TVF International has announced a wave of international sales for true crime titles, signaling their expansion into the Crime and Investigation genre. The company has closed a raft of deals for true crime and investigation series, including "The Negotiators" (8 x 48) from Peddling Pictures. This series uses eyewitness testimony and dramatic reconstructions to take viewers inside the world’s toughest and most dangerous job: hostage negotiation. National Geographic in the USA, Canal+ in France, RTBF in Belgium, CCII Taiwan, SIC in Portugal, RDF Entertainment in Poland, and DoxTV are among those who have licensed the award-winning series, which was commissioned by the Singapore-based factual platform, CNA. Next, let’s take a brief look at the remaining agreements
Canal+ Poland has acquired a package of crime programming from the distributor, scheduling titles including "Satanic Panic: The Peter Ellis Story" (8 x 25) from Newsroom New Zealand. This series investigates the wrongful accusations of satanic ritual, infanticide, and cannibalism that rocked New Zealand in the 1990s. The broadcaster also licensed "The Bowraville Murders" (1 x 80) from Mint Pictures, an SBS-commissioned series that examines systemic racism towards Australia’s Indigenous population through the lens of its worst unsolved murder case.
For its French stream, Canal+ licensed three titles commissioned by CNA. From Make Waves Productions, the broadcaster took "Catching a Serial Killer: Death & Injustice" in Korea (2 x 48), which investigates South Korea’s first-ever serial killer, and "In Search of the Frogboys" (2 x 48), about the mysterious disappearance of five children in South Korea. From Storyteller Films, Canal+ also acquired "Crime Science" (3 x 48), a forensic docuseries exploring cutting-edge tech’s ability to solve crimes. Canal+ France additionally licensed "Hacked: The Bangladesh Bank Heist" (1 x 48), following the trail of an $81 million dollar heist from Dhaka to Manila to New York.
Czech-based CS Film also acquired a package of crime titles, including Investigation Discovery’s "My Brother the Serial Killer" (1 x 52), about America’s notorious cross-country serial killer Glen Rogers, who claims to have killed over 70 people and whose death row execution is approaching.
Elsewhere in Europe, Belgian public broadcaster RTBF licensed "The Big Boss: A 21st Century Criminal" (2 x 48) from Mediacorp, profiling former cartel boss Paul LeRoux, and "The Bitcoin Kid: A Crypto Heist" (1 x 48) from Veracity Productions, exploring the largest cryptocurrency heist in history. Movistar Plus+ in Spain licensed the Hulu documentary "The Reckoning: Hollywood’s Worst Kept Secret" (1 x 78), revealing systemic sexual abuse and misconduct in Hollywood.
In the Middle East, Al Jazeera’s Documentary channel has acquired three titles from CNA’s award-winning series "Undercover Asia", including Inside "Indonesia’s Football Ultras" (1 x 48), about the Kanjuruhan Football Stadium disaster that killed 135 people, and "Tainted Medicine Scandal" (1 x 48), which investigates the deaths of over 300 children related to toxic cough syrup. The broadcaster also licensed Inside the "Exotic Butterfly Trade" (1 x 48), which follows exotic butterflies as they pass illegally through changing hands, from hunters and dealers to collectors.
Poppy McAlister, Head of TVF International placed these agreements within the overall strategy: "Navigating the growing appetite for true crime narratives and the increasing demand for immersive docudramas has been a key focus for most factual distributors over the last year. TVF is proud to be at the forefront of delivering premium crime and investigation documentaries to audiences around the globe. From award-winning and compelling docudramas like 'The Negotiators' to sensitive investigations like 'Satanic Panic: The Peter Ellis Story' and 'The Bowraville Murders', our documentaries resonate with audiences, transcending borders and cultures. We look forward to building on our crime and investigation offering at MIPCOM and continuing to deliver high-quality and thought-provoking unscripted programming to broadcasters around the globe," he commented.