23-29 Mar: Your guide to what’s happened this week in the media, entertainment and technology industry.

Netflix temporary outage in US and Europe
Netflix users in the United States and Europe have been experiencing outages, Variety reported.

A downtime of around one hour was recorded in the morning, with user complaints spiking in the afternoon.

According to Netflix, the problem has been resolved, though the company did not comment on the cause of the outage.

ViacomCBS strengthens international streaming strategy
ViacomCBS has signed a multi-year deal with Sky to bring Nickelodeon content to German speaking markets, Variety reported on Monday.

Sky customers in Austria, Germany and Switzerland will have access to Nick Jr. and NickToons kids shows such as Spongebob Squarepants and Paw Patrol.

Last week, ViacomCBS also announced that Nick Jr.’s interactive learning subscription service Noggin is now available on Apple TV in 25 territories.

Chief executive David Lynn said the deal offerings are an important step in ‘advancing ViacomCBS’ international premium streaming strategy.’

Mediapro makes temporary staff and production cuts
Spanish media giant MediaPro has temporarily suspended more than 1,200 of its employees, TBI reported on Wednesday.

The company also made a 50% pay cut for its highest paid board executives’ salaries to deal with the coronavirus impact on the business.

Mediapro also recently suspended production for upcoming Hollywood movie Official Competition, according to Hollywood Reporter. The Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas movie was being shot in Madrid, where coronavirus is continuing to affect the region.

NBCUniversal partners India’s Eros Now
NBCUniversal International Distribution has signed a strategic multi-year deal with Indian OTT platform Eros Now Prime, Business Insider reported on Monday.

As part of the agreement, Eros Now subscribers in South Asia will have seamless access to some popular series from NBCUniversal, in addition to the existing Eros Now library.

Fox Sports to broadcast NASCAR esports
FOX Sports has announced it will broadcast all remaining rounds of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, according to TechCrunch.

Named Fox NASCAR iRACING, the races will be simulcast on the FOX broadcast network, Fox Sports 1, and the Fox Sports app. In Canada, races will be available through FOX Sports Racing.

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