Tuesday round-up: Latest news, deals & hires

Big Media trio to be sold by ITV Studios

ITV Studios and digital division Zoo 55 has picked up sales rights to three shows from US-based producer-distributor Big Media.

Behind the Move: Secrets of High Stakes Transport (6 x 60 minutes) explores the extraordinary world of unusual logistics and will be sold by ITVS around the world excluding Germany, where big Media’s co-pro partner for the series, NTV, holds rights.

ITVS has also acquired international rights to ten episodes of Secrets Of, which was co-produced by Big Media with NTV, RMC Story, and Wild Bear.

Rounding out the trio is wildlife show The Watering Hole: Surviving South Luangwa (3 x 60 minutes), with ITVS taking global rights. Deal were brokered by Merrily Ross, ITVS’s vice president of global content unscripted and Emma Sparks, senior vice president of Europe for Big Media.

Big Brother to live stream on CBS

US network CBS is to provide live streams of Big Brother coverage on YouTube this summer.

Contestants on the upcoming 28th season of the show will be announced on Big Brother: Broveal, which will become available at the same time as the show airs on CBS.

Live feeds will then become available on YouTube for a limited period from 10 July, following the airing of each of the show’s regular episodes.

YouTube access will be reserved for limited periods and run in tandem with live streams on CBS sibling Paramount+ and Pluto TV. The Paramount-owned services will have exclusive access throughout the 28th season’s run.

The Face returns to Vietnam

Vietnamese broadcaster VTV9 has greenlit a fifth season of Banijay Rights-owned format The Face, following a three-year hiatus.

The modelling competition reality series is being produced by Multimedia JSC and will debut in October.

The Face previously ran in Vietnam for four seasons from 2016-2023 and is heading back to Vietnam following the return of the show in Thailand last year.

UK’s Zinc Media launches AI unit

Zinc Media Group has launched a label that aims to drive AI innovation across the producer group.

Cicada sits within the Zinc’s technology division and is led by chief technology officer Olly Strous.

It will work in partnership with Zinc’s television and events labels, as well as brand content company The Edge. Its focus will be infusing AI innovation into the group’s output, from commercials and branded films to TV, live events, training content and educational media.

Cicada will also be used to equip each label with the tools and techniques to support their research, development, production and post-production. Read more