In today’s Global Bulletin, Eurovision impresses in its post-COVID return; the Walt Disney Company appoints Winradit (Win) Kolasastraseni as its new GM for much of Southeast Asia; the Producers Guild of India launches a vaccination drive for industry members; Bangladesh’s International Academy of Film and Media kicks off its first online script lab; Cartoon Network
FilMart Interview Teaser: Eros Now CEO Ali Hussein Talks Originals and English Language Strategy
Variety Staff, provided by
FacebookTwitterEmail
Eros Now, the streaming service operated by Eros STX Global, competes in a crowded and fast-evolving Indian OTT market. Ali Hussein, the company’s CEO will be in conversation with
Variety’s Asia editor Patrick Frater, on the first day of Hong Kong FilMart. Before that, Hussein gives a taste of things to come.
How would you sketch out the company for non-India users?
Eros Now has established a leading position in the global OTT market with over 211.5 million registered users and 36.2 million paying subscribers. The premium platform offers a wide range of entertainment content across format and genres in 10 different languages. It is primarily an SVOD service with subscribers from across 150 countries and among the only Indian entity to have distribution partnerships with the likes of Apple Plus, IQIYI amongst others. The legacy an
Chinese Streamer iQIYI Points to Recovery After a Difficult 2020
Patrick Frater, provided by
FacebookTwitterEmail
Chinese video streamer iQIYI managed to cut its losses in the financial year from RMB10.3 billion in 2019 to RMB7 billion ($1.1 billion) in 2020. But its boost from coronavirus lockdowns was short-lived. Annual revenues were RMB29.7 billion ($4.6 billion), representing a 2% increase from 2019.
Reporting its fourth quarter and full year results on Thursday, the company finished the year with 101.7 million paying subscribers. That was a decrease compared with 106.9 million at the end of 2019 and a 14% tumble since subscriptions peaked in March 2020 at 118.9 million. A “lack of compelling content” caused subscribers to cancel.
NBCUniversal Formats Sets Middle East Version of Celebrity Game Face - Global Bulletin
Naman Ramachandran, provided by
FacebookTwitterEmail
In today’s Global Bulletin, “Celebrity Game Face” gets Middle East version; Sophia Loren to get Legend Award; UKTV announces diversity and inclusion writing programs; Fiona Campbell appointed as chair of the Royal Television Society Northern Ireland center; BBC expands documentary slate with Greta Thunberg film; “Assassin’s Creed” game to get physical locations in Saudi Arabia; France Television licenses “The 1% Club” from BBC Studios; and the Far East Film Festival and Sydney Film Festival reveal new dates.
A Middle East version of NBCUniversal Formats’ hit comedy gameshow “
BFI-Funded Inclusive Cinema Project Tackles Racism With Toolkit Launch – Global Bulletin Variety 1/12/2021
The U.K.’s
Inclusive Cinema project has launched a guide for improving the cinema experiences of ethnically diverse audiences and staff a directive that challenges institutions to make good on their Black Lives Matter and anti-racism statements from 2020.
More from Variety
The guide, titled “Dismantling Structural Inequality in Your Cinema,” was commissioned from artist and freelancer
Sadia Pineda Hameed, and is cited by its writer as “the last toolkit that cinemas should need.” The toolkit examines the role of cinemas in the context of systemic injustice and focuses on preventing harm towards people of color. From immediately actionable tools, to encouraging inner, reflective and dialogue-based work, towards undoing systemic injustice, the guide is intended to create lasting change for future generations, and sustain organizations in a meaningful way.