Israeli network HOT signs distribution deal with Viacom

TV provider promises second season of 'Shababnikim' this year.

By AMY SPIRO
The original HOT series 'Sirens' (photo credit: OHAD ROMANO)
The original HOT series 'Sirens'
(photo credit: OHAD ROMANO)
Israeli TV provider HOT announced on Monday that it had signed distribution and production deals with a range of international media platforms.
Four original Israeli series will be added soon to Viacom's British streaming service, My5, which is linked to Channel 5. Those include the vampire show Juda, which was picked up by Hulu in the US last month; Miguel, which won an award at Canneseries last year; the family drama Mekimi and the crime series Sirens. This move marks the first foreign-language program acquisition for My5. HOT said on Monday that the shows will begin appearing on the platform at some point later this month.
"HOT is taking a significant step forward in bringing its Israeli content to the global stage," said Tal Granot, CEO of HOT. "Soon HOT's original productions will be available to hundreds of millions of viewers around the world. This is a move that creates tremendous opportunities for the entire Israeli media industry and is a vote of confidence in Israeli production."
James Tatam, the vice president of commercial, digital and operations at Channel 5, said that: "Israel has produced some of the most compelling original drama in recent years, so we’re excited to have partnered with HOT for our first ever foreign-language offering on My5.”
In addition to disseminating its existing content, HOT said Monday it is partnering with Viacom to create an original Israeli children's series titled Spyders. This is the first time that HOT will be creating a series from scratch designed for both the local and global markets.
HOT also has signed deals to co-produce content a deal with a range of media companies, including ITV, Fremantle, Banijay and West&Film.
The TV provider also announced Monday that 2019 will see the return to airwaves of some of its most popular shows, including second seasons of both Juda and Shabanikim - a comedy about yeshiva students - and a third season of Sirens.
The TV provider also announced a wide slate of upcoming original programming for 2019, including several docu-reality shows.
Among those are Netta, a mockumentary about the Israeli Eurovision winner Netta Barzilai and her journey to stardom; and an Israeli adaptation of the BBC series The Week the Women Went, which features a town in which all the women pick up and leave one day, leaving the men and children behind to handle things. The Israeli version of the show is slated to feature controversial TV hosts Ofira Assayag and Eyal Berkovich as mentors.