All3Media International, the sales arm of the production-distribution U.K. giant behind such hits as “Fleabag” and “Midsomer Murders,” has struck key deals in multiple territories for New Pictures’ six-part thriller, “Protection.”

Sales follow the witness protection series’ critically acclaimed U.K. debut on ITV and ITVX. Among the new pacts are a digital rights deal with BritBox for the U.S. and English-speaking Canada; digital rights to Stan in Australia; TV rights to TVNZ in New Zealand and DVD/Video rights to ABC for Australia and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, BBC Studios has picked up “Protection” in a pan-territory deal encompassing Asia, India and the Indian subcontinent, where the drama will stream on BBC First, its premium SVOD drama channel, and its SVOD service, BBC Player.

“Protection” has also been snapped up across the Nordic territories, including Denmark (DR), Norway (NRK), Iceland (RUV), Sweden (SVT) and Finland (YLE).

Further TV rights deals include acquisitions in the Netherlands (NPO), Greece (Hellenic Telecommunications), Israel (Hot and Yes TV) and Eire (Virgin Media), while Dazzler Media has signed DVD/Video rights for the U.K. and Eire.

“Protection” draws on the real-life experiences of a seasoned witness protection officer, exploring the consequences when the system falls short. The story follows Detective Inspector Liz Nyles (played by Siobhan Finneran), who, entangled in an affair with a colleague, gets caught up in the corruption within her own unit. With everything at stake—her own redemption, her lover’s reputation and the safety of the witnesses she protects—she is driven to fight back and restore the integrity of the system.

Said Maartje Horchner, EVP Content at All3Media International: “This powerful, female-led story takes us into an intriguing world we rarely hear about, exploring the moral dilemmas that come up when protecting people who may be criminals themselves.”

“Having already achieved great success in taking New Pictures’ productions around the world, with their acclaimed crime drama ‘The Long Shadow,’ acquired in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, we’re delighted to see buyers snapping up another premium drama from this incredibly talented team,” she added.

“Protection” is inspired by a concept developed by a witness protection expert who spent 30 years with the Metropolitan Police. Throughout his career, he managed several high-profile cases and protected a range of informants, including war criminals, terrorists, and various other offenders.

Additional casting includes Barry Ward (“Bad Sisters”), Chaneil Kular (“Sex Education”), David Hayman (“Sid and Nancy”), Nichola Burley (“The Gold”) and Akiya Henry (“Silent Witness”).

New Pictures co-founder and CEO Willow Grylls (“The Missing,” “The Long Shadow”) and Charlie Hampton (“The Spanish Princess,” “The Deceived”) serve as executive producers alongside Elaine Pyke and writer Kris Mrksa.

The series is produced by Rebecca Davies (“Cobra”), line produced by Tracy Chapman (“Cobra”), and directed by Simen Alsvik (“Fenris,” “The Nest”) and Sasha Ransome (“Cobra,” “McDonald & Dodds”).

It is penned by Mrksa (Episodes 1, 3 and 6), Polly Buckle (Episodes 2 and 4) and Giula Sandler (Episode 5).

All3Media International distributes popular, award-winning TV programs to over 1,000 broadcasters and media platforms around the world. It manages a catalog of more than 35,000 hours of content across all genres. Among its best-selling drama series are “All Creatures Great and Small,” “The Tourist” and “The English.” Its unscripted content includes “Who is Ghislaine Maxwell,” “Great British Menu” and “Four in a Bed.”

The London-based company was acquired by Redbird IMI, an investment group run by Jeff Zucker and former Goldman Sachs banker Gerry Cardinale, for $1.45 billion, in January 2024.