Realscreen day one round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Radial takes Snowpiercer for US

US-based Radial Entertainment has expanded its deal with ITV Studios in a deal that hands it rights to shows including thriller Snowpiercer.

Radial has added added US AVoD, SVoD and FAST rights to all four seasons of the show, which is produced by ITVS-backed Tomorrow Studios, and already holds exclusive TVOD, EST and physical media rights across North America.

Radial Entertainment has also retained extensive AVOD, FAST and hybrid SVOD rights to S1-23 of ITV America-produced franchise Hell’s Kitchen across the Americas, and seasons 1-6 of the original Kitchen Nightmares.

The package includes streaming rights to crime dramas The Gathering and Finders Keepers, and Radial has also renewed more than 2,700 hours of addiitonal drama series.

BBC Select, Foxtel among Sphere Abacus deals

FirstLookTV’s Killer Kings has been sold to BBC Select US/Canada and Foxtel in Australia by Sphere Abacus, which has unveiled raft of sales on the first day of Realscreen in Miami.

The show has also been acquired by Prima Group in Czech Republic, RTL Germany, and Viasat World (CEE, Baltics, CIS, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), while Freddie Mercury: A Secret Daughter? from Honey Bee Media has been bought by RTL+ Hungary, Nine Network in Australia, Yes TV Israel, HOT8 Israel and TVNZ New Zealand.

Other deals include Brinkworth Productions’ series The Real Unforgotten: The Unsolved Murder of Carol Morgan being sold to Play Media Belgium, BBC Select US/Canada and Sky Germany, and Cold Case Investigators being picked up by TV2 Denmark, Foxtel and Sky Germany.

Foxtel, Sky Germany, HOT8 Israel and Yes TV Israel have also acquired Secret Sex Lives of Tyrants, produced by Perpetual Entertainment. 

Serial Maven to sell Liberation: D-Day to Berlin

Canada’s Serial Maven Studios has acquired international distribution rights to Liberation: D-Day to Berlin, the premium docuseries from UK-based Impossible Factual.

The 4 x 60-minute series revisits the liberation of Western Europe and the fall of Nazi Germany through restored and expertly colourised archival footage.

It has been produced for National Geographic’s international channels in association with Paramount in the US, as revealed by Broadcast last year, with a presale to SBS Australia.

NFL docuseries sells to US streamers

Prime Video, Tubi and Roku have picked up rights to NFL series Offseason following a deal with US-based Big Media.

The 5 x 30-minute show provides an intimate look at the lives of elite NFL football players during the months they spend between professional football seasons.

Prime Video has an exclusive TVOD window in the US, while the series is also now available on Tubi and The Roku Channel in advance of Super Bowl LX (60) on 8 February.

Offseason is produced by Maverick Media Group, written and directed by Justin Polk, Tevin Tavares, and Jocelyn Rose Lyons.

Universal Music & CNN prime docuseries

CNN and Universal Music Group (UMG) have tapped writer and musician Fred Armisen to lead an as-yet untitled music docuseries that explores the music group’s archives.

The behind-the-scenes look will be produced by UMG’s film and television division Polygram Entertainment, Time Studios and Known Originals. It will debut as a CNN Original Series later this year.

Viewers will explore pivotal moments in pop culture and the stories of the iconic artists and songwriters who changed the course of history. Part of UMG’s archives are housed in within the Iron Mountain facility in Pennsylvania, located 220 feet underground in a former limestone mine.

The series will unearth priceless artifacts, encompassing original recordings, master tapes, rare photos and performances, alternative album art and music videos, many of which have not been seen or heard publicly before.

The Mashup set for Miami bow

Global Agency has said it is rolling out new music format The Mashup at RealScreen in Miami tomorrow.

The Mashup sees pairs of singers merging two contrasting songs into one live performance, with a ‘genre wheel’ pushing contestants’ versatility and creativity.

The show will be unveiled by the Turkish distributor on Tuesday, 3 February from 10.30ET at the Chopin Room, with an exclusive screening planned.