TV News

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Ukraine tops CEE pay-TV growth
Pay-TV subscription revenues will almost double in Ukraine from 2019-2023, according to the findings of a new Futuresource Pay-TV Insights report.

Looking at eight markets in the CEE region – Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Slovenia and Ukraine – it says that pay-TV expansion is being driven primarily by developing markets such as Ukraine. In its case this will be down to subscriber growth, whereas in more saturated markets like Estonia and Hungary revenue growth will come through increased uptake of premium services.

According to Carl Hibbert, associate director of media and entertainment content at Futuresource Consulting, “In Bulgaria, IPTV subscriptions account for a quarter of the market, with 65% of these IPTV subscribers opting for bundled services.

“IPTV is also attracting consumers who demand higher quality services with superior user experiences and HD channels. Availability of HD channels is also set to increase in the region as a result of IPTV uptake and satellite upgrades, and in Ukraine, TV operators are offering HD channels only to pay-TV subscribers.”

The report notes that investments in fibre and 4K UHD connected set-top boxes, operators are also increasing prices to generate ROI, with ARPU rising from €8.12 in 2018 to €8.46 by 2023. This remains substantially lower than Western Europe, which will see ARPUs of €25.26 in 2023.

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TV Rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Still Unresolved
After a disappointing performance at the home Euro 2024, the next chance for the German national team to claim a title comes in two years. However, unusually, the TV broadcasting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico have not yet been secured.

For the German national team, the European Championship has come to an end, but football fans are already looking forward to the next major challenge: the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to industry journal "dwdl.de," there is still no clarity on who will secure the broadcasting rights for the World Cup matches. Unlike previous tournaments where the rights were allocated many years in advance, this time there is significant uncertainty. While the rights have already been assigned in France and Austria, the situation in Germany remains unresolved. Potential bidders are hesitant, and FIFA has yet to provide a concrete timeline for the allocation process.

Challenges in Securing Rights for the 2026 World Cup
The upcoming World Cup presents a unique challenge for broadcasters. Starting in 2026, the number of participating teams will increase from 32 to 48, raising the number of matches from 64 to 104. This means broadcasters will need significantly more resources to cover all the games.

Additionally, the time zone difference poses a problem, as the World Cup will be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Many games will kick off at inconvenient times for European viewers, creating challenges for private broadcasters to maintain attractive advertising slots.

The Situation in Other Countries
While the situation remains unclear in Germany, other countries have already resolved their broadcasting rights. In France, the M6 Group secured the free-to-air rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups in March. In Austria, it has been known since the end of last year that ORF holds all live rights for the upcoming World Cup.

In comparison, for the last World Cup in Qatar 2022, FIFA allocated the broadcasting rights for Germany as early as 2014 – eight years in advance.

The Future of Football on German TV
More games, time zone differences, and a longer tournament duration are accumulating problems. With more games, the tournament will extend over more than five weeks. This poses a potential overload not just for broadcasters but also for the players and fans.

ZDF sports director Yorck Polus told "dwdl.de": "We have to see what is possible. 48 teams in three countries, 104 games spread across North and Central America, hosted by a FIFA that wants to make the event bigger – it is becoming increasingly difficult to imagine that two broadcasters in Germany will handle this alone."

Despite the current uncertainties, excitement for the World Cup remains high. Fans hope that a broadcaster will soon be found to air the matches and provide thrilling football moments. A multi-broadcaster solution, similar to the Euro 2024 at home, is also possible. Until then, the situation regarding the TV rights remains a significant question mark.

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Fort Boyard: 5 Facts About the Cult Game Show from the Atlantic
The adventure game show "Fort Boyard" is a phenomenon from the late '90s and early 2000s. Some remember this classic game show, while others may know it from the 2018 revival. Either way, "Fort Boyard" evokes a sense of nostalgia. Here are five facts about the game show set in the Atlantic.

1. The Show Was Produced in 33 Countries
"Fort Boyard," originally a French adventure game show (original title: "Les Clés de Fort Boyard"), premiered in July 1990 on French television and a few months later in a German version. The show aired intermittently on Sat.1, ProSieben, and Kabel eins. Although the last season aired in 2011, the series returned for one season in 2018. In the show, multiple contestants must complete tasks within a time limit on the French Fort Boyard to escape and win a cash prize. Over the years, both celebrities like Barbara Schöneberger and Sarah Lombardi and unknown personalities participated. Despite being long off the air, the show still triggers feelings of nostalgia for many. Notably, the show was produced in 33 countries, and it continues to air officially only in France and Morocco today.

2. The Show Had Its Own Zoo
Given that shows from 33 countries were filmed on-site, there was permanent TV technology with up to 50 cameras installed on the historic French fortress. At the end of each season, all the equipment had to be dismantled. Additionally, there was a small "zoo" with tigers, spiders, rats, and other animals featured in the show.

3. Why "Fort Boyard" Was Canceled
"Fort Boyard" enjoyed high ratings from the start. Despite this, relatively few seasons were produced due to the immense production effort. The environmental conditions in the Atlantic allowed filming only during certain times of the day. Tidal fluctuations meant that filming could only happen for a few hours a day; otherwise, the harbor in Rochefort became inaccessible. There were even emergency quarters for the crew and cast. Furthermore, production schedules had to be coordinated with the show's adaptations in other countries. The costs were also significant. When it first aired in 1990, a single episode cost approximately 500,000 Deutsche Marks, equivalent to 256,000 Euros, not accounting for inflation.

4. Historic Location
The filming location is named Fort Boyard, just like the show. The fort was planned in 1666 on a sandbank near Rochefort to protect the area and its naval arsenal. However, there were several issues: the cannons couldn’t reach far enough for effective defense, and construction components kept sinking into the mud. The project was finally realized under Napoleon in 1801 but had little military significance. Later, the fort served as a prison for war captives until it was purchased by a private individual in 1962. Today, it belongs to the Charente-Maritime department and is primarily used as a film and TV set.

5. Shortened Version in Germany
The original version of the game show runs for 90 minutes. In Germany, however, a 40-minute version was aired. The French show thus has the advantage of fully utilizing the fort and making the tasks as unpredictable and varied as possible. In the German version, time constraints also limited the spatial possibilities. Those interested in the original show can watch it on the free-to-air French channel TV5 Monde, which airs the previous year's French season each summer. The show is available with subtitles or sometimes even dubbed.

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Ratings: Spain's Euro Triumph Attracts Over 21 Million Viewers
The final match of the European Football Championship, in which Spain narrowly defeated England 2-1, garnered fantastic ratings for ARD on Sunday evening. A staggering 21.64 million viewers tuned in to watch the game, making it the most-watched match of a major tournament without German involvement since 2010. The overall market share was 67.4 percent, with an impressive 77.3 percent (7.73 million viewers) in the 14-49 age demographic.

A special news segment on the attack on Donald Trump, aired at 8:15 PM, attracted 7.34 million viewers (30.7 percent). The pre-game coverage, starting 15 minutes later, saw an increase to 10.29 million viewers (48.7 percent). The final "EM Pub Quiz" at midnight retained 1.23 million viewers (17.3 percent).

Competitors' Performance
Other channels struggled to capture significant viewership. ZDF managed a respectable performance with a rerun of "Das Traumschiff," which began at 8:30 PM following a "ZDF Spezial" and attracted 2.35 million viewers, achieving a 7.5 percent market share. However, it fared poorly among younger viewers, with only 1.9 percent.

RTL aired a 15-minute "RTL Aktuell Spezial" at 8:15 PM, drawing 1.02 million viewers and 5.7 percent in the target demographic. The action film "Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins" saw its viewership drop to 2.2 percent, retaining 630.000 viewers.

Sat.1 faced a tougher challenge, with "Downton Abbey 2: A New Era" only capturing 0.9 percent of the key demographic and 570.000 total viewers. ProSieben's "Rampage: Big Meets Bigger" performed slightly better, achieving a 2.2 percent share with 710.000 viewers. Both channels previously aired a simultaneous "
Spezial," generating 4.2 and 5.5 percent market shares, respectively.

Smaller Private Channels
Smaller private channels also struggled against the football juggernaut. VOX managed a 2.9 percent share in the 14-49 demographic with an old episode of "Kitchen Impossible." RTL Zwei's romantic drama "Bis dass das Glück uns scheidet" captured 1.1 percent, while Kabel Eins's "Bus Babes" secured 1.7 percent of the young viewers.

The dominance of the Euro Championship final highlights the significant challenge other channels face in capturing viewership during major sporting events.

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"NCIS: Tony & Ziva" Spin-Off Cast Announced
Tony and Ziva will soon be back investigating together, but for their own spin-off, Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo won't be the only ones in front of the camera. Eight new cast members have been announced to complete the ensemble of "NCIS: Tony & Ziva."

New Cast Members
Isla Gie ("The Outlaws") will portray Tony and Ziva's twelve-year-old daughter, Tali. Tali doesn't want to be treated like a child, as she is highly determined and intuitive, wanting to prove her capabilities to her parents.
Amita Suman ("Shadow and Bone") will play Claudette, the tech chief at Tony's private security firm, ensuring the operation runs smoothly. Claudette can solve any problem and crack any code.
Maximilian Osinski ("Ted Lasso") will take on the role of Boris, a brilliant Russian computer hacker who lives outside the law and societal norms, enjoying the anonymity and freedom it brings.
Nassima Benchicou ("Murder in the Summer") will appear as Martine, a former French secret agent who is elegant and cunning, often manipulating both sides of a conflict to protect her own interests.
Julian Ovenden ("Bridgerton") will be Jonah, a former NSA programmer now serving as the Secretary-General of Interpol. He is described as charming and confident.
Terence Maynard ("The Witcher") will portray Dr. Lang, an experienced therapist who helps patients with severe trauma find comfort and purpose in life.
Lara Rossi ("The Watch") will play Sophie, who cares for Tali and has a background in the British elite unit Special Air Service (SAS).
James D'Arcy ("Marvel's Agent Carter") will be Henry, a high-ranking Interpol officer who is entirely dedicated to hunting international criminals, having no family of his own.
Series Premise
Paramount+ has ordered ten episodes of the spin-off, which will be primarily filmed in Budapest. The series begins with Tony, Ziva, and Tali living in Paris, where Tony has established a security agency. However, the agency faces a large-scale attack, forcing the family to flee across Europe. As they try to uncover the reasons behind the attack, they must protect their family and learn to trust each other more deeply.

"NCIS: Tony & Ziva" promises to bring a mix of thrilling action, family dynamics, and intriguing new characters as the beloved duo navigates new challenges and dangers.

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"Notruf Hafenkante": New Season Premiere Date Announced
This fall, several of ZDF's early evening series are set to return, including the officers of PK 21 and the team at EKH. "Notruf Hafenkante" will return for its 19th season on September 26. The new season will feature 25 episodes, airing in the usual Thursday slot at 7:25 PM. Each episode will be available on the ZDFmediathek one week before its television broadcast.

Season Premiere Episode: "Neues Leben"
In the first new episode titled "Neues Leben," the life of a man in the witness protection program is turned upside down. Frank Becker (Moritz Heidelbach) experiences a mysterious accident shortly after his fiancée, Celine Lorenz (Lilli Fichtner), receives a strange phone call at her flower shop. The incident puzzles not only the EKH team, from which Frank suddenly disappears, but also PK 21 and Celine herself. It is eventually revealed that Frank has been hiding his true identity as Martin Labs, who had once betrayed Naja Varga (Marie Zielcke), the daughter of a criminal seeking revenge. The question remains: how was Frank Becker's new identity exposed?

Isa Nowak's Dilemma and New Team Member
Simultaneously, Isa Nowak (Lilli Hollunder) is grappling with the decision of whether to leave PK 21. She seeks advice from Dr. Jasmin Jonas (Gerit Kling) to gain clarity. Throughout the season, the precinct will receive new personnel. Malik Hakim, who must earn the trust of his colleagues, is being considered for the team.

Starting from episode 479, Zejhun Demirov will join "Notruf Hafenkante" as Malik Hakim. However, his debut episode "Kein Platz auf dieser Welt" will not air until next year, tentatively scheduled for February 27, 2025.

As the new season unfolds, fans can look forward to more thrilling and emotional storylines as the team at PK 21 faces new challenges and welcomes new members.