Indulgent Competition Series Great Chocolate Showdown Arrives on The CW Network in the U.S.

Docu-series Big Timber Lands International Streaming Deal Along with Season 2 Greenlight Renewal

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TORONTO, Jan. 27, 2021 /CNW/ - Corus Studios kicks off 2021 announcing over 250 hours of newly sold content from its expanding library. With prominent North American and international deals executed across linear and streaming services, Corus owned series continue to compel buyers and drive audiences with its catalogue of premium lifestyle, unscripted and factual programming. For a full view of Corus Studios catalogue, visit www.corusstudios.com.  

"We've seen terrific demand from global broadcasters for our strong slate of shows," said Lisa Godfrey, Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios. "Corus Studios is hitting the mark creatively with content that resonates with viewers domestically and abroad. Productions in Canada remain safely underway and we are on schedule to deliver additional series across our four pillars of food, renovation, unscripted and factual content this year."

Newly promoted to Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios, Lisa Godfrey, who has led content development for over 25 years, will continue to champion international content distribution across Corus Studios in this expanded role, in addition to leading Original content for the Company's biggest and brightest brands.

Corus Studios Sales Highlights for North America

In a Corus Studios first, The CW Network in the U.S. has picked up dessert competition series, Great Chocolate Showdown (Season 1 - 8x60), which is set to premiere in 2021. Debuting on Food Network Canada as a Top 10 series* and set to launch its second season this winter, the show sees 10 bakers take on creative and complex chocolate-based challenges where they must create delicious desserts that impress the esteemed judging panel which includes television personality and best-selling cookbook author Anna Olson (Corus Studios Junior Chef Showdown), award-winning British cake designer Cynthia Stroud and prominent pastry chef and chocolatier Steve Hodge (Corus Studios Project Bakeover).

Expanding sales within French Canada, Corus Studios has completed a commitment with Quebecor Content for French language rights to Corus owned content. To date, Quebecor Content has acquired lifestyle series Making It Home with Kortney and Dave (Season 1 – 10x60), Wall of Chefs (10x60), The Big Bake (18x60) and Great Chocolate Showdown (8x60).  

Corus Studios Sales Highlights Internationally

Newly greenlight for a second season, Big Timber (8x60), which follows a family logging and sawmill company, is picked by an international streamer for Season 1 (10x60).

Off the successful U.S. runs this past summer for Island of Bryan (retitled Renovation Island for the market) and Scott's Vacation House Rules (Season 1 – 10x60) on Discovery's HGTV, renovation fever continues to gain momentum internationally with new sales for both series to Discovery in Latin America and the sale of Island of Bryan (Seasons 1 and 2) to Discovery's Benelux market. 

South Africa's Arena Broadcast PTY Ltd. has acquired seven Corus Studios renovation series including Backyard Builds (Season 3 – 11x30), Farmhouse Facelift (10x60), Home to Win: For the Holidays (8x60),   Hot Market (8x60), Island of Bryan (Season 1 – 15x60 and 2 – 8x60),  Making It Home with Kortney and Dave (Season 1 – 10x60) and $ave My Reno (Season 3 – 14x60).

In Russia at JSC First, Backyard Builds (Season 1 – 8x30, Season 2 – 14x30, Season 3 – 11x30), Island of Bryan (Season 1 – 15x60 and 2 – 8x60), Masters of Flip (Season 1 -12x60), Scott's Vacation House Rules (Season 1 – 10x60) and Big Rig Warriors (10x30) join the programming slate.

Sales continue to Israel's Talit Communications with $ave My Reno (Season 2 – 14x30) and Scott's Vacation House Rules (Season 1 – 10x60).  Plus, Spain's Luk International picks up BBQ competition series Fire Masters (Season 1 and 2 – 40x60).

At Realscreen, Corus Studios will highlight its latest offerings including the newly greenlit second season of Big Timber  (8x60), truck-hauling unscripted show  Backroad Truckers (8x60), bakery overhaul series,  Project Bakeover (10x60), docu-series  Cheese: A Love Story (6x60) and renovation series  Rock Solid Builds (10x60).

Corus Entertainment's Original content team driving its slate of Lifestyle and Factual series is helmed by industry executives Colin Bohm, Executive Vice President of Content and Corporate Strategy, Lisa Godfrey as Senior Vice President of Original Content and Corus Studios, longtime TV veterans Krista Look (Director of Lifestyle) and Rachel Nelson (Director of Scripted and Factual). Worldwide sales for Corus Studios is handled by Rita Carbone Fleury.

For Corus Studios full catalogue of content, visit  www.corusstudios.com

Source:
Numeris PPM Data, SP'20 (12/30/2019 to 5/31/2020), A25-54, AMA(000), Food Network, Total Canada, 3+ airings

Corus Studios is a division of Corus Entertainment.

About Corus Studios
Established in 2015, Corus Studios, a division of Corus Entertainment, is a premium content studio that develops, produces and distributes a wide array of original lifestyle, unscripted and factual content globally. Offering dynamic programming that entertains, informs and drives audiences across platforms, Corus Studios content is featured across Corus' suite of channels, including HGTV Canada, HISTORY^®, Food Network Canada, and SLICE™. To date, Corus Studios content has been sold in over 150 territories worldwide.

About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX: CJR.B) is a leading media and content company that develops and delivers high quality brands and content across platforms for audiences around the world.  Engaging audiences since 1999, the company's portfolio of multimedia offerings encompass 33 specialty television services, 39 radio stations, 15 conventional television stations, a suite of digital assets, animation software, technology and media services. Corus is an established creator of globally distributed content through Nelvana animation studio, Corus Studios, and children's book publishing house Kids Can Press. The company also owns innovative full-service social digital agency so.da, and lifestyle entertainment company Kin Canada. Corus' roster of premium brands includes Global Television, W Network, HGTV Canada, Food Network Canada, HISTORY®, Showcase, National Geographic, Disney Channel Canada, YTV and Nickelodeon Canada, Global News, Globalnews.ca , Q107, Country 105, and CFOX. Visit Corus at www.corusent.com .

SOURCE Corus Entertainment Inc.