WBD Unveils Canal+, Amazon Deals For Max In France & Spain Along With Launch Date
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has struck deals with Amazon and Canal+ to distribute streamer Max in France and Spain, as much-anticipated European launch dates inch closer. The House of the Dragon platform will kick off in France, Poland, the Netherlands and Belgium on June 11, a couple of weeks after the Nordics, Iberia, and Central and Eastern Europe. WBD’s newly-struck distribution deals, which apply to Canal+ in France and Prime Video in France and Spain, hand the streamer major coverage across the two crucial territories as it launches internationally later than most of its rivals. Other partnerships have also been struck with the majority of French and Spanish mobile, broadband and pay TV providers including Telefonica, Free, Vodafone, Orange, SFR, and MasMovil. Previously, WBD and Amazon had a Warner Pass deal in France that saw HBO content plus 12 channels made available on Prime Video in the nation. Max’s European rollout will come just before tentpole House of the Dragon Season 2 debuts in Europe. “Strong partnerships will turbocharge scale and build greater awareness for Max, helping us to reach new users faster, more effectively and more efficiently,” said JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming & Games at WBD. “Warner Bros. Discovery is still in the early days of our streaming growth. With almost half of the global addressable market still to come, we are excited and optimistic about the road ahead.”
BBC Studios Prods Finance Boss Heads To Fremantle
BBC Studios Productions finance boss Joanna Rwama is moving to Fremantle UK. Rwama is taking on an expanded Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer role as current CFO David Oldfield retires after two decades and Michelle Christophorou is promoted to Finance Director under Rwama. Rwama joins from BBC Studios where she has worked for 11 years. She was previously the finance lead for Factual Entertainment and Events, and Entertainment and Music. Prior to this, she worked as part of the deal team that secured investments in several BBC Studios production labels including Baby Reindeer maker Clerkenwell Films and Clarkson’s Farm indie Expectation. She is the second major BBC Studios Productions exit of the past few months following CEO Ralph Lee. “With her extensive experience both in the UK and internationally as well as a desire to find new opportunities in this ever-changing industry, Joanna will play a pivotal role in continuing to drive Fremantle UK’s growth and success into the future,” said Fremantle UK CEO Amelia Brown. Fremantle’s European team was recently knocked back by the departure of its Southern Europe CEO after he fell victim to a $1M fake M&A scam.
