27 Feb 2023
UK factual powerhouse Zinc Media Group has confirmed a Distribution Partnership Agreement with global content company BBC Studios, to help continue the Group's international growth.
Under the terms of the new three-year agreement, BBC Studios will continue to operate as Zinc’s first-look distributor for all of its London and Manchester labels, including, for the first time, new labels Red Sauce, Rex, Supercollider and the recently-launched Atomic Television.
Tanya Shaw, Managing Director, Zinc Television, says: “Our catalogue, across all of Zinc Television’s labels, straddles the full spectrum of Factual. It has always enjoyed international success with its appeal to audiences from across the world. We are delighted to be continuing with BBC Studios as partners to help bring our content to these audiences and with a new roster of labels already enjoying domestic success, are excited to share their work with the international market.”
The BBC Studios slate already includes a whole host of programmes from Brook Lapping, which have enjoyed recent success, such as its BBC One film Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me; the Emmy-nominated ITV feature doc 9/11: Life Under Attack and the two-part series Afghanistan: Getting Out for BBC Two. The three-part series Putin and the West, which launched on January 30th on BBC Two, continues the label's success as the go-to production company for in-depth series exploring the most important events in modern history.
BBC Studios will have a first look on future programming from Zinc’s other labels such as Rex, which launched last year; Manchester-based Red Sauce; and Supercollider. Rex enjoyed recent success with its first commission, four orders from Channel 5 of its feature-length documentaries Naughty Tories. Meanwhile, also last year Red Sauce secured the largest volume deal ever received by a Zinc Media label with Channel 5’s commission of 54 hours of the label’s Bargain Loving Brits strand and Supercollider made bold, innovative films for Red Bull. The deal also covers the recently-launched, Bristol-based, Atomic Television. Spearheaded by premium factual exec Stephen McQuillan, the new label will target premium specialist factual content within the genres of history, science, adventure and documentary.
Suzanne McKenna, Director of Unscripted Indies, BBC Studios adds: “Zinc Media produces a broad range of bold factual content that complements BBC Studios Productions existing factual slate and we’re delighted to be continuing our relationship with them and bringing their content to global audiences through our renewed first look distribution deal”.
BBC Studios is the biggest distributor outside of Hollywood and Bollywood and its expert sales team use a range of funding models, based on the needs of the content, to partner with customers to bring shows to international audiences. The Global Distribution team is led by CEO Rebecca Glashow.
Zinc Media’s titles distributed by BBC Studios are available to international customers at BBC Studios Showcase taking place in London from 27-28 February 2023.