Author: Kirk Sanderson

Amagi Completes IPO, Celebrates Equity Share Listings on Indian Stock Exchanges

Amagi Media Labs Limited has completed its initial public offering (IPO) and now has its equity shares listed on Indian stock exchanges BSE and NSE.

The company, a cloud-native SaaS solution provider for the streaming and broadcast industries, will use 5,500.64 million rupees of the net proceeds (about $60.2 million) toward technology and cloud infrastructure. The money will be deployed in phases, until fiscal 2028.

The company’s IPO opened on Jan. 13 and closed Jan. 16.

Speaking at the listing ceremony, Baskar Subramanian, co-founder, managing director and CEO, said, “Amagi’s public listing is just the beginning. From a global cloud transformation standpoint, we are still in the very early stages — less than 10% of the media ecosystem has migrated to the cloud and 90% is yet to transform. At the same time, streaming has emerged as the single largest growth lever across the industry worldwide.”

“We shall continue to invest in product innovation and technology and harness Amagi Intelligence to drive innovation across our platform. We shall leverage domain expertise to expand into new geographies and strategically pursue acquisitions and partnerships. We shall scale profitably through disciplined capital allocation in order to enhance value for stakeholders and shareholders.”

Kotak Mahindra Capital Company Ltd., Citigroup Global Markets India Private Ltd., Goldman Sachs (India) Securities Private Ltd., IIFL Capital Services Ltd., and Avendus Capital Private Ltd. acted as the book running lead managers to the public issue.

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AMC Networks Unveils Trailer for Documentary Series ‘True Crime Story: It Couldn’t Happen Here’ Season 3

AMC Networks has released the official trailer and new images for the third season of the documentary series “True Crime Story: It Couldn’t Happen Here,” which starts streaming Feb. 19 on AMC+, All Reality and SundanceTV.

The true crime series is hosted by Hilarie Burton-Morgan (“One Tree Hill,” “The Walking Dead”).

Season three, which consists of six episodes led by advocate and actress Burton-Morgan, examines the challenges and complexities of small-town justice and spotlights cases in Pennsylvania, Texas, Indiana, Oklahoma and Kentucky.

Through conversations with the family members of those involved with the cases, as well as community members, local journalists and legal experts, the series reveals systemic flaws within the criminal justice system and encourages viewers to lend their voices to those who have been silenced.

Produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment, “True Crime Story: It Couldn’t Happen Here” is a SundanceTV Original Series, is executive produced by Burton-Morgan, Robert Friedman, Dan Flaherty, who also serves as director, Mike Powers, Liz Yale Marsh, Liz DeCesare and Meg Mortimer.

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“True Crime: It Couldn’t Happen Here” (AMC Networks photo)

 

StreamTV Europe Set for Inaugural Run in Lisbon April 13-15

Questex’s StreamTV Europe, an offshoot of the company’s successful StreamTV Show in Denver, is gearing up for its first-ever run in Lisbon April 13-15.

Held at EPIC Sana, StreamTV Europe will open with an inaugural address by Lisbon Mayor Carlos Moedas that show organizers say underscores the city’s growing role as a hub for media, technology and digital innovation.

The show itself already has broad participation from CTV operating systems, device manufacturers, streaming platforms, content distributors, ad-tech innovators, measurement firms and infrastructure leaders.

“This is a defining moment for streaming television in Europe,” said Kevin Gray, StreamTV Show founder and a Questex VP and market leader. “StreamTV Europe brings the global streaming ecosystem to Europe with a clear purpose: to advance the region’s CTV and streaming industry through deeper collaboration, practical insight and real-world solutions.”

Sponsors and participants that have already signed up for the show include:

  • CTV Platforms — Samsung TV Plus, Titan OS, V homeOS
  • Streaming Technology Partners — Bedrock Streaming, Wurl, Globecast, Encompass, GDS, Norigin Media, Red Bee Media, Brightcove, Accedo One, Sofast, Bango, Media Distillery, ThinkAnalytics, Backscreen
  • Content Owners, Distributors, and Channels — France 24, All3Media, Cinemavault, Radial Entertainment, Sawa Entertainment, Shoreline Entertainment, The Asylum, MPG Media Company, CNA Originals, Global Distribution Services
  • Advertising and Monetization Partners — Google Ad Manager, Indiecue, G-Mana, SyncMint, Wurl
  • Infrastructure, Data, and Analytics Partners — 24i, Deepdub, Irdeto, Mainstreaming, Synamedia, Cerberus Tech

 

Show organizers say sponsors are playing an active role in shaping the event experience through leadership sessions, high-impact case studies, and strategic discussions.

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Kino Lorber Readies Vintage Rolling Stones Concert Film for 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Disc Release Jan. 27

Kino Lorber Jan. 27 will release the vintage Rolling Stones concert film Let’s Spend the Night Together in a 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Disc combo pack.

The film was shot at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., and the Brendan Byrne Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. during the legendary rock ‘n’ roll band’s 1981 tour. Captured on film by renowned director Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude, Shampoo), with Pablo Ferro as creative associate, the film was shot with 20 cameras and the latest in 24-track audio. Highlights include a high-speed segment of the stage crew setting up a complex indoor stage and a performance of “Honky Tonk Women” featuring a massive chorus line of dressed-up “honky-tonk women.”

The first disc features the film in 4K Ultra HD from a new UHD SDR master from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative, on a triple-layer UHD100 disc with 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 audio.

The second disc has the film on standard Blu-ray disc from a new HD master, also from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative, on a dual-layer BD50 disc with 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 audio.

Both discs have two new audio commentaries by Justin Sosa, host of “Hang Fire: A Rolling Stones Podcast” and entertainment journalists Bryan Reesman and Max Evry. The Blu-ray Disc also has the original theatrical trailer for the film.

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Netflix Adds Real-Time Voting for ‘Star Search’ and Other Select Live Events

Netflix is introducing real-time voting for select live events, beginning with “Star Search,” which premieres today (Jan. 20).

Viewers are now able to vote alongside other viewers as the episode unfolds, instead of having to wait until the end.

Viewers can vote using their remotes — or tap the screen if they’re watching Netflix on the streamer’s mobile app. Real-time voting is not available while watching on Web browsers.

In a blog post, Netflix says it first began testing an early version of this experience on “Dinner Time Live With David Chang,” and “learned firsthand how members appreciated the seamless and integrated ways they could participate in the series.

“Whether you’re voting on your own or making it a watch party with family and friends, each profile gets one vote that impacts how the show — and its contestants — progresses.”

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Canada’s Blue Ant Media Ups Quarterly Revenue, Posts Loss Due to Non-Recurring Items

Blue Ant Media Corp., a Toronto-based international streamer, production studio and rights business, posted a 65% increase in revenue but a loss of $6.8 million for its first quarter of fiscal 2026, which ended Nov. 30, 2025.

The company generated revenue of $80.5 million, compared with $48.7 million in the prior-year period, when it also posted net income of $1.2 million. Blue Ant attributes the loss to non-recurring items including a planned non-cash accounting loss related to the monetization of the vendor take-back promissory note issued to the company in connection with its RTO, and transaction and restructuring costs associated with acquisition activity. Q1 2026 adjusted EBITDA was $5 million, versus $6.4 million in the prior-year period.

During the quarter, Blue Ant acquired MagellanTV LLC, a U.S.-based, global factual streaming service, for $12 million. The company says integration of Magellan, as well as newly acquired production companies Insight Productions, Jam Filled Entertainment and Proper Television, is progressing as planned.

“Our Q1 results were in line with expectations and reflected the scale we have been building through disciplined execution of our growth strategy,” said Michael MacMillan, Blue Ant Media’s CEO.

He said the revenue growth came from “strong performance in our studio business and contributions from recent acquisitions,” while adjusted EBITDA and margins in the quarter “were impacted by planned, non-operational accounting items related to the RTO, while underlying operating performance remained solid. We also generated $5.2 million in operating cash, significantly reduced corporate debt, and exited the quarter with a strong balance sheet with access to more than $100 million of current and expected capital to support continued growth.

“Looking ahead, we expect to further accelerate growth and earnings power with the planned acquisition of Thunderbird Entertainment Group, which we expect to close in the first quarter of calendar 2026. With increased scale and significant financial flexibility, we are well positioned for the future.”

Also during the company, Blue Ant Media saw continued expansion of its FAST network, with multiple channel feeds launched across several platforms globally, including Roku, Samsung, Vizio, Pluto TV, LG and FireTV. The launches include five Magellan-branded channels, further expanding the company’s global advertising distribution. Blue Ant also launched its Love Nature pay-TV channel on Telia, the largest telecommunications company in the Nordic and Baltic regions.

On the content front, “Slaycation” season two premiered on Crave Dec. 12, while “Canada’s Drag Race” season six premiered on Crave Nov. 20, with a seventh season also greenlighted on that date.

Production continued on “The Great Canadian Baking Show” season nine (CBC) and season 10 was greenlighted.

Several other titles are in production, including “Extracted” season two (Fox), “Top Chef Canada” season eight (global), “Canada Shore” (Paramount+ Canada), and “The Loud House” season nine (Nickelodeon).

Major distribution sales in the quarter include “Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy” to over 50 territories, and “Mike Holmes: Building a Legacy” seasons one and two licensed to Warner Bros. Discovery for HGTV in the United States.

On Nov. 26, 2025, the company entered into a definitive arrangement agreement under which Blue Ant will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. Thunderbird is expected to hold its shareholder vote on the transaction on Jan. 22, and a final hearing order from the Supreme Court of British Columbia has been scheduled for Jan. 26.

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Blue Ant Studios’ Distribution Arm Promotes Leaders, Appoints New International Sales VP

Blue Ant Rights, the distribution arm of Blue Ant Studios, Jan. 12 announced a series of leadership promotions and a new appointment across its Americas and APAC sales teams.

The company says its “strategic expansion” of senior sales leadership reflects its increasing portfolio breadth, genre diversification, and growing demand for premium content across platforms and territories worldwide.

“As we head into a new phase of growth for the company, these key executive appointments allow us to maximize our dedicated regional sales support in APAC and North America, critical to scaling our content portfolio and growing our genre offering,” said Mark Bishop, co-president of Blue Ant Studios. “We’ve built a leadership team with deep market expertise and strong global relationships with a clear goal to further expand Blue Ant Rights and unlock new opportunities for our premium content worldwide.”

In the Americas, Bryan Gabourie has been promoted to EVP of content monetization and head of Americas. He will lead an expanded Americas sales organization, with a mandate to strategically maximize the value of Blue Ant’s growing content distribution portfolio across platforms, partners, and territories.

In addition to overseeing regional sales, Gabourie will spearhead cross-functional content monetization initiatives across the company, including digital platform growth and high-volume VOD monetization, while playing a key role in portfolio strategy and commercial decision-making.

Nick Solowski has been promoted to VP of international sales (U.S and Canada), expanding his current responsibilities managing the team’s Canadian sales partnerships to also include content licensing and partnerships in the United States. In his expanded role, Solowski will work closely with the broader Americas leadership team to support the growth of existing partnerships, identify new clients and opportunities, and strengthen Blue Ant Rights’ presence across North America.

In APAC, Blue Ant Rights has appointed Bruno Liporoni as VP of international sales (Australia, New Zealand and Japan). Reporting to Jon Penn, managing director of APAC, Liporoni will oversee content sales across Australia, New Zealand and Japan, with a primary focus on the ANZ region.

Liporoni brings more than 20 years of experience in television and content distribution, including a decade at BBC Studios Australia, where he managed high-value partnerships with broadcasters, streamers and digital platforms. His background spans scripted, unscripted and children’s programming, with a strong focus on strategic broadcast and streaming sales, and emerging distribution models.

Additionally, Jason Soh, VP of distribution for Asia, will assume expanded responsibilities, adding oversight of content sales in China and Korea to his existing remit.

Since completing its reverse takeover of Boat Rocker Media in 2025 and commencing trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Blue Ant completed the strategic acquisition of U.S.-based streamer MagellanTV and announced the proposed acquisition of Thunderbird Entertainment Group Ltd.

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Amagi Media Labs Sets Jan. 13 Date for Downsized IPO

Amagi Media Labs is looking at a valuation of more than $869 million through a downsized initial public offering (IPO) that opens for bids Jan. 13, the company has announced.

Amagi, headquartered in  Bengaluru, India, is a leading cloud-based media technology company that provides end-to-end solutions for creating, distributing, and monetizing broadcast and streaming TV channels, especially FAST channels, by moving operations to the cloud, unifying workflows, and enabling advanced advertising for major media companies.

The Anchor Investor bidding date is Jan. 12. Amagi has set a price band of 343 rupees to 361 rupees per share ($3.82-$4.02) for its $199 million share sale, with bids closing Jan. 16.

The IPO consists of a fresh issue of equity shares aggregating up to 8.16 billion rupees. The company’s existing shareholders, including Accel India VI, Norwest Venture Partners, Trudy Holdings and Premji Invest, are planning to sell 26.9 million shares.

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Arrow Video’s January 2026 Streaming Slate Highlighted by ‘Cheap Thrills,’ ‘Lionheart’

Arrow Video on Jan. 2 announced the January 2026 lineup of its subscription-based Arrow streaming platform, available to subscribers in the United States, Canada, the U.K. and Ireland.

The lineup includes a new release of Cheap Thrills, a 2013 American black comedy thriller that marks the directorial debut of E. L. Katz. The film, which stars Pat Healy, Sara Paxton, Ethan Embry and David Koechner, follows two friends competing in a series of challenges worth different amounts of money given by a rich couple.

Also new to the streaming service is 1990’s Lionheart, in which Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a soldier drawn into the world of modern-day gladiators fighting for the amusement of the rich.

Arrow recently announced the launch of its streaming service on LG Smart TVs. With 24.5% market share of the overall global TV market by end of 2025, LG remains a dominant force in global television, with 10 million cumulative OLED TV sales in Europe alone and up to 3.8 million units sold projected for 2025.

In addition to LG Smart TVs, Arrow can also be found on Apple and Android devices, Fire TV, XBox One, additional devices, and Web browsers.

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Broadcast Trade Group to Showcase ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Standard Advances at CES 2026

The latest technologies in advanced over-the-air broadcasting powered by the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard will be showcased next week during CES 2026, which opens Jan. 6 in Las Vegas.

“ATSC 3.0 is free, local, and connected, delivering better picture, better sound, better access, and better choice over-the-air to viewers throughout the U.S., South Korea, the Caribbean, and Brazil,” said Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC, the Broadcast Standards Association.

A variety of home receivers for ATSC 3.0 will be on display in the ATSC booth in the Central Hall Grand Lobby, including solutions from ADTH, SiliconDust, ZapperBox and a range of affordable prototype converter boxes newly announced from Pearl TV and planned for introduction in 2026. The new products join dozens of NextGen TV models now available from a variety of TV manufacturers.

ATSC’s exhibit space in the newly renovated Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center is CES attendees’ information hub for NextGen TV powered by ATSC 3.0. In addition, kiosks sponsored by three ATSC members will showcase technology innovations.

Televes USA will showcase solutions for the reception, distribution, and verification of free over-the-air television supporting the rollout of NextGen TV in residential and commercial environments. At its kiosk, Televes will demonstrate how modern antenna systems, programmable signal distribution, and professional test and measurement tools, including internationally award-winning solutions, enable reliable reception, flexible channel management, and scalable delivery of free, local broadcast television across homes, multiple dwelling units, hospitality, and enterprise installations without reliance on pay-TV subscription services.

Mirakulo will demonstrate AstroTV NEXT, the platform for Brazil’s DTV+ (TV 3.0), a standard based on ATSC 3.0. The demo highlights how innovations defined for DTV+, such as Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI), immersive MPEG-H Audio, and advanced video compression with VVC enhanced by LCEVC, can be seamlessly applied to the next-generation TV ecosystem.

And SiliconDust, best known for its ATSC 3.0-compatible HDHomeRun TV tuners, will showcase its new HDGrandSlam for multiple dwelling buildings, offering live channels and two-week DVR playback with no monthly fees. For broadcasters, the AVSend CDN + Encoder is the solution for ATSC 3.0 BEST (Broadcast-Enabled Streaming Television) with real time viewership analytics and station monitoring and SiliconDust is now an ATSC 3.0 Certificate Authority for NextGen TV to ensure that broadcast television stations meet all signing security requirements.

ATSC, The Broadcast Standards Association, is an international, non-profit organization developing voluntary standards for multimedia broadcasting. ATSC member organizations represent the broadcast, broadcast equipment, motion picture, consumer electronics, computer, cable, satellite and semiconductor industries.

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