France’s Kabo flexes new distribution arm

A French production group is launching an international sales division.

Kabo International will be the international TV distribution arm of Kabo Family, which is behind sitcom format Our Crazy Family.

“For a while now we have been getting calls enquiring about our formats, so the launch of an international distribution arm makes sense and aligns perfectly with our business strategy,” said Kabo Family’s co-president Christian Baumard.

Distribution veteran Arabelle Pouliot-Di Crescenzo will run Kabo International as managing director in partnership with Baumard and Kabo Family co-president Alain Kappauf.

Pouliot-Di Crescenzo, Zodiak Entertainment (aka Zodiak Media)’s former head of acquisitions and sales for the US and Canada, joins from her own firm, APDC & SR Media Consultants LLC, a format distribution company specialising in brand management and roll-out of scripted comedy, dating, factual and variety formats. She also consulted for A&E and Oxygen Media among others.

“Arabelle was the perfect candidate to create this partnership with, as her expertise and solid reputation in the formats sector spans 17 years, and as such, we very much look forward to bringing the Kabo International formats to new audiences worldwide,” said Baumard.

“I have been working in the formats business for quite a while now, and over the past several years I have been tracking Kabo’s success in the formats production sector,” added Pouliot-Di Crescenzo.

“The opportunity to join forces and launch their distribution division ties in perfectly with my own mission to bring high-quality programmes to a global audience.”

Kabo’s key format, Our Crazy Family, is currently in its fourth season on M6 in France. It is based on comedy sketch show format Pick’n Mix.

The nine-year-old company employs around 150 staff across theatre production arm Kabotine, Kabo Films, feature film development unit Senorita Films, short-form comedy producer Noon, primetime fiction label Thalie Images, publishing division Kabo Edition, and film and TV drama development business Solo ‘N Co.