LGI Media Lands Presales for Spiky Gold Hunters

Australia’s LGI Media, formerly Looking Glass International, has secured a raft of international presales for its brand-new factual-entertainment series Spiky Gold Hunters.

The 6×60-minute series has been picked up by A+E Networks UK and The History Channel Iberia for its entertainment channel BLAZE, as well as Foxtel/A&E Networks Australia. Produced by New Zealand’s Pango Productions, Spiky Gold Hunters has also been acquired by Viasat World exclusively for Viasat Explore across CEE, Russia, CIS and the Nordics.

Commissioned by TV New Zealand, the show follows a team of six courageous free divers as they battle the tempestuous elements of Southern New Zealand to deliver the gastronomic equivalent of “gold” to fine diners around the globe. These divers take audiences on a wild ride both on and off the water as they look to get rich from one of the world’s most expensive delicacies—a unique sea urchin harvested from one of the world’s fiercest oceans—off the coast of New Zealand. They put their bodies on the line every single time they jump into the water in an attempt to feed the burgeoning international market’s hunger for this prized delicacy.

Sam Thompson, VP of international distribution and co-productions at LGI Media, said, “This has been an amazing journey into a rarely glimpsed world of free-dive fishing in New Zealand. It’s definitely ‘tough jobs’ as we see it but to the divers who are putting their lives on the line there are no guarantees! The stakes are high in this series and the environment is harsh, we think viewers are going to go in for these guys because the danger is real, and they love it so much.”

Bailey Mackey, CEO of Pango Productions, said, “This project has been a passion of mine for years and combines two of my great loves, diving and storytelling. I’ve long held the view that New Zealand has all the elements for an international franchise such as Spiky Gold Hunters. Combined with beautiful scenery, authentic characters and the intrinsic danger element you have an incredible series which audiences around the world will love just as we do.”