Jan Koeppen: Last News

France’s state-backed film and TV financing ecosystem, which is underpinned by investment obligations for all content distributors and strict media chronology laws, is the envy of audiovisual professionals worldwide.

Rebecca Rubin Senior Film and Media Reporter Disney‘s head of theatrical distribution Tony Chambers is leaving his current role to serve as president of the Walt Disney Company in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He will replace Jan Koeppen, who is stepping down in February as regional lead after six years as part of a company restructuring of the entertainment business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

K.J. Yossman Sky exec Karl Holmes has been tapped to lead Disney+ EMEA. Holmes, who will take on the role from January, will be based in Londo.

Fresh off the back of a set of better-than-expected financials, Disney is seeking to splash the cash in Europe.

K.J. Yossman Jan Koeppen, president of The Walt Disney Company EMEA, has restated the company’s commitment to cinemas, speaking of the company’s “belief in the importance of theatrical distribution.” “Everyone at Disney loves movies, and we love to make them big,” he said. The Disney EMEA boss was speaking at Media & Telecoms 2024 and Beyond Conference in London on Tuesday morning, where he touched on the breadth of Disney’s business, from theatrical to linear.

Disney has spent £3.5B ($4.5B) on production in the UK since the launch of Disney+, EMEA boss Jan Koeppen has revealed.

Naman Ramachandran Streamer Disney+ will launch its ad-supported subscription plan across several European countries in November. The ad-tier was launched in the U.S. in December 2022.

K.J. Yossman The Royal Television Society (RTS) annual convention, which took place all day Thursday (Sept. 27) in London, U.K., brought together some of television’s biggest hitters including Warner Discovery, Disney, Sky, ITV and BBC. The title – and theme – of this year’s convention was “The Fight For Attention” and the broadcasters and content creators discussed challenges, strategy and sustainability, especially in the shadow of a looming recession. Undoubtedly, content is still the most important factor for broadcasters, streamers and viewers alike. “Content is still probably the most – for sure, in my opinion – the most important [factor],” in terms of consumer choice, said Warner Bros Discovery International president Gerhard Zeiler, who said that as well as continuing to invest in local content the company was of course investing in franchises such as Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and more. Unsurprisingly, Jan Koeppen, president of IP powerhouse The Walt Disney Company EMEA, also said that in an era of choice, content would be the deciding factor. Said Koeppen: “Even with economic woes that we have right now, people are going back to quality, and I think great content will win.”

Major European streaming and media bosses have debated how best to help viewers navigate the overwhelming content choice out there in today’s TV landscape, as they talk up the future of AVoD and FAST Channels at RTS London.

K.J. Yossman Fresh from seeing “Elvis” become his highest-grossing film of all time in the U.K., Australian director Baz Luhrmann is set to be one of the leading speakers at this year’s Royal Television Society (RTS) conference in London, set to take place later this month. Luhrmann, who has also created series such as “The Get Down,” will be in conversation with British host Edith Bowman, discussing “the power of creativity.” Also joining the lineup are head of interactive at BBC Studios Tom Burton, Vicki Dobbs Beck, VP for immersive content at Lucasfilm and ILMxLAB, BBC technology correspondent Marc Cieslak and Jan Koeppen, president of The Walt Disney Company EMEA.

NBC’s ‘New Amsterdam’ To Be Remade In Turkey

Disney+ has no plans to enter the live sports arena in Europe any time soon, according to the Mouse House’s top European executive, meaning that the streaming giant will not be competing for Premier League rights in the UK.