Tuesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Tuesday, 4.45pm: Disney rejigs in EMEA

Disney has rejigged its leadership in EMEA with company veteran and theatrical distribution chief Tony Chambers replacing Jan Koeppen who is stepping down from the role. 

Chambers has been named president of The Walt Disney Company, EMEA, overseeing the US giant’s restructure of its entertainment businesses in the region. Read more

Tuesday, 2.44pm: Sister’s Jane Featherstone urges UK tax incentive reform

Sister boss Jane Featherstone has added her voice to the growing chorus of industry figures urging for a reform of the UK’s tax incentive schemes.

The Sister co-founder and chief operating officer reiterated calls over the past year from industry figures such as Jane Tranter and Patrick Holland that an improved incentive scheme is required to counter the increasing challenge of funding High-End TV (HETV) projects.

She said that the industry is at a point where HETV budgets have risen so much that public service broadcasters (PSBs) have been priced out of the market, adding that the distribution advance model has also “collapsed”. Read more

Tuesday, 1.34pm: BBC orders first interactive EastEnders episode

An interactive live episode of EastEnders will give viewers the power to decide the fate of one of its characters for the first time.

As part of the show’s 40th birthday celebrations, viewers will be able to vote for Denise Fox, played by Diane Parish, either to reunite with her estranged husband Jack or choose her secret lover Ravi Gulati instead.

Their choice will be revealed during a special live episode of the BBC Studios production in the show’s anniversary week (commencing 17 February). Details of how viewers can vote will be revealed in due course.

Tuesday, 11.15am: Crunchyroll preps Ghost of Tsushima series

Sony-owned anime giant Crunchyroll is adapting a series based on Sucker Punch Productions’ hit video game, Ghost of Tsushima.

The anime show, which was announced during Sony Group Corporation’s CES 2025 press conference on Monday, will be based on the Ghost of Tsushima and its Ghost of Tsushima: Legends multiplayer experience.

The show is in production and will exclusively premiere on Crunchyroll in 2027. Takanobu Mizuno directs and Gen Urobuchi is attached to write the series, which is being produced in collaboration with Aniplex.

Ghost of Tsushima is set in 1274 and follows Samurai warriors as they adapt to fearsome conditions to defend their homeland. It debuted on Sony’s PlayStation 4 in July 2020.

Tuesday, 10.01am: Seefood TV opens The Box across Europe

RTL Nederlands and TV2 in Denmark have ordered local versions of adventure challenge format The Box.

The Seefood TV show, which has already been ordered by TV2 in Norway, sees contestants having to work out their task to succeed having been released from a container box.

Tuesday, 9.15am: Geek Girl exec re-teams with Netflix for teen skating drama

The exec producer behind Netflix’s smash youth-skewing series Geek Girl is teaming up with the streamer and Canadian outfit WildBrain for a teen drama set in the world of competitive figure skating.

Jeff Norton will exec produce Finding Her Edge, which is produced by WildBrain for its owned-and-operated network Family Channel, with Netflix taking worldwide rights. The SVoD giant has also taken a second window in Canada. Read more

Tuesday, 8.57am: Hallmark programming chief departs

Hallmark’s executive vice president of programming has departed the US-based outfit.

Lisa Hamilton Daly had been in the role since 2021 but is leaving following a rejg that has seen the position being disbanded at the Crown Media Family Networks-owned brand. 

Hamilton Daly had been behind shows including The New Way Home and Holidazed, as well as being a key proponent behind the development of streaming service Hallmark Movies Now into Hallmark+.

Tuesday, 8.04am: Vizio launches Blue Ant’s Declassified 

Canada’s Blue Ant Media has launched its free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, Declassified, on Vizio WatchFree+ in the US.

The channel carries shows exploring events and developments that have shaped the world, from conspiracies and catastrophes to engineering and ancient civilizations.

Shows on offer include: Top Secrets UFO Projects: Declassified, which explores the infamous plan to investigate UFO sightings during the Cold War; Super Tunnel, which looks at a massive London construction project; and Spycraft, which pulls the curtain back on clandestine missions by spies.

The deal was led by Julio Sobral, senior vice president of channel distribution at Blue Ant. The Canadian firm already distributes FAST channels including Love Nature, Love Pets, Homeful and HauntTV on Vizio.