ORF drama, factual goes global

MIPCOM: FTV Prima in the Czech Republic and German OTT platform Pantaflix are among an array of buyers to have picked up scripted and factual programming from the commercial arm of Austrian pubcaster ORF.

FTV has acquired a package of 11 standalone movies from ORF’s Backwoods Crimes strand and four movies from its Scene of the Crime franchise, which has also been picked up by Discovery in Italy for its Giallo network.

Pantaflix, meanwhile, has bought Austrian crime series K-Files as well as selected episodes from the series Fast Forward, while Al Jazeera Documentary Channel has closed a multi-hour documentary package.

Al Jazeera’s bundle features wildlife and nature productions including the 4K three-parter Wild Caribbean – Rhythms of Life and Highlife at Low Temperatures.

Elsewhere, Knowledge Network in Canada, Italy’s Rai and RSI in Switzerland have acquired Sky River of the Himalayas from ORF natural history arm ORF Universum.

Other deals have seen TRT in Turkey acquiring wildlife and nature documentaries including Lionsrock – Return of the King; broadcaster Russia-K taking a documentary and history package including Stars & Stripes; and Sky Network Television in New Zealand buying musical show International Baroque Days.