Netflix has signed one of its first UK content deals, buying the UK original of Being Human and the US remake.
All four series of the BBC3 show will debut next month, while the two 13 x 60-minute Syfy US series will become available to stream on the service in January.
Zodiak Rights chief executive Matthew Frank said the deal was indicative of the digital rights space growing up. “A couple of years ago, digital sales accounted for less than 1% of our turnover. By the end of this year, they are likely to be between 5% and 10% of distribution revenue.
“I’ve commissioned a report analysing the big players in the digital space and what kinds of deals they are doing because we feel there is a major sales opportunity in this area.”
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos was at MIPCOM this week talking up the VoD service’s strengths. He revealed that up to 60% of the content watched on what has traditionally been a movie service is now TV shows.
He said audiences were attracted to Netflix’s strategy of allowing them to “binge” on shows in a DVD box-set style, resulting in a steady stream of new customers. He pointed to episodic drama such as Mad Men and Breaking Bad as key drivers for take-up. “Every night, the most watched episode of Breaking Bad is the first – these are new people coming in.”
The UK version of Being Human has now been sold to more than 40 territories, including ABC in Australia and BBC America in the US.
Editor’s note: This story was first published on Broadcast.
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