Initial rollout of the channel, featuring the
Thunderbird Entertainment company’s hit series Highway Thru Hell
and Heavy Rescue: 401, begins March 13 in the U.K.
Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of media and
entertainment powerhouse Banijay, is launching a Highway Thru
Hell-branded FAST channel that will feature the first 10 seasons of
the long-running hit docuseries from producer Great Pacific Media
(a Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. — TSXV:TBRD, OTC – THBRF,
“Thunderbird” or the “Company” — company), along with all seven
seasons of GPM’s Heavy Rescue: 401. The channel will begin rolling
out in the U.K. from March 13, with an April 17 launch in Australia
to follow.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240312370098/en/
Seasons 1-10 of Great Pacific Media's hit
docuseries Highway Thru Hell, and all seven seasons of the
production company's Heavy Rescue: 401, will be available on a
dedicated FAST channel from distributor Banijay Rights, set to
launch initially in the U.K. on March 13. (Photo: Business
Wire)
Platforms confirmed in the U.K. include Samsung TV Plus, Amazon
Freevee, Plex, and Samsung TV Plus in Australia.
Highway Thru Hell debuted on Bell Media’s Discovery in 2012 and
instantly became a mega-hit with viewers with its jaw-dropping,
real-life stories of the recovery operators and crews who fight to
keep the highways open in one of the most treacherous routes in
North America through B.C.’s mountains. It’s now available on
platforms across 180 territories and in production for a 13th
season that will see it mark 204 episodes. And Heavy Rescue: 401,
also commissioned by Bell Media’s Discovery, just finished a
seven-season run as the #3 most-viewed series in Canada’s specialty
TV market, and has kept viewers in close to 200 territories
riveted. The series engages viewers with its depiction of the
harrowing challenges faced by tow operators and rescue crews tasked
with keeping North America’s most important urban trade routes
open, no matter what.
“Highway Thru Hell is one of the longest-running series of its
kind, and both it and Heavy Rescue: 401 continue to enthrall
audiences around the world,” said David Way, CEO of GPM. “We’re so
pleased that fans, and newcomers to the series, will now have the
chance to lean back and immerse themselves in this new 24/7 FAST
channel.” Thunderbird President of Global Distribution, Richard
Goldsmith, added, “With its large number of episodes and amazing
storylines, Highway Thru Hell is a natural for the FAST
market.”
“To extend our FAST channel portfolio through a renowned,
long-running series such as Highway Thru Hell is an exciting
proposition for us at Banijay Rights,” said Shaun Keeble, VP
Digital, Banijay Rights. “While we’re in no doubt fans of the
series will flock to this new 24/7 channel, these new launches are
the perfect way to attract new viewers to some of our leading
global IP, too.”
ABOUT GREAT PACIFIC MEDIA
Great Pacific Media programs are seen in more than 180
territories, and the Thunderbird Entertainment company specializes
in the financing, development, production and co-production of
factual, documentary, and reality television. Productions at GPM
include the highly rated Discovery Canada series Highway Thru Hell
and Heavy Rescue: 401. Recently announced series include Rocky
Mountain Wreckers (The Weather Channel, Discovery Canada) and
Timber Titans (Discovery Canada), with new seasons of Deadman’s
Curse (History, Hulu), Wild Rose Vets (produced in association with
Wapanatahk Media for APTN, Blue Ant Media) and Styled (HGTV, Hulu)
on the way.
ABOUT THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a global award-winning,
full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights
management company, headquartered in Vancouver, with additional
offices in Los Angeles and Ottawa. Thunderbird creates
award-winning scripted, unscripted, and animated programming for
the world’s leading digital platforms, as well as Canadian and
international broadcasters. The Company develops, produces, and
distributes animated, factual, and scripted content through its
various content arms, including Thunderbird Kids and Family (Atomic
Cartoons), Thunderbird Unscripted (Great Pacific Media) and
Thunderbird Scripted. Productions under the Thunderbird umbrella
include The Last Kids on Earth, Molly of Denali, Highway Thru Hell,
Deadman’s Curse, Kim’s Convenience and Reginald the Vampire.
Thunderbird Distribution and Thunderbird Brands manage global media
and consumer products rights, respectively, for the Company and
select third parties. Thunderbird is on Facebook, Twitter, and
Instagram at @tbirdent. For more information, visit:
www.thunderbird.tv.
ABOUT BANIJAY RIGHTS
Leading global distributor, Banijay Rights, represents a
world-class, multi-genre portfolio of 185,000 hours of standout
programming. Handling the distribution for media and entertainment
powerhouse, Banijay, the division specialises in the exploitation
of premium scripted and non-scripted brands to broadcasters
worldwide.
Representing quality, excellence and experience in the business
of linear and non-linear television and ancillary activity across
all platforms, Banijay Rights’ catalogue encompasses a host of top
titles from Banijay’s 130+ in-house labels, and a number of
third-party producers, spanning drama, comedy, entertainment,
factual, reality, family, formats and theatrical.
Delivering high-quality IP, which was born locally and travels
globally, the distributor offers the best stories told the best
way. Its landmark brands include Survivor, Big Brother, MasterChef,
Peaky Blinders, Rogue Heroes, Marie Antoinette, Temptation Island,
Grantchester, Deal or No Deal, Biggest Loser, Home and Away, Love
Triangle, Mr Bean and Black Mirror.
Built on independence, creative freedom, entrepreneurialism and
commercial acumen, Banijay Rights operates under the direction of
Chief Executive Officer, Cathy Payne.
Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that
term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts
responsibility of the adequacy or accuracy of this release, which
has been prepared by management.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Information
Thunderbird’s public communications may include written or oral
“forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” as
defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation. All such
statements may not be based on historical facts that relate to the
Company’s current expectations and views of future events and are
made pursuant to the “safe harbour” provisions of applicable
securities laws.
Forward-looking statements or information may be identified by
words such as “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”,
“forecast”, “may”, “will”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “believe”,
“intend”, or similar expressions concerning matters that are not
historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this document
include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the
FAST channel featuring 10 seasons of Highway Thru Hell and seven
seasons of Heavy Rescue: 401, the FAST channel launching on March
13 in the UK and on April 17 in Australia, and the launch of the
FAST channel being the perfect way to attract new viewers to
Banijay Rights’ IP. Forward-looking statements are necessarily
based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while
considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and
future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied
by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are
not limited to: general business, economic and social
uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other
judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments;
product capability and acceptance; international risk and currency
exchange rates; and technology changes. An assessment of these
risks that could cause actual results to materially differ from
current expectations is contained in the “Risks and Uncertainty”
section of June 30, 2023 MD&A. The foregoing is not an
exhaustive list. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently
known to Thunderbird or that management believes to be less
significant may also adversely affect the Company.
The forward-looking statements or information contained in this
document represent the Company’s views as of the date hereof and as
such information should not be relied upon as representing the
Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this
document. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly
or revise any
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240312370098/en/
Media Relations Contacts: Thunderbird/GPM Lana Castleman,
Director, Marketing & Communications Phone: 416-219-3769 Email:
lcastleman@thunderbird.tv Corporate Communications Julia Smith
Finch Media Email: Julia@finchmedia.net Investor Relations Contact
Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital Phone: + 1 905.326.1888 ext 1 Email:
glen@bristolir.com Banijay Rights Andrew Dickens, VP,
Communications, Banijay Rights Email:
andrew.dickens@banijayrights.com
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