Disney reveals the new executive leadership structure of its general entertainment division that will now focus on TV content creation with digital streaming and Disney+ as its main priority.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Walt Disney Company is further reorganising its entire TV and video streaming content divisions as it pivots to place its main focus, money, attention and resources behind its subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service Disney+, that might have interesting consequences and impacts for South Africa and the sub-Saharan Africa region in future.

While Disney's internationally distributed linear TV channels remain important to the Mouse House - for instance those seen in South Africa and across the rest of Africa on the services of pay-TV operators like MultiChoice's DStv and China's StarTimes - Disney+ and Disney's video streaming ambitions are now clearly taking top priority.

Interestingly, Disney+ and Star - the two brands of its streaming service - are not available in South Africa or anywhere else in Africa for that matter and The Walt Disney Company and Walt Disney Company Africa have remained silent about a possible launch and roll-out date as Disney+ expands everywhere else in the world.

Last month Disney announced a dramatic restructuring with its main focus now being direct-to-consumer digital streaming, as it created a single, global media and distribution unit.

Now Peter Rice, Disney General Entertainment Content (DGE) chairman, in an internal memo is telling staffers that Disney is moving away from its legacy linear TV channels structure.

"For our team, this means we will wholly focus our resources and efforts on developing, producing and marketing exceptional content to fuel the company’s streaming and linear platforms while our colleagues at Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) will distribute and monetise that content and run the linear networks and streaming platforms," writes Peter Rice.

Peter Rice writes that Disney is pivoting into a new structure that is "a big change to our legacy television structure which was built around linear networks".

"Focusing our structure around content engines and centralized support functions will make us more effective, flexible and prolific as we focus on our core strength: making great television. Over the last several months, in the face of unprecedented change and enormous challenges, your collective efforts and tireless commitment to keeping our television business running have been nothing short of exceptional, and I am incredibly proud to work alongside all of you," Peter Rice writes.

"We will undoubtedly face more questions and challenges as we implement these changes, but I am confident that together we will continue to rise to the occasion with resourcefulness and resilience."

The new executive leadership team under Peter Rice is now Ravi Ahuja (president of DGE business operations), James Goldston (ABC News president), John Landgraf (FX president), Gary Knell (National Geographic Partners chairman), Gary Marsh (Disney Branded Television president and chief creative officer) who previously was Disney Channels president, Courteney Monroe (National Geographic Content President) and Dana Walden (Walt Disney Television chairman).

The Walt Disney Company is also consolidating its marketing, publicity and media planning divisions into one division that is headed up by Shannon Ryan, with Jayanta Jenkins joining Disney as head of content marketing for Disney+ and who will also oversee marketing, publicity and media planning for Disney's linear TV channels including Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD and National Geographic.

ALSO READ: The Walt Disney Company announces dramatic restructuring with main focus on direct-to-consumer digital streaming as it creates single global media and distribution unit.

NO GIFT. Fake FOX promise sees Africa left behind with Marvel's new drama series, The Gifted, that was announced as an Express from the US title - but isn't.

A fake FOX promise has seen South Africa and Africa being left behind by FOX Africa with a new Marvel TV drama series, The Gifted, that was announced and is supposed to be an Express from the US title, but isn't for Africa.

The Gifted is a brand-new drama series from Marvel on FOX in America and is supposed to be an Express from the US title on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) in Africa, but unfortunately Africa's pay-TV viewers are being left behind after a hollow promise from FOX international.

The Gifted that got positive reviews from TV critics and that started on 2 October in America, takes place in an alternate timeline where the X-Men have disappeared.

The show, produced by 20th Century FOX Television in association with Marvel Television, has a first season of 10 episodes. 

At the beginning of the year at its upfront, FOX Networks Group Africa told TV critics and journalists covering television that The Gifted 's first season of 10 episodes will be on FOX in Africa and will be an Express from the US title. Members of the press were also shown a teaser trailer.

Marvel's other new TV show, Inhumans, produced by ABC Studios and Marvel Studios, has started on M-Net (DStv 101) as promised, and is also an Express from the US show for its season of 8 episodes.

The Gifted revolves around ordinary parents, played by Stephen Moyer and Amy Acker, who go on the run with their kids after they discover their children's mutant abilities.

At the beginning of October, FOX Networks Group announced that The Gifted will be getting a global roll-out in 183 countries across its FOX branded channels on virtually the same or next day date as episodes are broadcast in America.

It didn't say that South Africa and Africa would be excluded but that is what's happening.

FOX Networks Group said the global roll-out demonstrates its confidence in The Gifted but South African and African viewers are left wondering what the fuzz is all about.

The simultaneous global launch of shows are also supposed to helps combat the piracy of high-profile TV shows like The Gifted if they premiere in the United States months before they're screened elsewhere in the world.

"The global scale and reach of the Fox brand gives us a unique capacity to make event series such as The Gifted available to viewers everywhere day and date," said Peter Rice, 21st Century Fox president in a statement.

That unique capacity is however failing FOX as far as Africa is concerned where African viewers are not part of "viewers everywhere".

"This fantastic series, which expands on our longstanding collaboration with Marvel, Matt Nix, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner and the X-Men universe, will resonate widely, and we couldn't be more excited for its worldwide launch," said Peter Rice.

Of course there's no excitement for FOX Africa viewers since Africa pay-TV viewers across the continent are excluded from the promised worldwide launch. But why?

There's been no official comment from FOX Africa in response to a media enquiry as to why The Gifted isn't being shown as an Express from the US title and currently there's no date for The Gifted to start on FOX.

New Marvel superhero drama series, Legion, coming to South African viewers on FOX or FX channel in early 2017 on the same date as it starts in America.

The new Marvel Television drama series, Legion, will start in South Africa on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) or FX (StarSat 133) early in 2017 at the same time as it starts in America and 125 countries worldwide.

FOX Networks Group has picked up Legion and will bring the drama series to South African viewers on the same day and date worldwide when it starts in the United States.

Legion, created by Noah Hawley, is set in the same universe of Marvel's X-Men franchise and will start in 2017 on the FX channel in America.

Legion revolves around a young man who's more than human. David Haller (Dan Stevens) has struggled with mental illness since he was a teenager and is diagnosed as schizophrenic.

David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years but after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he's confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.

The first season of Legion will have 8 episodes and will be filmed in Vancouver, Canada as a production from FX Productions and Marvel Television.

"Legion brings the X-Men universe to life, as a character-driven, serialized TV show, in a truly amazing new way and we're pleased that X-Men fans will have the opportunity to see it simultaneously in the 125 countries where FOX is available," says Peter Rice, FOX Networks Group chairperson.

"FX is thrilled to collaborate with our international partners to bring Legion to audiences worldwide and the day-and-date delivery will make this a truly global event," says Eric Schrier, the president of original programming at FX Networks and FX Productions.

"With the universal appeal of the X-Men franchise, fans will be amazed with the artistry and ambition that Noah Hawley and this extraordinary cast have brought to Legion."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with FOX Networks Group to launch Legion to a massive global audience," said executive producer and Marvel's head of television, Jeph Loeb. “In our storytelling, it is imperative to us that we're creating characters and a universe that resonates with people around the world and we are so proud to introduce this cast of characters to fans everywhere".