BLUE ANT LOCKS DOWN HAS SOLD "PRISON" TO 82 TERRITORIES

Getting a raw glimpse inside a real UK prison has proved to be a hit with buyers worldwide as Blue Ant International announces the sale of "Prison" (3 x 60’) to nine additional international broadcasters across 82 territories. The broadcast deals roll out on the heels of several wins for "Prison" season one for Best Documentary Series at the Grierson Awards, the Royal Television Society Awards, and the Broadcast Awards. The series also received a 2019 BAFTA nomination for Best Factual Series. The distributor also announces the release of "Prison" (3 x 60’) season two, available for presale for the first time at Content London this December, which gives viewers an inside look at the lives of incarcerated women.

“These new Prison sales for season one exemplify our commitment to bringing high-quality and thought-provoking programmes to buyers and audiences internationally,” says Solange Attwood, EVP, Blue Ant International. “We’re glad to have the chance to sell such a high-calibre series as Prison and we look forward to debuting Spring FIlms’ second season of the franchise for pre-sale this month.”

The new deals see several broadcasters in Europe licensing Prison season one including W9 (M6 Group) (French-speaking Europe), TV2 AS (Norway), RTL (Luxembourg), Polsat Poland, Discovery Networks Italy, and Autentic GMBH (German-speaking Europe). In the Oceania region, both Nine Network Australia and Sky (New Zealand) have bought season one of the series. In North America, Bell Media acquired the season for its French-language services.

This announcement comes after the previously announced sales of the first season to WELTN24 (Germany), TV2 (Norway), VRT (Belgium) RTL (Netherlands) and TV2 (Denmark) in January 2019.

Coming off the success of "Prison", Blue Ant International releases, for the first time, Spring FIlms’ Prison season two. Originally commissioned by Channel 4, this new series deals with female offenders, whose terms range from a few weeks to decades, and the complex and powerful bonds with the officers and the prison itself. Whilst drugs and violence are inherent in the everyday life of the prison, the biggest challenges revolve around children, relationships (both within and outside of the prison), self-harming, and depression. For men, jail can be simply the loss of their liberty and they return home to a house and family cared for by their partner. For women, prison can be the destruction of their family, the loss of their children and their home.