Netflix and DreamWorks Animation announced a multi-year deal which will see Netflix as the home of a new original series from DreamWorks. The agreement marks the largest deal for original first-run content in Netflix history and is also the first time DreamWorks Animation's characters will be introduced into the television market as a branded collection of shows.

The deal encompasses over 300 hours of new programming and will see new shows inspired by characters from DreamWorks Animation's franchises and upcoming feature films as well as the Classic Media library, which DreamWorks acquired in 2012.

The first series is expected to begin airing in 2014, with Netflix premiering the shows in all the territories in which it operates.

"DreamWorks Animation is a valued partner in our global efforts to provide families the most engaging stories delivered however, whenever and wherever they want," said Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos. "This deal represents a major expansion of what's already a phenomenal relationship, allowing us to bring beloved DreamWorks characters to the 40 countries where Netflix operates and setting the stage for us to innovate together as we expand into new markets."

The BBC reported that VOD service BBC iPlayer had received 257 million requests in May, equalling that of April, with trend of requests across PC, mobile, tablet and connected TV remaining consistent with previous month.

The average daily requests remained strong at just under 8 million, and weekly requests were steady on 53 million. However, there was a record 76 million requests for radio programmes—continuing the trend of listening to BBC radio programmes via BBC iPlayer.

BBC Radio 4 comedy including The Unbelievable Truth and The Now Show, and sport coverage including rugby and cricket, were most popular for BBC iPlayer radio listening. Content from BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend (24-26 May) also appeared in the top 20.

Doctor Who, The Apprentice and The Voice dominated the top 10 TV episodes for May, with Waterloo Road and Russell Howard's Good News following closely behind.

The Weather Channel announced a partnership with Virgin Media to power weather services that extend across its TV, online and mobile platforms in the U.K.

Available on TV through Virgin Media TiVo the Weather Channel-branded app lets users check the weather over the next 24 hours and see a five-day forecast for a searchable location, and provides additional features and functionality, including the ability to save up to ten favourite locations. Further, the Virgin Media Homepage will display a three-day forecast for a chosen area by entering a U.K. town or postcode.

Lynette Turnbull, Virgin Media's head of multiscreen commercial development and product management, said "Virgin Media TiVo brings together incredible TV with the best of the web, so working with The Weather Channel is a natural partnership for us. Brits talking about the weather is a bit of a cliché, but combined with our popular online and mobile Internet properties, this multi-screen deal will add plenty of value for our millions of customers wherever and however they want to check the forecasts."

LOVEFiLM has announced the launch of Disney Movies on Demand on LOVEFiLM Instant. The launch builds on the existing relationship between Disney and LOVEFiLM, allowing members to watch titles from the Disney Movies on Demand collection.

Simon Morris, Chief Marketing Officer at LOVEFiLM, said:"Disney is renowned for creating world famous, quality family entertainment that parents can trust; from the earliest animations to modern classics. We are thrilled to enhance our relationship with the launch of Disney Movies on Demand, and even more excited about bringing our members so much new content in the process."

"We always aim to offer families the best possible selection of Disney movies when, where, and how they want it," said Catherine Powell, SVP & GM, Disney Media Distribution, EMEA. "Working with LOVEFiLM, I'm delighted we can provide their customers with a superb range of movie entertainment and a great viewing experience."