TCB takes on food shows as SBS exits sales

UK-based distributor TCB Media Rights has taken on the food programming catalogue of Australian pubcaster SBS, which is moving to an outsourced distribution model.

TCB has taken on rights to shows including Destination Flavour, Poh & Co and This is Brazil in all markets outside of Australia.

SBS decided to move away from in-house distribution earlier this year and shuttered sales arm SBS International. This led to a small number of redundancies, according to Australia trade site TV Tonight.

However, the pubcaster does plan remain in distribution on “bespoke SBS content, particularly scripted content”.

“This partnership with TCB is the start of a new relationship that we hope ultimately to develop and introduce across other commissioned shows in the broader SBS unscripted catalogue,” said SBS head of commercial and production Chris Irvine.

TCB founder and CEO Paul Heaney said the agreement was “as humbling as it is exhilarating”, adding: “What SBS wants from a distributor fits in perfectly with TCB’s mission statement of working creatively and commercially with channels and producers at the earliest stage.”