Following its world premiere in the UK, Keshet International has completed a further raft of sales for the three-part premium history docuseries it co–developed with SandStone Global.
The producer-distributor has now licensed Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to BBC Select in the US and Canada, YLE in Finland, Ajara TV in Georgia, TVB in Hong Kong, RTRK in Kazakhstan, LSM in Latvia, TVP Telewizja Polska SA in Poland, and Slovak Television & Radio in Slovakia.
These eight new deals follows an initial raft of pre-sales and sales that included 5 in the UK; SBS in Australia; Histoire TV in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Africa; Movistar Plus+ in Spain and Andorra; COSMOTE TV – COSMOTE TELEKOM in Greece and Cyprus; and the Prima Group in the Czech Republic. To date, Keshet International has sold Seven Wonders of the Ancient World in 70 territories, with discussions ongoing with buyers elsewhere.
In Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, accomplished historian and broadcaster Professor Bettany Hughes OBE follows in the footsteps of ancient warriors, pilgrims, emperors and tourists on her epic journey across Greece, Egypt, and Turkey in search of the Seven Wonders. To show why these incredible creations still resonate with us today, this docuseries features state-of-the-art digital reconstructions that allow Bettany to interact with CGI-replicas of these ancient feats of engineering in the very spots where the wonders once stood – including the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
A unique collaboration with Snapchat’s AR Studio Paris enables viewers anywhere in the world to use their phones to scan on-screen QR codes and bring to life each of these digital reconstructions of the Seven Wonders in a virtual, immersive “augmented reality” experience in their own homes. This allows them to ‘explore’ world-famous ancient sites across the Mediterranean and Middle East from their sofas.
Across its series debut last August in the UK, Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was watched by an average of 842,000 viewers on 5, with an average viewing share of 8.9% share (+82% vs the channel’s 2024 average share of 4.9%). Each of the three episodes ranked as either the second or third most-watched show on British TV in its Saturday night slot, increasing viewing to the channel and building viewership while on-air, demonstrating strong audience appeal.
Salome Peillon, Acting MD of Distribution at Keshet International, says “We are thrilled to have boarded eight additional buyers to this fantastic series following its strong debut on 5 in the UK. The way SandStone has incorporated CGI and augmented reality so seamlessly into the fabric of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a real point-of-difference that enables viewers to explore, learn and connect with these famous historic sites from the comfort of their own homes.”
Produced by award-winning British production company SandStone Global, Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was filmed across three continents at locations in Turkey, Greece and Egypt. Produced by Shula Subramaniam, the 3×60’ docuseries is directed by David Lee, with SandStone Global’s Professor Bettany Hughes, Dixi Stewart, and Ruth Sessions executive producing, alongside Nick Catliff, Keshet International’s Kelly Wright.
Other history titles represented by Keshet International include Perpetual Entertainment’s Hitler’s Treasure Hunters, which has now been sold in more than 75 territories, having been greenlit via the company’s Greenlight: Factual & Formats initiative.
