CJ E&M Delivers Korean Formats to the World

TV Formats caught up with Albert Park, sales manager at South Korea-based CJ E&M, to talk about the latest trends in the format business, which titles are selling well and the company’s upcoming plans in the growing space.

With formats booming in the international marketplace, everyone is wondering where the market will go next. “The format industry is rapidly changing,” says Albert Park, sales manager at CJ E&M. He notes that it’s crucial to have patience when launching a new format because “even if an idea or concept is a good one, when you put a ***Image***new format out into the market, it will take time to draw people’s interest, and having a track record is important.”

Park points to one of the company’s hit formats, Grandpas Over Flowers, as an example. “Grandpas Over Flowers actually took two to three years before it was anchored at NBC,” he says. “But once that was done, it became a really exciting time because Grandpas Over Flowers has been optioned in 20 different countries all around the world.” The reality show sees four actors travel throughout a foreign country with a guide. The U.S. version on NBC, known as Better Late Than Never, features Henry Winkler, George Foreman, William Shatner and Terry Bradshaw on an adventure across Asia. NBC has commissioned a second season.

The format market is vast, and Park reports that there is always an appetite for music competition shows. CJ E&M’s shiny-floor music entertainment format I Can See Your Voice has sold widely throughout Asia, including to Thailand, China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia. “We’re currently in talks with Malaysia, which means we’ve covered pretty much all of Asia,” Park says. “Season two has been confirmed in Indonesia and Thailand, so ***Image***the show is traveling well. The format has also been licensed to NOVA TV in Bulgaria, where it was the first Korean entertainment show to enter Eastern Europe.”

“Competition audition formats are always a safe bet,” Park adds. He has also noticed that “there is some demand for competition shows with a little bit of a twist because there are so many existing ones already, and people want a [fresh perspective] but still with the element of competition.”

Food-based formats have also proven to be popular in Korea and Japan, as well as other parts of Asia. Park notes, “We’ve seen a number of cooking formats, both new and existing” gain popularity. CJ E&M acquired and localized both MasterChef and Chef in Your Ear.

Park has seen a demand for formats related to gaming and e-gaming as well. “CJ E&M has a gaming channel, and we produce some digital content that features a gaming element embedded in the programs,” he says. “We will continue to see more of that as e-gaming and mobile gaming become more popular, and as VR becomes more prevalent.” He believes that with “the technological innovations, VR could easily spread into the format business.”

There has been an uptick in the call for dating shows in Western markets, and at MIPCOM 2016, CJ E&M launched Sweetheart in Your Ear, a phone dating reality format. “Asian territories tend to follow trends of the Western hemisphere,” Park notes. “So if a format has already proven successful in the West, it will likely enter into the Asian market.” Yet, due to cultural values, dating shows have not proven as popular in Asia.

There are sometimes obstacles to overcome when shopping formats in the international marketplace. “The biggest challenge is of course that each region has different values,” says Park. “For example, when we have a great idea that we think is going to work, but from others’ perspective, they can’t quite understand it, we then have to repackage it. We have to take international trends into consideration when formatting and repackaging our titles, so when we select titles to pitch and repackage for the international market, we always run into this dilemma of: Would this element work there, or is this too short-sighted or too narrow?”

In order to avoid these types of issues, Park says, “As a golden rule [the concept] has to be simple, easily adaptable, universal and cost-effective. You can have a $1 million set, but that format may not travel. But iconic, easily distinguishable format structures will travel. Our format-development team has been working hard to create the materials and all the bibles and guidelines that meet global standards, and also we provide total solutions such as consultancy and production know-how.”

CJ E&M is looking to expand its reach in the format space. “We have launched a new division within our corporation called Global Content Center,” Park says. “GCC is our format hub. Our international format strategy is to continue to expand in the global market and meet the right partners. We are envisioning doing at least three to five co-development projects in the coming years in different markets, whether that means targeting specific territories or a certain genre.

“We’re considered an Asian-focused company,” Park continues. “But with the GCC and our continuous format efforts, we hope to become a truly global format company that goes across borders and works in diverse markets.”