A+E Networks Expanding Co-Productions With Double Hirings – Global Bulletin

Patrick Frater
Updated ·5 min read

COPRODUCTIONS CALLING FOR A+E

A+E Networks has made two high-profile appointments in London as part of an initiative to expand its international coproduction activities.

Ninder Billing is appointed VP of unscripted co-productions international. Alexandra Finlay is appointed VP scripted co-productions international. Both report to Patrick Vien, group MD, A+E International.

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Billing was previously creative director at Darlow Smithson Productions, leading the premium factual slate focusing on streamer, international and U.K. terrestrial unscripted output and securing six new unscripted series. Prior to DSP, she was head of specialist factual at The Garden where she launched and oversaw BAFTA-nominated “Operation Live” for Channel 5, “Police Tapes” for ITV and “The Unshockable Dr Ronx” for the BBC.

Finlay spent her previous five years at Shaftesbury as VP creative and co-productions, where her credits include the upcoming comedy drama “SisterS” for IFC/Sundance, Crave and RTE by Sarah Goldberg and Susan Stanley. Prior to that she was head of acquisitions and co-productions at broadcaster UKTV.

They are expected to be responsible for identifying opportunities with global appeal and overseeing development and production, working in close collaboration with the company’s extensive network of producers, creatives and commissioning partners.

PRIME PURCHASING

Amazon has licensed a slate of television series from Paramount Global Content Distribution for its Prime and Prime Video Mobile Edition operations in India.

The slate includes “Mayor of Kingstown” season 1 and the limited series “1883” season 1,  the prequel to “Yellowstone,” capturing the Dutton family’s origin story as they embark on a journey west to flee poverty and seek a better future.  

Additional series include “The Stand” season 1, a limited series based on Stephen King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle, and “Star Trek: Discovery” seasons 1-4.

The deal also covers older shows including “Californication,” “Dexter,” “The Good Wife,” “NCIS,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Fight,” “Madam Secretary,” “Reign,” “The Great,” “Seal Team,” “Under the Dome,” “Munich Games” and “Parot.”

“We are delighted to announce that a curated selection of Paramount Global content is available for streaming to Prime Members in India at no extra cost,” said Manish Menghani, Director – Content Licensing, Prime Video, India.

VIZ VIBES

VIZ Media, a producer of manga and anime, has promoted Chantelle Sturt to the newly created position of head of global PR & publicity. The role is effective immediately reporting to Brad Woods, executive VP and COO at VIZ Media.

An Australian based in Los Angeles, Sturt has some two decades experience in the arts, media and culture communications. Most recently, she led the global publicity launch of legendary mangaka Tite Kubo’s supernatural fantasy thriller “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War,” which was a world-wide hit for streaming platform-partners Hulu and Disney+.

Key projects for 2023 feature of full roster of new releases including: Haro Aso’s anime “Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead” (live action coming to Netflix), plus on-going anime publicity for key titles “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War” S2, “The Pretty Guardians Sailor Moon,” “Naruto,” “One Punch Man,” “Death Note” and “Inuyasha.” At its publishing arm, Viz has “*4TOWN *4REAL” (a manga adaptation to Disney Pixar’s hit “Turning Red”), as well as new original graphic novels with Lucas Film, Disney and Marvel.

“With Japanese pop culture dominating publishing, streaming, film and gaming, the sky’s the limit! I love sharing the positive impact our mangaka and their stories are having on our young adults today,” said Sturt.

BRANDED BOUGHT

Singapore-based events organizer Branded has sold a 51% stake to Nodwin Gaming, the Singapore subsidiary of Nazara Technologies. The move means that Nodwin now has control of shows including All That Matters, and its multiple spin-off events (Music Matters, Sports Matters, Gaming Matters, Marketing Matters, Arts Matters, Live Matters, Digital Matters and most recently Learning Matters) as well as empowerment platform and touring festival for young women It’s a Girl Thing and event platform CreatorWorld.

“We share very similar synergies be it our common love for gaming, sports, music, esports or entertainment, so this was a near-perfect match,” said Akshat Rathee, co-founder and MD of Nodwin Gaming.

Branded’s founder Jasper Donat will remain with the company and focus on growing international sponsorship revenue for all of Nodwin’s IP in India and globally.

BOUNCING BACK

Cinema performance in Hong Kong fractionally exceeded the pre-COVID era over the Easter holidays. Over the April 7-10 period, gross revenues reached HK$30 million. That is 5% better than Easter 2020 and nearly 2% better than 2019’s HL$29.6 total, according to Hong Kong Box Office Limited. The top film of the season was new release “Super Mario Bros. Movie,” accounting for nearly half of the market. It was followed by Hong Kong-produced “Over My Dead Body” and “John Wick: Chapter 4.”

GOLDEN GOOSE

Orange Sky Golden Harvest, the loss-making multi-territory cinema operator, has announced the appointment of co-CEOs. It follows the resignation of Yeung Ho Nam who was previously both CEO and the company’s CFO.

Corporate veteran, Fiona Chow Sau Fong will be co-CEO with responsibility for the group’s corporate strategy, mergers & acquisitions, and business operations and development for non-mainland China region. The group operates cinemas in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan.

Mao Yimin, who was group CEO between 2011 and 2019 before focusing on China, becomes co-CEO responsible for corporate strategy, mergers & acquisitions, and business operations and development for mainland China region.

Orange Sky previously sold off its mainland China theatre chain and last year booked only HK$226,000 ($29,000) of revenue from China. But it is planning a comeback and aims to open its “first 360 theatre featuring self-developed IP” later this year in Suzhou.

The group’s net losses in 2022 were HK$46 million ($9.6 million), down from HK$334 million ($42.8 million) in 2021.

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