Fred Media’s Factual Focus

Warren Sevel, the sales manager for Australia, New Zealand and the Americas, discusses the benefits of serving as WTFN’s distributor, trends in the factual world and the company’s plans to grow its catalogue.

Fred Media is the primary international distribution partner of Australian production company WTFN, as well as for a growing roster of independent producers. Warren Sevel, Fred Media’s sales manager for Australia, New Zealand and the Americas, says that as WTFN’s distributor, the company is in “a unique position because Fred Media gets WTFN’s content, and when we have the finalized episodes, we effectively have a production line of shows feeding our catalogue. That means we don’t always have to go out and source third-party content.”

The company, which has offices in Australia and the U.K., distributes a catalogue comprised of 1,000-plus hours of content, including a wealth of documentaries, lifestyle and factual shows, with a particular focus on animal-themed content. “Much of what we produce is our own, and a lot of what we distribute is [also] our own, and it’s been produced by a company that has a strong reputation,” Sevel says. “That’s very unique in this business.”

He continues, “Fred Media does not have a catalogue of 2,000 shows; we have a catalogue of specialized content, and those shows have come from proven free-to-air deals back in Australia, so the quality stands out. Our production values are very high, and that’s because we don’t have to select third-party content to fill our catalogue. Instead, we have programming coming in on an annual basis [from WTFN], so Fred Media is in one of the most unique positions, because it’s very rare for a distributor to actually sell their own shows. We are quite lucky.”

With this type of business model, the company “evenly gives love” to all the programs it distributes because, Sevel says, “they mean a lot to us and we understand the shows.”

As for which genres are currently trending in the factual space, Sevel notes, “Pet and animal shows do very well, and that’s certainly what we’re known for.” Among Fred’s selection of animal-related content is Bondi Vet, which WTFN produces for Network Ten in Australia. Now in its eighth season, the unscripted observational docuseries set on Sydney’s Bondi Beach follows veterinarian Dr. Chris Brown.

Vet on the Hill, meanwhile, is one of the distributor’s latest animal-centric shows. Centered on Dr. Scott Miller, who runs a veterinary clinic on the Thames, it is slated to premiere early this year on More4 in the U.K.

In addition to furry-friend-focused titles, Sevel says, “In lifestyle, there will always be the staple home and food shows. There’s an appetite for that wherever you go. Those types of shows aren’t going to go anywhere; it’s just a matter of how they’re filmed. Maybe the food is a bit healthier and home is becoming a little bit more do-it-yourself.”

In the food space, one of Fred Media’s latest projects is Go Ahead Bake My Day. This hour-long factual-reality format sees three bakers compete for the chance to have their cake served at a real wedding.

Alongside home and food, Sevel notes, “There’s always a demand for science programming.” Since these types of shows are “very difficult and expensive to produce,” he believes that distributors can benefit from nailing down a science show because they are “definitely in demand.”

“A new trend I get asked about is extraordinary people,” Sevel says. “Whether it’s people with an extraordinary skill or whether it’s someone with one leg who’s doing something amazing, there is a call for programming about ordinary people living extraordinary lives.” Meanwhile, Netflix has contributed to the growing appetite for true-crime titles, which he finds buyers have their sights on these days.

Looking ahead to the future, Sevel says, “Our long-term goal is to increase the hours in our catalogue, whether that’s through more production of our own shows or through a future deal. The plan is to continue increasing our volume of existing series. Our clients buy our shows for a reason, and we want to keep those series being returnable. That’s our number-one goal.

“Secondly, we want to keep coming up with new shows. Our development slate is really big, and we have the ability to hear feedback from our buyers about what they want and then go back and develop those shows for them, so the future will be about producing content specifically for our buyers; that’s going to be key for Fred.”

In addition to expanding its catalogue, the company is looking to open more offices and is eyeing the U.S. for a potential new hub.