ACTF Titles Go Global

The Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) has sold a raft of series and films into the U.S., Ireland, the U.K., the Pacific Islands, Estonia, France and New Zealand.

BYU TV (U.S.) picked up Gristmill’s live-action comedies Little Lunch and The InBestigators, securing the free-TV rights in the region for both series. A package of programs for all ages, which includes Windcatcher, MaveriX, Eddie’s Lil’ Homies and the fourth season of Little J & Big Cuz, has been acquired by First Nations Experience (FNX), an American television channel exclusively devoted to Native American and World Indigenous content.

RTÉ (Ireland) has also picked up Windcatcher, a film that premiered in Australia on local SVOD platform Stan in March this year.

A range of Australian children’s content will air in the Pacific Islands this year, with broadcasters ABC International and PacificAus TV both acquiring packages of content. ABC International will broadcast MaveriX, season one of Ready For This, season one of The InBestigators, seasons one and two of Hardball, Handball Heroes, seasons three and four of Little J & Big Cuz and seasons one and two of Kangaroo Beach.

PacificAus TV, which provides content to Pacific Island broadcasters as part of an Australian Government initiative, has acquired Are You Tougher Than Your Ancestors?; Barrumbi Kids; seasons one and two of Bushwhacked!; seasons one and two of Hardball; Crazy Fun Park; Red Dirt Riders; Thalu; season one of The InBestigators; seasons one and two of Kangaroo Beach, plus a summer special; and WAC (World Animal Championships).

The comedy-horror series Crazy Fun Park has been also been acquired by Estonian Television, while French broadcasters Mediawan and TFOU have procured the factual series Built to Survive. The Kangaroo Beach summer special will air in MENA, having been picked up by beIN Media.

Hardball will now be available to view on Netflix in Australia and New Zealand after being acquired by the streaming platform locally.

The ACTF has also unveiled its upcoming slate. A television adaptation of Shaun Tan’s illustrated anthology Tales from Outer Suburbia is currently in production. Season three of the animated preschool series Kangaroo Beach is currently in production, with Nickelodeon UK picking up rights for a 2025 launch in the region.