108 Media have acquired international sales rights to the first Asian docuseries of its kind – FEARLESS: Rise of the Johor Southern Tigers – which takes the highly successful “Dressing Room” docuseries concept and turns the floodlights on Johor Darul Ta’zim FC (JDT), the Southeast Asian football team, whose victories have helped build a community, a society, a state, and a nation.
A heartfelt, behind-the-scenes story, FEARLESS takes viewers from the epic vistas of football fandom to the intimate moments of Johor Darul Ta’zim’s triumphs, bringing into focus the untold story of one of the most admired clubs in the Asian region. Filmed during the 2019/20 season, FEARLESS highlights, through the personalities of the JDT team and their passionate Superfans – the “Boys of Straits”, the boardroom politics and the footballers’ struggles both on and off the pitch, how the ambitious team built its legacy to stake an enduring claim on the world of football.
The highly anticipated series lifts the lid on the creation of JDT’s world-class infrastructure; from its top training facilities and the stunning new Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, to their progressive youth academy program, which is not just building the next generation of footballers, but bringing Johorean – and Malaysian society into a globalised Asia.
Abhi Rastogi, CEO of 108 Media says of the acquisition: “We are immensely impressed with the scale of FEARLESS’s production values, its inspirational, narrative value surrounding the sport and its ability to unite an entire region. 108 Media is excited to bring this series to audiences around the world and showcase the electric characters within JDT and Asian football.”
FEARLESS: Rise of the Johor Southern Tigers, also provides an intimate snapshot of the highly driven Crown Prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail, whose unquestionable belief and vision set the club JDT FC on the path to success. In rare interview soundbites, the Crown Prince takes the audience on his journey to transform the state’s ailing Football Association into a powerhouse Football Club – in less than eight years.
HRH Major General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Crown Prince of Johor comments: “Some ridiculed our dreams but this exclusive, behind the scenes series shows what the Johor football project — Johor Darul Ta’zim FC — is really all about and how we have become a force to be reckoned with. FEARLESS features never-before-seen footage of how the Southern Tigers have become an empire, the struggles, and success, how the club is managed away from the public eye, and the drive behind our endless pursuit for success, on and off the pitch.”
FEARLESS: Rise of the Johor Southern Tigers is co-directed by Leon Tan and Tony Pietra Arjuna and produced by Supernova Media, based in Kuala Lumpur, and comprises of 5 x 22-minute episodes, with English language narration and subtitles.
From their international offices in North America, Asia, and Europe, 108 Media have now begun sales on the series.