Platform: Last News

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Impact Network has set the launch date for its new free SVOD platform as well as its first scripted original series. Variety has learned that Impact TV+ will debut on April 10 with the premiere of the scripted series “Highly Favored.” “Impact TV+ is more than just a new streaming platform—it’s the next evolution of Impact’s commitment to delivering compelling, culturally rich content for Black families,” said Royal W. Jackson, executive vice president of Impact Network and co-executive producer on “Highly Favored.” “With ‘Highly Favored’ leading the way, we’re building a destination that gives our audience more access to premium, values-based entertainment whenever and wherever they want.” Impact Network fans will now be able to watch the network’s programming, including the six-episode series “Highly Favored,” across digital platforms.

Loti AI revealed that its likeness protection technology is being made publicly available. Previously only offered to public figures and celebrities, the company will now offer tools to anyone “who wants to safeguard their digital reputation.” “The internet is getting out of hand, and people’s digital reputations are at risk like never before,” said Loti AI CEO Luke Arrigoni. “From deepfakes to unauthorized illicit content, these threats are no longer limited to celebrities.

EXCLUSIVE: Rakuten TV and Polish streamer Pilot WP have joined forces to launch an online store with Hollywood movies including Anora, Wicked and Conclave as well as numerous local titles. The transactional-VOD (TVOD) service will be co-branded and available to Pilot WP users in Poland.

Alitura, Andy Hnilo's journey took a dramatic turn on March 20, 2011, in the wake of a life-altering accident."I was crossing the street and got hit by an SUV heading west. The impact caused me to lose consciousness and fall into the eastbound lane, where I was then hit by a pickup truck," Hnilo recalls.He woke up in Cedar Sinai ICU with devastating injuries.For the professional model and actor, this catastrophic event should have ended his career. Instead, it became the catalyst for something greater."I was 30 years old at that time," Hnilo explains, reflecting on his life before the accident.

Carolyn Giardina Language and AI tech developer TransPerfect continues to expand with the acquisition of Blue Digital Group, a provider of digital media services, cloud-based workflow automation, quality control, and content distribution technology for the media and entertainment industry. The news follows TransPerfect’s recent acquisition of Technicolor Games, a deal that was reached shortly after parent Technicolor filed for bankruptcy. Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Coming-of-age drama “Penelope,” produced by Duplass Brothers Productions, is set to launch on pay TV platform Sky and streaming service NOW in the U.K. and Ireland, following a deal with Fremantle. The eight-part series, created by Mark Duplass (“The Morning Show”) and Mel Eslyn (“Biosphere,” “Room 104”), follows Penelope, played by Megan Stott (“Little Fires Everywhere,” “Yes Day,” “Aftermath”), a 16-year-old who feels out of place in modern society and is drawn into the unknown wilderness, where she begins to form a new life for herself.

Kaare Eriksen Media Analyst The push to utilize generative AI across entertainment isn’t sparing the ever-complex video games industry by any means. With the Game Developers Conference underway this week, Griffin Gaming Partners managing director and co-founder Peter Levin joined Variety Intelligence Platform president Andrew Wallenstein and media analyst Kaare Eriksen on Variety’s “Strictly Business” podcast and wasted no breath expressing the urgency with which AI tech is top of mind for the business and development sides of gaming alike.

Jamie Lang In an era where streaming platforms dictate audience habits and algorithms drive content discovery, film festivals have had to redefine their purpose. No one understands this better than José Luis Rebordinos, director of the San Sebastián International Film Festival since 2011.

Naman Ramachandran India-based Toonz Media Group and Japan’s 1st Place have revealed a strategic partnership aimed at meeting the surging global demand for high-quality anime content, on the sidelines of Hong Kong FilMart. The alliance comes at a critical time for the anime industry, which faces unprecedented demand across streaming platforms, gaming, and entertainment sectors while simultaneously battling a talent shortage in Japan.

be well (particularly the world's swiftly growing aged population) but also feel well, as smiling can literally improve happiness. With 178 million Americans missing at least one tooth (and 40 million missing all their teeth), implant dentistry is in high demand.However, this booming market is not well-regulated, and the number of true specialists in implant dentistry remains low.

Naman Ramachandran Korean entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM, the studio behind Oscar-winning “Parasite,” is intensifying its strategy to expand its international footprint while navigating a challenging media landscape where production budgets have been rising and traditional linear TV faces market headwinds. “We have really strong creators, especially writers and directors and producers … this system that’s been developed for many years,” said Jangho Seo, executive VP of CJ ENM’s content business division, speaking with Variety at Hong Kong FilMart.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter “Grosse Pointe Garden Society” is on the move. NBC is moving the drama series from its current Sunday night timeslot to Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT beginning April 4.

Selome Hailu Tubi, the free ad-supported streamer owned by Fox, continues to grow in popularity, as evidenced by data about Super Bowl viewership published in Nielsen‘s monthly Gauge report. Nielsen says that the Super Bowl, which aired on Fox this year, led Feb. 9 to become the second-most watched day of television since the measurement began aggregating monthly viewing reports in March of 2021 with more than 110 billion minutes watched.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music In a move more characteristic of autocratic regimes like Russia and China than the United States, the long-running Boston band the Dropkick Murphys have had their account on X (formerly Twitter) suspended, after a series of aggressive comments directed at President Donald Trump, his sidekick Elon Musk — who acquired the company in 2022 — and their followers. The band’s singer, Ken Casey, has a long history of going after Trump, but after a series of comments directed toward MAGA supporters at the band’s concerts and, most recently, an interview on the left-leaning news platform MedasTouch, the group found its account suspended late Monday. “One other thing Dropkick Murphys has always been about is a lot of songs about standing with your friends and family and the things you believe in, whether it’s politics, or just how you were raised,” Casey said on MeidasTouch.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Timely doc “The White Gold of Greenland” is sparking controversy in the Nordic film and TV community just as U.S. President Donald Trump has set his sights on the Arctic island’s mineral wealth.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Google clinched a deal for its biggest-ever acquisition, announcing it will buy cloud-security platform Wiz for about $32 billion in cash. The acquisition of Wiz is expected to close in 2026, subject to usual closing conditions including regulatory approvals, according to Google. Once closed, New York-based Wiz will join Google Cloud.

Naman Ramachandran Tencent Music Entertainment Group (TME), China‘s dominant music streaming platform, announced robust fourth-quarter 2024 financial results on Tuesday, marked by substantial growth in its music subscription business and expanded profit margins. The company, which operates popular apps including QQ Music, Kugou Music, and WeSing, reported total revenues of RMB7.46 billion ($1.02 billion) for Q4, representing an 8.2% year-over-year increase. This growth was primarily driven by the company’s online music services, which surged 16.1% to $799 million.

Abigail Lee “Moana 2” has drawn 27.3 million views within the first five days of release on Disney+. It is now the third most successful Disney Animation theatrical film to hit the platform. The film, which features Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson stepping back into their roles as Moana and Maui, respectively, had the largest Disney Animation premiere since “Encanto.” The first “Moana,” which has amassed 1.4 billion hours streamed, is the most streamed film on Disney+ since the platform’s debut in 2019.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy’s Rainbow Group — the company behind the hit “Winx Club” animation franchise — has optioned the rights to adapt mythological saga “Game of Gods,” which has drawn millions of young adult readers on user-generated fiction platform Wattpad. The “Game of Gods” film adaptation will be produced by Rainbow and its Colorado Film live action unit, in tandem with Wattpad Webtoon Studios as associate producer.

Naman Ramachandran In a significant expansion of LGBTQ+ content in Asia, OUTtv is set to debut its first-ever channel in the region through a partnership with Taiwan‘s largest telecom provider, Chunghwa Telecom. The expansion marks a strategic milestone for OUTtv, which bills itself as the world’s leading LGBTQ+ television and streaming service.

Jonathan Anderson‘s time at Loewe has come to an end.