Cirkus drives off with BBC1 drama

UK-based VoD firm Cirkus has acquired exclusive subscription on-demand rights to BBC1 drama The Driver for the Nordic territories.

The deal sees Cirkus take streaming rights for Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark, following the three-part drama’s debut in the UK.

The Driver follows the life of Vince McKee, played by David Morrissey, whose life is turned upside down when he agrees to be the driver for a criminal gang.

The acquisition is part of a programme supply deal with Content Television, a division of Content Media, that means dramas such as Line of Duty (BBC), The Bletchley Circle (ITV), The Great Train Robbery (BBC) and Amber (RTE) will also be added to Cirkus’s portfolio.

Cirkus, operated by Content and Co, is run by veteran TV exec Mark Bradford, and Hugh Williams, who recently stepped down as TalkTalk’s content acquisition manager to concentrate on the service.

The firm struck agreements with pay TV platform ComHem and Nordic DTT platform Boxer in Sweden last December and telecommunications giant TeliaSonera in Sweden and Finland last month.

It plans to expand into other Scandinavian countries before the end of this year and has long-term supply deals with ITV, All3Media, Endemol and BBC Worldwide.

In March, UK broadcaster ITV took a minority stake in the company.

Morrissey recently joined forces with three decorated producers to launch his own UK-based indie.