Global nets dive into Blue Planet II

Blue Planet II is due later this year

BBC Earth in Canada, Australia’s Channel Nine and TVNZ in New Zealand are among the broadcasters to have picked up forthcoming blue-chip natural history series Blue Planet II from BBC Worldwide.

The 7×60’ show, which looks at the earth’s underwater worlds and is a follow-up to 2001’s global hit Blue Planet, has now been sold to 30 countries ahead of its international premiere at Mipcom.

The Sir David Attenborough-presented series has also been licensed to Dutch pubcaster NPO, Telefonica’s BBC Earth block in Spain, RTP in Portugal, Estonia’s ETV and Lithuanian pubcaster LRT.

The new deals follow wide-reaching international sales to Denmark and Sweden earlier this year. Discovery Channel in Latin America has also acquired the show, as have coproduction partners BBC America, Germany’s WDR and France Télévisions.

Sony Pictures Networks and BBCWW joint venture Sony BBC Earth in India and BBC Earth channels across Africa, Nordics, Asia and CEE will also premiere the series.

“Blue Planet II is shaping up to be another big international hit, hot on the heels of the hugely successful Planet Earth II, said Paul Dempsey, BBCWW’s president of global markets.

“The BBC Studios Natural History Unit are in a league of their own when it comes to producing global event TV, with this new series being epic in scale, ambition and dedication.”