Foxtel picks up Pistorius doc

Australian channel Foxtel Crime & Investigation has acquired the rights to a factual special about the high-profile trial of South African Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius, who was sentenced to five years in jail yesterday.

Pistorius on Trial (1×60′) was originally made for Investigation Discovery in the US and explores events surrounding the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot by Pistorius on Valentine’s Day 2013, and his subsequent trial.

Two versions of the show have been produced by NBCUniversal’s Peacock Productions, one airing mid-way through the trial and the second immediately after Pistorius was found guilty of culpable homicide but cleared of murdering Steenkamp.

Foxtel now plans to air the doc in November in Australia, where it has acquired exclusive rights for five years. The second version of the show has already aired on BBC3 in the UK, where it was reworked and retitled Oscar Pistorius: The Truth. New Zealand’s TVNZ broadcast the same show last week.

Pistorius on Trial is being sold by London-based distributor Drive, with Investigation Discovery exercising rights to the show in the US and Canada, Africa and Europe, excluding the UK.