SPT Makes Dr. Oz Sales

LONDON: Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has secured a range of format deals for The Dr. Oz Show in Latin America, Russia, France, Armenia and the Middle East.

The medical talk-show format, represented internationally by SPT’s 2waytraffic, will be locally produced in Armenia following a 60-episode deal with Shant TV. It is also being produced in France, where TF1 has ordered 25 episodes.

Following a 120-episode deal between 2waytraffic and national broadcaster RCN, Colombia will soon have its own Dr. Oz Show to be produced locally by Teleset. The Chilean broadcaster Mega TV has commissioned an additional 70 episodes from 2waytraffic from its initial 65 episodes.

In Russia, pubcaster Rossiya has ordered 195 more episodes, bringing it to a total of 490 episodes in the region. In the Middle East, pan-regional broadcaster MBC has greenlit a second season. Also developing a series based on the format are TV Record in Brazil and Zhejiang TV in China. The original Dr. Oz Show launched in the U.S. in 2009 in the US and is available in 112 countries. The third U.S. season recently premiered.

Ed Louwerse, the managing director of 2waytraffic, said, “There’s a real sense of fun and discovery with this format no matter where it’s produced–its winning formula harnesses our natural curiosity about health issues and engages audiences across any cultural boundary. Covering a wealth of topics from weight loss and nutrition to relationships and stress, The Dr. Oz Show format connects with people’s desire to live life to the fullest.”