Recent commissioning data shows that the US commissioners have been more engaged with Canadian commissioners alongside other English speaking countries of late, with their titles finding subsequent international success in the acquisition market. Show Tracker reveals that ‘Wild Cards’ from The CW and the CBC, distributed by Fifth Season, has been most recently picked up by ProSieben in Germany and Paramount+ in UK after reasonable success in other international markets.
The procedural crime drama’s earliest international success came from the Netherlands via Talpa Network’s Net 5 before later arriving in Japan on Wowow Prime. Its UK acquisition by Paramount+ is the first premiere of 2025 on the SVOD that was acquired from a third party. 2024 saw the UK iteration of the SVOD supplement its vertically integrated studio slate with third-party titles such as ‘Beacon 23’ (Boat Rocker), ‘Accused’ (Sony) alongside ‘Twisted Metal’ (Sony), a series the studio also acquired for Paramount+ in Canada in 2023, where it was branded as a Paramount+ exclusive.
‘Wild Cards’, a Vancouver shot series, recently premiered its second season across its home networks in the US and Canada in a sign that, for now, Canadian/US collaborations are finding success both in their home markets and abroad. The CBC has also collaborated with The CW on another series, ’Sight Unseen’ (also from Fifth Season) while CBC competitor Global TV (Corus Entertainment) partnered with FOX in the US to commission ‘Murder in a Small Town’ (distributed by ITV Studios).
The success of 'Wild Cards' and other Canadian-US collaborations at home and abroad underscores a broader trend of effective international partnerships. This synergy not only enhances the global reach of these productions but also highlights the strategic value of cross-border collaborations in the television industry. By leveraging diverse markets and audiences, these partnerships can drive growth and innovation, ultimately benefiting both their commissioners and prospective international buyers.
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