A+E Global Media takes on international distribution of long-running unscripted show Cops

A+E Global Media has struck an international distribution deal with the producer of Cops for more than 1,200 episodes of the long-running US observational docuseries and its numerous spin-offs.

Morgan Langley

The deal covers international distribution of Langley Productions content, including 848 hours of series such as Cops, Cops Reloaded, Cops en Español, Jail, Jail en Español and Vegas Strip.

Langley Productions was set up by the late John Langley, creator and executive producer of Cops, which was first commissioned in 1989 and led to Langley being dubbed the ‘godfather of reality TV.’

Cops follows police officers, constables and sheriffs’ deputies during patrols and various police activity by embedding camera crews with their units.

Filmed across the US, it sees police chasing down and apprehending suspects, kicking in front doors and arresting people, often pursuing suspects in high-speed chases.

The show ran for more than 30 seasons on US broadcast network Fox until 2013, before moving to Spike and then Paramount.

Cops was dropped by the latter in 2020 in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and subsequent protests against police brutality, having faced growing criticism over the years, with detractors arguing that it glorified police aggression.

The show continued to shoot for its international and overseas partners before being picked up by Fox Nation in late 2021. Filming for the upcoming 38th season of Cops began earlier this year, making it the longest-running primetime unscripted show in its genre.

Rocket Rights, the UK-based distributor founded by David and Matthew Frank, previously held the worldwide rights to Cops, following a deal agreed in early 2021.

Steve MacDonald, president of global content licensing and international at A+E Global Media, said: “With the strength of our global distribution network and A+E’s legacy as an industry leader in crime and investigation, we’re confident this partnership will expand the reach of the Langley brand and reinforce our best-in-class position in the genre.”

Langley Productions president Morgan Langley added: “A+E Global Media have created a phenomenal global distribution infrastructure, including FAST and AVoD mediums where our shows continue to dominate.”