All the latest news from the global content industry on Wednesday, 18 June

 

Federation makes Lucky You deal

Documentary distributor Lucky You is moving its sales catalogue into Federation International, with founder Robert Salvestrin departing the company.

The deal aligns the Federation companies - Lucky You is part of the Bonne Pioche group, which is in turn owned by Federation Studios - and means Federation International’s docs offering will increase tenfold from 90 to 900 hours.

It includes Kheops: Mysterious Discoveries, Origami Code, Science vs Terrorism, Who Killed the Neanderthal?, Into The Night and Scanning the Nile.

Salvestrin founded Lucky You in 2014 and is leaving to focus on new business ventures. Federation International, co-headed by Monica Levy and Guillaume Pommier, will handle all pre-sales and sales activity for Lucky You.

 

CEE broadcasters strike Sphere Abacus deals

Sphere Abacus (SA) has sold a raft of scripted and unscripted shows to companies in CEE, ahead of NATPE Budapest next week.

TVP Poland has acquired a raft of factual shows including Implosion: The Titanic Sub Disaster, produced by Renegade Stories and Galafilm Productions, and docuseries Travels with Agatha Christie & Sir David Suchet from Soho Studios Productions and Two Rivers Media.

Hungary’s TV2 Media Group has picked up Billy and Dom Eat the World, the travel series from producer Dash Pictures featuring Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings), while Canal+ has bought documentary The Jewish Nazi?, a Mint Pictures Production, for distribution in the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Deals were brokered by SA sales director Ros Ali.

 

OUTtv expands in UK

OUTtv, the LGBTQ+ streaming service, is extending its UK footprint with the launch of FAST channel OUTflix Proud on Freeview.

Audiences will gain access to reality shows including Sew Fierce, LGBTQ+ dating series For the Love of DILFs, live UK comedy series Live at the Queer Comedy Club and Stand Up Specials: London, and original specials Trixie Mattel: Skinny Legend and Katya: Help Me I’m Dying.

OUTflix Proud is a joint venture of OUTtv and Fuse Media.