Deadline: BBC Buys Apple TV+ Sitcom ‘Trying’

Story from Deadline:

The BBC has bought Trying, Apple TV+’s longest-running sitcom and its first show commissioned outside of the States.

Advanced Television; Data: UK SVoD nears 20m subs

Story from Advanced Television:

Worldpanel by Numerator has found that paid-for ad supported streaming services are on track to surpass ad free services in UK households by Q2 2026.

Variety: U.K. Government Formally Rejects Streaming Levy, Doubles Down on Mixed Production Ecology

Story from Variety:

The U.K. government has firmly rejected calls for a 5% levy on streaming platforms and mandatory IP retention rules, instead emphasizing the benefits of a “mixed ecology” that welcomes both international investment and local production in its formal response to parliamentary recommendations on British film and high-end television.

Variety: U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy Rules Out Streamer Levy

Story from Variety:

British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has firmly rejected proposals for a levy on streaming platforms operating in the U.K., despite recent recommendations from a parliamentary committee suggesting such a measure could help support the country’s television drama sector.

Advanced Television; Data: Prime Video, Apple TV+ lead new subs in Q1

Story from Advanced Television:

Kantar, the marketing data and analytics company, has revealed growing adoption of ad-supported streaming, strong competition between Prime Video and Apple TV+, and a breakout performance by Mubi, which recorded its best-ever quarter in the Entertainment on Demand (EoD) GB streaming market data.

Hollywood Reporter: That U.K. Netflix Tax? Not Going to Happen. But Streamers May Get Dragged Into Trump’s Trade War

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Just days after Netflix announced record viewing figures for British series phenomenon Adolescence — the drama racked up 114 million views in just 24 days on the platform, making it the 4th most successful English-language series of all time on Netflix — the U.K. Parliament heard how its local TV industry is “under threat” and that global streamers are part of the problem.

Broadcast: What the UK can learn from France’s streamer regulations

Story from Broadcast:

With MPs calling for a domestic streamer levy, how are French attempts to regulate US streamers faring?

Deadline; Peter Kosminsky: UK Government Would Rather See British Drama “Go To The Wall” Than Upset Trump

Story from Deadline:

Wolf Hall director Peter Kosminsky has argued that the UK government is more worried about “poking the U.S. presidential bear” than protecting British TV storytelling.

Deadline: Netflix Will Hike Prices If UK Introduces Streamer Levy

Story from Deadline:

Netflix will increase its subscription price if the UK streaming levy is given the go-ahead.

Hollywood Reporter; U.K. Streaming Tax? Netflix Responds: “Incentivize Rather Than Penalize Investment and Success”

Story from Hollywood Reporter:

Global streaming giants didn’t mince their words on Thursday when they reacted to a call from a U.K. parliamentary committee for a levy of 5% of U.K. subscriber revenue on foreign streaming services, including the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+ and Disney+, to help finance British drama production.

BBC News: MPs call for streaming levy to help UK TV industry

Story from BBC News:

A share of the revenue streaming services make from subscription fees should be paid into a fund to support British high-end TV production, an influential group of MPs has said.

Broadband TV News: Arqiva to migrate Hearst Networks to cloud-based VOD platform

Story from Broadband TV News:

Arqiva has secured a deal with Hearst Networks to migrate the global broadcaster’s services to its fully cloud-based VOD processing platform, as part of an extension to the two companies’ existing VOD partnership.

BBC News: BBC backtracks on having adverts in some UK podcasts

Story from BBC News:

The BBC has "decided to rule out" placing adverts on some of its podcasts for UK listeners on sites such as Apple and Spotify.

Deadline; ‘Adolescence’ Writer Jack Thorne: UK Government Must Help Avert “Devastating” Crisis In TV Drama

Story from Deadline:

Jack Thorne may be riding high on a British drama success story, but he has warned that shows like Adolescence could die out unless the industry solves a “devastating” funding crisis.

Deadline; BBC Content Chief Runners & Riders: Who Will Claim The Most Powerful Creative Job In British TV?

Story from Deadline:

Charlotte Moore’s decision to quit the BBC has opened up the most powerful creative job in British television — and within minutes speculation was rampant about who could succeed the outgoing content chief.

Deadline: Channel 4 Boss Warns Against UK “Sliding Into American News Swamp”

Story from Deadline:

Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon has urged UK intervention on public service news to help resist “sliding into an American news swamp.”

Advanced Television: MPs publish production inquiry evidence

Story from Advanced Television:

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee of the UK House of Commons has published written evidence submitted to the Committee’s inquiry into British film and high-end TV on TV production ahead of evidence sessions.

Cord Busters UK: Apple TV+ Becomes An Amazon UK Prime Video Channel

Story from Cord Busters UK:

Starting today, Apple TV+ is joining Amazon’s Prime Video Channels in the UK, marking a big shift for Apple as it steps outside its usual walled garden.

Deadline: UK Government Launches Forum To Consider Future Of Linear TV Amid Streaming Revolution

Story from Deadline:

The UK government plans to examine ways of sustainably preserving linear television for older and underprivileged audiences amid the streaming revolution.

Virgin Go now on Apple TV devices

Media Boy UK has just been told by an Media Boy UK on X Follower that Virgin Go is now available on Apple TV devices.

But The Sky Channels are not available except:

• Sky History 2
• Sky Kids