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Warner Bros. Discovery Launches ‘Dare to Ride,’ China’s Legend Media Buys ‘Evolve’ – Global Bulletin

Dare to Ride
Warner Bros. Discovery

SERIES

Warner Bros. Discovery has partnered with energy company Shell for an adrenaline-filled show, “Dare to Ride,” that has begun airing on Discovery in Southeast Asia and India. “Dare to Ride” showcases some of Asia’s most accomplished riders as they attempt to conquer the region’s most iconic routes with just their bikes, their wits, and their technical knowhow. The show is narrated by Steve Crombie, a world-renowned professional adventure motorcyclist. The show is produced by HJ Production in association with Trifecta Collective. Executive producer is Henry Ambarita. “This is much more than a journey across Asia’s most challenging roads, it is also a journey of the soul,” said Lynn Ng, VP head of factual & lifestyle SEA and head of content operations APAC, Warner Bros. Discovery.

APPOINTMENTS

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Ishizawa Akira of Nippon TV Nippon TV

Nippon TV, a leading Japanese broadcaster and entertainment producer, announced that Ishizawa Akira, its former senior executive operating officer, has been promoted to president and CEO. He replaces Sugiyama Yoshikuni who will be taking the new position of chairman of Nippon TV. The company has also established a new content strategy division that aims to accelerate large-scale co-development and co-production projects with streamers, broadcasters, and producers. The company is already known for its scripted and non-scripted formats. It now seeks to collaborate on original content. Nishiyama Mikiko, currently MD of international business development, has been promoted to executive VP of international business development and will oversee the international sector of this new content strategy division.

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Meanwhile, Banijay has appointed Rishi Negi as the new CEO of its Endemol Shine India joint venture. He replaces Abhishek Rege, who had been with the unit for 15 years and whose resignation as CEO was made public on Tuesday. Negi joins from Banijay Asia, where, until now, he has served as COO, supporting CEO, Deepak Dhar. Prior to that, Negi had over two decades of experience in hospitality, entertainment, and retail, with roles at the Taj Group of hotels, and Emerald Asia Media Fame India. He will report to Banijay’s COO, Peter Langengerg, who oversees the region.

SALES

Abacus Media Rights, an Amcomri Entertainment company, has sold documentary series “Evolve” to Chinese content aggregator Legend Media. Evolve (6 x 1 hour). It was produced by Beach House Pictures for Curiosity in association with Blue Ant Media, and is crammed with adventure, wildlife, eye-watering locations, and mind-bending futuristic science and is directed by rising star Patrick Aryee. The deal, brokered by Still Road Media, also includes “Hitler’s Secret Sex Life” (4 x 1 hour), produced by EQ Media Group. Legend Media has secured exclusive free VOD (FVOD/AVOD), transactional VOD, subscription VOD, and NVOD rights for both series.

GRANT SUPPORT

The Singapore International Film Festival has announced this year’s eight recipients — four documentaries and four shorts — of its SGIFF Film Fund grants which go to projects from Southeast Asian filmmakers. They are: “A Distant Call,” by Andrea Suwtio from Indonesia; “Monisme,” by Riar Rizaldi from Indonesia; “On Memories of Countless Days Away,” by Liao Jiekai and Elysa Wendi from Singapore; and an untitled Myanmar documentary from an anonymous director, with three receiving S$30,000 ($21,600) production support and one collecting S$20,000 in post-production support. In the shorts section, each recipient will receive a cash amount of S$4,000 from film financier C47 Investment, and post-production support worth S$4,000 ($2,900) from Thailand’s White Light Post. The recipients are: “Basri and Salma in a Never-ending Comedy,” by Khozy Rizal from Indonesia; “Sad Diva Lands On the Moon,” by Moe Myat May Zarchi from Myanmar; “Mulberry Fields,” by Nguyen Trung Nghia from Vietnam; and “Ponay (or You’re Not F***ing Welcome),” by Hesome Chemamah from Thailand. The SGIFF this year runs Nov. 24 – Aug. 4, 2022.

FORMAT

NBCUniversal Formats‘ “The Real Housewives” format is heading to Amsterdam. Packed with luxury, wealth and drama, the series will be produced by Concept Street and will launch on streaming service Videoland, which is part of European media giant RTL. From this fall, Videoland will follow the jet set lives of seven leading ladies. The housewives are: Cherry-Ann Person, Djamila Celina, Hella Huizinga, Kimmylien Nguyen, Maria Tailor, Sheila Bergeik and Susanna Klibansky. To date, there are thirty editions of “The Real Housewives” and several spin-offs.

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“The Real Housewives,” Amsterdam NBCUniversal Formats