(New York, NY) January 12, 2024 – International studio and rights business Blue Ant Studios announced the expansion of its global rights team with the appointment of Marine Ksadzhikyan to the newly-created role of VP, Content Sales. The appointment coincides with Blue Ant Studios’ upward trajectory of sales in the U.S.
Based in Los Angeles, Marine reports to Bryan Gabourie, SVP International Sales and Partnerships where she will be focused on identifying further growth opportunities across all platforms in the US. Leveraging Blue Ant Studio’s diverse and growing catalogue of over 7000 premium hours of content, Marine’s remit will include securing a wide range of partnership models with key players across both owned series and premium third-party programming. With over 20 years of experience in the licensing and distribution business, Marine’s previous roles include EVP, Sales at Rive Gauche Television and Director of International Sales at GRB Entertainment. She was also an International Sales Consultant for Rocket Rights, out of the UK. Marine will be attending NATPE Global next week in Miami.
Today, the business also unveiled a raft of international pre-sales, co-productions, premium US premieres and licensing packages to bring to partners, including a slate of history programs to BBC Select with titles Bettany Hughes; Grand Tour: From Paris To Rome (4 x 60’) from Sandstone Global, Who Sank The Titanic (1 x 90’) from Pioneer Productions & Handel Productions and Curse Of The Ancients (5 x 60’) from Barcroft Studios; A+E Networks will co-commission the fourth season of Lakefront Luxury (20 x 30’) from Nikki Ray Media; and QVC+ picked up a block of 52 episodes of culinary programming featuring celebrity chef David Rocco. Additionally, the company has made sales to multi-platform partners such as Aeroverse Media, EarthX Media, Curiosity Inc., True Royalty TV and Buddi SVOD.
“Marine’s vast knowledge, robust experience and deep relationships with US and Global Partners will play a critical role in the continued growth of Blue Ant in the US market,” says Bryan Gabourie, SVP, International Sales and Partnerships, Blue Ant Studios. “Her appointment expands our advantage in the territory considerably and will further increase our momentum coming out of a strong 2023 built upon a diverse array of new partnerships and continued collaboration with key platforms.”
“Blue Ant Studios is recognized for its remarkable content creation process, its commitment to the producers they collaborate with and its innovative approach to fulfilling their partners’ content requirements,” says Marine Ksadzhikyan, VP Content Sales, Blue Ant Studios. “I am thrilled to join this exceptional team and continue to meet the growing demand for Blue Ant’s content.”
US sales deals being announced today:
A+E Networks
Blue Ant Media and A+E Networks continue their relationship, co-producing original episodes for the fourth season of the popular real-estate series Lakefront Luxury, which airs as part of A&E’s Home.Made.Nation block. The series follows buyers attempting to find their ultimate luxury escape from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind with stunning views, gorgeous waterfronts and serene sunsets.
FUSE
The pay TV channel that celebrates and amplifies fresh, young voices has licensed the US rights to Bollywed (10 x 30’; HeartHat Entertainment), a heartwarming docuseries centred around the Singh Family, who have been operating iconic bridal shop, Chandan Fashion, in Toronto’s Little India for the past 37 years.
BBC Select
BBC Select, the BBC Studios owned and operated ad-free subscription service available in the U.S. and Canada, licensed a number of history documentaries, including Bettany Hughes’ Grand Tour: From Paris To Rome (4 x 60’; Sandstone Global) which follows Hughes on the journey of a lifetime through France and Italy to understand how travel, art and culture can enrich our lives; Brunel: Building A Great Britain (1 x 120’; ITN Productions) tells the story of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a British civil engineer whose legacy has come into question; In Curse Of The Ancients (5 x 60’; Barcroft Studios), historian Alice Roberts goes back in time to decipher how civilization survived turbulent and destructive events; and Who Sank The Titanic (1 x 90’; Pioneer Productions & Handel Productions) uncovers new details and uses CGI to help determine how and why the great ship sank.
QVC+
QVC+ acquired a block of culinary programming that follows celebrity chef David Rocco. In David Rocco’s Dolce Homemade (26 x 30’; Rockhead Entertainment), David welcomes viewers into his home kitchen to join friends and family for candid conversations and inspiring recipes. David Rocco’s Dolce Italia (13 x 30’; Rockhead Entertainment) sees David return to his beloved Italy, where he captures how Italians celebrate life with good food, humour, passion and spontaneity. In David Rocco’s Dolce Southeast Asia (13 x30’; Rockhead Entertainment), David learns the traditional dishes of Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
Aeroverse Media
Home of aviation and aerospace programming, streamer Aeroverse will air The Dambusters (3 x 60’; October Films), where historian Dan Snow relives the nail-biting countdown to the most daring and ingenious bombing raids in history; Silver Spitfire: The Longest Flight (1 x 60’|1 x 90′ Red Bull Originals & Stamp Productions) follows pilot Matt Jones and his team as they make the incredible journey around the world in a World War II era Spitfire plane; and Warbird Workshop (4 x 60’; Air TV) follows iconic aircraft and helicopters through restoration and into the air while learning their fascinating histories.
EarthX Media
Earth X Media, the global TV network that promotes the environment and sustainability, licensed Hope for Wildlife (36 x 60’ and 26 x 30’; Seasons 4,5,8 and 9; Arcadia Entertainment), the natural history docuseries that follows Hope Swinimer, her staff and volunteers who rescue, rehabilitate and release thousands of animals each year. Australia on Fire: Climate Emergency (1 x 60’; ITN Entertainment), the dramatic and terrifying story of the battle to save Australia from the bushfires ravaging the country; and Secrets of the Mega Landfill (1 x 60’; Icon Films), which follow waste after trucks have dropped their loads at one of the largest landfill sites in the U.S.
Curiosity Stream
Curiosity Stream picked up JFK: The Final Evidence (2 x 60′ | 1 x 90′ HD; Coleman Television), the documentary that takes a deep dive into the newly declassified documents to test all the theories of who truly wanted the president dead.
True Royalty TV
In a deal that expanded its partnership with True Royalty TV, the streaming service dedicated to documenting the lives of royal families around the world, Blue Ant sold a package of seven titles that all offer a lens into the British royals, providing historical context and cultural significance: Born To Be King (1 x 60’; Touchdown Films), A Grand Royal Design (1 x 60’; B4Films), Andrew & Fergie: Duke and Duchess of Disaster (1 x 60’; ITN Productions), Philip: King Without A Crown (1 x 60’; ITN Productions), Margaret: Rebel Without A Crown (1 x 60’; ITN Productions), and William & Kate: Future King And Queen (1 x 60’; ITN Productions).
Buddi branded SVOD channels
Buddi picked up numerous animal wildlife docuseries in a licensing deal. ER Vets (30 x 30’; Rhino Content) examines the interpersonal stories of veterinary professionals who cope with life and death situations daily; For the Love of Elephants (1 x 60’; Make Believe Media) follows the story of orphaned African elephants and their compassionate keepers at a Wildlife Trust; and Panda Nursery (1 x 60’; NHNZ Worldwide), explores a fantastic partnership between humans and pandas as they raise two tiny twin cubs.
Blue Ant Media is a privately held international production studio and rights business and channel operator. The company’s studio creates and distributes a premium slate of programming in all content genres for streaming and broadcasting platforms around the world. Blue Ant Media also operates free streaming and pay TV channels under several media brands internationally, including Love Nature, Cottage Life, Smithsonian Channel Canada, BBC Earth Canada, HauntTV, Homeful, Drag Race Universe, Total Crime, HistoryTime and Love Pets. Blue Ant Media is headquartered in Toronto, with six international offices in Los Angeles, New York, Singapore, London, Washington and Sydney. blueantmedia.com Twitter⼁Instagram⼁LinkedIn
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