C21’s most read stories of 2024

As we bring down the curtain on 2024 with our final newsfeed of the year, this countdown of our 40 most-read news stories highlights an industry hyper-focused on threats, opportunities and money.

Amazon Prime’s The Rings of Power failed to halt job losses at the streamer

I’ll be honest, dear reader, sometimes you guys break my heart.

That exclusive we spent weeks on, that story we fought with the lawyers over, that line we spent months double sourcing, that saucy bit of industry gossip we worked so hard to stand up… then I pull up our most read stories at the end of the year and proudly top of the pile is a news brief about a Turkish drama being renewed for a sixth season.

That is, thankfully, not the case for 2024. In fact, this year’s top 40 countdown of our most read news stories re-affirms our editorial priorities when we sit down every morning at 06.30 (slightly later if QPR have won the night before) and start putting together our daily newsfeed.

Those priorities, other than ‘have we got this exclusively?’, can most simply be categorised into one of three piles: Is this a threat? Is this an opportunity? Is this about money? Just about every one of the stories on our top 40 countdown this year fits one of those categories.

The most clear and obvious threat, all year, was job losses. We started the year in New Orleans listening to factual producers talking “Survive to 25” and, sure enough, it’s been a bloodbath out there.

“Amazon axing ‘several hundred’ jobs across Prime Video and MGM Studios” at number one, “500 more jobs to go at BBC as BBCS sales suffer in a ‘challenging’ market” at number 10,  Paramount’s ongoing cuts and merger chat at 12, and 19, myriad crises in Canada (30), and New Zealand (40).

There were late year entries for the looming spectre of AI, most notably OpenAI’s Sora launch at Content London and the subsequent fall out which saw Simon Mirren label the tech “the greatest IP theft in history” (7) and the outright panic among natural history filmmakers in particular at WildScreen the month before (6).

AI continued to make the headlines in 2024

AI could of course be an opportunity as well. Embattled, skint production companies able to save huge amounts of time, resource and money on the wage bill by having the tech do the dog work. Minority voices may also be more empowered to tell their stories with the boundaries of money and commissioners stripped away.

Still though, individual execs moving around feature heavily in our countdown as always. Has my favourite commissioner just lost her job, and what does that mean for my prospects at that network? Are they moving to a bigger, better network that I haven’t worked with before and now have an ‘in’ at? Or, perhaps you lot are just nosey, gossipy sorts.

Either way André Renaud heading to Warner Bros from BBC Studios (2), Charlie Irwin stepping up as Jonno Richards leaves the forever merging/separating Fremantle labels Talkback and Thames (11), Elizabeth Randell at BBC Studios Kids & Family (14), Alexandra Finlay’s departure at A+E Networks (16), Rola Bauer’s latest movements (21), and new gigs for Channel 4 alums Carline Horlick (29) and Phil Harris (32) show this is still a people business – the machines haven’t taken over just yet.

Money looms large over this list. More so than the content, which is really only represented by a handful of stories mostly about Netflix (4^th, 22^nd, 31^st, 34^th). Who’s got it, who don’t got it, and how can I get some?

Problems facing studios space in the UK (5), companies like Anton/Blackrock splashing cash (24), financials at Channel 4 and Netflix (26 and 27) and the latest state of British exports and copro market (36)  all rated highly. It’s the economy, stupid.

Threat, opportunity, money. Your success or otherwise in 2025 will likely depend which of those three piles we find ourselves placing the majority of stories about your company…

The top 40…

1. Amazon axing ‘several hundred’ jobs across Prime Video and MGM Studios 
2. André Renaud heads to Warner Bros from BBC Studios 
3. RX confirms plans to close MipTV and move to London for 2025
4. Netflix moving into live events with 10-year deal for WWE’s Monday night Raw 
5. Warnings over UK studio expansion as TV industry faces ‘state of collapse’ 
6. Nat Geo’s Tom McDonald: ‘Natural history could do with a bit of a kick’ 
7. AI will bring about the ‘greatest IP theft in history’ in 2025 says Simon Mirren 
8. Paramount Global’s chief streaming strategy head Jeff Shultz to exit 
9. SpringHill, Fulwell 73 confirm merger with backers to invest $40m 
10. 500 more jobs to go at BBC as BBCS hit by sales fall in ‘challenging’ market 
11. Fremantle UK re-merges Talkback and Thames as Richards exits
12. Paramount Global slashes hundreds more US roles in ‘phase two’ of cuts
13. Apple TV+ orders fully authorised Fleetwood Mac doc directed by Frank Marshall
14. Elizabeth Randall to exit BBC Studios Kids & Family 
15. DCD Media parent 108 Media goes into administration after ‘running out of fuel’
16. Coproductions VP Alexandra Finlay exiting amid cuts at A+E Networks’ London office 
17. Anthem Sports & Entertainment buys Canadian indie Hollywood Suite 
18. Repair Shop prodco Ricochet appoints Damon Pattison as creative director
19. Paramount’s Michael D Armstrong, Paul Gilbert among execs exiting amid lay-offs 
20. Mediawan buys Germany’s Leonine Studios to create Euro production powerhouse
21. Amazon MGM’s pan-English scripted originals boss Rola Bauer to exit 
22. Fremantle to shop Duplass Brothers’ self-financed Netflix drama Penelope
23. Clelia Mountford launches new scripted label Sunburnt Penguin with All3Media
24. Anton to supercharge TV series slate after $108m BlackRock investment 
25. Sphere Media to buy Abacus Media Rights
26. Channel 4 reports biggest ever deficit in 2023 as investment in originals rises 
27. Subs decision sees Netflix shares take tumble despite strong Q1 earnings report 
28. Evan Shapiro, Barb report warns of bleak prognosis for UK TV if change not embraced soon
29. Ex-C4 drama boss Caroline Hollick lands at Peter Chernin’s North Road 
30. Bell Media steps up legal challenge against WBD over licensing deal with Rogers 
31. Jo Nesbo crime drama Harry Hole leads Netflix’s 26-strong Nordic TV and film slate
32. Ex-C4 head of entertainment Phil Harris launches prodco backed by Fremantle 
33. Lionsgate folds eOne’s unscripted business into new alternative TV division
34. Baby Reindeer wins drama category at Rose d’Ors as Netflix takes trio of prizes
35. Mediapro Studio taps Paramount alum JC Acosta to lead US push, opens LA office
36. British TV exports fall and copro market slumps due to US market turbulence 
37. Next version of OpenAI’s Sora coming ‘very soon’ with potential to upend film, TV
38. Fremantle’s CEO of Southern Europe Jaime Ondarza exits company after digital scam
39. WBD details Max originals plan ahead of Polish launch
40. NZ screen sector crisis as TVNZ, WBD confirm job losses