NTV channel (part of Gazprom-Media Holding) has signed agreements with the world's leading content distributors and broadcasters about giving them rights to show the channel’s series in Western and Eastern Europe, South Asia and the CIS countries.
One of the leading European distribution companies Lagardere Distribution, India’s independent provider of foreign content GoQuest Media Ventures, the international distributor Arait Multimedia, and the largest Bulgarian distributor Tandem Film Bulgaria bought the rights to NTV content. The channel also concluded large package deals with broadcasters from Mongolia and Kazakhstan as well as the Armenian television company Kentron TV. The deals were announced at the international television and audio content market MIPCOM, which takes place in Cannes from October 14 to 18.
GoQuest Media Ventures, an independent Indian distributor of foreign content, has acquired international rights to broadcast NTV’s action series Kantselyarskaya Krysa (The Clerical Rat) and Zhena Politseyskogo (The Policeman's Wife).
The series Kantselyarskaya Krysa tells the story of a police station employee, major Andrei Vershinin. In the series, the main character is suddenly promoted and transferred to the border city of Portovy, where he is set to become the head of the local police office and investigate a series of robberies. His subordinates meet the new boss cautiously and conflict with him almost openly. Vershinin then has to prove his competence in solving crimes by using his penetrating mind and observation skills instead of weapons. Konstantin Strelnikov, Alexei Kravchenko and Ingrid Olerinskaya play the lead roles in the film. The first season of the series reached a share of 17.2% among an audience aged 18 and up.
One of the leading international content distributors, Arait Multimedia, has acquired the rights to the NTV action drama Obratniy Otchet (The Countdown) to show in Vietnam. The plot centers on a special investigative unit, whose employees have to unravel complicated cases on a daily basis. Not only do they have to capture criminals, but they also need to protect the detainees from their victims who are out seeking revenge. Yuri Kolokolnikov and Polina Maksimova played the lead roles in the series.
Meanwhile, Lagardere Distribution has acquired the rights to NTV’s action-packed series Pyat Minut Tishiny (Five Minutes of Silence). The agreement between NTV and one of the leading distribution companies in Europe covered the rights to two seasons of the series, as well as the series format for possible future adaptations.
The series Pyat Minut Tishiny tells the story of a mountain rescue team from Karelia. A new recruit from Moscow joins the rescue team members, and becomes a hero through his daily rescues of other people’s lives. Roman Kurtsyn, Igor Lifanov, Anna Peskova, among others, played in the series. The television project got high marks from the spectators. During the broadcasts, the share of the audience aged 18 and up reached 16%.
One of the largest Bulgarian distributors, Tandem Film Bulgaria, acquired the rights to three of the channel’s series: Dalnoboyshik (Trucker), Vozmezdie (Retribution) and Force Majeure.
The first series is a story of friendship between a boy who escapes from an orphanage and a trucker who decides to take the fugitive to his mother. The protagonist of the action-packed drama Vozmezdie is a military man who decides to leave the war zone and return to his hometown. But instead of a quiet life, he is forced to struggle to save his family. In the comedy action series Force Majeure, a male nurse from a provincial hospital has to pose as a mob boss who has changed his appearance. This drags the young man into an adventure that will turn his life upside down. Pavel Prilucnhiy played the lead role in both Force Majeure and Vozmezdie.
NTV content will also be shown in Armenia. Kentron TV bought the rights to two seasons of the action-packed drama Vysokie Stavki (High Stakes), starring Aleksei Nilov in the lead role. The series tells the story of an owner of a large network of underground casinos who is trying to do business in the digital age.
Moreover, major package deals were concluded with broadcasters from Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Mongolian TV companies bought the rights to all the seasons of the action hits Nevsky and Pyatnitsky to show to their viewers.