Amazon Expands Foray Into Sports Streaming in Australia, Adds Celebrity Touch (EXCLUSIVE)

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe Hulu musical drama pilot “History of a Pleasure Seeker” has added Olumide Olorunfemi and Bebe Bettencourt to its cast, Variety has learned.The pair join previously announced cast members Carla Woodcock and Callum Kerr in the pilot, which is based on the Richard Mason novel of the same name.“History of a Pleasure Seeker” is set in Amsterdam in 1907 and tells the tale of a charismatic young man’s explosive adventures through all the temptations of the Belle Époque.Olorunfemi will play Sisanda, a Xhosa woman raised in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. She’s used to being the most admired young lady in her village. She did not imagine she’d spend her life cleaning other people’s floors.

BBC House of Games has come under fire from fans - with viewers slamming an "unfair" celebrity guest. Fans of the show, which is hosted by Richard Osman, have called out a BIG advantage the celeb has.

EXCLUSIVE: Ismael Cruz Cordova (The Undoing) is the latest addition to the cast of Paramount+’s crime thriller, Finestkind. He’s set to star alongside previously announced cast members including Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega, Aaron Stanford, Scotty Tovar, Tim Daly, Lolita Davidovich, Clayne Crawford and Meghan Leathers.

Harry Styles has added two more shows to his upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand, after presale tickets for gigs in Melbourne and Sydney sold out in a matter of seconds.Last week, it was announced that Styles will embark on the Australasian leg of his ‘Love On Tour’ next February, performing stadium shows in Perth, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Sydney and Auckland. Ticketmaster and Live Nation presales started today (April 26), ahead of the general sale beginning tomorrow (April 27).Citing unprecedented demand for those presales – especially given the cancellation of a long-delayed arena tour in January – second shows have now been added in Melbourne and Sydney, respectively taking place on Saturday March 25 at Marvel Stadium and March 4 at Accor Stadium.

EXCLUSIVE: Meghan Leathers (Don’t Look Up) has signed on for a role in Paramount+’s crime thriller Finestkind, from Academy Award-winning writer-director Brian Helgeland. She joins an ensemble that also includes Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega, Aaron Stanford, Scotty Tovar, Tim Daly, Lolita Davidovich and Clayne Crawford, as previously announced.

Aaron Stanford (Perry Mason), Scotty Tovar (The Mosquito Coast), Tim Daly (Life & Beth), Lolita Davidovich (The Longest Ride) and Clayne Crawford (The Killing of Two Lovers) have signed on for roles in Paramount+’s crime thriller Finestkind, from Academy Award-winning writer-director Brian Helgeland. They join an ensemble that also includes Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster, Toby Wallace and Jenna Ortega, as previously announced.

Troppo” will premiere on Amazon Freevee May 20, as one of the first originals to launch on the newly renamed streaming platform.Based on the novel “Crimson Lake” by Cameron Fox, “Troppo” stars Thomas Jane as Ted Conkaffey, an ex-cop accused of a crime that he didn’t commit. Hiding out in the Far North Queensland, he’s recruited by private investigator Amanda Pharrell (Nicole Chamoun) into helping her investigate a bizarre murder case and track down a missing person. In addition to Jane and Chamoun, the cast also includes David Lyons, Yerin Ha, Sun Park, Ling Cooper Tang, Kate Beahan, Cramer Cain, Peta Wilson, Angela Punch McGregor, Damien Garvey, Josh Helman and Radha Mitchell.

IMDb TV, Amazon’s free, ad-supported video on demand streaming service, is rebranding to Amazon Freevee, beginning April 27. The rebranding had been in the works for awhile, with the idea for the new moniker to share the Amazon branding of its parent company.

Selome Hailu Moving forward, IMDb TV will be known as Amazon Freevee.IMDb, which is owned by Amazon, launched the free, ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) service in January 2019 under the name IMDb Freedive, before rebranding to IMDb TV in June of that year. After beginning in the U.S.

Katherine Tulich Netflix’s global hit drama series “Clickbait” was conceived and shot in Melbourne but the settings were California. If it were commissioned today, it would more likely have kept an Australian accent too.“Clickbait was commissioned out of the global team, but now that the ANZ team is operating, we are here to make Australian stories,” said Que Minh Luu, Netflix director of content, Australia and New Zealand recently.

The distraught family of a teenager who was strangled in Australia have blasted a decision to release her murderer, calling him a 'monster'. Rebecca Ryle was 19 when she was killed by evil James Duggan in 2004 after her family emigrated to Australia from Harwood, Bolton.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorApple is stepping up to the plate with its first live sports broadcasts Friday, set to debut “Friday Night Baseball” on Apple TV Plus — and, for a limited time, the MLB livestreams will be free for anyone in the U.S. and eight other countries.The games on Apple TV Plus — which will be about 50 per season — are available to anyone with internet access, for free for a limited time without the need for a subscription to the streaming service (regularly $4.99/month).

EXCLUSIVE: Horror-thriller All Fun And Games, starring Asa Butterfield (Sex Education) and Natalia Dyer (Stranger Things), begins production today in Canada with joining cast including Benjamin Evan Ainsworth — who has the title role in Disney’s upcoming Pinocchio — Keith David (Greenleaf) and Annabeth Gish (The Fall of the House of Usher).

There was intense Coronation Street drama as Jon Spear finally found out that his 'soulmate' Emma Brooker was involved in the death of his grandad Ted. Jon was shell-shocked when he went to confront Emma after she had suddenly brutally dumped him and the horrifying truth came spilling out.