Fiction
Cineflix Rights sells programming worldwide
MUMBAI: Cineflix Rights has inked a number of deals with broadcasters around the world for third-party content, including Windfall Films’ Massive Moves and Frantic Films’ The Opener.
In Europe, RAI Italia went for World War II: The Last Heroes (Impossible Pictures); Plan?te in France snapped up the first two seasons of Massive Moves; and National Geographic Italy got onboard seasons one and two of The Opener.
The first two seasons of The Opener will also be heading to FYI in the US, where Smithsonian picked up season one of Dangerous Flights (Pixcom Productions) and DIY purchased the first season of Massive Moves. Shaw in Canada went for the eighth season of Border Security (Seven Network).
Also in Europe, Sweden’s T4 acquired the first three seasons of Murder She Solved (Force Four Entertainment/Mystique Films) and 1000 Days for the Planet (Glacialis Productions). NTV Germany pitched for The Man Who Doesn’t Breathe (Back2Back Productions), while Ireland’s TV3 procured A Gypsy Life for Me (Daisybeck Productions).
Cinflix Rights also made a 100-hour agreement with Joj Slovakia for the first three seasons of The Cupcake Girls (Force Four Entertainment) as well as season one of Wives with Knives (Indigo Films). I Prima in the Czech Republic picked up 24 hours of programming, including such titles as 101 Things Removed from the Human Body (LMNO Productions) and The Day Kennedy Died (Finestripe Productions).
Fiction
Warner Bros Discovery sees Sachem Head double stake in Q4 filing
Activist fund ups bet as Paramount circles and Netflix deal looms
NEW YORK: Warner Bros Discovery has drawn fresh activist attention, with hedge fund Sachem Head Capital Management more than doubling its stake in the media giant during the fourth quarter, according to a regulatory filing.
The fund, one of 2025’s best performers, said it held nearly 8 million shares in Warner Bros Discovery by the end of December. The position ranks among its ten largest US equity bets, underlining growing investor interest in the company as takeover drama gathers pace.
The move comes at a pivotal moment for the studio and streaming group. Warner Bros Discovery has agreed to sell its streaming and studios business to Netflix, a deal that has stirred interest across the industry and sparked a rival approach from Paramount Skydance.
Paramount has already made a hostile bid that was rejected last month, but it is far from backing down. This week, the company stepped up pressure on Warner Bros Discovery, urging the board to at least consider whether its offer could be made more attractive than Netflix’s proposal.
Paramount has also hinted at a possible boardroom battle, suggesting it could attempt to replace directors. It even floated the idea of bringing in the head of Pentwater Capital Management, one of Warner Bros Discovery’s largest investors, as a potential board candidate.
With a market value of about 70 billion dollars, Warner Bros Discovery now sits at the centre of a high stakes contest between strategic buyers and activist investors. Sachem Head’s increased holding signals that the hedge fund sees opportunity in the turbulence.
The filing also revealed new bets by Sachem Head elsewhere. The fund bought 5.2 million shares in telecoms company EchoStar, and opened fresh positions in used car retailer Carvana and entertainment group Live Nation.
Such filings offer a snapshot of hedge fund portfolios at the end of the previous quarter. While they are backward looking, investors still track them closely for clues on which stocks are gaining favour or becoming targets for change.
