All3Media Circling ‘The Cry’ Distributor NENT Studios U.K. For Potential Sale

All3Media is believed to be in late-stage discussions to buy “The Cry” producer NENT Studios U.K., the production and distribution outfit formerly known as DRG.

Sources tell Variety that the Liberty Global and Discovery-backed super-indie — whose programming portfolio includes dramas “It’s a Sin” and “Fleabag,” as well as reality show “The Circle” and Oscar-nominated film “1917” — is in exclusive closed-door talks with NENT Studios U.K., which has been on the sales block since November.

It’s believed that All3Media is eyeing the Nordic Entertainment Group-backed company for a few key formats, as well as AVOD rights on its library, which spans around 13,500 hours of content. Key unscripted shows from NENT Studios U.K. include “Don’t Tell the Bride,” “The Farm” and “Catch Phrase.” On the scripted front, the outfit’s big success in recent years has been the BBC and ABC Australia co-commissioned drama “The Cry” (pictured), which is also sold as a format, as well as the long-running “Doc Martin.”

All3Media — whose subsidiaries span 50 production companies across the U.K., U.S., Germany, the Netherlands and New Zealand — has been aggressive in pursuing new acquisitions in the last year, most recently investing in “Our Planet” producer Silverback Films — a smart move that has fast-tracked the company in the natural history space.

A NENT Studios U.K. purchase will further expand the group’s unscripted might, which includes some of Britain’s top factual and entertainment outfits, such as Studio Lambert and Raw. However, All3Media would also inherit a number of scripted titles in the works at NENT Studios U.K., including Channel 4 and Viaplay co-production “Close to Me,” Channel 5 drama “The Holiday,” as well as a slate of projects lined up with ambitious Mexican producer Dopamine.