In The Frame - April '18

Disney has kicked off its streaming future with ESPN+, a service initially delivering sport with a Disney-branded service to follow next year. Disney will look to build a full-on Netflix rival with animated hits and superhero blockbusters as the foundation. ESPN+, meanwhile, is described by ESPN executives as “the maiden voyage”.

Another new streaming service coming online soon comes from Formula 1. Launching in May, F1 TV comes online ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, which takes place between 11 and 13 May.

Amazon has reported huge growth for the first quarter of 2018, which is up 43 per cent on last year, and also revealed the number of its Prime Video subscribers for the first time (100 million). Amazon Web Services posted strong gains, generating $1.4 billion.

Staying with Amazon, it has announced that it will extend its Thursday Night Football deal with the NFL, at a cost of $130 million for two more seasons.

Video compression firm Eoovi has received “significant” investment to develop its platform to ‘first stage’ launch. Eoovi’s technology, developed by Edinburgh-based Paul Gardiner and Manchester-based Brian Higgins, reduces video files by more than 90 per cent.

BBC News

Ofcom has given "provisional" approval to BBC plans for a new TV channel for Scotland, the corporation having announced in February 2017 that it wanted to create the channel, with transmission expected to begin in the autumn of 2018. A decision is now subject to a consultation, which will last until 18 May, and a final decision on whether the BBC can go ahead with the new channel in July.

A new five-part documentary on Margaret Thatcher has been announced, to mark 40 years since Britain’s first female prime minister came to power in 1979. The series will air on BBC2.

The BBC has also announced another series marking a significant anniversary: an NHS at 70 seasons of programming “centred on the NHS, its workforce and the hundreds of thousands of patients it sees every day”. The season runs from 25 June to 8 July.

The licence fee has been waived for communities wanting to watch Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding next month, which takes place on the same day as the FA Cup final. "The dispensation is just for watching the royal wedding. On this occasion, it doesn't cover other events on the day, such as the FA Cup final," a press office spokesman said.

And finally…

• Kate Adie will be awarded this year's Bafta Fellowship, following in the footsteps of Sir David Attenborough, Joanna Lumley and Sir Bruce Forsyth. The fellowship is the highest accolade bestowed by Bafta on an individual for their work in film, TV or games across their career.
• The RTS has opened its Young Technologist of the Year 2018 competition for entries, with an all-expenses trip to IBC in Amsterdam up for grabs.
• The BBC has opened a free sound effects library, releasing a huge archive for non-commercial use, and a separate royalty-free music library, Oook, has also launched.
• Sir Elton John is the latest star to read a Bedtime Story on CBeebies.
• Staff at al-Jazeera’s English-language TV channel have voted to go on strike next month in protest at pay and conditions.
• Channel 4 has kicked off bids for its new headquarters, with plans including moving 300 of its 800 staff out of London.
• Adobe has announced a Creative Cloud Suite update with new capabilities for refining colour, creating graphics and audio tools revealed.

From the latest news to the latest positions – click here to see Frame 25’s most recent additions to its list of available TV jobs