FREMANTLEMEDIA ENTERPRISES AND ZERO POINT ZERO CREATE RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
LONDON, April 1, 2011 – FremantleMedia (FME) Enterprises today announced a multi-year first look deal with the Emmy Award winning production company Zero Point Zero headed by Chris Collins, Lydia Tenaglia and Joe Caterini. FME will work closely with Zero Point Zero to develop, fund and distribute new television concepts as well as develop lifestyle and factual IP for multi-platform licensing.
The new deal will give FME a first look on distribution for all new Zero Point Zero television properties, including the next two series of the highly successful Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. FME will launch series 7 (16 x 1 hour) at MIPTV in April. The series features Anthony Bourdain as he continues to explore every corner of the globe. He dives head first into life’s rich colourful pageant and encounters the weird, wild and downright outrageous personalities and places that help define the international cultural landscape. FME has distributed Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations since 2008, selling the programme in 19 territories including Canada, the UK and pan-regionally in Latin America.
FME will also have distribution rights for an additional Anthony Bourdain title currently in development as a part of the overall deal. Zero Point Zero alongside Anthony Bourdain will be cultivating new talent and working with upcoming personalities in the lifestyle and factual genres as they work with FME to develop new television concepts.
Jeff Tahler, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, FremantleMedia Enterprises Americas said, “FME has a longstanding partnership with Zero Point Zero and Anthony Bourdain and we look forward to forming an even deeper relationship through this collaborative first look deal. We are extremely excited about the opportunity to further extend original content across multiple platforms and create new brands. Globally, Anthony has a legion of fans due to his unique approach to world cuisine and we are confident resulting projects will be a success worldwide.”
Chris Collins from Zero Point Zero said, “As creators and producers of premium original content our collaborative partnership with FME brings an enormous amount of value to the Zero Point Zero brand both domestically and worldwide. ZPZ creates content that thrives on different platforms, and FME’s deep understanding of distribution, audiences and users is critical to success.”
Anthony Bourdain adds, “We have, since the beginning, been acutely aware of and interested in our international audience. Moving forward with FME as a partner, we hope and expect that our proven record of constant innovation, highest quality production values, good writing and extensive connections around the world will make us the creative partners of choice for anyone in the travel or food world looking to collaborate on premium quality multi-platform content. There is, we have found, an enormous appetite out there for material that by virtue of the skill and attention with which it's made and the sophistication of the material, separates itself from the herd. Both audiences and talent respond to that. We already have some very exciting projects and equally exciting people on board for the future.”
The deal was brokered by Jeff Tahler, Senior Vice President, Acquisitions & Development, FremantleMedia Enterprises Americas, Lori York, ICM, and Richard Hofstetter, Frankfurt Kurnit Klien & Selz attorneys for Zero Point Zero and Anthony Bourdain. Jeff Tahler will be working closely with Zero Point Zero to develop the joint television concepts and future licensing properties.