Friday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Fremantle expands FAST with Samsung

RTL Group-owned Fremantle is to launch 19 FAST channels on Samsung TV Plus across seven new territories, including the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Nordics (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland).

Offerings include a Family Feud Steve Harvey channel, which is being rolled out in the UK, the Nordics, the Netherlands and Ireland from today and marks the first time the gameshow-focused network has launched outside of North America.

Other channels include an Escape to the Country-branded offering, which provides episodes of the iconic British property series, and Project Runway, which carries episodes of the US reality series and is now available in the Netherlands and the Nordics.

Fremantle, which has been expanding its FAST portfolio under senior vice president of global channels Laura Florence, is also rolling out The Jamie Oliver Channel on Samsung TV Plus in the Nordics this summer. Deals were brokered by James Meyer, Fremantle’s director of global channels distribution & partnerships, and Gerardo Babatz, content acquisitions manager at Samsung TV Plus EMEA.

Netflix ANZ’s Hannah Pembroke exits

Netflix Australia & New Zealand’s acquisition and originals exec Hannah Pembroke has departed the streamer after four years in the role.

News of the former Matchbox Pictures exec’s exit from Netflix, which was broken by Aussie trade TV Tonight, comes shortly after director of content Que Minh Luu stepped down.

Emily O’Connell remains as creative coordinator of originals for Netflix down under.

HBO Max among Kardashian deals

Network Ten in Australia and Warner Bros Discovery streamers HBO Max and Discovery+ are among buyers to have pre-bought BBC3’s Firecracker Films celebrity true-crime doc The Kim Kardashian Diamond Heist.

Passion Distribution has also pre-sold the 1 x 45-minute doc to linear networks in Italy, Germany, CEE, Benelux, France, Nordics, Poland, Spain, Andorra, and Portugal, but declined to give details.

Passion is also in discussion with US and Canadian buyers. The film explores the 2016 robbery of Kim Kardashian at gunpoint in Paris, with exclusive access to friends of the family, French authorities, and journalists.

Virgin Island expands on UK’s Channel 4

Channel 4 in the UK has handed Double Act Productions an expanded eight-part second series of Virgin Island after its maiden outing delivered a barnstorming performance among younger audiences.

The first episode of the reality format drew a consolidated 28-day audience of 2m – 814,000 of which were made up of 16-34s, a larger volume of the demographic than BBC1 series Race Across the World (812,000), Doctor Who (701,000) and Gladiators (608,000) this year, according to Barb data.

Virgin Island’s 16-34 share after seven days was 33.5%, making it the most successful unscripted launch for C4 since records began, outstripping the 27.2% achieved by Supernanny 21 years ago, and more recent successes such as The Jury: Murder Trial and Late Night Lycett.

The format follows 12 adult virgins who travel to a luxury retreat to take part in a hands-on intimacy course with sexologists in a bid to help them overcome their fears and take their first steps towards sex and intimacy. Read more

BBC raids Burberry to fill new diversity role

The BBC has appointed the senior manager for corporate responsibility at fashion label Burberry in a new D&I-focused role.

Kelsey-Rae Williams has been named head of workforce diversity, inclusion and belonging, starting this week. Williams will work alongside head of creative diversity Jessica Schibli, and both will report to the newly-appointed chief talent and inclusion officer Simone Marquis.

Williams will lead the implementation and delivery of the broadcaster’s new workforce diversity and inclusion strategy, which was introduced in March following the completion of the previous two-year plan and includes a new 14% target for disabled talent. Read more

Studio Lambert’s Boarders to get final outing 

The BBC has ordered a third and final series of comedy-drama Boarders, created and written by Daniel Lawrence Taylor.

Studio Lambert’s 6 x 45-minute BBC3 series will explore a third and final school term at St Gilbert’s, where a group of South London teens on scholarships are navigating private school pressures and rivalries. Filming will begin this year with delivery in 2026.

Jodie Campbell, Sekou Diaby, Aruna Jalloh, Myles Kamwendo and Josh Tedeku will all reprise their roles for the final series, alongside writer Lawrence Taylor who will return as their mentor. Taylor will also make his directorial debut this series, directing the final episode. Read more