Strix Embraces Emerging Markets

Strix Television has been steadily expanding its footprint, most recently establishing an Israeli post.

Since its founding some 20 years ago, Strix Television has grown its operations considerably. While its head office is in Stockholm, Sweden, the company has established an international presence with affiliate offices in Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Oslo. Most recently, at the start of the year, Strix added to its reach by setting up a post in Tel Aviv.

"Israel is an exciting market with a huge pool of talented and creative people who are passionate about TV," says Michael Rothschild, country manager for Strix Israel. "This in combination with Strix’s strategy to explore new territories makes Israel a perfect match for Strix! The new office creates an additional window of opportunity for our formats."

Rothschild adds that the timing was right for Strix to be entering this market, as Israel has been flexing its creative muscle as of late. "In recent years there have been many formats and ideas coming out of Israel. We are hoping to take forward some of these ideas and talent and also create new original formats for the Strix catalogue. In return Strix offers access to the international market via our unique client base."

"Our goal is to serve the Israeli market, as well as our other affiliates, with first-class reality/factual entertainment/lifestyle formats," says Calle Jansson, the CEO of Strix Television. "As a trusted supplier of original formats for the international market, we are committed to providing innovative and contemporary formats that will deliver outstanding ratings consistently."

Jansson adds of his goals for the Tel Aviv hub: "We aim to form co-production alliances with one or more Israeli production partners."

Strix has kept an eye on the emerging markets of the Middle East and Africa, and has already been successful in selling its formats into these territories. The Farm, Strix’s best-selling in-house format, was commissioned in Lebanon by LBC. It has also served as co-production partner for the South African version of Survivor. "We were the first company to produce Survivor, the global phenomenon that heralded the worldwide reality-television boom," notes Jansson.

As for the focus of driving business in the Middle East and Africa, Jansson says: "As passionate storytellers, the overall goal is to be successful in launching compelling and innovating formats by our local presence in Israel and through our distribution vehicle."

Jansson also says that Strix plans to continue growing its reach. "We are always looking into new markets. The priority in entering a new market is, as always, finding the right people and the right conditions, and when valuing a particular market they must have a high share of produced and aired original formats."