Sky Arts joins the circus

Sky Arts in the UK is the latest broadcaster to pick up a two-hour documentary about a Los Angeles circus from start-up distributor Mance Media.

Cirque Berzerk has previously sold to CCTV in China and Czech pubcaster Česká Televize and has now been picked up by the BSkyB-owned cultural channel in the UK.

The deal is part of 100 hours of programming sold by LA-based Mance Media following last month’s Mipcom in Cannes. Other sales included Telemedia TV in Georgia and Doruk Film in Turkey taking travelogue Bikini Destinations and exercise series Fit Nation selling to Ananey Communications in Israel and Antena TV in Romania.

Other recent deals for Mance include extreme sports film I Believe I Can Fly (Flight of the Frenchies) going to Sony Pictures Television’s AXN Channel for Eastern Europe, Germany and Austria, as well as Outside Television in the US. Red Bull Media House also acquired all linear and non-linear TV rights for German-speaking Europe.

Regarding Mipcom, Mance CEO Matthew Mancinelli said: “We were especially gratified because traditionally our type of programming, which consists of non-scripted programming, does better during the spring market when Mipdoc attracts all the reality and documentary buyers.”