Armoza’s Upgrade to Get South Korean Treatment

TEL AVIV: Armoza Formats has signed its first broadcast deal in Asia, for its hit game show Upgrade with South Korean network Channel A.

A local version of Upgrade for Channel A will be produced by Box Media Productions to launch in early 2012. Current international productions of Upgrade are in Quebec on Canada’s V Tele, where season two is now airing; Norway’s TV2, where season two is now in production; and Switzerland’s RTS, where the show is set to launch in November.

Upgrade challenges families and roommates to play for the chance to upgrade items like leaky refrigerators, slow-running computers and outdated bedroom sets by answering trivia questions. If the contestants fail to answer correctly, they’ll be left without washing machines, TVs and couches when the items are carted away.

Armoza Formats’ CEO, Avi Armoza, said, "We’re thrilled to sign our first commission deal in Asia, one of our major company targets for 2011. South Korea has a rich television industry and we’re very pleased to join the small and elite group of international format acquisitions in the territory, especially as a part of Channel A’s first line of programming for the channel’s historic launch."