FOXTEL Takes DRG Programming Package

LONDON: Australian pay-TV platform FOXTEL has licensed a total of 80 hours of comedy and factual programming from DRG, including the Channel 4 series Peep Show.

Season two and three Peep Show will air on FOXTEL’s The Comedy Channel, which recently saw strong ratings for Balls of Steel Australia, based on a Channel 4 format repped by DRG. The Comedy Channel has also licensed Father Ted and Comic Strip Presents. On the factual front, the package acquired by FOXTEL for Biography, CI and History includes the documentary special The Boy Who Was Born A Girl, Road Wars, The Ghost of the Mary Rose and Unexplained.

"We’re incredibly excited by the outstanding ratings success of the Australian version of Balls of Steel on The Comedy Channel," said Patrick Roberts, senior VP of international sales. "It brilliantly blends in hilarious new talent, alongside a mix of massively popular fictional characters from the original version. We’re already in negotiation with broadcasters internationally to secure the rights to this great new version. We’re also delighted to confirm today a new deal which will bring a further 80 hours of prime-time DRG comedy and factual to FOXTEL’s The Comedy Channel, Biography, CI and History."

The sale builds on DRG’s relationship with FOXTEL, which also includes representing the FOX8 docu-soap The Stafford Brothers. The 6×30-minute show was launched to the international market at MIPTV.