Primitives has taken on the format distribution rights to the adventure-reality competition Terrain: Battle of the Flags, produced by Roses Are Blue for ZDF in Germany.
Primitives has secured worldwide rights to the competition format outside of German-speaking Europe. The ten-episode series arrives this fall, with the first three episodes premiering simultaneously on ZDF’s streaming platform. The first three episodes will also be available on YouTube, with a linear launch on ZDFneo. Primitives will launch the show ahead of MIPCOM.
Terrain: Battle of the Flags was created by YouTuber Torge Oelrich (Freshtorge) in association with to mark the 20th anniversary of his popular YouTube channel and features 10 high-profile content creators competing in endurance challenges against the dramatic backdrop of the Scottish Highlands. Contestants self-shoot their experiences using special camera systems.
Complementing the multiplatform launch, the series will feature companion content on a standalone YouTube channel, with reaction programming on ZDF’s Twitch channel.
Thorsten Haas, head of development entertainment at ZDF, said, “Terrain: Battle of the Flags brings together several elements we are keen to explore at ZDF: creator-driven storytelling, innovative production techniques and a genuine multiplatform approach. Having the creators film much of the action themselves creates a level of authenticity and immediacy that is particularly exciting for younger audiences. We are also delighted to be working with Torge Oelrich again and to continue a collaboration that has already resulted in successful projects in the past. Seeing a format emerge that builds upon a close and long-standing partnership while venturing into new territory—or should I say terrain?—is truly exciting.”
Ina Eck, founding MD of Roses Are Blue Germany, added, “Torge and I developed Terrain with our team at Roses Are Blue with one clear ambition: to create a new entertainment IP that translates the logic, pace and visual language of gaming into the real world. At its heart are creators who understand gaming instinctively. They recognize systems immediately, test their limits and discover strategies we could never have scripted. That is what makes the format feel so dynamic, authentic and unpredictable. I am genuinely thrilled with the result. What began as a shared idea has become a complete world that is even more exciting and entertaining than we imagined.”
Simone de Pruyssenaere de la Woestyne, MD of Primitives, stated, “Terrain: Battle of the Flags is exactly the kind of format we aspire to bring to the international market. It captures the excitement, strategy and visual language of gaming in a premium unscripted format, while its creator-driven cast and multiplatform approach make it a natural fit for today’s digital audiences. This format also offers partners a fresh way to connect with viewers across television, streaming and social platforms.”
