Shine Teams with BBC Worldwide on MasterChef

LONDON: BBC Worldwide is to manage the MasterChef brand in the U.K. and Ireland under a partnership deal with Shine Television.

The three-year deal will focus on a multiplatform licensing program for the brand that includes live events, licensed product, magazine and partwork publising and online activity. The main MasterChef series achieved audiences of more than 5 million for its finale. Along with its two spin-off series, MasterChef: The Professionals and Celebrity MasterChef, a further 300 episodes are currently commissioned by the BBC. The show has versions running in such territories as France, the Middle East, Germany and Sweden, in deals brokered by ShineReveille International.

Peter Phippen, BBC Worldwide’s the managing director of BBC Magazines, Children’s & Licensing, said: “MasterChef has become a huge hit as a TV show. With our expertise in extending successful BBC brands and developing them into other formats, BBC Worldwide is delighted to be working with Shine to give fans of MasterChef a wide range of opportunities to experience the brand beyond the TV screen.”

Jamie Munro, the joint managing director of Shine TV, added: “MasterChef is the pre-eminent cookery show of our era which has incredible potential to extend beyond the broadcast platform. Now in the U.K. with BBC Worldwide we have both a partner and programme of activity that will realise the many licensing, publishing and event ambitions we have for it, enabling it to truly live off-screen.”