ATF Spotlight: ITV Studios Global Entertainment

SINGAPORE: ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) has seen sales for its finished programs grow in Southeast Asia recently, due in part to the launch of new channels and IPTV operators.

“The expanding new-media sector in China in particular has created a demand for lifestyle entertainment shows, so we are able to do more volume deals with broadcasters in the country,” says Hyeonza Hong, ITVS GE’s VP of sales for Asia. From its finished-program slate, the company highlights Mr Selfridge, starring Entourage’s Jeremy Piven. Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan, which Hong describes as “an exhilarating travel-adventure series,” follows the actor known for his role on Lost as he travels the world in pursuit of large, rare insects.

The company has also seen its format business expanding in the region, “and we are spending more time on format sales than ever before,” says Hong. Among its current format highlights is Surprise Surprise, a feel-good series that reconnects guests with long-lost loved ones.