Latest news from UCM participants: Zodiak Rights licensed feature Usain Bolt: The Fastest Man Alive doc to international broadcasters. ITV acquired Norwegian prodco Mediacircus

Last week British distributor Zodiak Rights (participant of the Ukrainian Content Market, seller that booked suite #361) announced that many major international broadcasters would feature the exclusive documentary Usain Bolt: The Fastest Man Alive. The documentary is an exclusive behind the scenes look at the Jamaican champion as he prepares to make history at the 2012 Olympic Games.

The 60-minute film produced by Elephant Doc and Leiblang Productions for France 2 has been sold to a number of territories. Zodiak Rights has recently secured deals in: Sweden (SVT); Finland (Nelonen Media); Denmark (TV2); Belgium and Luxembourg (RTBF & VRT); Switzerland (RTS); Portugal (RTP); Italy (Discovery; Sky Italia); Greece (ERT); Poland (ITI Neovision); Turkey (TRT); Israel (Noga); Brazil (Globosat); Australia (SBS); Japan (NHK); South Korea (CJ E&M) as well as several airline companies (in Qatar and UK).

The hour-long portrait of Usain Bolt, directed by French filmmaker Gaël Leiblang already transmitted on BBC One in the UK, with excellent results. Broadcast on Monday, July 16th in primetime, the documentary garnered an average 2.2 million viewers, a solid 26% increase against the slot average over the previous two weeks. 

British ITV Studios Global Entertainment (participant of the Ukrainian Content Market, seller that booked suite #234) has acquired Norwegian production company Mediacircus and formed a development and production partnership with Israeli broadcaster Reshet as part of the British commercial broadcaster’s plan to expand its international content business.

Founded in 2006 by Eldar Nakken and Jon Sverre Hoiden in 2006, Bergen-and-Oslo-based Mediacircus will become part of ITV Studios Nordic, which produces entertainment, factual and documentary programs in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The company currently has seven shows in production, including the ITV Studios format Come Date with Me.

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