DISTRIBUTION360’S MIPCOM ACTIVITY PROMISES TO BE A CUT ABOVE PLUS, NEW SEASONS & SALES ACROSS STAND-OUT COMPETITION SERIES
13th October 2022: Distribution360 continues to carve out a name for itself as a ‘go-to’ distributor for exciting and authentic competitions series and formats as it prepares to launch A Cut Above at MIPCOM next week, alongside new seasons of popular series Race Against the Tide, Best in Miniature and Blown Away.
High octane competition A Cut Above (12 x 60 + Format) sees 12 of the world's best chainsaw carvers put to the ultimate test of creativity, strength, and skill, as they turn ordinary logs into extraordinary works of art. In each episode, the carvers race against the clock to compete in two challenges - the Quick Carve and the Master Carve. Sculptor Katharine Dowson and chainsaw carver Ryan Cook decide who out-carved the rest and send one person home. In the finale, where the logs are bigger and the challenge is longer, the final three carvers fire up their chainsaws one last time. Who will be named a cut above the rest? Commissioning broadcasters are Discovery Canada, where it is currently airing, and Discovery US, where it has just launched.
D360 is pleased to be launching a second season of Race Against the Tide (S2 10 x 30 + Format), where world-class sand sculpting teams return to face the highest tides in the world and be put to the ultimate test as they compete against each other, and Mother Nature, to produce extraordinary sculptures before the tide comes crashing in to take their creations back out to sea. They also need to nail the theme, impress the judges and avoid elimination. Ratings on CBC for Season 2 were up significantly on Season 1 which is tremendous news for the format and testament to the series’ popularity with viewers. CBC’s Season 3 commission was announced this week.
Also renewed at CBC for a second season and available at MIPCOM is Best in Miniature (S2 8 x 60 + Format), the series that tasks expert miniaturists with building their dream home in miniature form, creating it room by room in painstaking detail, all at 1:12 scale. Each week, probe lens technology immerses viewers in innovative room ‘walkthroughs’, in a way that makes them feel like they are viewing at full-size, while the remaining miniaturists battle it out until only three remain in the final, where one will be crowned Best in Miniature.
Finally, D360 is launching Blown Away Season 2 (10 x 30), the award-winning original series that broke the mould for skills-based competition programmes when it first launched on Netflix. Week after week, this compelling glass blowing show proves ‘make or break’ as the competitors look to create stunning works of art and beautiful objects out of glass in themed challenges. Season three recently launched to critical acclaim on Netflix and reached top 10 status in all key markets. This third season will be available for license next year.
All four series are produced by marblemedia.
In related news, D360 can announce that broadcast partner A+E Networks EMEA pre-bought A Cut Above for its feeds in UK, Ireland, Benelux, Sweden, Iberia and sub-Saharan Africa and has also licensed the first two seasons of Blown Away (20 x 30), while Mediawan has picked up season one (10 x 30) of Blown Away for French-speaking Belgium, Europe (excluding France) and Africa.
Meanwhile, season one of Best in Miniature (10 x 60) has just been acquired by TV2 Denmark and by discovery+ Brazil, while Reservoir Productions has optioned the format for France.
Diane Rankin, Distribution360’s SVP rights and executive producer comments: “We are excited to be heading into MIPCOM with A Cut Above - another authentic and unique skills-based series packed with high-energy, big characters, and the sort of truly incredible final reveals for which our competition series are fast gaining an enviable reputation. Each of these four series is a stand-out title and with new second seasons now available and recommissions in the pipeline, we are starting to provide useful volume for buyers of finished programmes as well as give a clear signal to buyers and producers of formats, that these titles are definitely ones to watch.”
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About Distribution360:
Distribution360 is a rapidly growing international content business based in London, UK, and Toronto, Canada. D360 is an acknowledged expert in global rights management, with significant experience in content acquisition, pre-sales and co-productions, and finding the best-fit homes for its wide range of kids, factual and digital media content created by award-winning production companies from around the world.
For further information, please contact:
Kelsey Aikman
Director of Marketing & Communications
Kaikman@marblemedia.com