A+E NETWORKS INTERNATIONAL INKS DEAL WITH SBS BELGIUM

A+E Networks International announced that De Vijver Media’s SBS Belgium has picked up the first five seasons of “Live PD: Police Patrol,” a half-hour spin-off of the most watched show on US cable Friday and Saturday nights, “Live PD”. The deal also includes seasons three and four of “Nightwatch,” totaling 51 hours of programming.

The SBS deal comes on the heels of record-breaking success for the “Live PD” franchise in the United States. The most watched series on television for fiscal year 2020 to-date, airing on the company’s domestic channel A&E, “Live PD” follows diverse police departments from across the country in real time as they patrol their communities, while “Police Patrol” adds highlights, additional content and context in a half-hour format. “Nightwatch,” from producer Dick Wolf, follows multiple sets of partners in the New Orleans Emergency Medical Services unit as they fight to save lives on the often grueling night shift.

SBS had already found an audience for A+E’s television movies and other scripted fare prior to the deal, but rarely picked up factual content before approaching A+E to help build a strong lineup on its ZES channel for the rest of the year.

“A+E International is thrilled that SBS will introduce a new audience to our unparalleled catalog of live, factual programming,” said Sarah Hussain, Manager of International Content Sales for A+E Networks. “Series like ‘Live PD: Police Patrol’ and ‘Nightwatch’ resonate with global audiences because their stories of everyday heroism are universal,”  she added.