MIPTV: The Week in Factual

As part of RX France’s overhaul of MIPTV into a streamlined three-day market this year, MIPDoc, which has long been held the weekend before the spring event, was incorporated into the week’s schedule inside the Palais. That strategy is expected to remain for the 2023 edition, kicking off on April 17, Lucy Smith, director of MIPTV and MIPCOM, told TV Real as the market wrapped in Cannes last week. “We’re getting feedback that it was the right thing to do, going to a three-day market and making it more business efficient for people,” Smith said. “However, we’re listening to the feedback. I know MIPDoc has been missed by quite a few people, and we’ll look to see how we better improve that experience.”

Factual distributors still used last week’s market as a platform for announcing a range of sales and acquisition deals, despite the lack of a busy on-site hub for marathon screenings sessions by buyers. BossaNova Media marked its MIPTV debut with a stand on the show floor to shop its slate, announcing key deals for Rare TV’s Searching for Michael Jackson’s Zoo with C More Entertainment in Scandinavia and RTL Netherlands. Tatjana Kostovski, senior sales manager at BossaNova, noted: “Michael Jackson is a very controversial figure, and the story around him is, of course, mind-blowing. Searching for Michael Jackson’s Zoo is a noisy, edgy show, just what the buyers are telling us they need.”

Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITVP), which also had a presence on site in Cannes, concluded sales for the documentary series Delphine: The Secret Princess with HBO Max in Europe and SBS in Australia. “This is an extraordinary and emotional story, one that is full of sadness and lies, but also focuses on getting back up again, ending in a happy and positive way,” said Andrew Zein, senior VP of creative, format development and sales at WBITVP. “It is great that we’ve agreed to deals to showcase this story internationally so that even more people around the world can immerse themselves in a compelling and fascinating documentary. The deals with HBO Max in Europe and with SBS in Australia give us fantastic platforms to do this.”

In time for the market’s kickoff, Banijay Rights added the BBC’s The Drop and Extraordinary Portraits to its distribution slate. Cathy Payne, CEO of Banijay Rights, noted, “The Drop and Extraordinary Portraits are two outstanding cutting-edge factual shows that showcase different crafts at the highest level, from dazzling streetwear design to intricate portraiture. These factual series epitomize the range and depth that sits within Banijay Rights’ multi-genre catalog of more than 120,000 hours, and we’re in no doubt they will be a big attraction to international buyers this year.”

ITV announced the commissioning of the one-hour film Litvinenko: Murder in Mayfair, about Russian national Alexander Litvinenko’s assassination on British soil in 2006, from Firecracker Films. It will debut in conjunction with the ITV drama Litvinenko starring David Tennant.

Paramount+ revealed it would exclusively premiere the four-hour documentary series Ghislaine—Partner in Crime from See It Now Studios and Fremantle. Fatima Salaria, managing director of Fremantle, said: “It’s very exciting to be partnering with Susan Zirinsky for the first time to delve deeper into the Ghislaine Maxwell story. The series is packed with fresh expert analysis of both Maxwell’s life and the dramatic trial, which is vividly brought to life with the unique perspective of Juror #50, Scotty David.”

The Paramount-owned AVOD streaming platform Pluto TV, meanwhile, launched two new channels in partnership with A+E Networks UK, including Inside Crime UK. “The growth of true-crime and mystery programming continues to go from strength to strength,” said Julie Mitchelmore, VP of digital at A+E Networks UK. “This partnership provides a great opportunity to maximize our catalog of evergreen programming for new digital audiences who can stream A+E Network UK’s shows anytime, anywhere.”

Corus Studios secured its largest U.S. output deal ever, consisting of more than 400 episodes of lifestyle, renovation, unscripted and crime content, with Hulu. The multiyear agreement builds on Corus Studios and Hulu’s partnership, which began with the sale of more than 200 episodes last year. The expanded partnership includes the U.S. presale of Pamela’s Garden of Eden, a new series that sees Pamela Anderson renovate her family home.

VICE Distribution presold VICE Studios’ upcoming three-part docuseries about the disappearance of Malaysian flight MH370 to broadcasters in the U.S. and Europe, securing deals with HISTORY Channel, TV 2 in Denmark and Viaplay.

The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft, written, directed and narrated by Werner Herzog, has been presold to broadcasters throughout Europe, including ARTE, BBC Storyville, DR, SVT and NRK.

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