Case Study: Shine’s MasterChef

The British cooking competition series MasterChef initially ran in the U.K. in the ’90s, before being revived by the Shine Group in 2005 in a reversioned format, MasterChef Goes Large. “In the U.K. it has gone on to 18 series in all variants,” says Mark Fennessy, the president of Shine Network and CEO of Shine Australia. “The format really exploded as an international franchise following the launch of the Australian series in 2009. Whilst carefully retaining the original structure it was effectively ‘supersized’ to meet a specific network brief on volume and rollout. Major territories followed in 2010 and local productions now number more than 30.”

Indeed, there are successful local versions of MasterChef airing across the globe, including the U.S., France, Israel, India, Italy, Ireland and Peru. “It has set many ratings records, particularly for the finals,” notes Fennessy. “The 2010 Australian final beat the series’ own record to be the highest rated (non-sporting) program ever to air there, a feat matched in Israel in 2011, and in France it is consistently the number one ranked show in its slot for ***MasterChef - Video***TF1 with the first series final winning nearly 6 million viewers.”

Fennessy says that the show, in many respects, is a celebration of life through food. “MasterChef captures a special authenticity amongst ‘foodies’ and that’s reflected in a high degree of pride in self achievement. Whilst it’s ultimately an unscripted cooking competition, the format has a genuine depth and warmth to it that you simply cannot manufacture. The world of food and cooking permeates our lives in so many different ways and you don’t need to be an intellect or an athlete to create a brilliant dish.”

The success of the format has led to a number of spinoffs. There’s MasterChef: The Professionals, which has performed well, and, more recently, Junior MasterChef, which Shine Group is now successfully rolling out in a number of territories. Celebrity MasterChef has also been a strong performer in the territories where it has aired; six installments have been broadcast in the U.K. alone.

Sales for the finished episodes have also been strong, according to Fennessy, “and they continue to grow.” Tape sales have been made in more than 150 territories to date, predominantly of the U.S., Australian and the U.K. treatments.

The on-air success of the format has led to tremendous success off air as well, with a variety of brand extensions, including kitchenware products, cookbooks, digital activities and live experiences. “Over $240 million in retail sales has been generated to date, including over 3 million books and magazines sold globally,” reports Fennessy. “As examples, in the U.K. over a quarter of a million people have visited a MasterChef event in one year. In Australia all initial lines sold ***Mark Fennessy***out and over 7 million users have visited the website (and counting), whilst in the U.S. MasterChef cooking courses with Le Cordon Bleu were recently launched.”

Fennessy says that Shine is committed to keeping the format “credible, interesting and relevant” for its broadcast customers as well as the at-home viewers. “There’s a duty of care and self assessment within Shine Group that’s honest and authentic in protecting the brand. Our workshops bring together the frontline creative talent from the various MasterChef productions across the globe, which are rigorous and valuable sessions. We’re highly conscious of the need for constant improvement within the boundaries we’ve collectively set.”

He adds, “We certainly wish to preserve the essence of what has made it such a hugely successful format, so there’s a desire for keeping it real.” Fennessy says to keep an eye out for advancements of the MasterChef brand in the digital space over the course of the next 12 months.