Reality Beat: Fubo TV Files Antitrust Lawsuit, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Gains Several IP Rights
Docuseries: As South Korean boy band BTS member J-Hope is on his 18-month mandatory military service, his six-episode docuseries, Hope on the Street, will premiere on Prime Video March 28th. The series centers around J-Hope’s passion for dancing, with his latest special album, Hope on the Street Vol. 1, released on March 29th KST. The band’s previous concert film, Yet to Come, was produced by Prime Video and a behind-the-scenes doc, BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star, was produced by Disney.
The History Channel, owned by A+E Networks, is setting up projects with former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter for two series, including History’s Greatest Warriors and The Icons that Built America. In addition, actor Danny Trejo will host a new history series named The UnXplored with Danny Trejo. It aims to explore “what the human eye cannot easily detect, as objects, structures and creatures concealed under earth, ice and water are suddenly, and sometimes accidentally, revealed.”
Startz has approved the new docuseries Down in the Valley, inspired by hit TV series P-Valley. The six-half-hour episode docuseries is hosted by P-Valley star Nicco Annan as she takes a tour of the Deep South. She immerses herself in the people, sensuality, music, culture, and stories of the South and experiences strip clubs, sex workshops, rap performances, and ancient hoodoo rituals.
“I can’t wait for ya’ll to get a taste of this fiercely unpredictable, deep-dive dance into Southern culture. It’s a black mirror of sorts,” said Annan. “Going through the experience of watching ‘Down in the Valley,’ the audience will immerse and connect with culture beyond the narrow lens of their everyday neighborhoods, and see through a mirrored reflection the forgotten Black American South like never before. Down In The Valley… it is what it is!!!”
Netflix canceled the third season of tennis docuseries Break Point due to poor ratings during the last two seasons. The series was produced by the same teams as blockbuster Formula 1: Drive to Survive.
HBO Max’s new eight-episode docuseries, Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, will debut on March 29th. It follows comedian Carmichael’s search for love, sex, and truth in his personal life.
Carlos Alcaraz’s eponymous tennis docuseries will be produced by Spanish production company Morena Films and launched on Netflix. Alcaraz previously won The Netflix Slam against Rafael Nadal and wrote the streamer’s catchphrase on camera. This new series will take a close look at Alcaraz’s career over the 2024 season.
“I am very happy for this experience with Morena Films and Netflix. People are going to get to watch everything you don’t see on a tennis court. I think it’s something very different. I hope you enjoy this series as much as I will,” said Alcaraz.
According to the newly unsealed complaint filed by the temporary guardian of former talk show host Wendy Williams, A&E Television Networks shot the controversial docuseries without guardian Sabrina Morrissey’s consent and broke the contract. The series focuses on Williams’ seven-month-long struggles with family, fame, and alcohol, however, the file states that Williams was told the film would be “positive and beneficial” to her image. Williams’ agent, William Selby, had made representations to Morrissey about final creative control. However, the creator of The Wendy Experience, which entered into the signed contract, is still unknown.
“This blatant exploitation of a vulnerable woman with a serious medical condition who is beloved by millions within and outside of the African American community is disgusting, and it cannot be allowed,” read the complaint. “The Guardian was horrified by the release of the trailer and its contents, which falsely depict W.W.H.’s behavior and demeanor as being the result of intoxication rather than the result of her medical condition, which has been diagnosed by doctors at Weill Cornell.”
Charithra Chandran - Imdb
Docusoap: OWN renewed First-Time Buyer’s Club for a second season, which is set to return this year. The unscripted series follows realtor Amina Stevens as she helps first-time buyers navigate the purchase of property. The first season premiered last December and is one of the most well-watched shows on Saturday night among African American audiences.
“This series perfectly embodies OWN’s commitment to serve and empower our audience across many facets of their lives, including the journey towards home ownership,” said Tina Perry, president of OWN. “Amina inspires us to see that home ownership is more than just possession of a piece of property, it’s about owning a piece of one’s dream and securing a solid foundation.”
Netflix Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran will produce a reality TV series based on the Kama Sutra, an ancient Indian book concerning courtship, marriage, and love-making, popularly referenced for its sexual positions. Currently, the series is still in the early stages.
“The ‘Kama Sutra’ is actually an ancient Hindu text, but in the West it has this not-so-pleasant, or positive, reputation and connotation. And it’s about taking ownership back of things that belong to us and our culture, and actually showing the beauty and the importance of these texts and what modern society can learn from it,” said Chandran.
ABC Family Worldwide-owned cable channel Freeform announced two new reality series that will debut this year. One is docusoap Grand Cayman: Secrets in Paradise, premiering on April 9th, and the other is Wayne Brady: The Family Remix, not yet with a fixed release date.
Side Hustlers season two will be back with hosts Emma Grede and Ashley Graham on Roku. In the show, female entrepreneurs develop their side hustles into potential full-time businesses while dealing with personal lives and day jobs. For the first week, the series’ first season was the No.1 on-demand on the channel.
“Working with the extraordinary women of season one to turn their dreams into realities was an unforgettable experience, and we can’t wait for viewers to see what we have in store for season two, along with Roku, Hello Sunshine, and Ally,” said Grede, CEO of Good American and investor on Side Hustlers, and Graham, supermodel, entrepreneur, and investor on Side Hustlers. “Creating opportunities for women is something that we are both incredibly passionate about, and we can’t wait for fans to meet a new group of brilliant female entrepreneurs ready to transform their side hustles into investment-worthy main hustles.”
The Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA) star Sanya Richards-Ross will exit the show amid the ongoing cast shakeup. As a track and field Olympic champion, Richards-Ross joined the Bravo series in its 14th season. Previously, Kandi Burruss and Marlo Hampton also announced their departure from RHOA.
fubo TV
Game Shows: Live sports streamer Fubo TV filed an antitrust lawsuit against the proposed bundled service of Disney, Warner Bros Discovery, and Fox in New York states. If the joint venture cannot be shut down by a court order, Fubo TV will seek to impose significant restrictions to keep rising sports licensing prices within competitive bounds. Disney declined to comment on the lawsuit, while Fox and Warner Bros Discovery did not respond to requests for response.
“Each of these companies has consistently engaged in anticompetitive practices that aim to monopolize the market, stifle any form of competition, create higher pricing for subscribers and cheat consumers from deserved choice,” Fubo CEO David Gandler said. “By joining together to exclusively reserve the rights to distribute a specialized live sports package, we believe these corporations are erecting insurmountable barriers that will effectively block any new competitors from entering the market. This strategy ensures that consumers desiring a dedicated sports channel lineup are left with no alternative but to subscribe to the Defendants’ joint venture.”
Skydance Media and the NFL’s studio joint venture Skydance Sports promoted Ashley Nendick to the chief financial officer and appointed Marjorie Williams as the new SVP of Business & Legal Affairs. Before this, the studio released its first major feature, Air, last year. It also teamed up with the NFL and NFL Films for initial doc projects on multi-platform, such as NFL Draft: The Pick Is In for The Roku Channel, Kelce for Prime Video, and an upcoming series chronicling Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys franchise.
“As our momentum grows, these key executive appointments will play a vital role as we continue building the world’s preeminent sports content studio,” said Jason Reed, the newly tapped Skydance Sports Head. “I am thrilled to announce Ashley’s well-deserved promotion, and welcome Marjorie to the Skydance Sports team.”
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson officially gained IP rights to a series of nicknames and catchphrases, such as “Candy Ass,” “Jabroni,” and “Rock Nation,” according to his new agreement with TKO Group Holdings. Rising as a professional wrestler at WWE two decades ago, Johnson currently joins the TKO board and will continue receiving royalty payments from WWE.
The agreement added that “[f]or the avoidance of doubt, the ‘Rock IP’ does not include any photographic, audio and/or audiovisual footage of Dwayne Johnson embodied in the copyrighted works of WWE, nor does the ‘Rock IP’ include any photographs, audio and/or audiovisual footage of Dwayne Johnson created by WWE in connection Dwayne Johnson’s services under the terms of the Services Agreement.”
On July 20th, Netflix will air the boxing fight between heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and upstart Jake Paul held at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This move marks the streamer’s latest foray into the live sports field, following the launch of The Netflix Cup in golf and The Netflix Slam in tennis.
Former WWE star Mercedes Moné (formerly known as Sasha Banks) made her debut at AEW in her hometown of Boston. It remains unknown who will be her first opponent.
“It was unbelievable,” said Moné. “I still haven’t gotten to take everything in yet, but my heart was just pounding out of my chest. Once I heard the beat drop in the music and the ‘CEO’ chants were on the screens, and then they revealed the ‘Mercedes Moné’ name, that eruption was so electric. I felt so cool. I felt like Stone Cold Steve Austin, when fans just lift up all their signs and stand up with their arms raised. I felt so cool. It was the best feeling in the world.”
Prime Video launched its two-episode boxing docuseries Gloves Off on March 15th. It highlighted the lives of fighters, featuring interviews with various camp members and the undercard fight between Rolando Romero and Isaac Cruz.
Jay pharoah - The quizz with balls
Competitive Series: Fox will debut a new game show, The Quiz with Balls, this summer. Stand-up comedian Jay Pharoah will host the show. The game show features a high-stakes quiz and large-scale physical challenges between two families, with a grand prize of $100,000.
“Playful, quick-witted and high-energy, Jay’s going to make a huge splash as our host of ‘The Quiz with Balls,’” said Allison Wallach, Fox Entertainment’s president of unscripted programming. “No matter the stage or show, Jay’s singular brand of humor and comedic timing elevates everything he does. With him at the helm of ‘The Quiz with Balls,’ viewers of all ages are assured an exciting and hilarious hour of fun playing along with Jay and our family contestants.”
Fox’s hit baking competition series Crime Scene Kitchen will return for its third season with host Joel McHale and celebrity judges Curtis Stone and Yolanda Gampp. Contestants will guess and recreate the baked goods to win $100,000.
“Crime Scene Kitchen is a fun, fresh show with an entirely original mix of culinary sleuthing and brilliant baking that the whole family can enjoy,” said Wallach. “Joel, Curtis and Yolanda’s irresistible chemistry have made Crime Scene Kitchen a clear fan favorite, and we’re excited to bring a new season to the table.”
The seventh season of Fox’s musical game show Beat Shazam will return on May 28th with host Jamie Foxx and his daughter and co-host, DJ Corinne Foxx. In the last season, Jamie was in hospital for an undisclosed medical emergency and was replaced by Nick Cannon. For the upcoming season, teams of fathers, siblings, teachers, heroes, and mothers will try to identify hit songs, eventually competing with song ID app Shazam for a $1 million prize.
“Jamie and Corinne are the heart and soul of Beat Shazam,” said Wallach. “As our undeniably dynamic father-daughter hosting team, they bring a relationship like no other to a show like no other, and it’s wonderful having them back on set this season.”
WWE founder Vince McMahon filed to sell more than $400 million worth of TKO stock after resigning from the board. Before he announced his move to step down, he was accused of sexual assault by a former WWE employee. McMahon denies the allegations.
MTV Entertainment Studio plans to remake the social experiment series Power Game. In this project, 13 strangers, who receive absolute power to control others, will compete for a cash prize.
The Gurin Company, former SM Entertainment CEO Nikki Semin Han’s Titan Content, and UTA are jointly launching a new TV talent series, K-Pop Dreams,which aims to make “American K-pop dreams come true.”
“Nikki is genuinely a titan of K-Pop, but his vision goes far beyond nurturing new U.S.-based music talent. He wants to spark a global K-revolution — and part of that entails creating television concepts that bridge the gap between East and West, as well as the gap between traditional technology and futuristic innovation. K-Pop Dreams is his first step towards realising his own global K-Pop dream — and we can’t wait to help him do that, ” said The Gurin Company.
On March 9th, the South African Deal or No Deal Celebrity spin-off aired on SABC1. Hosted by Katlego Maboe, this Saturday's episode featured charity. Prizes ranging from 1 Rand to 250,000 Rand will be donated to various worthy causes.
"The SABC's exciting new Deal or No Deal Celebrity spin-off highlights the public broadcaster's mission to provide world-class entertainment that is positive, aspirational and impactful," said Lala Tuku, SABC Head of Content.
South African competition series Tropika Island of Treasure will return for its 11th season in September on SABC3. Celebrities like singer Bobby van Jaarsveld, TikTok influencer Chad Jones, actors Hungani Ndlovu and Omuhle Gela, and models Karl Kugelmann, Nqobile Khwezi, and Ndavi Nokeri will join this 13-episode series with Zanele Potelwa as the host.
Chip and joanne gaines - Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse
Lifestyle: The Weather Channel’s heart-warming series Fast: Home Rescue returned for its second season on February 17th. This new season, sponsored by Procter & Gamble brands Cascade and Charmin, follows former NFL player Tre Boston and his wife Cierra Boston. The pair help families rebuild devastated homes impacted by tornadoes and other extreme weather disasters in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma in a five-day period.
African-American Christian Network Impact is switching to a family-friendly lifestyle entertainment channel, offering unscripted syndicated series like You Bet Your Life, 25 Words or Less, and Divorce Court. They will produce original content series and air awards shows during Impact Health Month, Juneteenth/Black Music Month, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month this year. Its Detroit-based studio will be used for shooting original daytime talk shows and lifestyle programs. Founded by Bishop Wayne T. Jackson and his wife Beverly Jackson, the faith-based network will continue to provide religious content on the FAST channel Impact Gospel.
AspireTV is teaming up with Sunwise Media for its first original series, Harlem Globetrotters: Secrets of the City. It kicks off this spring in multiple locations, including Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Egypt, and Thailand. Produced by Sunwise Media and Herschend Entertainment Studios, the program follows legendary basketball team The Harlem Globetrotters as they travel around the globe, immerse themselves in adventures, and explore Brown and Black culture.
“In addition to this all-new series, we look forward to serving Black audiences with more incredible programming highlighting Black culture through our relationship with Sunwise Media,” said Angela Cannon, General Manager of AspireTV.
HGTV’s home renovation franchise Fixer Upper is set to debut an all-new season, Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, this June on its 10th anniversary. During the six episodes, couple Chip and Joanna Gaines will transform a lake house near Lake Waco, Texas with surprising interior designs and unique outdoor installations.
Warner Bros. Discovery U.S. Hispanic renewed the cooking series El Toque de Aarón for a second season, which is set to premiere in April. In the new season, Masterchef judge Aarón Sánchez, designer Cris Mercado, and project manager Ángel Rivero will provide mentorship for owners of restaurants with untapped potential in L.A., helping these Latino-owned businesses to get back up and running.
In Africa, Rose and Oaks Media will produce the cooking competition series Ready Steady Cook South Africa, the international format of BBC’s hit cookery program Ready Steady Cook. The 260-episode series will be hosted by Moshe Ndiki and launched on SABC3.
“Our new local version of Ready Steady Cook is like a paella or a 'potjie' of everything that makes for good television,” said Anele Mdoda, Rose and Oaks Media co-owner. Mdoda added that the production is "thrilled to have Moshe as the on-screen coordinator of all the magic and madness cooked up by the two competing teams on Ready Steady Cook South Africa.”
Chef Katlego Mlambo will join SABC3’s MasterChef South Africa season five as a judge alongside Zola Nene and Justine Drake, who previously hosted Inside Job with Katlego Mlambo and Everyday Wow!
“It's amazing to know that I will be part of a show that's a global phenomenon. It's proof that if you believe in something, see it and taste it, it can become a reality. Being a MasterChef SA judge was on my bucket list,” said Mlambo.
Charter Communications’ Spectrum TV Select Plus video service now contains the ESPN Plus streaming service under its new deal with The Walt Disney Co.
“Through our collaboration with Disney we are providing a better experience for our customers,” said Tom Montemagno, executive VP of programming acquisition at Charter Communications. “Making ESPN Plus available to our TV Select Plus customers allows us to cater to sports fans’ evolving viewing habits with one high-value video package that includes the best of linear and direct-to-consumer sports content.”
