Wednesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

YouTube’s Pete Cory hired by Sidemen managers 

Arcade, the management company behind YouTube phenomenon The Sidemen, has named YouTube exec Pete Cory as its chair.

Cory assumes the role from this week and will lead expansion of the company’s agency and brand partnerships operations.

He joins from the Google-owned platform where he most recently served as managing director of its EMEA partner development division.

Cory will work with bosses Jordan Schwarzenberger and Sam Unwins to accelerate Arcade’s efforts to become the leading creator-first outfit across content, community and consumer, besides offering opportunities for brands to tap into the £2bn UK creator economy. Read more

Sweden’s SVT names commissioner trio

SV in Sweden has appointed Christina Hill, Helena Olsson and Petter Bragée to oversee programming within Eva Beckman and Michael Österlund’s team.

The changes follow a restructuring of SVT’s commissioning team, which has seen five divisions streamlined into three: Culture & Entertainment, Society & Facts, and Fiction & Children.

Hill, currently program director for culture, entertainmet and lifestyle, will become the new program area manager for Culture & Entertainment.

Kids and YA exec Petter Bragée become manager for Fiction & Children, while Helena Olsson is overseeing Society & Facts.

Catan settles at Netflix

Netflix has struck a deal with board game firm Asmodee that will see it creating a raft of projects based around the latter’s Catan.

The global rights deal will see the streamer working up scripted and unscripted TV ideas based on the IP, as well as films.

Asmodee’s Darren Kyman and Pete Fenlon of Catan Studios will work on the content, along with Guido and Benjamin Teuber, sons of Catan creator Klaus Teuber. Vertigo Entertainment is also attached.

Teuber launched The Settlers of Catan in 1995 and it has since become a global bestseller, with more than 45 million games sold worldwide.

Hijack S2 sets Apple launch plans 

Apple TV has unveiled its launch plans for Hijack S2, the scripted series starring and executive produced by Idris Elba.

The eight-part second run will premiere with two eps dropping globally on Wednesday, 14 January, followed by one episode weekly until 25 February.

The show was created by George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith (Criminal), and tracks what happens when a Berlin underground train and its commuters are taken hostage.

The series is produced by 60Forty Films and Idiotlamp Productions, and executive produced by Jamie Laurenson, Hakan Kousetta and Tom Nash at 60Forty Films. Kay and Field Smith are attached for Idiotlamp Productions.

Amazon, BBCS, Fox confirmed for NATPE Global

Amazon MGM Studios Distribution, BBC Studios, Fifth Season and Fox Entertainment Global are among companies to have confirmed presence at NATPE Global in Miami next year.

The annual get-together, which runs 4-6 February at the InterContinental Miami, will also welcome Fremantle, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. Discovery Content Sales.

NATPE Global 2026 runs alongside the Realscreen Summit, which takes place 2-4 February at the same location.

Marketing firm Allied hires Daniel Heale

Allied Global Marketing has appointed Vue Entertainment alum Daniel Heale to a new LA and London-focused role.

Heale becomes vice president of client solutions at Allied and will be responsible for identifying and driving strategic new business opportunities.

He will will work closely with Clint Kendall, CEO, Adam Cunningham, chief strategy officer, and Kelly Estrella, chief of marketing operations.

Heale previously worked at Way To Blue and Vue, and has also had spells at Travelodge Hotels UK, Camelot Group and Trinity Mirror Group.

High Hoops lands in France 

Canal+ in France has picked up the first two seasons of live action comedy series High Hoops following a deal with UK-based Madgic Distribution.

High Hoops (10 x 30 minutes) is produced by Can Can Productions for CBBC in the UK and stars Robert Webb and Isy Suttie, marking the duo’s first show together since sitcom Peep Show.

The kids series explores a girl’s attempts to join a basketball team and was created by Sinéad Fagan and produced by Dominique Molloy, directed by Ian Curtis with Rebecca Papworth as executive producer.

The show will launch soon on ARD/KiKa in Germany, while TVO in Canada and ABC Australia have already prem launched the show in their respective territories.