Thursday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Cineflix claims Senna docuseries & strikes sales 

Warner Bros. Discovery (Latin America), SBS (Australia), and Bell Media (Canada) have struck pre-sale deals for an Ayrton Senna docuseries acquired for distribution by Cineflix Rights.

Senna: The Last Race, coproduced by Canadian duo C3 Media and Yap Films, is to formally launch at Mipcom and follows investigators working to uncover the truth behind the crash that killed him and how such a tragedy could be prevented from happening again.

Exclusive access to investigators, friends, and eyewitnesses features, alongside first-hand testimony, technical analysis, and personal accounts of the man himself.

Cottonwood buys out of Federation

Kids and family producer Cottonwood Media is to separate from parent Federation Studios, more than a decade after The Lady Grace Mysteries outfit joined the company.

David Michel founded Cottonwood in 2014 alongside Zoé Carrera Allaix and Cécile Laurenson, before it became part of France's Federation a year later.

But Michel is now buying back Federation’s entire stake in Cottonwood, which will no longer operate as a subsidiary but as an independent prodco.

It will remain under his leadership, alongside partners Laurenson and Carrera Allaix. Federation will keep operating as distributor of Cottonwood Media’s existing catalogue through its sales division Federation International. The new agreement also provides for a first look right regarding the distribution of future productions.

UK MP's warn of BBC threat

The UK's Digital, Media and Sport committee (DCMSC) has warned the BBC faces a choice between shrinking and declining or innovating to meet the challenges of the modern media environment.

In its report into the BBC Charter Review, which is currently underway, the DCMSC called for a reformed funding mechanism, a duty to counter misinformation, increased income through commercial activity, and greater transparency over board appointments.

Following a series of hearings involving internal and external stakeholders, the select committee’s report said now was the moment to “secure an ambitious and innovative national broadcaster” that can meet the demands of a changing media landscape and compete with dominant US streamers, while maintaining the central role it plays in British life.

“This charter review represents a fork in the road for the BBC,” the report said. “Without change, our broadcaster will be left to shrink and decline. Given the benefits the BBC brings to our national life, including support for the creative economy, talent creation, social cohesion and our democracy, this cannot be allowed to happen.” Read more