ITV

Tag: Battle in the Box

  • South Korean format factory Something Special gets cash injection

    South Korean format factory Something Special gets cash injection

    MUMBAI: Seoul-based format agency Something Special has secured a financial booster shot from two South Korean investment heavyweights, Daekyo Investment and SB Partners, to fuel its global expansion ambitions.
    The deal, whose financial particulars remain under wraps, sees Daekyo providing the lion’s share of capital with SB Partners chipping in supporting funds. The cash injection comes as Something Special celebrates its fifth birthday, giving it ample ammunition for its next growth phase.

    The format agency, helmed by president and executive producer Jin Woo Hwang and executive VP and head of content InSoon Kim, has already made significant inroads in the global format marketplace. Its smash hit Battle in the Box  has been snapped up in 23 territories, while Still Alive has found homes in 11 markets.

    Its  latest offering, Unforgettable Duet—a heartstring-tugging format featuring dementia patients reconnecting with memories through beloved songs—debuted on MBN as one of 2024’s highest-rated unscripted launches. The show has since secured a full ten-episode commission for 2025 and caught the fancy of Helium Pictures, which optioned it for Australia and New Zealand in December 2024.

    Daekyo Investment, which manages the Daekyo K-Contents Scale Up Fund targeting small and medium-sized venture companies in Korea’s cultural content sector, seems pleased with its new portfolio addition. The firm’s executive director Roh Jai Seung gushed: “Something Special has proven itself to be a globally known and highly respected content company. They are shining a light on the best of Korean creativity to the world.”

    Hwang and Kim responded: “We are honoured that Daekyo Investment and SB Partners recognise Something Special’s vision and potential. As the leading independent Korean agency representing A-list producers and formats worldwide, we remain committed to our motto: We connect and create.”

    The Seoul outfit also represents the white-hot format The Traitors in Korea and boasts partnerships with format behemoths including FremantleMedia, Banijay, ITV UK, UKTV and Warner Brothers International Television.

  • Something Special licenses Battle in the Box’s US rights to UK’s Interstellar

    Something Special licenses Battle in the Box’s US rights to UK’s Interstellar

    Mumbai: Seoul-based international format agency Something Special’s president Jin Woo Hwang announced that they licensed the US rights for ‘Battle in the Box’ to UK production company, Interstellar. Interstellar produced the UK version which aired this past summer with host-comedian Jimmy Carr on U&Dave TV (owned by UKTV, a subsidiary of BBC). The show was created by Nmedia and is globally represented by Something Special. It originally aired in South Korea on MBN with top ratings.

    The program is about two celebrity teams who enter an empty box divided by a movable wall armed only with a toothbrush to live with for 24 hours. Teams earn space and luxuries by conquering physical and mental challenges. Victory expands their living area, but more room for one team means less for the other. With challenges occurring around the clock, the celebrities must be strategic to secure their space.

    Hwang stated: “Something Special is thrilled how Battle in the Box was received in the U.K. and now has an opportunity to go to the U.S. This unique game show format, created by their partner Nmedia, launched in S. Korea on MBN and was a major hit. Take two pairs of celebrities and put them in an expandable box for 24 hours, what could go wrong? We love working with Interstellar and look forward to even more versions of Battle in the Box.”

    Interstellar MD David Williams stated: “Bringing the brilliant Battle in the Box to U&Dave in the UK has been an absolute joy. We cannot wait to take everything we’ve learned about this groundbreaking reality and gameshow format and apply it to a host of new famous faces in the US. American celebrities beware, the Box is coming for you!”