-summer-slowdown/

5. A 尼尔森 study showed the number of movies and TV shows available on streaming services in the UK, US, Canada, Mexico and Germany jumped 39% over the past two years. The average time viewers take choosing what to watch has risen to 10 minutes from seven minutes in 2019, while the number of streaming providers in the five markets has risen to 167 from 118.

Source: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/movies-tv-shows-available-on-streaming-jumped-39-in-two-years/ar-AA1fSOHD

This week's Critic's Picks

Time waits for no man, woman, mermaid or demon in this week’s Critic’s Picks of the latest TV shows and films on streaming channels.

Savour every second of Damon Smith’s recommendations and the platforms you can find them on.

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