SVT closes ‘biggest ever’ BBC package deal

Channel 4’s Cucumber

SVT has closed what the Swedish pubcaster describes as its “biggest ever package deal” with BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s commercial arm.

SVT has been a consistent buyer of BBC content over the years, but today’s deal eclipses al previous agreements in terms of volume.

Key dramas included in the deal are Russell T. Davies’ upcoming Channel 4 dramas Cucumber and Banana, BBC Two miniseries Wolf Hall, Maggie Gyllenhaal-starrer The Honourable Woman and Kay Mellor’s In the Club.

On the factual side, SVT has bagged wildlife two-parter Animals in Love, World War II espionage doc Camp X and UKTV’s playful illusionist series Katherine Mills: Mind Games.

Other shows in the deal include Our Zoo; season four of Death in Paradise, Call the Midwife and DCI Banks; seasons three and four of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher; the 2x50mins Napoleon, 8x50mins The Hunt; 12x30mins The Wild Life; 2x50mins The Treasure Hunters; 3x50mins Invisible Nature; and 2x50mins Jungle Atlantis.

The Honourable Woman and In the Club will debut on SVT1 in April. Wolf Hall will follow later in the Spring.

“BBC Worldwide is a benchmark for quality television and no other distributor can offer the diversity contained in this package,” said Stephen Mowbray, head of SVT acquisitions and sales division SVT International.

Though primarily a buyer of BBC programming, SVTI was able to sell Swedish AIDS-themed drama Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves to BBC Four in 2013.