Radar MCN's "Circus Town" digital title will adapted by WTFN as documental series

WTFN's Digital division Radar MCN has partnered with Spiegelworld in the US, one of the world’s leading trailblazers of contemporary circus, to create a new weekly long-form (15-20 mins) digital series called "Circus Town", which launches on dedicated Circus Town YouTube and Facebook channels this week, with more such managed channels to follow.

Meanwhile, Group business WTFN Entertainment has gone into production on a six-part observational documentary TV series with the same name, due for delivery at the end of 2023. Fred Media, also part of the WTFN Group, is currently exploring pre-sales opportunities for the TV series and will officially launch "Circus Town" to the international broadcast market at MIPCOM in October.

Spiegelworld bought the small California town in January 2023 and set about turning it into a real-life Circus Town, becoming not only a base for the company’s operations but also a place where Spiegelworld artists and performers could live, create, and undertake unfettered artistic experimentation. Both the digital and TV series will follow a range of characters and film in the town, on the Las Vegas ‘Strip’ and in Atlantic City.

Derek Dyson, Radar MCN’s General Manager comments: “Launching a successful digital channel relies on a few key elements. A popular niche, access to content you can’t find anywhere else and genuinely entertaining stories. The partnership with Spiegelworld delivers this in spades. In purchasing an entire town, Ross and his team have created a wonderful ‘Schitt’s Creek’ scenario that combines with the circus shows to provide an endless, rich seam of fantastic stories and stand-out characters. We are producing high-quality, non-scripted, long-form content with people who are passionate about what they're doing and, as it promises everything from death-defying acts to day-to-day relationships, the high stakes, high drama and high emotions involved are sure to generate a huge following.”

Dyson continues: “Through managed digital channels and a TV series, 'Circus Town' will provide another great example of our Total Distribution strategy and IP optimization. It also leans into the creative capabilities that set Radar apart in the MCN space. We are not just hoovering up rights. Following extensive research to fully identify the audience and opportunity, we are creating digital-first, story-led bespoke content with a broad reach. And for everyone involved, it’s also cost effective and low risk.”

Spiegelworld’s Impresario Extraordinaire Ross Mollison adds: “We are really excited to be partnering with Radar MCN and WTFN to launch 'Circus Town'. The community of people who work in circus and who love watching circus entertainment is global. So, starting with the digital series, we can bring international audiences into our unique and curious world on a weekly basis, allowing them to follow our life in the town, backstage and through startling performances as we continue to push the boundaries of contemporary circus experiences.”