Topical shows buoy AETN International sales

MIPTV: US distributor AETN International has chalked up multiple worldwide sales for its new factual slate containing several topical shows.

AETN International’s Ian Jones, MD of international content distribution and commercial development, said that MipTV has been a very strong market for the US distributor, with topical programmes such as Royal Wedding of a Lifetime and Charlie Sheen: Bad Boy on the Edge, having sparked particular interest.

Timed ahead of this month’s royal wedding in the UK, six-part doc series Royal Wedding of a Lifetime has been sold to multiple broadcasters, including Vivolta in France, TV One in Indonesia, Channel 7 in Thailand, Mediacorp Channel 5 in Singapore and ABS CBN in Philippines.

Elsewhere, Denmark’s DR and Sweden’s Kanal 5 have picked up Charlie Sheen: Bad Boy on the Edge, while Kanal 5 has also taken BIO Remembers Elizabeth Taylor, along with Mediacorp Channel 5 in Singapore and Hong Kong’s TVB. India’s Zee and MTV Sweden have picked up Criss Angel Mindfreak.

Meanwhile, Club TV in Poland has acquired a package of 20 episodes from the AETNs Biography strand.

AETN International is Cannes this week with an expanded sales team and a slate of over 400 new hours of programming.