Rainmaker Content, the international distributor specialising in drama, factual and special event programming, confirms new sales to Asia, including the multi-award-winning comedy Staged, action-drama Professionals and new licensees for the Emmy® Awards 2021.

The Emmy® Awards 2021 has been sold to CATCHPLAY+, the largest pay OTT in Indonesia for Indonesia and Taiwan; U-Next Co., Ltd in Japan and Mediacorp for Singapore.

In addition, Rainmaker Content has secured new sales for all episodes of Staged to Star Channel Japan, and renewals on the series with Huanxi Media Group for China. The critically acclaimed series has already been sold to Canal+ France, DirecTV Latin America, BBC UKTV New Zealand, HOT Israel, Canal+ Poland, Russian Report, Hulu USA, ABC Australia and UK’s BritBox.

Action-adventure series Professionals, starring Tom Welling and Brendan Fraser, has been acquired by Disney Networks Group Asia Pacific Limited.

Karen Wise, Head of Sales at Rainmaker Content comments, “Asia is an extremely competitive marketplace and we are very pleased to have secured these sales to a number of broadcasters and platforms across the region. Rainmaker has set out to build a portfolio of drama and factual series that has global appeal and these sales confirm the benefit of our strategy.”

In recognition of excellence and outstanding contribution to the television industry, the Emmy® Awards bestow the US television industry’s highest honours for primetime and late-night programming, with awards presented in 26 categories. Telecast live from Los Angeles, the spectacular Emmy Awards is one of the year’s most exciting and prestigious television events, offering a star-studded evening of glamour that features a host of internationally renowned talent and attracts millions of viewers around the globe. The awards are available via live satellite feed and/or HD File or tape delivery. Dates for the 2021 event are to be released soon.

The critically acclaimed series Staged, written and directed by Simon Evans, stars David Tennant (Good Omens, Doctor Who) and Michael Sheen (Good Omens, Masters of Sex) and received rave reviews following transmission in the UK. Absurd and humorous in equal measure both series also star Georgia Tennant, Anna Lundberg and Lucy Eaton as well as eminent surprise guest stars. The cream of the crop of acting talent are furloughed when their upcoming production is suddenly brought to a halt. The series follows the cast as they try their best to keep the rehearsals on track in lockdown.

Professionals, set against a backdrop of international espionage and corporate sabotage in the 21st century’s privately funded space race, stars Welling as hardened former counterintelligence officer, Captain Vincent Corbo. After their advanced medical satellite explodes on deployment, billionaire futurist Peter Swann (Brendan Fraser) and his fiancée, medical visionary Dr. Graciela “Grace” Davila (Elena Anaya), turn to Corbo, who assembles a team of experienced professionals to investigate the incident. They learn that a combination of Swann’s business rivals, corrupt government officials, and a shadowy crime syndicate could be behind the attack and represent a continued threat. Ken Duken plays a Europol agent seeking to thwart the security team’s efforts.