February 11, 2015 – Discovery Channel announced yesterday in the U.S. that they have acquired the domestic and international distribution rights to broadcast Academy Award®-winning director Louie Psihoyos’ documentary RACING EXTINCTION to a global audience after its world premiere at The 2015 Sundance Film Festival.
Discovery, the number-one distributed TV brand in the world, will premiere RACING EXTINCTION in over 220 international markets across the world. In addition to the deal with Discovery, the documentary will have a 10-market U.S. theatrical run and special event screenings. Following the broadcast premiere, RACING EXTINCTION will be available on other non-linear platforms including Video On Demand (VOD).
“RACING EXTINCTION is a gripping and important film by some of our best storytellers,” said Rich Ross, President of Discovery Channel U.S. “We hope that by harnessing the power of Discovery with its worldwide television premiere we can ignite global awareness and provoke a movement to save so many endangered species from extinction.”
“This brand-defining title further cements our position as the leader in the highest quality entertainment. RACING EXTINCTION takes on a tough topic, asking difficult questions and pushing boundaries. We are planning a series of local events around its premiere to bring this special closer to our viewers and reinforce its powerful message,” said Arjan Hoekstra, President and Managing Director, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific.
In the groundbreaking documentary, director Louie Psihoyos, together with the group behind the Academy Award®-winning film The Cove, assembles a team of artists and activists on a new undercover operation to expose the hidden world of endangered species and the race to protect them against mass extinction. Spanning the globe to infiltrate the world’s most dangerous black markets and using high-tech tactics to document the link between carbon emissions and species extinction, the documentary reveals stunning, never-before-seen images that truly change the way we see the world. RACING EXTINCTION will be the catalyst for a larger, ongoing campaign that unites people to work collectively toward reduction of carbon emissions and the prevention of species extinction. Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions is on board to develop and execute this ongoing impact campaign, educational initiative and metrics surrounding impact.
“This is a historic deal that will bring RACING EXTINCTION to over 220 countries and territories across the world and not only entertain audiences, but move the needle in keeping the planet environmentally stable for all,” said Fisher Stevens, Producer.
“This project has aspirations to get as many people as possible to see the film and to inspire them to take action – a very high bar, but with our team, coupled with the power and reach of Discovery Channel worldwide, I am confident we can achieve this audacious goal,” said Louie Psihoyos, Director. “I am thrilled to be working with everyone connected to this project – it’s a documentary filmmaker’s dream.”
“The message of Louie Psihoyos’ RACING EXTINCTION is so important to survival as we know it”, said John Hoffman, Executive Vice President, Documentaries and Specials, Discovery Channel. “Every person on the face of the Earth needs to see this film.”
“We’re delighted to have Discovery Channel as a broadcast partner for RACING EXTINCTION as their immense global audience will allow us to extend our reach in all facets of this campaign,” said Carole Tomko, General Manager and Creative Director of Vulcan Productions. “Discovery’s dedication to sharing this film with their viewers will bring awareness of mass extinction to the global media stage and inspire audiences worldwide to take action through an emotional connection to nature.”
“Climate change and ocean acidification have a profound impact on species all over the planet,” said Olivia Ahnemann, Producer. “With Discovery Channel bringing this film to the forefront, we have an incredible opportunity to turn the tide on extinction.”
“To release RACING EXTINCTION to the entire world on the same day is a dream come true. With this, we will unite the world on these issues and come together to work for a healthy ocean and a healthy planet,” said Dieter Paulmann, Executive Producer and Founder of Okeanos – Foundation for the Sea.
The deal was negotiated by John Sloss of Cinetic Media, on behalf of the filmmakers, with John Hoffman, Executive Vice President of Documentaries and Specials, Discovery Channel.
View the RACING EXTINCTION Official Festival Trailer
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About Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel, the flagship network of Discovery Communications, is devoted to creating the highest quality pay-TV programming in the world and remains one of the most dynamic networks on television. First launched in 1985, Discovery Channel reaches 206 million subscribers in Asia Pacific. It offers viewers an engaging line-up of high-quality non-fiction entertainment from blue-chip nature, science and technology, ancient and contemporary history, adventure, cultural and topical documentaries.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world’s #1 pay-TV programmer reaching nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity, engaging and entertaining viewers with high-quality content on worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery and Science, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Discovery also controls Eurosport International, a premier sports entertainment group, including six pay-TV network brands across Europe and Asia. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, through Discovery Education, and a digital leader with a diversified online portfolio, including Discovery Digital Networks. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
About The Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS)
Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS) is a non-profit organization that creates film, photography and media that inspires people to save the oceans. Founded in 2005 by renowned photographer and avid diver Louie Psihoyos, OPS is headquartered in Boulder, CO, conveniently between two oceans. OPS’s first film, The Cove, has won dozens of awards around the world, including the Oscar® for Best Documentary in 2009, and inspired over a million people to action. For more information, please visit www.opsociety.org.
About Okeanos – Foundation For The Sea
The Okeanos – Foundation for the Sea is focusing its attention on individuals and communities that are taking action and making positive steps to heal the oceans and to reconnect humankind with the sea. Okeanos encourages discussions and actions through documentary films that they either produce or finance. However, their main focus lies on the development and funding of practical projects worldwide, with a focus on the Pacific, where they also supported the projects of Pacific Voyagers Charitable Trust. For more information, please visit www.okeanos-foundation.org.
About Vulcan Productions
Founded by philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen and Jody Allen, Vulcan Productions produces compelling feature films, television series, specials and digital content and creates outreach initiatives designed to inspire people to take action on the critical issues of our time. Vulcan Productions is committed to supporting projects of significance that ignite progress and motivate audiences to generate measurable impact on the world. As part of a comprehensive relief campaign through which the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation has committed at least $100 million to stop the spread of Ebola, Vulcan Productions is engaged in media partnerships that bring lifesaving information to populations who are most affected by this global public health crisis. Current media partners in the campaign are BBC Media Action and CNN, with the production of The Unseen Enemy, a feature documentary that explores the global impact of pandemics. Vulcan Productions projects have won numerous awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, the Emmy Award, the Grammy Award, Wildscreen Panda Award and theSheffield Doc/Fest Green Award. Acclaimed films and series from the Vulcan Productions group includeWe The Economy, Pandora’s Promise, Girl Rising, Success at the Core, Hard Candy, The Blues and Racing Extinction.
About Insurgent Media
Insurgent Media was founded in April, 2010 by Fisher Stevens (The Cove, In the Bedroom), Andrew Karsch (Conviction, Moneyball), and Erik Gordon. Over the years, the company produced documentaries including the Netflix Original Mission Blue, about acclaimed oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, John Leguizamo’s Broadway show Ghetto Klown for HBO, SXSW Grand Jury prize film Beware of Mr. Baker, about legendary drummer Ginger Baker, and PBS American Masters, Woody Allen: A Documentary. The company currently has a full slate of character and issue driven documentaries.
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