Eurovision hits a high note with new records, Prime Video nets UCL glory, a mixed bag for Shoppable TV asks according to new report...
1. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has revealed this year’s Eurovision Song Contest broke records, both in terms of share and engagement in individual countries.
The 69th contest, staged in Basel, Switzerland, reached 166 million people across 37 public service media markets, said the EBU, three million more than in 2024.
The viewing share of the 2025 Grand Final was 47.7 per cent, the highest since 2004, and more than double the average for the same group of broadcast channels (19.9 per cent).
Among 15–24 year olds, the Grand Final achieved a viewing share of 60.4 per cent – the highest on record, revealed the EBU.
News Source TVBEurope : https://www.tvbeurope.com/eurovision-2023/eurovision-song-contest-2025-has-highest-viewing-share-in-over-20-years
2. Shoppable TV has been hyped as the next big thing, transforming television into a digital storefront. But is it delivering on its promise?
A new report by Global Media Consult , The State of Shoppable TV (May 2025), suggests the answer is mixed.
The potential is clear: platforms like Roku and Amazon have made it possible to buy products directly from shows, while AI-driven tools like TheTake.ai are pushing engagement rates up to 7%. Viewers are interested – 81% say TV ads influence their buying decisions. Yet only a fraction complete purchases via TV, and most prefer QR codes or companion apps over native TV checkouts.
News Source Broadband TV News : https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2025/05/29/new-report-shoppable-tv-promise-meets-reality/
3. Reed Hastings , Chairman and co-founder of Netflix , who served as its CEO for over 25 years, has been appointed to Anthropic ’s board of directors by the American artificial intelligence startup company’s Long Term Benefit Trust. Hastings brings extensive experience from founding and scaling Netflix into a global entertainment powerhouse, along with his service on the boards of Facebook, Microsoft and Bloomberg.
“The Long Term Benefit Trust appointed Reed because his impressive leadership experience, deep philanthropic work, and commitment to addressing AI’s societal challenges make him uniquely qualified to guide Anthropic at this critical juncture in AI development,” said Buddy Shah, Chair of Anthropic’s Long Term Benefit Trust.
News Source Advanced Television : https://www.advanced-television.com/2025/05/29/reed-hastings-appointed-to-anthropic-board/
4. The European Programmatic TV Initiative (EPTVI) has rolled out a five-point roadmap in its mission to bolster growth, reduce fragmentation and support the programmatic TV industry.
A report, entitled A Roadmap for Programmatic TV in Europe, set out practical steps to overcome the challenges still holding the industry back.
Highlighting how programmatic TV in Europe has not achieved the same scale or pace of growth as the US, the report pointed to the differing broadcaster models, regulatory regimes and measurement bodies in the region, alongside a lack of common architecture.
“The goal is not to replace national models or impose uniformity, but to establish the shared foundations - technical, commercial and procedural - on which a more efficient, scalable and interoperable system can grow,” it noted.
News Source The Media Leader UK : https://uk.themedialeader.com/european-programmatic-tv-initiative-sets-out-roadmap-to-growth-through-reducing-friction/
5. AI-Media Technologies has entered a partnership with Lightning International , a distributor of Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) channels. The collaboration aims to break down barriers and bring the joy of entertainment to every corner of the globe, and enhance revenue opportunities for FAST platforms and content owners, transforming how premium content is distributed and monetised across diverse markets.
The partnership addresses key challenges for FAST platforms: delivering premium, localised content to a global audience and increasing accessibility for all viewers. Leveraging AI-Media’s Lexi and LexiTranslate solutions, content is localised in real-time with live-translated captions burned directly into the feed, making it accessible in over 50 languages.
News Source SVG Europe : https://www.svgeurope.org/blog/news-roundup/ai-media-and-lightning-international-join-forces-to-make-fast-channels-accessible-to-everyone/
6. Over 13 million viewers have tuned in to Prime Video’s debut season of UEFA Champions League (UCL) in the UK & Ireland across the 2024-25 season, setting a new record for the most watched season of sport on Prime Video in Europe.
This season’s knockout phase also set new record audiences for individual live sporting events on Prime Video in the UK. Paris Saint-Germain’s victory against Liverpool in the Round of 16, including extra-time and penalties, set a new UK viewership record, surpassing 5 million viewers across the evening. The PSG Semi-Final victory against Arsenal also attracted more than 5 million viewers, with both Arsenal and Manchester City’s fixtures against 15-time UCL champions Real Madrid reaching over 4 million viewers. All these matches surpassed the previous record live audience for Prime Video UK, set by Arsenal’s top of the table clash with Manchester City in the Premier League back in February 2023.
News Source Advanced Television : https://www.advanced-television.com/2025/05/28/prime-videos-champions-league-coverage-sets-streaming-records/
7. Enders Analysis founder Claire Enders said “piracy is costing content originators, pay-TV and streaming companies, many billions globally,” as a report concluded illegal streams now account for a “double digit percentage” of total viewing for premium sports and television. The report said the “industrial scale theft" represents "a direct threat to profitability for broadcasters and streamers,” with efforts to block the services hampered by a lack of co-operation from tech platforms.
News Source Financial Times : https://www.ft.com/content/755c9f71-4f10-4a18-a481-692cb4b250eb
8. Maria Kyriacou has been confirmed as ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE 's new Supervisory Board Chairwoman.
She succeeds Andreas Wiele in the powerful position, following an almost unanimous vote at ProSieben’s AGM today. Around 98% approved her appointment.
Former Paramount and ITV Studios international chief Kyriacou was nominated for the post in April, amid wrangling about the future of the German broadcaster. Leading shareholder MediaForEurope had made a lowball offer to take over the company and another key investor, PFF IM, was considering its options.
News Source Deadline Hollywood : https://deadline.com/2025/05/maria-kyriacou-prosiebensat-1-supervisory-board-chairwoman-1236412272/
9. BBC Studios and Netflix have announced the commission of The Big Pitch with Jimmy Carr. The comedy podcast will be co-produced by Netflix Podcasts and BBC Studios Audio and will be available for audiences globally from May 28th.
There are over 27,000 different Netflix subcategories. From ‘Crime Movies from the 1970s’ to 'Dysfunctional Family Comedies Starring A Strong Female Lead’, the genres get very niche. The Big Pitch with Jimmy Carr sees a parade of comedians pitch movie ideas to Carr, the sceptical host, which fit Netflix’s most obscure sub-genres. Guests are challenged to figure out the plot and cast under the pressure of Carr’s withering gaze. At the end of the pitch, he decides whether to greenlight the proposal or condemn guests and their dubious ideas to development hell.
News Source Advanced Television : https://www.advanced-television.com/2025/05/28/bbc-netflix-commission-the-big-pitch-with-jimmy-carr-podcast/
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