News round-up: Escapade boards ‘Grassroots’; RTL II plays ‘Finder$ Keeper$’; NBCU & Disney strike Lat Am kids deals

Grassroots

Escapade boards ‘Grassroots’

Sydney-based distributor Escapade Media has boarded Storyfirst and Hispter Films’s upcoming six-part drama series Grassroots.

The firm will now serve as an executive producer on the project and has taken Asia Pacific sales rights for the series.

Created by John Godber and written by Elizabeth Godber, Jane Thornton and Nicola Quilter, Grassroots tells the story of women who play the toughest sport on the planet, “with an international spin.” Set in a post Brexit and post Covid world where levelling up is the watch word. In this world, Grassroots will put individual everyday challenges against the collective drive and ambition of a women’s rugby league team.

Natalie Lawley, Escapade Media, said: “This series is so timely and with the incredible creative team behind it, we are very excited to bring this series to market across Asia-Pacific. Storyfirst create premium original scripted content and it is a real privilege to be working with them”

RTL II plays ‘Finder$ Keeper$’

RTL II in Germany has become the first international broadcaster to commission the new family entertainment format Finder$ Keeper$ after its launch on VTM in Belgium earlier this fall.

Bavaria Entertainment will produce the show, which was recently launched by Be-Entertainment at MIPCOM, for a 2023 debut.

The programme debuted last September in primetime on VTM, where a one-off episode to test the format’s search mechanism proved an instant success. After scoring impressive ratings, a full series of hour-long episodes is currently in the works to launch early 2023.

On each episode, a fortunate family gets the chance to win up to €100,000. The cash is hidden in their own home, where all the money they find within 30 minutes is theirs to keep. Although it sounds simple, the creativity of the team of ‘hiders’ knows no limits.

inder$ Keeper$ is based on an idea from the Belgian format collective, Send in the Clowns, and produced by PIT.

NBCU & Disney strike Lat Am kids deals

Broadcasters across Latin America have picked up a range of children’s content, following deals with Jetpack Distribution

NBCUniversal has acquired the pay-TV, SVOD and catch-up rights for season one of Boj, seasons one and two, plus the movie special of Yoko, seasons one and two of Jamie’s Got Tentacles and seasons 1- 3 of Chuggington for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Disney Channels Latin America acquired the exclusive pay-TV/catch up rights for Spookley and the Christmas Kittens and Spookley the Square Pumpkin in Latin America. Moreover, it has acquired non-exclusive rights for the same shows in the Caribbean.

Brazil’s Globoplay has secured the non-exclusive SVOD rights for Spookiz seasons 2 and 3 and Talking Tom & Friends season 3 in Brazil.

Somos TV has taken exclusive pay-TV rights for Chuggington season 2 and season 3 in the US and Puerto Rico, non-exclusive Pay TV rights for Central America, Dominican Republic and Mexico and non-exclusive SVOD and VOD rights in the US, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Central America and Mexico

Canela have acquired the non-exclusive AVOD rights for and Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty and the non-exclusive AVOD and FAST rights for Boj season 1, Clangers seasons 2 and 3, Talking Tom & Friendsseason 3, Yoko season 1 in Latin America, the Caribbean, and USA.