Streaming service MagellanTv today (Dec. 9) premieres a new documentary film that looks to explore the vast universe beyond the telescope’s view.

Search for the Edge of Space delves into the world beyond the streams of galaxies modern telescopes can observe in an attempt to uncover what exists in the mysterious far reaches of space, according to network officials. MagellanTV streams the documentary ahead of the Dec. 22 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which promises to reveal the evolution of the universe from its early phases to the modern era, said the network. 

The premium streaming service will make Search for the Edges of Space available for free to non-members through December 16 in celebration of the James Webb Space Telescope launch. MagellanTV can be access  through Google Play, AppleTV, Roku  Amazon Fire TV and Samsung Smart TVs. 

“Search for the Edge of Space is a tremendous example of the type of content MagellanTV is committed to bringing to our viewers,” said Tom Lucas, co-founder of MagellanTV and director of the documentary. “We’re thrilled to be debuting this particular doc on the eve of NASA’s James Webb Telescope launch, and as we continue to expand our content library, our focus remains on offering subscribers powerful stories that are equal parts entertaining, informational and inspiring.”

Streaming service ALLBLK has greenlit a new comedy series that follows the exploits of a first-generation Haitian American young man struggling to overcome the challenges of building a successful career in Hollywood.

Send Help, created by actor Jean Elie along with writer Mike Gauyo, follows Fritz (Elie),   a young man hoping to achieve stardom in Los Angeles while fighting to conquer his feeling of imposter syndrome, the Hollywood community, his incredibly demanding Haitian family and a looming family tragedy, according to the service.  

“Elevating the diversity of content available on ALLBLK has been top of mind for us as we prepare for the next year ahead,” ALLBLK & WE tv general manager Brett Dismuke said in a statement.  “Send Help will introduce a new perspective to our programming library that we anticipate will reach audiences across genders, age groups, and cultures – while also addressing emotional situations with comedic relief.”

Added Elie: “Send Help is a love letter to my family and others living with tragedy. It’s also a shoutout to first generation Americans daring to step into creative fields despite being discouraged by their immigrant families. I hope young people will see what’s possible when you step out of your own way and defy society’s limits.” ■ 

 Fox News Media has named six meteorologists to appear on its upstart Fox Weather streaming service. 

Recently signed meteorologists include Jason Frazer and Britta Merwin, who will serve as the platform’s morning news co-hosts. Craig Herera will co-anchor one of the platform’s key programming blocks, as will Brigit Mahoney and Stephen Morgan, said the service.  

Also, Nick Kosir will co-host the platform’s evening programming, said Fox News Media.

“We are very excited to announce the first team of talented meteorologists who will anchor our coverage from the Fox Weather studio headquarters in New York City,” said Fox Weather president Sharri Berg in a statement. “They each bring their own unique perspective and local experience from all regions across the country, as we begin to grow our national platform.” 

Also Read: Fox News Taps Execs for Streaming Weather Service 

Frazer comes to Fox Weather from station WKYC-TV in Cleveland, while Merwin joins the service from Houston's KPRC-TV. Herrera most recently served at Seattle's KING-TV station, and Mahoney comes to the service from KTVI-TV in St. Louis.

Kosir joins Fox Weather from WJZY-TV in Charlotte and Morgan most recently served as a meteorologist at KRIV-TV in Houston. 

Ad spending by streaming services dropped to $127.1 million in April, the lowest level so far this year and down 25% from the previous month according to figures from MediaRadar.

Spending is down 32% from January, when spending peaked so far this year. MediaRadar tracks spending on TV, digital and print. But it was up 29% from April 2020.

“The biggest contributing factor to the drop in ad spend this April was the loss and reduction of ‘For Your Consideration’ campaigns from Netflix, Apple TV Plus, Hulu, Disney Plus and HBO Max,” said Todd Krizelman, CEO and co-founder of MediaRadar. “In fact, this spend accounted for 16% of the total in March of 2021, coming in at $27.6 million.”

During April, Discovery Plus was the biggest spender, but its outlay were down 16% for the month. It still outspent its closest rival by 181%.

During an investor conference, Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that after advertising nearly everywhere to launch Discovery Plus, the company had a better idea of what worked and was allocating its ad dollars more efficiently.

For April, spending by Disney’s Disney Plus and Hulu were both up, with Disney Plus increasing by 59% and Hulu 65% more.

HBO Max spending was down 16% and Paramount Plus dropped 63%.

MediaRadar noted that Paramount Plus launched in March, so its April total might be a better reflection of what a normal month will look like going forward.

Univision’s PrendeTV streaming service will premiere this quarter with a group of blue-chip advertisers as launch partners, according to Donna Speciale, recently named president of advertising sales and marketing at the Spanish-language media company.

Also Read: PrendeTV Streaming Service Being Launched by Univision

The launch partners include Clorox, Coca-Cola, Dunkin, Johnson & Johnson, Toyota and Walmart. Speciale said these PrendeTV Premiere Club members will get a first look at programming and sponsorship opportunities, assist in developing innovative commercial executions and help find ways to improve the consumer experience.

Speciale had been president for ad sales at Turner, but left in 2019 after it was taken over by AT&T, two weeks she ago joined the management team assembled by new CEO Wade Davis, who led the acquisition of a controlling interest in Unvision last year.

The advertisers were pitched on the streaming service during the upfront last year before Davis’ deal, first agreed to in February, closed in December. The network’s sales reps knew Davis planned to launch a streaming service, but didn’t know its name.

Also Read: Univision Names New Top Execs Under Wade Davis

“We needed to get into the streaming business,” said Speciale, “The fact that he got in and is launching the first U.S. Spanish-Speaking streaming service that quickly is really impressive, she added. “They've been working behind the scenes really pushing this together, which I think is great.”

Speciale, an early advocate of the shift to more targeted television advertising, sees the streaming service linking with her efforts to build up Univision’s advanced advertising and targeting capabilities, not just on linear networks, but by jumping ight into cross-platform campaigns.

“I think there’s some really smart people here. I think we’re lacking some skill sets in the advanced advertising area because this was a company that wasn’t investing” as it prepared to get acquired. “Now Wade is here and he knows the way to take this company to a new level is to bring in some different skill set to help me transform the company si its more focused on audiences, addressable and targeting capabilities.”

Univision is already a member of OpenAP, the advanced advertising consortium co-founded by Speciale when she was at Turner, and will remain a member, she said.

Developing advanced advertising capabilities will be easier at Univision because of Speciale’s experience at Turner and because clients are more familiar with it and have seen its effectiveness. “The marketers are realizing that targeting is where TV needs to go,” she said. 

Speciale said she was familiar with Univision from her time as a media buyer. “I definitely purchased it,” she said, citing a more holistic approach to marketing, rather than focusing primarily on English-speaker and dealing with multi-cultural audiences as a side conversation.

She expects to persuade more big marketers that they need to advertise on Univision. “You’re not going to be able to grow your business long term if you don’t reach the Hispanic audience,” she said.

Speciale wants marketers to see Univision as a resource. “If you’re not familiar with the U.S. Hispanic audience, we can help you with your strategy, or if you don’t really have the capabilities of doing Spanish-language creative, I want Univision to be that resource to help you figure out your creative messaging because we know that culture so well.”

Already, Speciale said she’s starting to look at plans for another upfront.

“It’s going to be virtual. I think we’re going to have a lot to talk about,” she said. “I just actually saw the virtual upfront that they did [in 2020]. I watched it this weekend and it’s pretty impressive,” she said. “I think everybody did a really great job with the virtual upfronts, given that a lot of it was last minute. Now at least we have time.”

After leaving Turner, Speciale said she started looking for an opportunity to transform another company. But the time she had between jobs was “the best year and a  half of my life. I’m not kidding. I was blessed,” she said.  

She started out by travelling. After COVID-19 hit, she spent time with her family and gardening. “My kids said, ‘my God, she’s Martha Stewart,” Speciale said.

UMC has greenlit a new original comedy series, For The Love Of Jason, which will debut on the streaming service in November. 

The series will focus on the male perspective of today’s dating landscape while taking a fresh approach to the life of a 30-something bachelor and his drama-prone friends, said executives of the African-American targeted streaming service.

The series was created by and stars Trell Woodberry (pictured), with actors Jackée Harry, Kareem Grimes, and B.J. Britt also set to appear in the series, said UMC.

“We so often see stories of relationships told from the perspective of women,” says Brett Dismuke, Chief Content Officer of UMC in a statement. “It’s rare to get the single male viewpoint of the relationship spectrum. Trell has introduced an interesting and uncommon dynamic with the creation of For the Love of Jason and we are excited to see how audiences will respond to the dating escapades of his character.”

Peacock on Monday debuted video trailers for its upcoming original series reboot Save By The Bell and off NBC pickup A.P. Bio during the streaming service’s virtual TCA summer tour presentation.

Saved By The Bell, based on the 1990’s NBC sitcom, brings back original cast members Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Elizabeth Berkley, and Mario Lopez as they interact with a new generation of Bayside High students. The series debuts on Peacock Sept. 3.

The streaming service will also debut the third season of A.P. Bio after the first two seasons aired on NBC. The series continues to follow the exploits of disgraced Harvard philosophy scholar Jack Griffin (Glenn Howerton), who returned to his hometown of Toledo, Ohio to work as a high school Advanced Placement biology teacher.

Upstart streaming service Peacock provided audiences with a sneak peek of several of its original shows that will run on the service. which is set to debut July 15.

Among the shows previewed are Brave New World, a sci-fi thriller which follows the travails of a future Utopian society; and The Capture, a conspiracy thriller t hat looks at a troubling world of fake news and the extraordinary capabilities of the intelligence services, according to the streaming service. 

Below are the Peacock series video trailers: 

Brave New World

The Capture

Intelligence 

Psych 2: Lassie Come Home 

In Deep 

Lost Speedways 

Curious George 

Cleopatra in Space

Where's Waldo? 

 Disney Plus has released a first-look trailer for the film version of the hit Broadway pay Hamilton, which debuts on the streaming service July 3. 

The film, which was slated to debut in theaters in fall 2021 but in May was moved up to launch on Disney Plus, was filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June 2016is and stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, who earned a Tony Award for his starring role in the play as Alexander Hamilton. 

Drama series Search Party will mark its debut on the HBO Max streaming service on June 25, the service said Monday.

Search Party, which ran for two seasons on TBS, will continue the exploits of a group of privileged, self-absorbed twenty-somethings whose search for a missing friend leads them down a dark and shocking path of no return, according to HBO Max. Alia Shawkat, John Reynolds, John Early and Meredith Hagner star in the comedy thriller. 

Apple TV Plus Friday debuted a first-look teaser trailer for its original series Little Voice, which debuts July 10 on the streaming service.

The coming-of-age drama series about finding your authentic voice—and the courage to use it -- stars Brittany O’Grady as a uniquely talented performer struggling to fulfill her dreams while navigating rejection, love, and complicated family issues. 

J.J. Abrams, Sara Bareilles, Jessie Nelson and Ben Stephenson serve as executive producers for Little Voice. Bareilles is featured in the video performing the original theme song to the show. 

Streaming service HBO Max has released a new trailer for the second season of action series Doom Patrol, which debuts June 25.

The series, which originally appeared on the DC Universe streaming service, follows the exploits of a misfit group of superheros. The series stars Diane Guerrero, Brendan Fraser, Matt Bomer, April Bowlby and Joivan Wade.  

Streaming service Disney Plus has renewed its scripted series Diary of a Future President for a second season, the streaming service said. 

The series, executive produced by Gina Rodriguez, follows the adventures of a young teen navigating the ups and downs of middle school on her journey to become the future president of the United States, said officials from the service. 

“Optimistic, heartfelt stories that inspire are fundamental to our content and creator Ilana Peña’s series delivers on these attributes in spades,” says Agnes Chu, senior VP, content, Disney Plus in a statement. “Families around the world have fallen in love with Elena and the Cañero-Reed family and we are thrilled to bring Elena’s often hilarious and always meaningful journey through adolescence back for another season. It has been wonderful to partner with the extraordinary Gina Rodriguez to champion specific, diverse points-of-view and we look forward to seeing even more of President Cañero-Reed in this next chapter.”

Streaming service Disney Plus has renewed its scripted series Diary of a Future President for a second season, the streaming service said. 

The series, executive produced by Gina Rodriguez, follows the adventures of a young teen navigating the ups and downs of middle school on her journey to become the future president of the United States, said officials from the service. 

“Optimistic, heartfelt stories that inspire are fundamental to our content and creator Ilana Peña’s series delivers on these attributes in spades,” says Agnes Chu, senior VP, content, Disney Plus in a statement. “Families around the world have fallen in love with Elena and the Cañero-Reed family and we are thrilled to bring Elena’s often hilarious and always meaningful journey through adolescence back for another season. It has been wonderful to partner with the extraordinary Gina Rodriguez to champion specific, diverse points-of-view and we look forward to seeing even more of President Cañero-Reed in this next chapter.”

Digital media tech company Canela Media said it is launching Canela TV, a free, ad supported streaming service aimed at the 60 million Hispanics living in the U.S.

The site offers access to 8,000 hours of novelas, comedies, cartoons, drama and action films for adults and children. Content comes from partners including Sony, Atr3s Media, Shoreline, Legendary, Caracol Television and Polka.

“We recognize that Hispanics’ viewing habits are rapidly shifting away from traditional Spanish-language television as consumers seek content that better reflects their lifestyle, culture and passion points,” said Isabel Rafferty, CEO and founder at Canela Media. “Digital platforms, and particularly streaming services, offer a unique opportunity for brands to be agile and connect with consumers through targeted content that is contextually and culturally relevant.”

The app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Smart TVs. 

On Demand streaming service Fox Nation has launched on Cox Contour TV, the parties said Tuesday.

The service, designed to complement Fox News Channel, is now available to Cox Contour TV customers and to Internet-only customers with the Contour Stream Player, according to John Finley, Executive Vice President of Development for Fox Nation. The SVOD service can be found on Cox on Demand on Contour and across devices via the Contour app and portal -- as well as on the Contour Stream Player -- for $5.99 per month.

“Since first launching our platform in 2018, the demand for Fox Nation has only grown and we look forward to further expanding and introducing Cox’s customers to this service,” said Finley.

On Demand streaming service Fox Nation has launched on Cox Contour TV, the parties said Tuesday.

The service, designed to complement Fox News Channel, is now available to Cox Contour TV customers and to Internet-only customers with the Contour Stream Player, according to John Finley, Executive Vice President of Development for Fox Nation. The SVOD service is available through Cox on Demand on Contour and across devices via the Contour app and portal -- as well as on the Contour Stream Player -- for $5.99 per month. 

“Since first launching our platform in 2018, the demand for Fox Nation has only grown and we look forward to further expanding and introducing Cox’s customers to this service,” said Finley.   

WarnerMedia Wednesday rolled out a new video trailer for its upcoming streaming service HBO Max, which is set to debut on May 27.

This one is different from the one new WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar tweeted out Tuesday, which promotes the anticipated Friends reunion special and other originals shows that probably won't be ready by May 27 because of pandemic-related studio shutdowns. 

The spot, which centers around the streaming service’s tagline Where HBO Meets So Much More, showcases the service’s programming and characters who will call the new streamer home, according to company officials.

“HBO is the gold standard in terms of premium original content, and audiences will continue to be drawn to the strength of that brand and the power of the library,” said Chris Spadaccini, Chief Marketing Officer, WarnerMedia Entertainment & Direct-to-Consumer in a statement “But HBO Max offers so much more than just HBO. We are establishing HBO Max as a place where all your favorite shows and movies intersect in unexpected ways. There’s a really fun attitude and personality to the campaign and each one of our ads has an element of surprise and delight.”

Netflix will launch its unscripted series, Babies, on Feb. 21.

Filmed over the course of three years, Babies is a documentary series that explores the miracle of the first full year of life for 15 babies and their families through the pioneering work of leading scientists from across the globe, according to the streaming service, said the streaming service.

Streaming service DC Universe has set a Nov. 29 premiere date and a new trailer for its animated series Harley Quinn.

The series stars Kaley Cuoco as the voice of villain Harley Quinn, who, according to the service, has broken things off with the Joker and attempts to make it on her own as the criminal queenpin of Gotham City. The series features such characters from the DC Universe as Quinn and Poison Ivy, as well as other heroes and villains.

(Warning: the trailer contains explicit language, adult themes and violence -- viewer discretion is advised.) 

Disney+ has released a new video trailer for its Star Wars-inspired series The Mandalorian, which is set to debut on the upstart video streaming site Nov. 12. 

The series, set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order, follows the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic, according to the streaming service. 

Sports streaming service DAZN will reside on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 tier as part of a carriage deal between the two companies.

As part of the agreement, DAZN -- which offers live combat sports events -- will be available to Comcast customers on the MVPD's Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex offerings, which means the $19.99 per month service will appear as a native channel within the X1 and Flex user interface.

The deal marks the first distribution agreement for the sports streaming service, which launched last September. It also comes as DAZN rolls out several high-profile boxing matches, beginning Oct. 5 with the Gennady Golovkin-Sergiy Derevyanchenko middleweight fight, and including the Nov. 2 Canelo Alvarez-Segey Kovalev light heavyweight championship bout and the Dec. 7 Andy Ruiz-Anthony Joshua heavyweight world championship rematch. 

RELATED: DAZN's John Skipper is Back In The Zone 

“DAZN for Operators is our new partnership program, in which we collaborate with the world’s leading pay TV operators, ISPs and mobile carriers to make the live sports experience even more accessible and better to watch for fans,” said Ben King, DAZN senior vice president of global distribution and business development in a statement. “We couldn’t think of a better inaugural partner than Comcast."

Added Daniel Spinosa, Vice President, Entertainment Services for Comcast Cable: “We’re thrilled to give our Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex customers access to DAZN’s live and on-demand programming starting this fall just in time for some of the most highly anticipated events in sports this year.”

Sports streaming service DAZN will reside on Comcast’s Xfinity X1 tier as part of a carriage deal between the two companies.

As part of the agreement, DAZN -- which offers live combat sports events -- will be available to Comcast customers on the MVPD's Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex offerings, which means the $19.99 per month service will appear as a native channel within the X1 and Flex user interface.

The deal marks the first distribution agreement for the sports streaming service, which launched last September. It also comes as DAZN rolls out several high-profile boxing matches, beginning Oct. 5 with the Gennady Golovkin-Sergiy Derevyanchenko middleweight fight, and including the Nov. 2 Canelo Alvarez-Segey Kovalev light heavyweight championship bout and the Dec. 7 Andy Ruiz-Anthony Joshua heavyweight world championship rematch. 

RELATED: DAZN's John Skipper is Back In The Zone 

“DAZN for Operators is our new partnership program, in which we collaborate with the world’s leading pay TV operators, ISPs and mobile carriers to make the live sports experience even more accessible and better to watch for fans,” said Ben King, DAZN senior vice president of global distribution and business development in a statement. “We couldn’t think of a better inaugural partner than Comcast."

Added Daniel Spinosa, Vice President, Entertainment Services for Comcast Cable: “We’re thrilled to give our Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex customers access to DAZN’s live and on-demand programming starting this fall just in time for some of the most highly anticipated events in sports this year.”

WarnerMedia Friday continued its rollout of new original projects in the works for its upcoming streaming service HBO Max with a straight-to-series order for drama Americanah, starring Lupita Nyong’o.

The series, based on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s best-selling novel of the same name, stars Nyong’o (Black Panther) as a woman born in Nigeria who leaves for America, and follows her extraordinary experiences with love, heartache, adversity and self-discovery, according to the company. Danai Gurira (Black Panther, The Walking Dead) will serve as showrunner for the 10-episode series and will write the pilot episode. 

“Americanah has sparked a cultural phenomenon and is revered by fans around the world. It has affected me deeply as one of the most moving, socially relevant and romantic stories of our time,” said Sarah Aubrey, head of original content, HBO Max in a statement. “With exceptional talent like Lupita and Danai in front of and behind the camera, this series will give viewers a uniquely heartfelt and unforgettable experience.”

The announcement comes on the heels of HBO Max’s first original shows in the unscripted genre, Legendary and The Greatest Space.

Related: HBO Max Orders Reality Series from ‘Queer Eye’ and ‘Amazing Race’ Creators

Streaming service DAZN still hopes to feature a 2019 fight featuring middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez now that the champion has decided not to fight in September. 

Alvarez and boxing promotional company Golden Boy announced last week that the fighter would not fight on Sept. 14 after being unable to secure an opponent, according to ESPN.com.

DAZN had hoped to distribute a Sept. 14 fight featuring Alvarez -- who has fought on the weekend of Mexican Independence Day for the past three years -- against former champion Gennady Golovkin in a third fight between the two boxers. 

Alvarez and Golovkin fought to a draw in their first fight in 2017, with Alvarez winning a close decision in the rematch last year. 

DAZN is still hoping to get Alvarez -- who is going into the third fight of an exclusive, 11-fight deal with the sports streaming service -- into the ring before the end of the year. Alvarez in is negotiations to fight top contender Sergey Derevyanchenko, according to ESPN.com.

“We continue to work toward putting together a compelling annual schedule for fight fans,” said John Skipper, DAZN executive chairman. “It would be premature to comment on our plans until we finalize the remaining cornerstones of the 2019 calendar. Canelo is extremely important to DAZN. His first two fights with us generated significant subscription growth for our service and we’re excited to see him back in action later this year.”

BET Networks will jump into the digital streaming video arena with the fall debut of BET+, headed up by veteran digital executive Devin Griffin. The former Netflix executive will oversee operations for the African-American targeted subscription streaming service, which will feature more than 1,000 hours of exclusive and library content including new original programming from prolific producer Tyler Perry and other leading content creators such as Will Packer (Ride Along) and Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip.)

Related: BET Taps Devin Griffin to Head Up BET+

I had a chance to speak to Griffin about the business strategy behind BET+ as well as his thoughts on the explosion of media-branded streaming services set to launch later this year. An edited transcript of the interview appears below.

BET Networks is launching BET+ during a time when other high profile streaming services from media conglomerates like WarnerMedia (HBO Max) and Disney (Disney+) are entering the scene, so why is this the best time to launch BET+?

Consumers are telling us that in addition to the great stuff that’s already out in the linear world, there is this growing demand for content anytime, anywhere, which is why we feel like it's a really exciting opportunity for us to extend the way we can engage, connect and serve the BET audience through BET+. BET is obviously the underpinning for BET+, so we’re going to build from that strength in terms of what the brand means and what kind of stories have and need to be told. The plus piece of the service represents alot of other stuff that we can do to expand the tent through this platform, whether it's to tell edgier stories or to create more family co-viewing content, or to tell more younger male stories.

How much will the service cost?

We’re not commenting on price right now. Our focus is helping our target audience understand what the value is that we’re bringing to the table. We’re bringing the number one brand in television for African-Americans together with the number one creator for African-American content in Tyler Perry -- as well as other talented creators like Tracy Oliver and Will Packer -- so we want to establish what the value proposition is first so that we can build a service that is not only entertaining but also sustainable.

You mentioned Tyler Perry. How important is his contributions to the service, both from a marketing and a content production perspective?

We think its massive. To take the number one television brand among African-Americans and combine it with the undisputed number one producer of African-American stories in Tyler Perry is an absolutely killer combination. As prolific and successful a producer as Tyler is, his marketing machine is often overlooked; he knows how to play across different types of media. For us, to have such a fine-tuned marketing partner in Tyler Perry is a really great asset that we get to bring into the fold.

While Tyler Perry will have a major presence on the service, what else should consumers expect to see on BET+?

Our first original is coming from the mind of Tracy Oliver, a fast-rising producer that has had tons of success through her work on Girls Trip and the Barbershop film franchise, and we’re really excited to have her series TheFirst Wives Club premiering when the service launches in the fall. We also have a series coming from Will Packer that will premiere on the service. We want to be in business with some of the best and brightest African-American storytellers, producers and talent, so we plan to continue to build on that. We want to build a cadence for the service over the course of the first year or two of regularly providing our audience with new and exclusive original content just for BET+.

What drew you to the prospect of launching an upstart, BET-branded streaming service?

It’s a combination of two things: I’m a lifelong fan and follower of BET -- it's an important and key part of the experience of being African-American in this country. If you look at BET’s track record, its something like 17 years running in which its been the dominant player in the African-American [media] space. Unfortunately the [African-American audience] is grossly underserved in the digital space, so it's really a rich opportunity to help build an exciting business. That’s something that has alot of meaning to me personally.

You’ve also worked for Netflix … do you consider the service competition for BET+?

We have tons of respect for what Netflix is and has done in the global business, and our point of view is that we want to be complementary to what they’re doing. I don’t think it's our desire to go head-to-head with them -- we’ll try to compliment them and step into the areas where our viewers say they want more programming. We’re not trying to compete with Netflix or anyone else; we’re just trying to serve our viewers and our consumers as best as we can.

BET Networks has named former Netflix executive Devin Griffin general manager of its upstart streaming service BET+.

Griffin will oversee business strategy and operations -- including original programming, content acquisitions, marketing, distribution, planning and analysis -- for BET+, which will offer more than 1,000 hours of content targeted to African-American audiences, including new and library content from producer/director Tyler Perry.

RELATED: BET, Tyler Perry Creating New SVOD Service

Griffin most recently served as producer and executive vice president of Story Lab US, where he co-founded and led the company’s foray into premium long-form content development, developing original series with Anonymous Content, ITV, Stephen David Entertainment, and the NBA Players Association.

Prior to that, Devin served in various senior content roles at Netflix, including extensively working on scripted drama, comedy, sci-fi and anime.

“We are thrilled to have Devin join the BET family and lead our new streaming service BET+,” said Scott Mills president of BET Networks, to whom Griffin will report. “His fresh perspective and expertise in curating premium content will strengthen our position in the streaming landscape and drive subscriber growth, viewership and retention.”

Added Griffin: “I am beyond excited to be joining the BET brand at such a pivotal time in the industry. With BET+, I see a big opportunity to provide powerful, comprehensive programming to African Americans, and lovers of black culture, in the SVOD space. This audience has a voracious appetite for quality, authentic black stories and has been under-served for too long.” 

Acorn Tv will take British drama London Kills straight to series, the network announced Friday.

The series, co-produced by Acorn Media and PGMTV, will dramatize the experiences of a team of to murder detectives, said the streaming service. The companies will produce two seasons of the series back-to-back comprised of five one-hour episodes, said the company. 

 “After announcing our first commission with Agatha Raisin, Series 2, Acorn Media Enterprises and Acorn TV are thrilled to not only commission another high-quality production but make London Kills our first straight-to-series commission and produce two seasons back-to-back,” said Shane Murphy, managing director for Acorn Media Enterprise in a statement. “With its compelling, fast-paced scripts and the creativity of (PGMTV managing director) Paul Marquess, London Kills will make an excellent addition to Acorn TV’s rapidly growing Originals slate.”

WASHINGTON — Online video-streaming company FilmOn X continues to fight for a compulsory license and access to broadcast-TV station signals, arguing it qualifies as a cable system for that purpose.

A compulsory license would allow FilmOn X to deliver TV-station programming from the major networks at the government-set rate, rather than having to negotiate individually with each broadcaster. The issue is whether online video distributors are effectively multichannel video providers (MVPDs) eligible for the statutory license that allows them to avoid negotiating for individual network broadcast content.

That issue is unsettled, with the U.S. Copyright Office saying OTT providers aren’t eligible, but also saying that could change depending on what the courts and the Federal Communications Commission decide.

The FCC is mulling defining some over-the-top distributors as MVPDs and the agency’s chairman, Tom Wheeler, has pointed to the need to prevent “old rules” from hampering online video competitors like FilmOn X. But the FCC has also put that decision on the back burner while the marketplace develops.

FilmOn X has filed a new brief in its challenge to a November 2015 U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia dismissal of its request that the court rule the online TV-station streaming service is a cable service entitled to that compulsory license. The brief adds some new twists, too.

The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California ruled in a separate case that FilmOn X was such a service and qualified for the license, which the broadcast networks challenged. Neither matter has been resolved, so FilmOn X is asking the D.C. court to stay the California court’s decision until the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals resolves that challenge.

FilmOn had also asked the D.C. court to stay its decision until the California case was resolved, but was unsuccessful. The company has said that court abused its discretion by denying the stay.

“The [U.S.] district court failed to examine the close relationships between the plaintiffs in the two parallel actions, which would have revealed no meaningful differences between them,” FilmOn X said. “The district court then abused its discretion when it refused a stay on the ground it might decide this case ‘slightly differently’ than the California court. The district court reached the opposite conclusion. To alleviate that conflict, this Court should vacate the district court’s order and stay this action pending final resolution of the California Action. In any event, FilmOn X is eligible for a cable-system license.”

U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer ruled that FilmOn X, which streamed on-demand and day-and-date video online, was liable for infringing the plaintiffs’ (Fox and other broadcast networks) performance right under the Copyright Act and was not eligible for the compulsory license.

Oral argument has not yet been scheduled in the D.C. appeals court. FilmOn X is represented by Baker Marquart.