Bloemfontein Celtic Revival In The Works As SuperSport United Reportedly Sold For R50 Million

SuperSport United FC has been sold to a Bloemfontein businessman for R50 million, paving the way for the rebirth of the beloved Bloemfontein Celtic. The announcement, broken by renowned sports journalist Robert Marawa, confirms that the club will now operate under the new name "Celtic United."

The sale marks the end of an era for SuperSport United, a Tshwane-based club that has been a fixture in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) since 1994, known for nurturing top talent and delivering competitive performances. 

The move signals a revival for Bloemfontein Celtic, a Free State giant with a passionate fanbase known as Siwelele. However, The club’s former owner, the late Petros Molemela, died with the title deed, and the new owners are unable to legally use the name hence the launch of Celtic United. 

Founded in 1969, Celtic had competed in the PSL until financial woes forced it to sell its status to now Royal AM in 2021.

This transaction underscores the fragile financial landscape of South African football. According to a May 2025 report by the Daily Maverick, over 40% of PSL clubs operate at a loss, highlighting the unsustainable model that has seen historic teams like Wits and now SuperSport relinquish their top-flight status.

Moonbug Entertainment To Debut New Hello Kitty & Cocomelon Crossover Series

Hello Kitty owner Sanrio has struck a multi-year deal with CoComelon outfit Moonbug Entertainment including a new show with characters from both hit franchises.

The deal will span content and consumer initiatives featuring a crossover series with Sanrio and CoComelon characters, with Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and other popular Sanrio characters joining JJ and pals from CoComelon. The series will debut in 2026 and Moonbug will lead global distribution.

Moonbug has teamed up with a number of brands across Asia but this is the first Sanrio-Moonbug tie-up, coming soon after a high profile deal that will see Moonbug’s hit CoComelon series move from Netflix to Disney+.

“This collaboration brings together two powerful global brands with generations of fans,” said Mayer. “We’re excited to create fresh experiences that blend the heart and humor of CoComelon with Sanrio’s beloved characters in ways that will delight families around the world. This is the start of a creative partnership with huge potential, and we can’t wait to share more later this year.”

More information, including character line-ups, launch platforms, and future initiatives, will be shared in the coming months.

Recap To The Year: Guild Becomes New Home Of GINX TV For 25% Stake In Gaming Content Business

Guild Esports and Gaming has entered into a partnership agreement with GINX TV, a long-standing gaming video content, Digital, Web and TV broadcaster, that will see the company relocate all operations to Guild’s HQ, the Sky Guild Gaming Centre in Shoreditch, London, establishing a permanent live studio and gallery within the 15,000-square-foot venue.

The partnership will also provide an expansion of both businesses distribution network and provide opportunities for new, upcoming and established gaming creators to create and produce content.

Guild will collaborate with GINX TV to provide services and distribute content for partners, sponsors, and wider audiences. As part of the deal, rental of studio and office space will act as consideration for a convertible loan between Guild and GINX, equivalent to 25% ownership of GINX by Guild, if actioned.

The relocation of GINX TV from its previous home at Tileyard Studios in Kings Cross will take place immediately. This move further strengthens the position of Guild’s 15,000-square-foot HQ in Shoreditch, the Sky Guild Gaming Centre, as the UK’s premier gaming hub. This announcement comes just weeks after the launch of Drive Lounge at the same site, a public Sim Racing facility developed in partnership with Guild’s Sim Racing division, boasting 20 pro-level sim rigs and digital motorsport event space.

GINX TV, via its established linear/digital and social media distribution, provides its always-available live access to 20 million homes worldwide with over 35 million views of original content in 2024. Guild’s exclusively socially distributed content received 250m impressions across 2024. This partnership will see both parties be able to tap into learnings, audiences and networks to distribute partner content.

Nick Westwood, Chief Creative Officer of Guild Esports and Gaming, comments on the partnership:

“Following the first two years of our life as the Sky Guild Gaming Centre, where we welcomed thousands of guests across a variety of events, it was our desire this year to work with partners to fully maximise the space. With Drive Lounge, we have opened the doors to the public, and with GINX TV, we will now focus on utilising the venue to communicate outwardly to gamers through a variety of channels. We see a rapid shift in content distribution, both away from linear TV but also away from traditional ‘gaming’ channels to new, owned and operated channels. This partnership also provides our existing and future partners with turnkey broadcast solutions married to our turnkey esports and gaming venue offering, a real step forward for us, and GINX TV, as we build out propositions for brands, studios, streamers and publishers.”

Peter Einstein, Executive Chairman and CEO of GINX TV comments on the partnership:

“We are delighted to partner with Guild Esports and Gaming to create a strong and attractive engagement opportunity for brands to access the diverse gaming community. Our move to the Sky Guild Gaming Centre is a perfect way to collaborate and expand the gaming opportunity all under “one roof”. We are excited to bring our unique gaming and esports content publishing business to Shoreditch, where we will continue our provision of outstanding content to our international audience with the support of new partners.”

By leveraging the facilities and connectivity at the Sky Guild Gaming Centre, both organizations aim to drive innovation and expand their reach to global gaming audiences.

Canal+ To Launch Streaming Service MyCanal In Eastern Europe By The End Of 2026 Followed By Asia, Could It Replace DStv Stream And Showmax In Africa?

Canal+ is currently in the process of completing it's acquisition of MultiChoice after recieving a recommendation from the Competition Commission. Now the deal sits with the Competition Tribunal and Independent Communications Authority Of South Africa (ICASA) for further analysis. 

Reports going around is that MyCanal which is basically international version of DStv Stream and rival to Pluto TV from Paramount Global is looking to launch in Eastern Europe by the end of 2026 with Asia likely to follow in the first half of 2027.

The app combines a package of live content, replay and subscription video on demand. In addition to Canal’s own original content, it has also aggregated the platforms of Netflix, Apple TV+, HBO Max, Paramount+, BeIN, Eurosport and Dailymotion.

MyCanal currently operates in Africa namely Ghana, Liberia, Rwanda and Niger basically regions in which it pay-tv service resides. What was interesting about this report is that it mentioned Canal+ plans to rollout MyCanal in regions in which it operates.

With Canal+ currently pursuing MultiChoice who own Showmax and DStv Stream with VIU also operating in South Africa these could as well be potential candidates for its streaming endeavours.

After acquiring Netherland's SPI International, FilmBox+ serves as European equivalent of MyCanal with K+ in Vietnam so the idea of Showmax and DStv Stream fitting under this umbrella wouldn't seem far fetched a stretch.

Following the relaunch of Showmax with NBCUniversal, MultiChoice had mentioned that the number of activations had increased which indicates that the streamer has plenty of scale. This is where DStv Stream lacks as it serves as a companion app to the DStv satellite.

Some consumers have felt that DStv had become expensive even with its OTT counterpart having reduced rates for its dishless consumers. With the price of DStv Premium, consumers can pay for 5 streaming services making DStv Stream a liability.

Merging Showmax and DStv Stream would make it easier to market rather than splitting consumers and alienating them from content. DStv has a batch of channels whose content is not on Showmax and vice versa - merging could reduce those expenses.

Integrating these services could face various delays one being licensing agreements which MultiChoice could have extended for several years. Another has to do with NBCUniversal as they retain 30% in Showmax preventing full integration.

Canal+ could buy back the shares but NBCUniversal could prioritize it's streaming endeavours or want more money as seen with Hulu.

Showmax has been viewed as a direct competitor to DStv so Canal+ could look to reduce its investment perhaps by selling more shares. They do have this whole thing going on with VIU and I'd imagine them keeping a percentage in Showmax in order to tap the rest of Africa which VIU remains nonexistent.

But if I'm being rational, they could as well look to merge the two that's what happened when WarnerMedia and Discovery merged. They removed a ton of content (mainly animation) from Max and focused on adult programming while licensing it's other content to rival platforms.

Sony Interested In Buying Warner Bros. Discovery After Split

Less than a week after Warner Bros. Discovery announced it was splitting into two separate companies, Sony is considering a purchase of WBD’s streaming and other assets.

Sources have told SEScoops that Sony is considering a purchase of the newly announced WBD Streaming and Studios company, which is expected to complete its separation from WBD Global Networks by mid-2026. Sony is interested in acquiring WBD’s HBO MAX streaming service, IPs and its gaming assets.

WBD announced on June 9 it was splitting the company, with most of the company’s $37 billion in debt attached to the WBD Global Networks, which include its vast number of cable channels, including CNN, TNT and TBS.

At the time the deal was announced, sources with knowledge of All-Elite Wrestling’s contract with WBD said no changes were expected with the company split.

Sony and Warner Bros. Discovery were working together to build a joint movie studio in Las Vegas this year. According to Variety, the proposal for the 31-acre facility ended on June 3 after the Nevada State Senate rejected a $95 million annual tax subsidy.

Sources said Sony was only interested acquiring WBD’s streaming, studio and gaming assets if they were separated from its cable networks, which have lost millions of homes as viewers abandon traditional cable packages.

David Zaslav, the current CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, is expected to take over WBD Streaming and Studios after the spin-off is complete in 2026. His status under a potential Sony purchase is unclear.

NBCUniversal's Spinoff Company Versant Unveils It's Content Slate For 2025/6 Season

NBCUniversal’s spin-off company Versant has revealed its first programming slate, with 16 new titles in the pipeline for 2025/26 including new scripted originals for cablenets Syfy and USA Network and unscripted titles for E! and Oxygen True Crime.

USA Network ordered The Rainmaker, a legal drama from Lionsgate Television and Blumhouse Television based on a John Grisham novel of the same name. The series follows a law school graduate who ends up uncovering two connected conspiracies surrounding the mysterious death of a client’s son.

Anna Pigeon, based on the bestselling novels by Nevada Barr, was also greenlit by USA Network. Produced by Cineflix Studios and December Films, the project follows a former city slicker who becomes a park ranger and turns her attentions to solving crimes that have taken place within national park grounds. Morwyn Brebner is showrunner.

USA Network also commissioned Everything On The Menu with Braun Strowman (WWE Studios and BrightNorth Studios), a culinary series following the WWE wrestler as he eats his way across America.

Syfy commissioned a zombie series based on comic series Revival, produced by Blue Ice Pictures and Hemmings Films. The project is set in a world where zombies are revived and appear and act just like they did before. The cast includes Melanie Scrofano, Romy Weltman, David James Elliott and Andy McQueen.

E! Commissioned unscripted titles Kimora: Back in the Fab Lane (Hartbeat), Plastic Surgery Rewind (Fulwell Entertainment), Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour (32 Flavors) and three instalments in a new franchise called Dirty Rotten Scandals focused on the dark side of America’s Next Top Model, the Dr Phil Show and The Price is Right.

Oxygen True Crime ordered The Death Investigator with Barbara Butcher (Wolf Entertainment), murder mystery series The Killer Among Us hosted by Alan Cumming, The Death Row Informant (Wolf Entertainment, Fireside Pictures, Universal Television Alternative Studios, Vanity Fair Studios), The Silent Serial Killer: Gretzler (Glass Entertainment), Killer Grannies (Jarrett Creative) and The Boston Stranglers (This is Just a Test).

Versant, set to be spun off from Comcast by the end of the year, consists of USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen True Crime, E!, Syfy and Golf Channel, in addition to digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and SportsEngine. The programming team for the company was confirmed last week.

“Our audiences are among the most devoted in the industry, and their passion fuels everything we do,” said Versant’s president of entertainment Val Boreland. “By uniting the power of our iconic brands with a commitment to bold, original storytelling, we’re deepening our connection with viewers in meaningful ways. We’re proud to unveil this exciting new programming slate as we move forward under our new name.”