Fred Media recruits Aussie Rules reality

WTFN Entertainment’s Fred Media has acquired worldwide sales rights to an Australian sports reality show commissioned by pay TV platform Foxtel.

The Recruit ran for two seasons on Fox 8

Each season of The Recruit follows 15 young Australian Rules footballers whose hopes of playing at the elite level were previously dashed when they were overlooked in the national draft.

The players go through rigorous training routines as they compete for the prize: a contract with one of the Australian Football League’s 18  top-tier clubs.

Cricket legend Shane Warne and former Olympians Ian Thorpe and Cathy Freeman make cameo appearances.

Produced by McGuire Media’s Jam TV, the show ran for two seasons on Fox 8 and ranked as the number one entertainment programme on pay TV for 10 weeks.

Fred Media will launch the show next week at the Sported Miami content market. “Even if you haven’t seen a game of Australian Rules football the true value of this series lies in the characters and their inspirational stories,” said Michael Aldrich, Fred Media’s general manager.