Broadcasters race to buy Usain Bolt doc

A raft of broadcasters have acquired Usain Bolt: The Fastest Man Alive ahead of the Olympics, which start next week.

The one-off doc about the Jamaican sprinter was made by French producer Elephant Doc and Leibang Productions for public broadcaster France Télévisions’ France 2. Zodiak Right has international rights, excluding France, and launched the doc at MIPCOM last year.

The film has been bought by numerous broadcasters and buyers include: Sweden (SVT); Finland (Nelonen Media); Denmark (TV2); Belgium and Luxembourg (RTBF & VRT); Switzerland (RTS); Portugal (RTP); Italy (Discovery; Sky Italia); Greece (ERT); Poland (ITI Neovision); Turkey (TRT); Israel (Noga); Brazil (Globosat); Australia (SBS); Japan (NHK); and South Korea (CJ E&M).

The 1x60mins doc is one of a pair of one-off films about Bolt. It is a portrait of the runner, made with his full cooperation. It has exclusive footage of Bolt on and off the running track, the producers also interview his family, friends and coaches as he prepares to retain his three Olympic titles and become the first man ever to retain the 100 metres gold medal.

Companion piece Usain Bolt: The Legend, a fly-on-the-wall look at his preparation for the 2012 Olympics and will deliver immediately after the 2012 Olympics.