Factual

Beyond Rights has finalised several new deals across North America, resulting in more than 650 hours of unscripted content placed with broadcasters and platforms in the US and Canada.

In the US, Smithsonian Channel has acquired documentary series Elizabeth (8 x 60). A fitting title for this platinum jubilee year, it tells of Queen Elizabeth II’s seven-decade rule and uses incredible archive, as well as interviews with prime ministers, royal household members and close friends to build a uniquely personal and memorable picture of the world’s longest serving monarch.

The Weather Channel has extended its long-running relationship with Beyond Rights by acquiring further reality titles featuring dangerous and difficult jobs often affected by the weather. These are: Lords of the Ocean (13 x 60), season 10 of Highway Thru Hell (18 x 60) and season six of Heavy Rescue (13 x 60), as well as renewals for earlier seasons of the latter two, which total 67 hours.

Blue Ant Media has taken World’s Scariest Hauntings (10 x 60) for its new Haunt TV FAST channels in Canada and the US and has raided Beyond Rights’ impressive crime catalogue for substantial packages for its Canadian and US Crimetime FAST channels. Totalling nearly 200 hours and just over 100 hours respectively for each territory, the packages feature a wide range of true crime titles including Confessions of a Serial Killer (18 x 60), Encounters with Evil (10 x 60), Murder, Lies and Alibis (5 x 60) and The Real Narcos (3 x 60).

In addition, separate deals have been negotiated with Blue Ant Media for seasons of popular engineering titles Massive Engineering Mistakes (10 hours) and Abandoned Engineering (42 hours) for its Cottage Life channel, and lifestyle titles All for One with Debbie Travis (6 x 30), Building La Dolce Vita (10 x 60), Moving the McGillivrays (7 x 60), Love It Or List It: Brilliant Builds (12 x 60), Love It Or List It UK (series 1-5, 42 x 60) and Love It Or List It Australia (series 1-4, 43 x 60).

EarthxTV, the environmentally focused streaming service distributed in the US via major gateways such as Roku and Amazon Fire TV, has acquired Aussie Snake Wranglers (16 x 30) plus two factual entertainment series with a focus on recycling/upcycling and re-use; Saved and Remade (15 x 60) and season four of Money for Nothing (30 x 60).

Finally, BYU in the US has picked up season three of Gym Stars (20 x 30), a youth-skewing reality series that goes behind the scenes, following the ups and downs of life for some of the UK’s most promising gymnasts.