SBS & Viasat World speed to factual deals with Drive

Drive, the production-funding and distribution agency led by Lilla Hurst (pictured), has gained a range of worldwide sales for its factual slate including SBS TV and Viasat World.

A host of major channels have shopped 8 Days that Made Rome. Smithsonian Channel has acquired the series for North America, SBS for Australia and Viasat World for Scandinavia.

The October Films and Krempelwood coproduction focuses in eight momentous days that created, tested and defined Rome’s prominence.

In addition, Viasat World has bought the 3×60 minute Volatile Earth for Scandinavia, Central and Eastern European territories. The series will be exclusive to pay TV and includes VOD rights for the first year.

Both series shopped by Viasat World will appear on Viasat History in 2019.

Discovery Italy has also bought the second season of The World’s Deadliest Drivers and The World’s Deadliest Weather.

Karin Hejink, Viasat World’s vice president of channels and products, said: “As one of Europe’s biggest independent content aggregators, we are always looking for internationally relevant programmes that will both entertain and appeal to our audiences”.