MEDIA RELEASE: Château DIY secures first format sale

Spark Media Partners and Cineflix Rights announce deal with Nine Network Australia

Spark Media Partners and Cineflix Rights have secured their first format sale of long-running Channel 4 brand, Château DIY. Château DIY Australia (5×60’) will follow Australian families who have given up their lives in Australia to travel halfway around the globe to start a new life in France. Following the same structure as Château DIY, the local version will follow multiple families at different stages of their castle renovations and business ventures.

Spark joint CEO, Steve Havers and Spark Chief Creative Officer, Joff Hatfield-Powell worked with Cineflix Rights SVP Acquisitions and Coproductions Richard Life to negotiate the deal.

Château DIY already sells as finished tape to multiple territories globally, but this is the first time the franchise has landed a format deal. Nine Network has historically taken the finished tape rights in Australia and recently concluded a further deal for Season 7 of the UK version.

Château DIY Australia will premiere in access prime on channel Nine in 2025, with the series being distributed internationally by Cineflix Rights.

Spark Media Partners will produce the new series with Hatfield-Powell serving as Executive Producer, who said, “we know there are hundreds of intrepid château owners travelling from all over the world to build their fairytale life renovating a château in France, so we’re delighted to be partnering with Nine Network to produce our first local version of this global format”.

Richard Life, SVP, Acquisitions and Coproductions, Cineflix Rights added: “Château DIY is a hugely successful show enjoyed by millions of viewers around the world. We see a lot of opportunity for local versions of the format, and we’re thrilled to be announcing this first deal, on the back of multiple recent international deals for existing seasons of the UK show.”

Cineflix Rights is the exclusive worldwide distribution partner for the Château DIY franchise.

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