Twist & Shout Continues Global Sales

CANNES: Zodiak Entertainment has firmed up license deals in Asian territories and a new option in Australia for the music format Twist & Shout.

The prime-time entertainment series has been optioned by Nine Network in Australia, and was also picked up for production by TPI in Indonesia, Star in India and ABS-CBN in the Philippines. Already optioned in ten territories around the world, the one-hour talent show features eight acts going head to head in four musical duels. Each contestant tries to sing or play their best for two minutes without stopping, while a range of acts are done to throw them off. This could be anything from an ice-water plunge to singing upside down. A jury decides the winner of each duel but the studio audience votes at the end to decide who will become this week’s champions.

Matthieu Porte, the head of format sales for Zodiak Entertainment, commented, “We’re delighted to have signed an option deal today with Nine in Cannes for this high-impact format. Many of the hit formats of recent times have begun their success story in one or two territories before becoming global hits, such as Survivor in Scandinavia where it became a huge success. I am confident that Twist & Shout will similarly prove to be a hit in Asia and Australia, before launching to a worldwide audience.”