Channel 4 Woes Deepen After TV Audience Sinks To Historic Low

Disney+ shows are being licensed to Channel 4‘s official on-demand service.Alias (seasons one-five), The Americans (seasons one-six), Empire (seasons one-six), Scandal (seasons one-seven), The X Files (seasons one-11), Bones (seasons one-12), The Killing (seasons one-four), Star (seasons one-three), Grown-ish (seasons one-six), and Abbott Elementary (seasons one-two) are included in the deal.Except for Star, all the series are available to watch as part of a monthly subscription on Disney+ in the UK.The additions to the Channel 4 streaming platform will be available to watch from later this month.Nick Lee, head of acquisitions at Channel 4, said: “We’re so pleased to have agreed such an extensive content deal with Disney, ranging from their most iconic series like ‘The X-Files’ to fresh hits such as ‘Abbott Elementary’ and ‘Star.’ We look forward to our viewers being able to binge series after series on Channel 4.”Meanwhile, sign-ups for streaming giant Netflix have risen by more than 100 per cent since the streaming service began cracking down on password sharing.Earlier this year, the streaming service announced details of its password crackdown, making it impossible to use one account in several locations.The rule then came into force in May, with Netflix receiving major backlash from existing subscribers.Since then though, Netflix has experienced a large rise in sign-ups, with the days between May 25-28 – shortly after the May 23 announcement – becoming the platform’s four biggest days of new sign-ups in the US since 2019, as Variety reports.On those days, 73,000 new users signed up for Netflix, a 102 per cent increase on the previous 60 days.

Disney has struck a multi-show deal with Channel 4 for the UK network’s rebranded streaming service including the likes of The X Files, Abbott Elementary and Bones.

Another weekend, another round of the UK media chewing over the entrails of the fragmented relationship between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and the rest of the British Royal Family. 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Warner Bros. Discovery will rebrand its kids’ TV channel Boomerang to Cartoonito in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong, with effect from July 28. The company said that the “switch is a result of positive feedback to the Cartoonito-branded block on Boomerang and Cartoon Network launched in 2022, and is focused on being more inclusive to pre-school aged viewers.” Sources close to the company explained that the move is “part of a big regional and global commitment by WBD to preschool content.” It follows Cartoonito rebrands and launches in other international territories including EMEA and LatAm.

Ryan Reynolds’ love affair with Wales is getting stronger.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Cold, cold heart, hard done by you. And Glastonbury fans were certainly hard done by Elton John and Britney Spears on Sunday night. Spears was widely rumored to be joining John during his closing headline set at the British music festival, but in her place to sing their hit “Tiny Dancer” remix was — Brandon Flowers. Fans were stunned when The Killers frontman traipsed on stage instead of Spears, especially as the “Baby One More Time” singer had dropped Instagram hints in the lead-up to John’s set that suggested she was in the U.K. On Friday, Spears posted a picture of an oil painting featuring McDonald’s food and a vase of roses with three Union Jack flags as the caption. In another now-deleted post, she reportedly told fans she was heading to London this week, claiming it was for a shopping trip.

Elton John brought out The Killers’ Brandon Flowers during his final ever UK gig at Glastonbury tonight (June 25).“My next guest, I first met in 2005 when I started playing Las Vegas. He came round to my hotel suite to play me his band’s first album, which was called ‘Hot Fuss’,” Elton said, introducing Flowers.“We’ve been friends ever since, and he was the first person I thought of to ask to come and sing with me, even though he’s played Glastonbury six times with The Killers.

layoffs of several other members of the network’s top brass, part of cuts affecting approximately 100 staffers across Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Networks Group this week.The channel will now be run by Warner Bros.

Expedition Unknown on Discovery Plus, tweeted on Wednesday (June 21) that he turned down the opportunity to film Titanic because the submersible “did not perform well” during a test dive.Gates said that he was given the chance to join OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush on a test dive, which took place in July 2021.“To those asking, #Titan did not perform well on my dive. Ultimately, I walked away from a huge opportunity to film Titanic due to my safety concerns w/ the @OceanGate platform.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Josh Gates, an explorer and the host of “Expedition Unknown” and more shows on the Discovery Channel, revealed on Twitter that he turned down a chance to visit the wreckage of the Titanic using OceanGate’s now-missing Titan submersible. Gates was supposed to film on the submersible but decided against it after discovering “safety concerns.” “I had the unique opportunity to dive in the OceanGate Titan sub with [company CEO] Stockton at the helm in preparation for its maiden mission to Titanic,” Gates wrote. “I pray for a positive outcome to the rescue efforts of those aboard, including fellow ‘Explorers Club’ member Hamish Harding.”

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International The heartrending search to locate and rescue the Titan submersible before it runs out of its four-day air supply will be the focus of a new fast-turnaround documentary on U.K. broadcaster Channel 5. “Titanic Sub: Lost at Sea” has been scheduled to air on Thursday at 7 p.m. local time. The doc will be presented by 5 News host Dan Walker. The ITN-produced documentary promises to “go beyond” news coverage and bring viewers up to date, while examining the wider context about the voyage, its passengers and the fascination with the Titanic shipwreck. The film will also talk to experts and look at the rise of extreme tourism.

Sky have launched The Overlap On Tour series on the back of Gary Neville’s successful podcast series.

EXCLUSIVE: The BBC is facing growing pressure to find a resolution for five seasoned female presenters, many of whom have been unable to work for months amid a merger of the corporation’s UK and international news channels.

Take That member Howard Donald has said he is “deeply sorry” after making a “huge error” by “liking social media posts that are derogatory towards the LGBTQIA+ community”. Howard, 55, who performs in the pop group alongside Gary Barlow and Mark Owen, has been dropped from playing at Groovebox’s Nottingham Pride Festival event in July.

EXCLUSIVE: Another one bites the dust at Channel 4. The UK broadcaster has canceled The Big Narstie Show.

Strictly Come Dancing star AJ Odudu 's TV contest The Big Blow Out will not be back for a second series as Channel 4 has announced it is axing the show. The competition debuted on E4 in September and was made by Love Productions, the company behind smash hits such as The Great British Bake Off and The Great Pottery Throwdown.

The 2023 Ashes gets underway on Friday with England facing the biggest test yet of their uber-aggressive approach under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes against old rivals Australia.

EXCLUSIVE: Channel 4’s content chief Ian Katz has acknowledged that the UK broadcaster is going through a “tough time” amid widespread discontent over show cancelations and cash flow issues.

EXCLUSIVE: British format Strangers on a Plane is jetting into the U.S.

It’s succession season at the UK’s  National Theatre with Rufus Norris, the institution’s Artistic Director, announcing that he will step down in 2025 after a decade in the post.