DRG & NENT Group launch unscripted co-commissioning drive

DRG and NENT Group Norway have launched a co-commissioning drive for non-scripted content.

Pictured L to R: Adam Barth, Mette Kanne-Behrendsen, Andreas Bakka Hjertø

The duo will work together to define NENT’s content needs and combine their acquisitions efforts to co-finance and co-commission suitable projects.

The focus will be to create “exciting, ratings-winning and long-running series” for NENT Group’s TV3 channel – along with its sister channels Viasat4 and TV6 – as well as the international market.

Over the coming year, the partnership aims to co-commission and co-produce a number of non-scripted series that DRG will then look to distribute internationally. DRG will manage the producer submission process, working to briefs from NENT Group.

The partnership will be led by Adam Barth, DRG’s senior VP of sales for Europe; Mette Kanne-Behrendsen, DRG’s senior VP of acquisitions; and Andreas Bakka Hjertø, NENT Group Norway’s TV3 program director.

Barth said: “Viewer demand for high quality factual contentis extremely high around the world. With this partnership, we are leveraging DRG’s innate business advantage of being a broadcaster-owned distributor and creating a direct route to commissioners within our group.

“Our ambition is to co-commission compelling, multi-part seriesthat will be successful in the schedules in Norway, as well as attract audiences across other channels and platforms worldwide.”

Hjertø added: “Working more closely with DRG is both a creative and a cost-effective way for us to secure a pipeline of attractive factual content for our channels and gives us an opportunity to create interesting new programme brands and IP together. We are excited at the prospect of working with even more talented producers and look forward to the first pitches.”