News round-up: ‘The Rookie: Feds’ goes global; Ed TV Fest names advisory chair; Espresso shops Moscow gold doc to RTVE

The Rookie: Feds

‘The Rookie: Feds’ goes global

The Rookie: Feds, the ABC crime drama spin-off from The Rookie, has been licensed to more than 110 territories, including Sky in the UK, Seven Network in Australia and M-Net in Africa, following deals with distributor Entertainment One (eOne).

The show, which launched on ABC in September, is also now available via Yes DBS in Israel, TVNZ in New Zealand, Talpa in the Netherlands, WOWOW in Japan, TV2 in Norway, Siminn in Iceland and SBS in Belgium.

The Rookie: Feds stars Nash-Betts as Simone Clark, the oldest rookie in the FBI. Clark is a force of nature, the living embodiment of a dream deferred – and she works together with her new colleagues at the Bureau to bring down the country’s toughest criminals.

“We’re delighted with the tremendous response we’ve received in expanding The Rookie franchise with our newest instalment The Rookie: Feds,” said Stuart Baxter, president, of international distribution at eOne.

Kiran Nataraja

Ed TV Fest names advisory chair

The Edinburgh TV Festival has named Kiran Nataraja, Channel 4’s director of content strategy and planning at Channel 4, as the 2023 advisory chair.

Nataraja’s chosen theme for the 2023 Festival is the passion and power in TV with a particular focus on TV for all.

She said: “I want people to remember why they are working in TV and for colleagues to feel energised, excited and confident about their valuable position in its ecosystem. People should feel they have the ability to shape the direction of the industry, no matter what their role is or what their background is – and the ability to make programmes with lasting impact and influence.”

Espresso shops Moscow gold doc to RTVE

Espresso Media International has acquired worldwide distribution rights to current affairs documentary Moscow’s Dirty Gold Rush (1 x 56-minutes) and struck a deal with Spain’s RTVE for the title.

The documentary, which will air on RTVE on 11 February, explores the inner workings of the relationship between Russia and organisations operating in the UAE and the illicit mining, smuggling and laundering of gold.

“As we approach the one year anniversary of the Russian invasion, it seems a particularly poignant time to release Moscow’s Dirty Gold Rush,” said Jess Reilly, Espresso’s head of sales and acquisitions. “It’s important to reflect and be aware of the tragic consequences of war, and Moscow’s Dirty Gold Rush is a deep dive investigation into an area many will not be aware of.”

Pluto TV Canada launches Fuse FAST channels

Fuse Media has secured carriage for two of its FAST channels – OUTtv Proud and Shades of Black – on Pluto TV Canada. 

Shades of Black – a partnership between Cinedigm, Quincy Newell’s TwentyOne14 Media and Fuse Media – celebrates Black culture through a collection of studio and independent films, scripted and reality series, documentaries, and specials that authentically represent global Black culture.

OUTtv Proud includes a collection of original series from LGBTQ+ network and streaming service OUTtv, including documentaries, films and specials for global queer audiences, which will launch with more than 400 hours of content.

“The response to Fuse Media’s FAST channels from distributors around the globe has been tremendous,” said Fuse Media chairman & CEO, Miguel Roggero. “Shades of Black continues to connect with viewers, surpassing one billion minutes watched in 2022; and we are excited to grow the audience for our newest offering, OUTtv Proud.”