MIPTV Spotlight: ARTE Sales

CANNES: Though its primary focus has been on the distribution of factual content, ARTE Sales, the program-sales arm of European public channel ARTE, is for the first time expanding this year into scripted content.

“The [drama] genre is becoming more and more popular in the TV market, so we need to be there,” explains Cédric Hazard, the head of international sales and acquisitions for ARTE France. “It’s going to be a big step for us.”

The company’s main offering is the miniseries Deep. The production, which is shot in black and white, tells the story of a police officer who lives with his daughter. When he discovers he is suffering from an incurable disease, he infiltrates a violent network planning to flood Paris with a new illicit substance in order to save his drug-addicted daughter.

ARTE Sales is also tackling the digital space by offering new, online-only content. “There is a real need for short programs, whether documentaries, educational or comedy… anything that can fit the [audience’s] mobile needs,” says Hazard.

To meet this demand, the company has added several web-only titles to its expansive factual catalogue, including the science-themed series You’ll Die Smarter. The distributor is also highlighting the award-winning docuseries Football Rebels. “[The program] is not so much about sports as it is about the lives of those big football stars you see on TV,” Hazard says.

Rounding out the company’s slate is the travel/wildlife series Adventures in Animal Lands.