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Netflix acquires Hardball

Australia’s favourite handball team is now serving audiences on Netflix, with the streaming service acquiring both seasons of the live-action comedy Hardball.

The first season is now available to stream on Netflix in Australia and New Zealand, with the second to premiere 5 July.

Hardball, produced by Northern Pictures for the ABC, has won over audiences around the world since its premiere. It has sold to broadcasters in 19 territories globally, including the BBC (UK), France Televisions, ARD HD (Germany) and NHK (Japan).

It has won multiple accolades both at home and overseas, including an International Emmy Award, a BANFF World Media Festival Rockie Award and the Prix Jeunesse.

Hardball is a fish-out-of-water live-action comedy which tells the story of Mikey, who moves from New Zealand to Western Sydney and finds himself in the thick of the ultra-competitive world of schoolyard handball. In season 2, Mikey and his friends go on an epic adventure to win the state doubles handball tournament, but newly arrived twin sporting villains and a sweet scholarship opportunity for Mikey threaten to split up the gang for good.

ACTF Acting CEO Bernadette O’Mahony said: “Hardball is a warm, funny and engaging series which has resonated with audiences worldwide thanks to its themes of friendship and resilience along with a wonderful cast of endearing characters. We know Mikey and his hilarious crew will fit right in on Netflix.”

Hardball S1 and S2 are distributed worldwide by the ACTF.

The series was produced by Northern Pictures with production funding from Screen Australia, Create NSW and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.