RTÉ GLOBAL, the content sales and format division of RTÉ Television, has sold more than 100 hours of lifestyle programming spread across 13 home produced Irish titles to broadcasters in Australia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Canada, and South Africa.

In a deal totalling some 28 hours of content, FOXTEL Australia has acquired Room to Improve, which sees architect, Dermot Bannon tackle a range of challenging design projects, from urban townhouses to derelict cottages; and Kitchen Hero, in which young TV chef Donal Skehan shares his healthy, delicious and above all do-able recipes.

AMC Networks is also preparing to serve up a feast of Irish cookery content to its viewers across Hungary, Czech Rep., Slovakia, Romania and Moldova. The Budapest-based arm of the giant US cable operator has bought eight RTÉ food-related titles: Catherine's Italian Kitchen, Catherine's Roman Holiday, Catherine's Family Kitchen, How to Cook Well, with Rory O'Connell, Martin's Mad About Fish, Martin's Still Mad About Fish, Kevin Dundon's Modern Irish Food and Paul Flynn's Irish Food. Also destined for Hungary, Czech Rep. and Slovakia in the 52-hour package are DIY series Roomers, Room to Improve and Design Doctors.

Design Doctors, in which designers help people to beautify their homes in clever, practical and accessible ways, has also been acquired by Gusto TV Canada and South Africa's Home Channel, both of which have also taken How to Cook Well, with Rory O'Connell. In addition, Gusto TV has licensed Skehan's latest series for RTÉ One, Kitchen Hero: Donal's Irish Feast, which celebrates the finest food producers that Ireland has to offer.

Edel Edwards, RTÉ Global's head of programme sales, said: ‘There's been a quiet revolution going on in Irish cooking and design. We have known for years that our chefs and designers — like our musicians, poets and writers — are world class, but now the rest of the world has discovered it. The sudden flurry of interest in Irish lifestyle content from broadcasters across the world is a reflection not only of our growing reputation in food and design, but also of our ability to make great television about them.'