Raft of new APAC deals confirmed ahead of Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF)
(Toronto, Canada – December 3, 2024 & Singapore, Sg – December 4, 2024) Blue Ant Studios, an international production studio and rights business, announced today at the Asia Television Forum & Market (ATF) that Nick Solowski, previously Senior Director, International Sales & Acquisitions, has been promoted to the position of VP, International Sales.
Based in Toronto, Nick, an integral member of both Blue Ant Studios’ APAC and Americas teams, reports jointly to Jon Penn, Managing Director, APAC, Blue Ant Media and Bryan Gabourie, SVP, International Sales & Partnerships, Blue Ant Studios, with a focus on the territories of Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, China and Canada. After nearly eight years with Blue Ant, this elevated role will now see Nick looking to supercharge the company’s business in these markets, broadening the scope of existing content partnerships and cultivating new ones, especially with emerging platforms.
Prior to joining Blue Ant Studios, Nick gained a wealth of experience from distribution sales roles in Canada at Tricon Films & Television, Spafax Canada and Alliance Atlantis MPD.
Jon Penn, Managing Director, APAC, Blue Ant Media, says: “Nick is a valuable and hard-working member of Blue Ant Studios’ distribution team, hugely respected by his peers and industry colleagues. He has a proven track record of securing successful partnerships across our catalogue of finished content, identifying crucial pre-sale deals for many of our key title launches, and consistently working to grow our reach through deploying a variety of creative business models. This promotion is well deserved and I am excited to continue working alongside him in the APAC region to grow our presence and reputation.”
In related news, Blue Ant Studios is delighted to confirm a raft of deals recently secured in Australia and New Zealand.
In Australia, Network Ten has acquired Airborne (4 x 60’, Humble Bee Films), the bluechip, natural history series that has just announced actor Keeley Hawes (Line of Duty, Bodyguard) as its narrator. This tentpole title celebrates the trials and tribulations of those creatures that defy gravity, mastering the air around them in a myriad of exhilarating ways. Channel Nine has acquired the powerful current affairs documentary Trump: A Second Chance? (1 x 60’, October Films), alongside two true crime titles: Body in the Suitcase (2 x 60’, Transistor Films) and season 10 of See No Evil, a groundbreaking series examining how real crimes are solved with the help of surveillance cameras. Channel Nine has also licensed the aspirational reality series Dubai: Buying the Dream (6 x 60’, Angel Eye Media), set in the high-stakes world of Dubai’s luxury property market.
SBS has picked up high-profile recent launches Stormy (1 x 120’, Imagine Documentaries), about the incredible life of Stormy Daniels and Playboy Bunny Murder (2 x 60’, Future Studios & Soho Studios), as well as seasons two and three of the unique history series, Mysteries from Above (20 x 60’, Blue Ant Studios). Meanwhile, SBS Food has acquired Adam Richman Eats Britain (10 x 30, eOne), which follows the American food explorer as he seeks out iconic British culinary treats, Sophie Grigson: Slice of Italy (20 x 30’, Finestripe Productions) and Tom Kerridge: Secrets of the Pub Kitchen (10 x 30’, Bone Soup Productions), a 10-part series that introduces viewers to a high-profile chef, behind the scenes of one of his pubs, as he attempts to achieve a Michelin star.
Further deals down under have been recently concluded with Britbox, for true crime title Murder in the Village: Who Killed the Doctor’s Wife (2 x 60’, Blink Films).
In New Zealand, TVNZ has licensed Charles III: The Coronation Year (2 x 60’, Oxford Film and TV) and World’s Most Luxurious Retirement Homes (1 x 60, ScreenDog Pictures), a fascinating title visiting the ultra-rich in retirement – places with Bugatti stairlifts and Michelin-starred chefs on call. Blue Ant Studios is an international production studio and rights business with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, London, Singapore and Sydney. The company’s diverse production slate spans scripted comedy and drama, unscripted entertainment, formats, high-impact documentaries, live-action kids + family, and animation. The studio is anchored in original storytelling, with award-winning series that include Blown Away (Netflix), Canada’s Drag Race (Crave), the scripted teen comedy series, Davey and Jonesie’s Locker (Hulu and Prime Video), Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies (Peacock), Drink Masters (Netflix), Race Against the Tide (CBC), The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks (Prime Video), 9/11 Kids (CBC), See No Evil (Investigation Discovery US), and the adult-animated series, Gary and His Demons (Prime Video, Amazon Freevee). The company’s recent feature-length documentary, Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe (Prime Video), was awarded the Toronto International Film Festival’s People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary in 2023. Blue Ant Studios’ distribution arm has a vast catalogue of over 7,000 hours of premium programming from the studio and third-party, top-tier producers around the world. Blue Ant Studios is a subsidiary of the global media company, Blue Ant Media. blueantmedia.com⼁Instagram⼁LinkedIn⼁X⼁