“Bluey” is about to make its free-to-air debut in Japan – Global Briefs

“Bluey” airs free-to-air in Japan

Emmy-winning breakout children’s series Bluish will be free to air in Japan. Episodes of Joe Brumm’s Australian animated series will air on TV Tokyo’s “Eeny Meeny Many Moe” slot at 7am local time on Saturday, October 26, following a deal with distributor BBC Studios. The series follows the lovable and inexhaustible blue heeler dog Bluey, her younger sister Bingo and their parents as they tell unpredictable stories in and around their neighborhood. Rei Marumo, general manager of TV Tokyo’s anime department, said the series could become “an important conversation starter for parents and children.” According to Nielsen, the Ludo Studios show, originally produced for ABC, is the most-streamed series in the U.S. to date, with more than 35 billion minutes watched. Disney+ has international streaming rights, including in Japan. BBC Studios has also added Japan to its major global toy deal with Moose Toys.

Current BFI Filmmaker Award winners announced

Hoard filmmaker Luna Carmoon, Grand Theft Hamlet Writer and director Pinny Grylls and In the camera Filmmaker Naqqash Khalid is the latest recipient of the BFI Filmmaking Award, launched in collaboration with French fashion house Chanel. The prize carries a cash prize of £20,000 ($22,000). The awards jury includes Tilda Swinton, Edward Enninful, producer Marie-Louise Khondji and BFI CEO Ben Roberts. Previous winners include Kathryn Ferguson, who won in 2022 for her award-winning debut documentary Nothing compares about Sinead O’Connor and Savannah Leaf, who won in 2023 Earth Mama and went on to win the 2024 BAFTA for Best British Debut Writer, Director or Producer.

JioCinema hires business managers from YouTube

Indian streamer JioCinema has appointed Ishan Chatterjee as Chief Business Officer. The company said the hiring reflected a “commitment to accelerating its transformation into a technology-enabled” company. Chatterjee comes from YouTube India, where he was managing director and played a role in shaping the Google-owned streamer’s strategy in the country. Prior to his 13-year tenure there, he held positions at McKinsey and Hindustan Unilever. JioCinema has emerged as a major player in India’s competitive streaming space, securing rights to Indian Premier League cricket and other major sporting events such as the FIFA tournaments and the 2024 Summer Olympics. Many observers say the Viacom18-owned streamer’s low-cost offering has turned the market on its head, now offering originals, international titles, Indian language fare, anime, films, and children’s and family fare.