ZDF buys into UK indie World Media Rights

ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) has made its first investment in the UK production market, taking a 32.5% stake in factual-focused World Media Rights (WMR).

Adjacent to the deal is a board restructure at Blacks Ops producer WMR, with David McNab (above right) and ZDFE VP of corporate and portfolio strategy Tanja Meier-Sieden joining existing members.

Veteran factual producer and former Wide Eyed Entertainment chief McNab is also joining WMR as creative director. After leaving Wide Eyed, he launched Tip Top Television with Joe Schoenborn in 2013.

He counts Channel 4’s In the Shadow of the Moon and BBC Two’s The Hidden Life of the Cell as credits.

ZDFE, the commercial arm of German pubcaster ZDF, has previously sold WMR series such as Evolution of Evil.

Alan Griffiths (above left) founded WMR ten years ago, and established in the indie as a UK supplier of history and military programming for the likes of Netflix, Reelz Channel and American Heroes Channel.

Key titles include the Black Ops franchise, Air Crash Confidential and Myth Hunters.

ITV Studios Global Entertainment currently has a first-look deal with WMR, but rights distribution will switch to ZDFE when this lapses.

The deal is subject to approval from the German federal cartel office, the Bundeskartellamt.