Mideast Embraces Formats

As DISCOP Istanbul kicks off in Turkey today, TV Formats Weekly looks at the latest developments in the demand for formats in the Middle East.

From pan-Arab broadcasters’ penchant for big international brands to Israel’s rising prominence as an originator of concepts that can be successfully adapted across multiple territories, the Middle East looks set to be one of the hot markets for the format business this year.

“The broadcasters more than ever are actively looking for and buying international formats,” says Karoline Spodsberg, the managing director of Banijay International, which has announced a flurry of deals in the region as of late. Most recently, IF was picked up by the pan-regional broadcaster MBC, which will air 20 hour-long local episodes produced by In Media Plus. This follows the fifth-season renewal of Taratata by Abu Dhabi TV and the signing of an exclusive output deal in Egypt with Medialife that includes 71 Degrees North and Sold!

“Last year we decided to say, Let’s focus on the Middle East—let’s invest, go down there, spend some time, meet all the right people and get to know the market,” Spodsberg says. “It’s a great region. The format market is enlarging. More and more [channels] are starting to take in formats for prime time.”

Banijay is not the only distributor that is seeing increased activity in its Middle Eastern business. Turkey’s Global Agency, for example, sees strong potential in the region, after having sold its Perfect Bride format to LBC. “As Turkey has many cultural similarities and connections with the Middle East, there is a huge demand for Turkish formats,” says Izzet Pinto, the CEO of Global Agency.

Others that have built a solid business in the territory include FremantleMedia, whose Got Talent recently rolled out on MBC4—which is also airing its own version of TV Azteca’s Men Wanted. John de Mol’s Talpa Media announced in November a tie-up with Sony Pictures Television that will see its shows being adapted in the Middle East and Africa. And this year two new versions of ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s Come Dine with Me make their debut in the region, on Cyprus’s CyBC and Iran’s Marjan Television Network.

While there are some terrestrial broadcasters acquiring formats in the Middle East, much of the demand is coming from two big pan-regional players: MBC and LBC. The latter, for example, recently scooped up La Presse Télé’s A Star’s Life in Lyrics and NBC Universal International’s Top Chef.

Randa El Daher, deputy CEO of LBC, notes that formats have had a role on the broadcaster’s schedule since 1999. “As a general-entertainment channel looking for diversity and catering to a wide audience that we want to please, formats are part of our programming strategy to complete the grid offering,” she says.

El Daher adds that LBC has a broad view when acquiring international concepts, and is willing to look outside of the traditional markets in North America and Europe for compelling ideas in both the scripted and unscripted arenas. “It’s about satisfying our viewers and ensuring the highest share of audience. We are interested in any typology as long as the concept is good and appealing.”

Talent shows, in particular, appear to be working well in the region, along with light-entertainment formats, notes Banijay’s Spodsberg. Global Agency has also seen a demand for talent shows, particularly those that target young-adult demographics.

Looking ahead, Pinto sees a new trend emerging: “In the last three years, Middle Eastern networks have imported dozens of Turkish drama series that they have dubbed into Arabic. We believe that in the near future, they will be producing their own versions using local talent.

Forbidden Love

has done incredibly well as the finished version. I think that local versions of this scripted format will perform even better. Since advertising budgets are rising in this region, formats will be produced with bigger budgets; therefore we will see higher-quality productions.”