The Box: Netflix Slashes Subscription Fees By 60% In 100 Different Countries; ‘The Sittaford Mystery’ Gets An Indian Adaptation
Multichoice AND NBCuniversial
Africa: Showmax, the African streaming giant, premieres its latest original this week with The Billionaire’s Wife, a 10-part series with new episodes debuting every Thursday. The series will explore the marital structures in Ghana, demonstrating the platform’s commitment to investing in and developing content for the country.
Despite rival streaming service MultiChoice increasing its subscription price, StarSat says it will not be doing so this year. Additionally, the pay-TV service says it is giving a free one-week trail of the StarSat Super package for StarSat Special customers who purchase one month of the Super bouquet.
Netflix has slashed prices by up to 60% for 100 different countries, including many in Africa such as Namibia, Kenya, and Botswana. However, one country excluded from the list is South Africa. This come in the wake of the streaming giant cracking down on password sharing as well as introducing a cheaper ad-based subscription tier.
MultiChoice, the African pay TV service, has partnered with NBCUniversal expand the reach of content across the African continent through the streaming service, Showmax. The African streaming giant will now be 70 percent owned by MultiChoice and 30 percent owned by NBCUniversal. MultiChoice has also partnered with Vumatel to bundle it’s pay-TV service with a variety of fiber internet packages. The bundle will be available to those with Vumatel internet coverage within their areas. The goal is to equip DStv subscribers with more efficient internet speed.
In an effort to compete with DStv and StarSat, e.tv is launching its own pay-TV service, Openview Ultra, with a gay bouquet that will feature a variety of LGBTQ-centered content as well as other pay-TV channels that have been promised to be added later. The new service is set to launch on March 6.
Showmax, is set to premiere its first original telenovela on March 22 in Kenya titled Second Family. The series stars Vanessa Okeyo, Brian Ogola, Helen Keli, and Dora Nyaboke. In the director’s chair is Adam Neutzsky-Wulff along with co-directors Likarion Wainaina and Edwin Kamau.
Legendary Nigerian soccer player Augustine ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha is getting a biopic centered around his childhood in the form of an animated series titled Jay Jay: The Chosen One. The series marks Showmax’s first original animated series will be up to 13 episodes long.
Jung Hae-in - Han Myung-Gu
Asia: iQiyi, the Chinese streaming service, has accumulated a surge in paying subscriptions throughout Q4 of 2022. This led to the company achieving net profits in what was otherwise a less than successful year for the platform. By the end of 2022, the company’s total revenue was roughly $4.2 billion, about a 5% decrease from 2021.
Disney+ Hotstar has given the go-ahead on a remake of the hit British gamer comedy series, Dead Pixels. The production bodies helming the series reboot are BBC Studios India and Tamada Media. The story follows three friends who seek to destroy a virtual villain in an online game.
Viu, the multi-national Asian streaming platform that operates in 16 different markets across Asia and the Middle East, has unveiled its performance figures for 2022. The company saw an increase in paying subscribers by 45% over the course of the year. Its total revenue, made up of advertising, licensing, and subscriptions, also increased by roughly 45%.
The Sittaford Mystery, the popular Agatha Christie novel, is set to be adapted into a streaming series for SonyLIV. The working title of the series is Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley with Vishal Bhardwaj set to helm the project. The series is set in the Himachal Pradesh Mountains of northern India and follows Charlie Chopra as she sets out to unravel a mystery.
Go Ah-in has become the first female executive at VC Planning after being promoted to managing director of production. This comes as VC Group and its affiliates look to tout a female friendly image of their organization.
Jung Hae-in is set to star in a new Netflix-original K-drama series titled AD.P Dog’s Day. The series is based on a webtoon of the same name. Jung Hae-in’s agency, FNC Entertainment, has claimed that the actor has yet to decide whether to accept the role or not.
Netflix is planning on increasing its investment in APAC content by 15% throughout 2023. The streamer is predicting roughly $4B in revenue from the region and plans to spend about $1.9B on APAC focused material.
Nevsu
Europe: The Israeli comedy series, Nevsu, is getting a German adaptation under the title I Don’t Work Here. The series follows a multiracial couple and their daughter as they face the wrath of their in-laws. The series will air on broadcaster ZDF.
The U.K’s Factual Fiction and Germany’s ZDF Studios are joining forces for an updated adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s, The Picture of Dorian Gray. The series will be titled #DorianGray, implying a social media-focused spin on the tale, and is being developed by London-based screenwriter Mayia John.
Decibel - Mil Monos
Latin America: The Head of Joaquin Murrieta, a collaborative project between Amazon Prime and Columbian production company Dynamo, has become a hit for the streaming service. The Latino Western drama premiered on February 17 and was created by rising Columbian filmmaker Mauricio Leiva-Cock.
Mil Monos, the Argentinian-based production company, has enlisted writer Nicolás Britos and director Pablo Agüero to develop a dystopian thriller series titled Decibel. The series will consist of eight half-hour episodes and is centered around five deaf teens who are immune to a sound that transforms any who hear it into killers. The show is still in early pre-production stages.
Thibault Penin
Middle East: Netflix has started a creative producer training program in Saudi Arabia as an enhancer to the country’s entertainment industry. The program is primarily available through USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, immersing its participants in the creating and forming pitches, scripts, and writer’s rooms. The goal is to cultivate and teach fifteen Saudi TV producers through the program.