Initial rollout of the channel, featuring the Thunderbird Entertainment company’s hit series Highway Thru Hell and Heavy Rescue: 401, begins March 13 in the U.K.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay, is launching a Highway Thru Hell-branded FAST channel that will feature the first 10 seasons of the long-running hit docuseries from producer Great Pacific Media (a Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. — TSXV:TBRD, OTC – THBRF, “Thunderbird” or the “Company” — company), along with all seven seasons of GPM’s Heavy Rescue: 401. The channel will begin rolling out in the U.K. from March 13, with an April 17 launch in Australia to follow.


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Platforms confirmed in the U.K. include Samsung TV Plus, Amazon Freevee, Plex, and Samsung TV Plus in Australia.

Highway Thru Hell debuted on Bell Media’s Discovery in 2012 and instantly became a mega-hit with viewers with its jaw-dropping, real-life stories of the recovery operators and crews who fight to keep the highways open in one of the most treacherous routes in North America through B.C.’s mountains. It’s now available on platforms across 180 territories and in production for a 13th season that will see it mark 204 episodes. And Heavy Rescue: 401, also commissioned by Bell Media’s Discovery, just finished a seven-season run as the #3 most-viewed series in Canada’s specialty TV market, and has kept viewers in close to 200 territories riveted. The series engages viewers with its depiction of the harrowing challenges faced by tow operators and rescue crews tasked with keeping North America’s most important urban trade routes open, no matter what.

“Highway Thru Hell is one of the longest-running series of its kind, and both it and Heavy Rescue: 401 continue to enthrall audiences around the world,” said David Way, CEO of GPM. “We’re so pleased that fans, and newcomers to the series, will now have the chance to lean back and immerse themselves in this new 24/7 FAST channel.” Thunderbird President of Global Distribution, Richard Goldsmith, added, “With its large number of episodes and amazing storylines, Highway Thru Hell is a natural for the FAST market.”

“To extend our FAST channel portfolio through a renowned, long-running series such as Highway Thru Hell is an exciting proposition for us at Banijay Rights,” said Shaun Keeble, VP Digital, Banijay Rights. “While we’re in no doubt fans of the series will flock to this new 24/7 channel, these new launches are the perfect way to attract new viewers to some of our leading global IP, too.”

ABOUT GREAT PACIFIC MEDIA

Great Pacific Media programs are seen in more than 180 territories, and the Thunderbird Entertainment company specializes in the financing, development, production and co-production of factual, documentary, and reality television. Productions at GPM include the highly rated Discovery Canada series Highway Thru Hell and Heavy Rescue: 401. Recently announced series include Rocky Mountain Wreckers (The Weather Channel, Discovery Canada) and Timber Titans (Discovery Canada), with new seasons of Deadman’s Curse (History, Hulu), Wild Rose Vets (produced in association with Wapanatahk Media for APTN, Blue Ant Media) and Styled (HGTV, Hulu) on the way.

ABOUT THUNDERBIRD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Thunderbird Entertainment Group is a global award-winning, full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights management company, headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Ottawa. Thunderbird creates award-winning scripted, unscripted, and animated programming for the world’s leading digital platforms, as well as Canadian and international broadcasters. The Company develops, produces, and distributes animated, factual, and scripted content through its various content arms, including Thunderbird Kids and Family (Atomic Cartoons), Thunderbird Unscripted (Great Pacific Media) and Thunderbird Scripted. Productions under the Thunderbird umbrella include The Last Kids on Earth, Molly of Denali, Highway Thru Hell, Deadman’s Curse, Kim’s Convenience and Reginald the Vampire. Thunderbird Distribution and Thunderbird Brands manage global media and consumer products rights, respectively, for the Company and select third parties. Thunderbird is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @tbirdent. For more information, visit: www.thunderbird.tv.

ABOUT BANIJAY RIGHTS

Leading global distributor, Banijay Rights, represents a world-class, multi-genre portfolio of 185,000 hours of standout programming. Handling the distribution for media and entertainment powerhouse, Banijay, the division specialises in the exploitation of premium scripted and non-scripted brands to broadcasters worldwide.

Representing quality, excellence and experience in the business of linear and non-linear television and ancillary activity across all platforms, Banijay Rights’ catalogue encompasses a host of top titles from Banijay’s 130+ in-house labels, and a number of third-party producers, spanning drama, comedy, entertainment, factual, reality, family, formats and theatrical.

Delivering high-quality IP, which was born locally and travels globally, the distributor offers the best stories told the best way. Its landmark brands include Survivor, Big Brother, MasterChef, Peaky Blinders, Rogue Heroes, Marie Antoinette, Temptation Island, Grantchester, Deal or No Deal, Biggest Loser, Home and Away, Love Triangle, Mr Bean and Black Mirror.

Built on independence, creative freedom, entrepreneurialism and commercial acumen, Banijay Rights operates under the direction of Chief Executive Officer, Cathy Payne.

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility of the adequacy or accuracy of this release, which has been prepared by management.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Thunderbird’s public communications may include written or oral “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation. All such statements may not be based on historical facts that relate to the Company’s current expectations and views of future events and are made pursuant to the “safe harbour” provisions of applicable securities laws.

Forward-looking statements or information may be identified by words such as “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “forecast”, “may”, “will”, “plan”, “project”, “should”, “believe”, “intend”, or similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements in this document include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the FAST channel featuring 10 seasons of Highway Thru Hell and seven seasons of Heavy Rescue: 401, the FAST channel launching on March 13 in the UK and on April 17 in Australia, and the launch of the FAST channel being the perfect way to attract new viewers to Banijay Rights’ IP. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; product capability and acceptance; international risk and currency exchange rates; and technology changes. An assessment of these risks that could cause actual results to materially differ from current expectations is contained in the “Risks and Uncertainty” section of June 30, 2023 MD&A. The foregoing is not an exhaustive list. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to Thunderbird or that management believes to be less significant may also adversely affect the Company.

The forward-looking statements or information contained in this document represent the Company’s views as of the date hereof and as such information should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this document. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any


Contacts

Media Relations Contacts: Thunderbird/GPM
Lana Castleman, Director, Marketing & Communications
Phone: 416-219-3769
Email: lcastleman@thunderbird.tv

Corporate Communications
Julia Smith
Finch Media
Email: Julia@finchmedia.net

Investor Relations Contact
Glen Akselrod, Bristol Capital
Phone: + 1 905.326.1888 ext 1
Email: glen@bristolir.com

Banijay Rights
Andrew Dickens, VP, Communications, Banijay Rights
Email: andrew.dickens@banijayrights.com