DCD Rights expands Acquisition Team following International factual sales and acquisitions

17 September 2013


Ahead of MIPCOM, international distributor DCD Rights announces worldwide factual programmes sales. Animism: People Who Love Objects (1×60’/1×90’/Real to Reel Productions), about emerging sexual orientation Objectum-Sexuality was acquired by Discovery Communications (UK, Eire, Netherlands), Logo Networks (USA), ABC (Australia), Nippon Television, and Yes Satellite (Israel).

Current affairs specials The Alps Murders (1×60’ /Rize USA) went to Foxtel (Australia),and Metal Thieves (1×60’/Prospect) was sold to TV2 (Denmark) and VMMA (Belgium). 4-part series Confessions Of A Wedding Planner (4×60’/Rize USA), about multi cultural weddings in Britain, went to SBS (Netherlands) and ABC (Australia).

New factual acquisitions to launch at MIPCOM cover compelling subjects including two landmark BBC documentary series from producer Matchlight: Women & Art (3×60’) in which Prof. Amanda Vickery explores the role of women in western art; and Medieval Lives: Birth, Marriage, Death (3×60’) in which Dr. Helen Castor examines the private lives of medieval Britain.

A third season of TLC’s I Found the Gown (26×30’/TLC), the successful bride-themed series acquired in 2012 through DCD Rights’ investment fund. The first two series received significant ratings in the US, and this re-commission makes it a strong ongoing brand for DCD Rights; Coast Guard Pacific North West (13×60’/Al Roker Entertainment for the Weather Channel) from the successful Coast Guard franchise, previously including Coast Guard Alaska, Coast Guard Florida, also proving a valuable brand investment.

Finally, Secrets Of Life In The Wild (3×60’/Spring Films), a spectacular HD series for Readers Digest featuring some of the most astonishing wildlife footage ever recorded thanks to extraordinary technology advances in wildlife film-making.

To sustain this surge in factual acquisitions, DCD Rights has promoted Senior Sales executive Michael Jackson to Senior Sales and Acquisitions Executive to build on his expertise specifically in UK Factual and World Formats acquisition, as well as music and event programming.

Michael will work with Head of Acquisitions Pilar Perez to continue to grow acquisitions, utilising the Timeweave fund announced in October 2012. Before joining DCD Rights in 2011, Michael handled acquisitions at Zodiak Rights, and sales and acquisitions at Zeal Entertainment.

Nicky Davies Williams, CEO, DCD Rights, said: “This appointment is intended to tap into Michael’s extensive address book of UK producers, allowing Pilar Perez more time to concentrate on building on our current drama relationships and investing in new scripted content from the earliest stages of development to production finance.”

DCD Rights attends MIPCOM on stand RSV.30, 7-10 October