The week in over-the-topprovides a recap of recent news related to OTT initiatives from variousnetworks and platforms.
* "ThePunisher" is getting its own spinoff series on NetflixInc.'s streaming service. The streaming giant green-lit a fullfirst season of "Marvel's The Punisher," making it the sixth seriesordered under Netflix's partnershipwith Disney's Marvel Television, the company April 29. The series will star JonBernthal as Frank Castle, who first appeared in the second season of Netflixoriginal series "Marvel's Daredevil." The partnership with MarvelTelevision also includes upcoming series "Marvel's Luke Cage," "Marvel'sIron Fist," "Marvel's The Defenders," and "Marvel's JessicaJones." Marvel Television produced "Marvel's The Punisher" inpartnership with ABC Studios.
In other platformnews…
*Netflix green-lighted"Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later" series, The Hollywood Reporter reportedApril 27. The eight-episode series is set 10 years after the end of the 2001feature film "Wet Hot American Summer" from feature film creatorsMichael Showalter and David Wain. In July 2015, the streaming giant "Wet Hot AmericanSummer: First Day of Camp," a prequel series featuring the movie'soriginal stars.
*British Broadcasting Corp.and Netflix are set to makefour-part miniseries "Watership Down," an adaptation of the RichardAdams novel of the same name, Deadline.com reportedApril 27. The show, about a band of rabbits fleeing from man's intrusion, willbe a co-production between BBCOne (UK) and Netflix, and produced by 42 and Biscuit Films. "WatershipDown" will debut on BBC One in the U.K. and globally on Netflix. Theminiseries will be internationally distributed by 's ITV Studios GlobalEntertainment.
*21st Century Fox's FOX Sports channel in Brazil has a new paid mobile app thatallows access to soccer games of the Libertadores Cup, NexTV News Latin AmericareportedApril 26. The service, which reportedly costs $40, will let users watch thenext second round, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the soccertournament.
*Time Warner Inc.'sTurner Broadcasting System Inc.unit is working to debuta video-on-demand service, called FilmStruck, in fall 2017, Re/code reportedApril 26. The upcoming service, which will be managed by people behindTCM (US), willreportedly feature an "eclectic mix of contemporary and classic art house,indie, foreign and cult films." Details, such as the launch date, or itsprice plan, were not disclosed, according to the report.
*Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.struck a partnershipto license films to Valve Corp.'s Steam digital distribution platform. Pursuantto the partnership, more than 100 Lions Gate feature films will be madeavailable to Steam customers, including movies from the "Hunger Games,""Twilight," "Saw" and "Divergent" franchises,according to an April 25 news release.