Channel 4 Commits to Endemol’s Million Dollar Drop

LONDON: Channel 4 has renewed Endemol’s Million Dollar Drop format for three additional seasons, while France’s TF1 and Switzerland’s SF1 have signed up for their own versions of the show.

Created by Endemol UK’s Remarkable Television—which is producing 29 new episodes for Channel 4 this year—the format has sold to 19 territories since its launch less than a year ago. It recently delivered a peak audience of 3.6 million on C4, with this season of The Million Pound Drop Live averaging 2.6 million viewers over eight episodes.

"The Million Pound Drop Live is a brilliantly intuitive two screen entertainment format, and we’re delighted to be bringing three more series to Channel 4," said Syeda Irtizaali, commissioning editor for entertainment at Channel 4. "The nail biting on-air action works seamlessly with the web based game, transforming a passive viewing experience into an active one, allowing viewers to play along and have their actions feed directly into the live program, making for a totally gripping game show. “

TF1 has commissioned 40 episodes to be stripped daily in a prime-time slot. SF1 has opted for a six-part weekly run for this summer. The format has also sold to Russia, Spain, Brazil, Israel, Australia and the U.S.