Newen Connect appoints Banijay alum Andrew Sime to new format sales role

MIPCOM: Newen Connect, the distribution arm of the French production group, has named Andrew Sime as head of format sales on the first day of Mipcom in Cannes.

Andrew Sime

Sime will work alongside Newen-owned production companies Tuvalu, De Mensen and Izen and parent broadcaster TF1 to exploit their unscripted formats.

He will be responsible for selling all Newen Connect’s factual entertainment and entertainment formats globally. In addition, he will work with Newen’s sales team to develop a scripted format sales strategy to monetise new and existing IP.

This is a new role reporting to exec VP of distribution Leona Connell.

Prior to this, Sime was VP of formats at Banijay Rights and his previous experience includes roles at Turkey’s Global Agency, Sony and Endemol International.

Connell said: “Andrew’s experience in formats is very extensive, as is his knowledge of the international marketplace. Newen Connect is growing rapidly and we needed someone as experienced as Andrew to work closely with our producers, the programming team at TF1 and our existing sales team.”

In related news, Nordic prodco Mopar Studios has agreed with Newen Connect to distribute two projects from its upcoming slate. The deal covers co-development on Mopar’s 9th Dynasty and The Walls Between Us and grants Newen Studios the right to source coproduction funding as well as exclusive global distribution rights.

The first-look projects are both political thrillers. 9th Dynasty deals with the abuse of supposedly secret data and the destruction it can cause to ordinary lives if misused. The Walls Between Us is a triangular love story set across Europe over the last three decades of the 20th Century.