The UK’s Channel 5 (C5) has signed an international distribution deal with DRG for content emerging from its new in-house production arm.
Terrestrial C5 announced in January that it was moving into in-house production for the first time starting with Kitchen Wars, a cooking series starring celebrity chef Marco Pierre White, though the division had been in the works for some time.
The Kitchen Wars format and finished programme, along with comedy series Jedward’s Weird Wild World, will be launched to the international market by DRG at Mipcom in October.
The deal will give DRG first look at all C5 Productions content for the international market over the next three years and will include programming for both linear channels and online platforms.
Paul Dunthorne, C5 director of channels and operations, said: “Now entering its second year, Channel 5 Productions has already completed three series, including Marco Pierre White’s Kitchen Wars and Jedward’s Weird Wild World. With two more commissions in production and other projects in the pipeline, we look forward to a long and successful partnership with DRG.”
Diane Rankin, senior VP acquisitions at DRG, said: “From the outset, we were impressed with the array of programming the Channel 5 Productions team had in the pipeline, and were keen to represent the Channel 5 brand internationally.”
C5 has improved its financial performance since being bought by media mogul Richard Desmond’s Northern and Shell Group in 2010. It has also been flexing its programming muscles, picking up classic reality format Big Brother after 10 years on Channel 4 and more recently acquiring the rights to the US remake of classic soap Dallas.
C21, Clive Whittingham, 03-09-2012
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