FremantleMedia Releases Report on Global Format Market

LONDON, January 3: According to research released by
FremantleMedia, broadcasters saw marked improvement in both the volume and
success rate of game-show formats last year, led by the global hit Are You
Smarter than a 5th Grader?, but variety and
talent shows like Got Talent continue
to dominate prime-time schedules.

The most successful global entertainment format of 2007 was
the American game show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, which entered 22 new territories in eight months,
making it one of the fastest global rollouts ever. The most successful talent
show format of 2007 was FremantleMedia’s own Got Talent, which was sold to nine new territories in the past
year and is also the highest-rated British entertainment show of the year. The
comedy show Thank God You’re Here
also entered a further nine territories last year. FremantleMedia noted that it
is responsible for 30 percent of the top ten traveling formats of 2007.

In the U.K., four of the top five highest-rated
entertainment series of 2007 were talent shows: X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Dancing On Ice and Strictly Come Dancing. Other new launches include The X Factor in the Netherlands, which is ranked as the
number-one show for broadcaster RTL4. According to FremantleMedia, nearly half
of all new variety and talent titles launched across the five key TV markets
have exceeded the average share for each of their broadcasters.

Game shows have also shown improvement over the 2006-2007
season. Season-on-season, there has been a 30-percent increase in the number of
new game show launches across the five key TV markets and 34 percent of all new
game show launches exceeded their broadcaster’s share—higher than the
market average of 27 percent across all genres. In addition to Are You
Smarter than a 5th Grader?— which
ranks as the highest-rated new launch in the U.S.—other hit game shows
launched this season include 1 vs. 100, PokerFace,
Don’t Forget The Lyrics and The
Singing Bee.

For other fare, new factual programming remains strong, in
terms of volume, accounting for nearly 50 percent of all new prime-time
launches. However, in comparison to new entertainment and scripted titles,
factual launches are also the least successful. Results of scripted launches
were mixed, with the total number of new scripted series falling by nearly 20
percent across the five key TV markets season-on-season. Mini-series proved to
be the best performing of all new scripted launches with a 50 percent success
rate, down from 68 percent last season. The two-part German drama Tornado was the best performing new drama launch this
season. The most disappointing genre of the season has been the sitcom, with
only three of the new launches beating their broadcaster’s average.

FremantleMedia also reported a low success rate for new
series, with only 27 percent of new prime-time launches exceeding their
respective broadcaster’s prime-time average share. The success rate of new
launches ranged from just 13 percent in the U.S. market to 51 percent in the
more cautious French market.

The U.K. remains the main originator of global formats,
accounting for 33 percent of this market during the first nine months of 2007.
However, the number of traveling formats from British broadcasters has declined
year-on-year. Independent producers also continue their dominance, supplying 88
percent of all formats originated from the U.K. Reflecting the renewed demand
for game-show formats, the U.S. and the Netherlands grew their share as
originators of global formats, with each now accounting for 21 percent of the
share of global formats in total.

FremantleMedia also noted that the rollout of global formats
is getting faster, with broadcasters increasingly seeking tried and tested
formats with a proven track record of success. New entertainment formats such
as Thank God You’re Here and Got
Talent launched into a total of 14 and 11
territories, respectively, within 18 months.

Tony Cohen, the CEO of FremantleMedia, commented: “The U.K.
is still as strong as ever and the main originator of global formats, but it is
interesting to see that the speed of global roll out is still accelerating. The
U.S. market had a growing demand for entertainment formats, something which we
expect to see even more of in 2008 and a trend which the writers strike issues
has the potential to exaggerate. Overall last year was a great one for talent
shows. We are looking forward to their continued success in 2008—shows
like X Factor and Got Talent, offer broadcasters something of enormous
value—great TV brands and a bankable audience. 2007 was a great year for
the U.K., a year when it again proved itself as a great source for traveling
brands. The U.K.’s audience figures for entertainment shows speak for
themselves. Fourteen of the top 15 entertainment shows in the U.K. are global
success stories.”

—By Irene Lew