Category: Non-Fiction

Endemol & Michelle Phan to launch premium lifestyle network

MUMBAI: Endemol Shine Group, the newly launched global content creator, producer and distributor, and its Endemol Beyond Premium Content Network, have teamed with digital pioneer and entrepreneur Michelle Phan for the creation of ICON, the first worldwide Premium Lifestyle Network.

The ICON global vertical network launched in the US and the UK simultaneously on 1 April, with rollouts across Western Europe and Asia to follow in the summer and fall.

Creatively led by Phan, ICON and ICON UK, will now be the online global destination for the empowerment of viewers through inspirational premium content, conversation and community. ICON serves a multi-cultural demographic and features an extensive slate of original programming in beauty, fashion, wellness, DIY, food, human interest stories and travel.

The network features original new series and content from some of the hottest up-and-coming digital influencers and lifestyle experts that collectively come to ICON with more than 2.4 billion views on YouTube alone.

ICON is a global multi-platform network available across a wide variety of outlets, including YouTube, Dailymotion, Roku, Pluto TV, multiple connected TV platforms and major social media services Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest and Tumblr.

ICON programming is also syndicated to premium digital distributors AOL and Scripps Networks Interactive’s ULIVE Lifestyle Network. The ICON app will feature programming exclusives and is available for iOS and Android devices.

Phan said, “I’m thrilled to be partnering with Endemol Beyond. They are the fastest-growing premium content network in the world, and have demonstrated creative leadership across a wide range of lifestyle categories. I am first a creator, but my ongoing objective is to leverage my personal success, to help mentor new and existing talent, and further help them achieve their goals. Endemol Beyond shares this vision, and together, we will drive the future of original content for generations to come.”

“Last year Endemol Shine successfully developed the world’s first premium content network with Endemol Beyond, which has given us the perfect foundation for the launch of ICON, the first global premium lifestyle network. With the creative vision of Michelle Phan, an extraordinary collection of lifestyle talent and the worldwide reach of Endemol Beyond, ICON is poised to make an immediate impact on the worldwide digital landscape,” said Endemol Shine North America co-chairmen and co-CEOs Charlie Corwin and Cris Abrego.

Endemol Beyond president Will Keenan added, “There is no one better with whom to partner on the world’s first online premium lifestyle network than Michelle Phan, who’s not only a successful entrepreneur and a creative visionary, but also an extraordinary human being. With Michelle, Jamie Greenberg, Sonya Esman, Kassie Isabella, Jessica Standley and all of the other great talent starring in ICON’s new shows, we couldn’t ask for a stronger group of influencers and lifestyle experts to launch this pioneering new network. Just like Michelle herself, ICON is for dreamers and its possibilities are limitless.”

“By collaborating with Michelle Phan and some of the hottest new YouTube stars from both sides of the Atlantic, ICON is set to become a go-to destination for millennials across the full spectrum of beauty, lifestyle and fashion. This is the latest example of Endemol Beyond partnering with international talent to create a global entertainment brand that can be adapted in any market and on any platform,” added Endemol Beyond International managing director Georg Ramme.

In addition to Phan, other influential lifestyle talent premiering news series on the ICON network include YouTube stars Ann Le (AnneorShine), Cassey Ho (Blogilates), Promise Phan (Dope2111), beauty chameleon Charis Lincoln (CharismaStarTV), Anisa Noor and popular beauty vlogger Rae from The Raeviewer.

New ICON network talent includes Russian/Canadian digital superstar Sonya Esman (Classisinternal and thatsophiakid), Kassie Isabelle (Cloudy Apples), JkissaMakeup, and celebrity make-up artist Jamie Greenberg (JamieMakeupGreenberg), whose client list includes Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan, Kaley Cuoco and Rashida Jones.

Other featured talent in ICON’s U.S. and UK initial slate of premium content include dancer, model and Instagram sensation Danielle Peazer, beauty star Kaushal Beauty, whose recent makeup tutorial went viral with over 4.3 million views (and counting) and SunbeamsJess, whose unique personal style and stunning cinematography has attracted a loyal fanbase of super fans on the lookout for the latest trend news.

Original new series set to debut on ICON include: Pretty Little Pranksters, Trash to Fab, Fascinating Women, The FAQs, She’s Gotta Have It, Skinside Out, Everyday LUXE and Decade Beauty.

Phan is a digital pioneer, who trail-blazed her way in the world of fashion and beauty on YouTube. With a growing global community of over 7.5 million, her videos have been viewed more than one billion times, making her one of the most watched talents in the digital space.

On 7 May, Endemol Beyond will unveil additional ICON US and UK star talent and original content at the upcoming Digital Content Upfronts.

April 1, 2015
Bomanbridge Media continues Asia expansion; opens India office

MUMBAI: Singapore-based content distribution agency Bomanbridge Media as part of its Asia expansion has opened an office in Mumbai. It will be headed by TV veteran Arpit Agarwal as Bomanbridge Media director of sales for South Asia.

India is the fourth country in Asia where the company will have a base, after recently launching offices in Korea and Mongolia, in addition to its headquarters in Singapore. The further expansion follows recent investment by Hera Capital, which is also funding the company’s international lifestyle and cooking show Haute & Saucy with Kelly Randall Sia.

Agarwal, who has worked in various capacities at Fremantle India, Balaji Telefilms, Bang Singapore and Sahara One, comes with over 18 years of experience in creating and managing both mass and niche television content in India and in Singapore. He also headed business development at Starcut Asia Pacific – a Nokia subsidiary and is credited for creating Singapore’s first made-for-mobile series Kumarsutra. Agarwal began his career as a reporter, producer and host at NDTV in New Delhi, India.

“This entrance into South Asia, and especially India, is the beginning of very exciting times for us at Bomanbridge. With assured improvements in TV measurement, and decreasing carriage costs, we are witnessing not only a surge in demand for niche content but also the need for product differentiation through innovation amongst the major GEC players. India has always been one of our stronger territories in the region and we look forward to enhancing our presence there to better serve our partners. Arpit brings extensive television experience and we look to him to bring us to the next level. Our team is now stronger than ever, ready to serve the entire Asian region with the best programming, and with people on the ground in several countries,” said Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck.

Agarwal added, “I am very pleased to join Bomanbridge Media, a company that is respected across the broadcasting fraternity of Asia as exclusive representatives of renowned content from around the world. Sonia and her team have a firm handle on the territory and I look forward to adding value and growing the business further in India and the region.”

March 23, 2015
FremantleMedia buys 25 per cent stake in Corona TV

MUMBAI: FremantleMedia (FM), has taken over 25 per cent stake in Corona TV, the newly-created TV production company from renowned filmmaking duo Richard Johns and Rupert Jermyn. The deal, which gives FremantleMedia a first look option on all Corona TV output, furthers FremantleMedia’s ambition to build its scripted pipeline with projects that will have an epic and cinematic feel and attract international co-production funding.

The deal was brokered by FM’s director of global drama, Sarah Doole, who will take a seat on the board of the new company.

Doole said, “Richard and Rupert have together over twenty five years’ experience in producing successful feature films. Because of this, they look at scripted projects in a completely different way from most production companies, bringing a big screen presence to the small screen. We’ve looked at their production slate and they have some exciting ideas which are ripe for international co-production funding. Having them as part of the FremantleMedia family gives us some brilliant projects for our scripted pipeline, while our existing infrastructure will help bring their epic ideas to fruition. I can’t wait to get started.”

In a joint statement Johns and Jermyn said, “We’re absolutely delighted to have made this deal with the dynamic team at FremantleMedia. As film-makers we have always created big stories for the world rather than one particular market. This move gives Corona Television the strategic financing, distribution and marketing firepower most drama producers can only dream of, allowing us to tell stories for TV on a truly global scale.”

FremantleMedia already has a relationship with Johns and Jermyn, having previously worked on the development of Birds of Prey, a TV adaption of the first three novels of Wilbur Smith’s Courtney series, penned by Layer Cake scriptwriter JJ Connolly. The new company has a number of exciting new projects in the pipeline, with internationally renowned writers and producers already attached, with announcements planned in due course.

Corona TV is a sister company of Corona Pictures, which was founded by Johns and Jermyn in London in 2009. The company develops, produces and markets feature films and television programmes to every country in the world, including the major established markets and key emerging markets such as China.

In recent years Corona Pictures produced and released the multiple award-winning darkly comic hitman road movie The Liability starring Tim Roth, Jack O’Connell, Talulah Riley, Kierston Wareing and Peter Mullan from writer John Wrathall and director Craig Viveiros. Prior to that, the company made Robert Heath’s psychological thriller Truth or Dare. Both films found strong distribution market appetite and are now on release in over 24 international territories. The company is now building rapidly from this production base.

February 12, 2015
FremantleMedia and Divimove expand partnership to ramp up online talent

MUMBAI: FremantleMedia has increased its stake in Divimove to make it the majority shareholder.

The leading MCN in Europe and the global production company have been working together since late 2013 when FremantleMedia initially took shares in the company. The companies joined forces to discover, produce and promote new talent in the online space.

Over the last 18 months, Divimove has experienced major growth, becoming the leading MCN in Europe with 900 million views per month. Its 1,700 partner channels attract 80 million. The partnership has resulted in the launch of Shootrs, a talent programme which combines the professional production expertise of FremantleMedia with Divimove’s content creators and online video expertise.

Shootrs was launched with the FremantleMedia companies UFA in Germany and Blue Circle in the Netherlands in 2014; and will see the continued rollout across Europe in 2015.

Divimove CEO Brain Ruhe said, “For us, the development and support of talent is at the centre of our business and we’re delighted that we have found a partner who has the same values. Working with FremantleMedia has given us the opportunity to invest even more in our creators and develop new ways to grow their careers. We will continue to do so as we expand our relationship.”

FremantleMedia digital and branded entertainment CEO Keith Hindle added, “Divimove‘s amazing growth is a result of an exceptional team and a great roster of content creators. Divimove work with really exciting emerging talent across multiple markets, which fits our global TV production business well, and we look forward to working with them even more.”

Another key initiative from Divimove has been the launch of brandboost, set up to answer the huge demand for online video solutions from brands in Europe. Last year FremantleMedia and Divimove worked together to create successful branded entertainment campaigns across Europe for major brands including Deutsche Bahn and Ubisoft.

In 2015, Divimove has already launched a fully-fledged talent management agency headed up by the recently appointed Michael Brycz, former managing director (Central Europe) for Warner Music; Brycz is tasked with exploring opportunities for the MCN’s talent in new areas such as live events and music.

The deal builds on FremantleMedia’s already substantial success in the digital space.

January 24, 2015
FremantleMedia launches India’s first ‘Digital Talent Hunt’

MUMBAI: FremantleMedia has partnered with mobile video streaming service Zenga TV and YouTube MCN of India, OneDigital Entertainment to launch its first digital talent show ‘India’s Digital Superstars.’

This will a first of its kind digital talent hunt, where the audience will judge the next ‘Big Digital Star.’ The show will be presented by Amazon.in, powered by Gionee in association with radio partner RedFM.

The auditions for the show, which began from 19 January, will culminate with a finale in May. The winner will be given a contract worth Rs 20 lakh from FremantleMedia and One Digital. The auditions are open to all Indians across the world.

Auditions will span across 13 weeks. The 14th week is the grand finale to be held in Mumbai. The Indiasdigitalsuperstar.com platform will encourage participants to upload multiple videos of the talent that they wish to showcase, and will be judged by the audience through the number of views and likes across Youtube, ZengaTV and Facebook.

Fresh videos can be uploaded until a week before the ‘Finale Night’. The host will come online thrice a week – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for 10 continuous weeks starting from the fifth week of audition.

FremantleMedia India managing director Anupama Mandloi said, “After the super success of Indian Idol, India’s got Talent, we at Fremantle are delighted to launch a platform that will be accessible to everyone with internet access. Given that India is a priority market for FremantleMedia and a popular destination for many of our hit international brands, we want to continue driving our strategy of aggregating talent across media with India’s Digital Superstars. We have been instrumental in sourcing, discovering and unleashing talent across television and this is the obvious next step for us to take the talent hunt to the internet which is a world unto itself.”

Amazon.in director integrated marketing Manish Kalra added, “The digital medium democratises opportunities and choices and enables easy access to them for everyone like no other medium. We are very excited to be part of India’s Digital Superstar and support this effort to celebrate the immense talent that is waiting to be discovered.”

“The youth today is hungry for exciting and engaging content and ‘India’s Digital Superstar’ is an opportunity where every moment will count and adrenal will be on the high. This gives everyone a chance to showcase talent from anywhere in the world and be the next start in this world which has no boundaries,” informed ZengaTV & OneDigital MD & CTO Shabir Momin.

“Digital as a a platform is connected to the youth of this country. IDS as a digital platform is the first in the country, which creates the opportunity for the youth to showcase the talent and get recognized. We at Gionee are proud to be associated with IDS as this allows the youth to follow their passions and this has got a great synergy with our brand as we also want our consumers to follow the passions and we help them as an enabler for it,” added Gionee Smartphones India head Arvind R Vohra.

“With the unique format of the show specially created for the digital platform, India’s Digital Superstar will create opportunities for Indians globally to showcase their talent without having to stand in queues or reach specific locations at specific time. Moreover the show is not about highlighting only a couple of contestants but we want to showcase as many talented Indian creators, and that is why the call for entries never stops during the show. As long as the show is on, people can participate and stand a chance to win,” concluded One Digital Entertainment COO and co-founder Gurpreet Singh.

January 20, 2015
Balaji Telefilms joins Indus Media to enter American TV market

MUMBAI: One of India’s leading television and film production company, Balaji Telefilms, has marked its foray into the American television market by inking an American television series production deal with Indus Media. This deal will see Balaji secure rights to the TV series Brown Nation, a satirical comedy based on the lives of Indian Americans.

This will be the first series under the new deal and is being planned for release in early 2015. Balaji has been scouting for collaborations with international players to produce content for various geographies across media platforms and this will be an important step to reach out to a diverse audience.

The production house had recently roped in media veteran Sameer Nair as the group CEO to spearhead its expansion strategy and lead the way for the next level of growth by identifying unexplored avenues.

“India is at the centre of global limelight and the timing is right for us to create path breaking entertainment on an international stage. We look forward to this partnership to extend our creative success to newer horizons,” said Balaji Telefilms joint managing director Ekta Kapoor.

“We are extremely pleased to join with Indus in producing this series,” added Nair. “American sitcoms have influenced urban India and Indian youth across the globe. This will be a good opportunity for us to leverage our creative supremacy to enter a market not sufficiently fed with similar products,” he further said.

“We have been looking to enter India with our proposed entertainment fund and this fits in well with our India strategy. We are absolutely delighted to associate with Balaji Telefilms to fuel our growth,” said Indus Media founding director Naveen Chathappuram.

Added Indus Media founding director Devarajan, “I have had a long standing relationship with Balaji and this deal is a dream come true. We are very excited about our new creative and business partnership with Balaji and look forward to enhance value to all stakeholders.”

American television has always been popular with youngsters in India. Be it ‘Friends’, ‘Two and Half Men’, ‘Big Bang Theory, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and the like. On the other hand, Indian characters have become a permanent fixture on American television sitcoms, as well as in movies. One of the main reasons for this is the dramatic growth in the size of the Indian American community in the past two decades – Indian American population grew from 815,000 in 1990 to 4.50 million in 2013. Most successful shows launched in the past five years feature a prominent Indian actor: “The Office,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “30 Rock,” “Chuck,” and “Parks and Recreation”.

Brown Nation, directed by Abi Varghese, is currently being shot in New Jersey and has Indian actor Shenaz Treasurywala playing one of the lead roles. The comedy series depicts the everyday lives of south Asians living in America. The target market for Brown Nation is 18-45 year old Americans and NRIs. Recent comedy series such as The Office and Parks and Recreations have skewed to these age segments while casting a strong, universal appeal to all age groups.

Indus Media recently announced its plans to launch a 50 million dollar entertainment fund to invest in films and television in American and south Indian market. With Balaji’s successful run in the film business, there could be more areas of synergy between the two partners especially the growing south Indian film market.

December 18, 2014
2014 ATF and ScreenSingapore most successful edition yet

MUMBAI: As $256.28 million were exchanged, the 15th edition of the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and 4th   edition of ScreenSingapore, Asia’s leading television and film event, came to an astounding end.

The three-day market saw a record number of attendance and a slew of deals secured and partnerships forged from 10 to 12 December at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.

Reed Exhibitions senior project director Yeow Hui Leng expressed delight at this year’s run and said, “This has been our most successful edition of ATF and ScreenSingapore to-date, and aligns with Asia’s growing importance in the global entertainment content landscape. ATF and ScreenSingapore is designed as an integrated market to provide a platform for industry players to trade and network, as well as to highlight opportunities in the rapidly growing Asian market. The positive feedback, record number of deals and attendance are testament to ATF and ScreenSingapore’s standing as a leading content market in Asia.”

Since its integration in 2012, ATF and ScreenSingapore enjoyed consecutive year-on-year participation growth, attesting to the industry’s validation of the event as a mainstay on the global content market calendar. The attendance at this year’s market jumped 10 per cent to 4,836 participants, with some 1,281 companies from 60 countries. This broke the previous record high of 4,385 attendees and 1,179 companies in 2013.

Zense Entertainment (Thailand) CEO Varavuth Jentanakul, who is a first-time buyer at the event shared, “At ATF we experienced the energy and exposure of a truly international content market. We are closing a new package deal with Endemol, which include two new great shows Your Face Sounds Familiar to be on air on Channel 7 later next year, and Singer Takes it All. We are also exploring the possibility of acquiring a large-scale format from Shine.”

Exhibitors on the market floor unanimously agreed that ATF and ScreenSingapore is a must- visit platform for sellers looking to the Asian markets.

There were various key announcements made at the market floor such as that of a $100 million media fund launched by Nasdaq-listed Bona Film Group, Singapore private equity investment firm Tembusu Partners and local media entrepreneur Calvin Cheng. The Singapore-based fund targets China’s media and entertainment industry, which is forecast to become the second largest in the world, behind only the US, by 2018.

Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck reinforced the event’s relevance to industry players, “We’ve come into ATF closing several major deals in the region for hundreds of hours of programme.” Some of these deals include the sale of It Only Hurts When I Laugh and Life’s Funniest Moments to TV3 Mediawork (New Zealand); Animal Atlas to Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thailand) and Superbodies to Korean Broadcasting System. Bomanbridge also partnered with leading distributor Banijay International to sell two reality series, Pound Pups to Dog Stars and Village Vets to TrueVisions (Thailand).

Several Asian networks had purchased formats from various international sellers. This includes sales by US studio Electus to VTV in Vietnam, which is set to air a local version of its format Bet on Your Baby while China’s Dragon TV has re-commissioned the studio’s Fashion Star format. Keshet International’s spy drama MICE (stands for Money, Ideology, Coercion and Ego; and also known as The Gordin Cell) is to be remade in Korea by Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), and due to air in early 2015.

Some of the other announcements made at the market include:

–   A series of creative alliances forged with the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA), namely a collaboration with Australia-based crowd-funding portal Pozible and an alliance with the Motion Picture Association of Cambodia (MPAC);

–   Jack Neo’s Long Long Time Ago, a new two-part movie scheduled for release in 2015 as part of Singapore’s 50th birthday celebrations;

–   A new 24/7 kids and family television channel by DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc, set to launch in the second half of 2015 in 19 Asian countries;

–   Fuji Television to launch full-scale internet and cable video-on-demand (VOD) distribution in Singapore through StarHub TV in the first half of 2015, delivering dramas such as Nobunaga Concerto and Dear Sister; and

–   Strategic cooperation between FOX International Channels (FIC) and Tencent for over 300 hours of programming and documentaries from National Geographic Channel (NGC) documentaries to be made available online in China through Tencent in 2015. The two will also co-produce China-focused programmes.

This year, the events were also part of the inaugural Singapore Media Festival, which enabled attendees to participate in an expanded suite of activities. Commenting on this, Media Development Authority of Singapore industry operations director Joachim Ng said: “We are encouraged by the many meaningful partnerships forged and vibrant exchange of ideas at the inaugural Singapore Media Festival. It also gave us the opportunity to showcase the best of the region’s film and television content as well as to celebrate its talent. We are confident that future editions of the festival will continue to serve as a platform of choice in Asia for media companies and professionals.”

Some of the ATF and ScreenSingapore’s event highlights include MIPACADEMY and Animation Lab – continued to be well-received in their second year. The MIPACADEMY sessions were led by industry veterans such as A2G Studio (France) founder and CEO Alexis De Gemini, Small World International Format Television (USA) president Tim Crescenti, tvN producer/director Park Joon Hwa, CJ E&M (South Korea), long-running Korean variety TV show ‘Infinite Challenge’ producer Kim Tae-ho, YouTube sensation comedy duo, Andrew and David Fung of FungBrosComedy, and the Twitter APAC TV Team.

December 17, 2014
‘Got Talent’ continues its global domination with ‘Mongolia’s Got Talent’

MUMBAI: The international rollout of the world’s most successful TV format “Got Talent”, took another landmark step today as Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia announced the commission of Mongolia’s Got Talent by Mongol TV. The news comes after Got Talent creator Simon Cowell’s recent MIPCOM 2014 Keynote session in which he joked about Mongolia being one of the last regions in the world where Got Talent didn’t have a presence. The multi-season deal will see Mongol TV broadcast the first local version of the format in 2015.

The Guinness World Record-breaking franchise co-produced by Cowell’s Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia continues its rein as the Most Successful Reality Television Format in history as it travels further around the world with the new version bringing the total number of local versions across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle-East, Africa and the Americas to 67 and the total countries in the world to air a version of the format to 193* (see map).

As well as creating a local version of the format, Mongol TV will acquire season 8 of the ever successful Britain’s Got Talent. These deals were brokered by Haryaty Rahman, VP Sales and Distribution, Asia, FremantleMedia International. The UK version of the show continues to be the UK’s biggest entertainment show and in 2014 the Britain’s Got Talent finale on ITV exceeded 12 million viewers for 7th year in a row!

Simon Cowell said “Mongolia is one of the last countries in the world to have Got Talent on air so I’m absolutely delighted Mongol TV will be making the show next year. So thank you and Congratulations Mongolia!”

Cecile Frot-Coutaz, CEO, FremantleMedia added: “Got Talent has become a World Record breaking format because it combines extraordinary acts with great storytelling, capable of transcending geographic boundaries, language and culture. We’re looking forward to working with Mongol TV next year to create a local version of the show, which will – I’m sure – uncover an array of hidden talents from this part of the globe.”

Nomin Chinbat, CEO of Mongol TV, said “When I heard Simon Cowell at MIPCOM saying that Got Talent had to be in Mongolia, I immediately decided to rise up to the challenge. Mongolians are great entertainers and this format is a great fit for Mongol TV. I now challenge Simon to join us in Ulaanbaatar in September when we launch the series!”

Got Talent is watched by an estimated 500 million people worldwide has accumulated over 6 billion lifetime views on YouTube. In 2014, the franchise rolled out in six new markets: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Iceland, Mexico and Myanmar.

December 11, 2014
BBC One commissions ‘The A Word’

MUMBAI: Ben Stephenson, BBC Controller: Drama Commissioning has announced the commission of The A Word, a six part drama series to be co-produced by Fifty Fathoms Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions and Keshet UK.

The A Word is based on the Keshet International and July August Productions’ series and drama format which was written and created by Keren Margalit. The A Word has been developed and written for BBC1 by Peter Bowker (Marvellous, Occupation, Blackpool).

The A Word is the story of the Scott family who work and love and fight like every other family. Then their youngest son is diagnosed with autism and they don’t feel like every other family anymore. They realise that if their son is ever going to communicate, they are going to have to learn how to communicate themselves. It’s a funny and thought-provoking series about parenthood and childhood and what it is like to have a child who fails to fit the mould.

The A Word will be Executive Produced for Fifty Fathoms and Tiger Aspect by Patrick Spence and Peter Bowker. Executive Producers for Keshet are Sara Johnson, Avi Nir and Keren Margalit. Lucy Richer will Executive Produce for BBC One.

Peter Bowker said, “I loved the original series and wanted to honour its spirit while writing something new. We have the opportunity here to make something funny, tough, realistic and inventive about contemporary family life and autism. In a society where imperfection increasingly comes with blame attached it seems timely to look at how autism is regarded both within a family and the wider community – and to give some insight into how that experience might be for the child on the autistic spectrum. It’s a drama full of ideas – about parenthood, about disability, about communication, about community – and will emphatically engage an audience whatever their experience of the subject”.

Sara Johnson, Head of Drama and Co-productions at Keshet UK, added, “The A Word is so close to our hearts at Keshet, Keren Margalit’s original version is a beautiful series and a story which we are so proud and excited to share with the world. We couldn’t be happier to have found the ideal partners to do this in the brilliant Peter Bowker, along with Fifty Fathoms under the capable lead of Patrick Spence, and the perfect home on the BBC1 platform.”

Filming will commence in summer 2015. Further production and cast credits will follow. A TX in early 2016 is currently anticipated.

November 20, 2014
FremantleMedia International completes momentous multi-year, multi-format deal with MBC Group

MUMBAI – FremantleMedia International has completed a landmark multi-year deal with pan-Arab media conglomerate, MBC Group. The agreement will see the renewal of both the pan-Arab versions of Idol and Got Talent for three more seasons. In addition, MBC Group has taken the pan-Arab format rights to the Syco TV which created the hit entertainment format, The X Factor and the globally renowned fashion competition, Project Runway. These two shows will also be commissioned for three seasons each.

FremantleMedia International SVP Middle East, Africa and South Eastern Europe Anahita Kheder said: “We are immensely proud to be the first company to have completed a deal of this magnitude with MBC Group. Together we have already launched the very successful pan-Arab versions of Arabs Got Talent and Arab Idol; both of which were propelled onto the international press stage. The Middle East region has evolved a great deal in recent years with audiences wanting something a little special, and with the introduction of The X Factor and Project Runway, MBC will deliver just that. We are enormously excited to continue our partnership with MBC to introduce more future audience favorites to its enormous Middle Eastern reach.”

MBC Group TV director Ali Jaber said: “MBC is always keen on delivering premium content coupled with the best TV productions in the MENA region. With the introduction of global formats, such as Idol and Got Talent, amongst others, a couple of years ago, they soon became top-rated TV shows and have created unprecedented engagement with the audiences on multi-platforms.” Jaber added: “It only makes sense that we renew our contracts with FremantleMedia – thus keeping the momentum of these formats at its peak.

We are delighted with this partnership that helps to bring the best TV global practices to our region while allowing our own creative teams to excel, deliver and succeed.”

Arab Idol became immensely popular in 2013 with Mohammed Assaf, a former wedding singer from Gaza, winning the competition in the second season. The MENA region united as Assaf’s finale performance generated viewership over five times higher than the broadcaster average. The Idol format, co-owned by FremantleMedia and 19 Entertainment, has now been produced in 51 territories worldwide.

Arabs Got Talent’s third season made international headlines when Syrian dancing troupe, SIMA, was declared the winner in the competition. The Arabic version of the format became MBC4’s number one show in both 2012 and 2013 consecutively. Co-owned by Syco Entertainment and FremantleMedia, the global Got Talent phenomenon officially became the Guinness World Records’ most successful reality TV format worldwide in April this year and has now been commissioned in 65 territories worldwide.

MBC’s remarkable list of programs will be enhanced by the addition of the international singing competition, The X Factor for the very first time. The pan-Arab version will take the format to 51 territories internationally. While the format is owned and created by The Syco Entertainment, it is also co-produced and licensed by FremantleMedia worldwide. Since the launch of The X Factor UK in 2004, the British-born TV show has been watched by more than 360 million people around the world and can be seen in almost every country on earth. The X Factor format has discovered and launched more international break-out artists than any other singing competition show, with more than 160 million record sales by The X Factor artists globally.

The fashion reality series, Project Runway on MBC will also showcase its first pan Arab version. The program gives aspiring fashion designers the chance of a lifetime as they compete through a string of demanding challenges to have their collection shown at a major catwalk show. The winner also gets featured in a leading fashion magazine. The Weinstein Company owned, Project Runway has become the most successful fashion format worldwide having been produced in 23 territories including the US, Australia, Canada, Latin America and the UK.

October 14, 2014