Netflix, Roku, Tubi among latest buyers to shop at Thunderbird Distribution
Fuse Media has acquired comedy series Kim’s Convenience
Streamers Netflix, Roku and Tubi are among the latest buyers to acquire catalogue content from Canada’s Thunderbird Distribution, part of Thunderbird Entertainment.
From Thunderbird’s kids and family slate, Netflix had renewed the US licence for young-adult comedy series Some Assembly Required (57×30’), while Canadian pubcasters TVO and Knowledge Network have picked up season two of Boston broadcaster GBH and Atomic Cartoons’ Molly of Denali (23×30’ & 1x 44’ & 20×3’).
Knowledge Network has also picked up Atomic Cartoons’ animated preschool special Rocket Saves the Day (1×45’), as have PCCW Media in Hong Kong and UYoung’s preschool SVoD platform Ukids in China.
From Thunderbird’s unscripted slate, Tubi and Roku in Canada have acquired 10×90’ instalments of celebrity-focused docuseries I Am…, including the episodes I Am Steve McQueen, I Am Chris Farley and I Am Heath Ledger.
Roku in the US, Canada and the UK has also picked up docufilm Chasing Evel: The Robbie Knievel Story (1×120’), while Fuse Media has licensed season two of pop-culture focused docuseries Celebrity Style Story (40×30’) for its FAST channel Backstage.
Fuse Media has also acquired content from Thunderbird’s scripted slate, taking season one of comedy series Kim’s Convenience (13×30’) for its US linear channel. Also buying scripted is US AVoD platform Fawesome, which has picked up seasons one and two of crime drama Intelligence (26×60’), plus its 1×90’ TV movie.
Meanwhile, Tubi in Canada has bought feature films Slow West, High-Rise, The Riot Club and That Sugar Film, while Pluto TV in Canada has acquired High-Rise and Entanglement, while French-Canadian channel TVA has licensed Up For Love (Un Homme à la Hauteur).
“As we continue to build out Thunderbird Distribution’s operations with third-party titles and our original series like Mermicorno: Starfall, we’re pleased to see a continued interest and demand for our catalogue titles from international linear, streaming, AVoD and FAST platforms,” said Richard Goldsmith, president of global distribution and consumer products.
In related news, Thunderbird has amended its credit agreement with Royal Bank of Canada, allowing the company to borrow up to C$63m (US$46m) for the financing of production, distribution advances for the greenlight of Canadian content, corporate expenses and day-to-day operations, Canadian film and video production services tax credits and capital asset purchases.
