BBC Studios vs Sky

Mattel Partners with BBC's Bluey Across Multiple Brands

Mattel announced a multi-year global licensing partnership with BBC Studios to bring the animated series Bluey to five of its major brands: Fisher-Price's Little People, Barbie, Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, and UNO. This move is part of Mattel's strategic shift from a traditional toy maker to a 'brand management company' focused on building lifelong fandom through an ecosystem of toys, entertainment, and live experiences. The partnership was announced by Mattel's chief marketing and brand officer, Roberto Stanichi, at ADWEEK's Brandweek. The collaboration aims to leverage Bluey's emotional resonance to deepen consumer engagement and expand Mattel's franchise ecosystem, aligning with its brand pillars of centering fans and creating immersive experiences.

• Mattel and BBC Studios signed a multi-year global licensing partnership for Bluey.
• Bluey characters will appear in Fisher-Price Little People, Barbie, Polly Pocket, Hot Wheels, and UNO products.
• The deal was announced by Mattel's CMO Roberto Stanichi at ADWEEK's Brandweek.

BBC Studios unveils next generation of reality formats at MIPCOM 2026

The Yacht, The Big Date, Silent Attraction and Dancing With The Stars: The Next Pro launching to international buyers in session Reality Check: A New Era of Unscripted Formats, on Monday 12 October.

BBC Studios ANZ appoints new Senior Vice President, Head of Streaming & Channels

Liz Baldwin will lead the streaming and channel strategy across Australia and New Zealand.

Consumer Protection Group Sues Netflix, Sky, Apple TV+ Over Price Hikes

The Austrian consumer protection association VSV (Verbraucherschutzverein) has announced class-action lawsuits against streaming services Netflix, Apple TV, and Sky's streaming service Wow over unilateral price increases. The VSV claims these companies raised prices for existing subscribers multiple times, relying on price adjustment clauses in their terms of service without obtaining separate consent from customers, which the association deems unfair and invalid. The VSV seeks reimbursements between 200 and 700 euros per affected customer and is partnering with a Berlin law firm and a litigation funder, who will receive a 9.9% cut of any proceeds. Sky confirmed the lawsuit is under review, while Netflix stated that the lawsuit has not yet been served and emphasized that it did not rely on such clauses in Germany, instead obtaining explicit consent from customers. This legal action follows similar past cases against DAZN and Prime Video.

• Consumer protection group VSV announced class-action lawsuits against Netflix, Apple TV, and Sky's Wow over price increases.
• VSV alleges price increases on existing subscriptions relied on unfair price adjustment clauses without separate customer consent.
• VSV seeks refunds of 200-700 euros per affected customer.

Formula 1 Scores Strong Ratings, NFL Struggles on RTL

On Sunday, RTL's Formula 1 broadcast outperformed its NFL coverage, drawing 1.49 million viewers and a 16.7% audience share among 14-49 year-olds for the Spanish Grand Prix. Sky's F1 coverage also performed well, with 17.3% share. In contrast, the NFL season opener between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans attracted only 350,000 viewers for the first quarter, with a 5.7% share in the target demographic. Ratings improved slightly later in the game but remained below RTL's average. The NFL also aired a German-language conference on Nitro, drawing 190,000 viewers. Data sourced from AGF Videoforschung.

• RTL's Formula 1 broadcast of the Spanish Grand Prix reached 1.49 million viewers and a 16.7% market share among 14-49 year-olds.
• Sky Sport F1 achieved a 17.3% market share in the same demographic, slightly higher than RTL.
• NFL season opener on RTL attracted only 350,000 viewers for the first quarter, with a 5.7% share among 14-49 year-olds.

Vodafone and BVB AI‑recreate 1963 Bundesliga Goal

Published by HORIZONT on August 29, 2026, Vodafone, Borussia Dortmund (BVB), and creative agency Jung von Matt have launched an AI-driven campaign titled 'The Unseen Goal' to reconstruct the Bundesliga's first-ever goal, scored in 1963 by Timo Konietzka. Since no original video or photographic footage of the historic moment exists, the team generated the moving images using artificial intelligence, leveraging historical media reports, weather simulation models, and interviews with eyewitnesses, including the scorer's brother. The reconstructed video debuted via a documentary at the BVB museum, on Sky Sports News, and on the YouTube channels of BVB and Vodafone. It was also shown on stadium screens during Dortmund's season opener. The campaign will continue to run across digital platforms, social media, print, and soccer podcasts in Germany, with Sky serving as the exclusive media partner.

• Vodafone, Borussia Dortmund (BVB), and agency Jung von Matt launched 'The Unseen Goal' campaign to reconstruct the first-ever Bundesliga goal from 1963 using AI.
• The historic goal by Timo Konietzka had no existing photographic or video records prior to this project.
• The creative team utilized eyewitness accounts, weather simulation models, and archive records to accurately generate the moving images.