The Palais des Festivals in Cannes will once again play host to the MIPTV television marketplace next week, and one of RTÉ's high hopes for racking up international sales is The Notorious, RTÉ 2's recent six-part series featuring mixed martial arts star Conor McGregor.

About 12,000 attendees from more than 100 countries will be in Cannes next week for the four-day event, which is dedicated to buying and selling television programmes – and digital content.

International appeal

RTÉ believes McGregor has both the backstory and the attitude to make an impression in international television markets, with an appeal that goes beyond followers of mixed martial arts, or even sport in general. He has, the broadcaster believes, an ability to capture the interest of the sometimes elusive 15-34-year-old male demographic in particular.

"Every generation, a unique and captivating figure comes along whose appeal transcends the world of sport," RTÉ Global, the broadcaster's international sales unit, says in its blurb for the show. "Conor McGregor, aka The Notorious, is that figure."

It describes the series as “an unmissable TV event” that charts McGregor’s story “from zero to hero” and claims his sporting reputation and skills “are matched by a charismatic personality and an unrivalled ability to tell it like it is”.

The series was made for RTÉ by factual programming and sport coverage specialists Motive Television, having been extended into a six-parter after the success of RTÉ 2's Reality Bites: The Notorious documentary on the same topic.