Cannes, France – ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) has signed a host of new drama agreements across EMEA, including new deals for the critically acclaimed Victoria. Mammoth Screen’s international hit production, which is returning in the UK on ITV later this year, has been acquired by the satellite broadcaster YES Israel. A free-to-air TV broadcast window for Victoria in Italy has also been secured with Mediaset, while it recently launched in Italy on La Effe, the pay TV channel owned by Feltrinelli Group and available on Sky.
In addition, Victoria has been picked up by VOD service IVI in Russia where it will also launch simultaneously on pay TV via Tricolor Russia’s Kino Premium Channel. Two other dramas will also reach new territories. The first, ITV Studios’ Loch Ness, which is due to air on ITV later this year, has been sold to RTL in the Netherlands, Denmark’s DR, TV4 in Sweden and Norway’s TV2. These deals follow on from sales to a number of other European markets through an earlier pre-sale agreement with NBC, who are also launching the series later this year.
The second is ratings hit Prime Suspect: Tennison, which has also been acquired by DR in Denmark, as well as SVT in Sweden and BBC First in the Middle East. The series launched in February on ITV with over 5m viewers and has consistently won the 9pm slot every week.
Dan Gopal, EVP, EMEA Distribution & Global Digital Partners, ITVS GE said, “Victoria continues to have huge global appeal and series two is understandably hotly anticipated. Our slate of new and returning dramas continue to find new homes across EMEA and it is particularly encouraging to see the series playing on multiple broadcast and digital windows in some markets, a fantastic example of the ever growing demand for great drama on all platforms.”
The deals were closed on behalf of ITVS GE by Jennifer Ebell (Mediaset, La Effe, IVI and Tricolor) Mario Cerna (YES Israel), Emily Thompson (DR, SVT, TV2, TV4) and James Meyer (RTL). Victoria follows the life of Queen Victoria, with series one chronicling her accession to the throne at the tender age of 18 through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert. It has already sold to over 150 countries. The series achieved an average viewing share in the UK of 29%, while it launched with over 6m viewers in the U.S. earlier this year on PBS’s Masterpiece.
