News round-up: WBTVG cuts Pine Tree deal; Telemundo Studios opens in Mexico; India’s OTTplay lands int’l streamers

Bill Prady

WBTVG cuts Pine Tree deal

Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG) has signed a multi-year first-look deal with The Big Bang Theory co-creator Bill Prady and Chris Sanagustin’s Pine Tree Entertainment.

The prodco will develop new scripted programming, including dramas, multi- and single-camera comedies and genre series for all platforms, including Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max.

The deal reunites Prady with WBTVG chairman Channing Dungey, who previously signed Prady to a first-look deal at Netflix during her tenure at the streaming service.

Prady and Sanagustin launched Pine Tree Entertainment in 2020 to develop and create scripted projects, with projects in development at NBC, TBS, Apple TV+, Hulu and Netflix.

Telemundo Studios opens in Mexico

NBCUniversal-owned Telemundo Enterprises has launched a new production unit in Mexico City.

Telemundo Global Studios Mexico aims to increase the company’s on-the-ground production capabilities of scripted and unscripted content to meet demand for Spanish-language programming in the US and around the world.

The Mexico-based production unit is currently in pre-production of its first project for the network, the eighth season of El Senor De Los Cielos. Telemundo said the Mexico production arm would “significantly expand” Telemundo Global Studios production capabilities and provide a home for creative talent to produce content for Spanish-speaking audiences.

Telemundo Global Studios produces over 800 hours of original content a year, including La Reina del Sur and Betty En NY.

India’s OTTplay lands int’l streamers

Indian streamer OTTplay has struck a deal to offer access to international services including Hallmark+, Dust, Fuse+ and Tastemade+ as part of an aggregated offering.

The bundle will allow subscribers to access the four streaming services through one portal, with SonyLIV, Zee5, Lionsgate Play, Sun NXT, ShemarooMe, Curiosity Stream, ShortsTV and DocuBay also included.

OTTplay’s co-founder, Avinash Mudaliar, said the ambition was to “bring some of the best global content out there to the screens of Indian viewers.”