2024: The Year in Formats

One of the key themes to emerge from our inaugural TV Real Festival in the summer of last year was that the formats sector had the resiliency to weather the overall downturn in the content business. Indeed, it has the potential to benefit from peak-drama fatigue. More than ever, broadcasters and streamers need affordable, reliable entertainment shows, alongside a smattering of big swings, to keep audiences and advertisers happy. But risk aversion is clear, as was seen by the continued prominence of the megaformats throughout 2024. Big brands got bigger, M&A was muted with a shift toward creative partnerships over a chase for scale, and new models across broadcast and streaming emerged as everyone looked for ways to do more with less.

The Traitors, a relatively new megaformat, had a breakout year in 2024, including being hailed as “Format of the Year” in K7 Media’s Tracking the Giants survey in the spring. The All3Media International format landed deals in Korea, India, Africa, Romania, Spain, and Central and Eastern Europe; a renewal and celebrity extension by the BBC; and a double renewal by Peacock, which scored an Emmy for its version. It was also a good year for another emerging format heavyweight: BBC Studios’ hit game show The 1% Club. The ITV commission secured a joint Prime Video and FOX window in the U.S. and was ordered for adaptations in Greece, Mexico, and Central and Eastern Europe. Sky Italia committed to more The X Factor. Got Talent secured a commission for Quebec. BBC commissioned a whopping 19th season of The Apprentice and renewed the rebooted The Weakest Link. The Real Housewives is headed to London for Hayu. The Masked Singer was optioned in India. CTV opted for more The Amazing Race. Dancing with the Stars is headed back to South Africa and Spain. Channel 4 partnered with E.ON Next for the return of The Secret Life of 5 Year Olds. Banijay Rights reached the milestone of 70 adaptations of Big Brother (which was also canceled in Canada in 2024) and MasterChef. Dragons’ Den/Shark Tank hit its 50th iteration. The Bachelor returned to Ukraine for a 13th season. The Voice was ordered by S4C in Wales, while a brand spin-off, The Voice Pride, was commissioned in Thailand. FOX committed to two more seasons of Hell’s Kitchen and further built its Gordon Ramsay business with the renewal of Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars.

The success of Gladiators, which was renewed for a second season by BBC One and is set for a U.S. adaptation by Prime Video, has many looking at older brands again. The spin-off Deal or No Deal Island landed a second season order on Peacock. Project Runway made news with a 2025 return in the U.S. and a new African commission. The British game show Bullseye is returning to ITV. W9 revived Temptation Island in France.

Last year also demonstrated the importance of building digital homes and brand extensions for popular formats to maintain fan engagement. Indeed, some platforms have built up entire libraries of different versions of hit formats and brand extensions, among them 9Network Australia, which did a deal for all English-language versions of Married at First Sight. BBC iPlayer acquired three international versions of The Traitors. Peacock renewed its Love Island spin-off, Love Island Games, and became the exclusive U.S. streaming home for the U.K. reality dating series Love Island: All Stars. Prime Video has become a key format buyer and continues to see global resonance for Last One Laughing, including a U.K. order. Pluto TV officially launched a 24/7 Big Brother channel. Passion Distribution’s UpStream Media marked the 20th anniversary of the reality format Paradise Hotel with the launch of a dedicated YouTube channel. The Rap Game UK is expanding its brand through the Fortnite Creative platform. BBC Studios partnered with Reality+ to launch the virtual Top Gear world, The Stigverse, on the social gaming platform The Sandbox. ITV2 launched an interactive companion series to I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, I’m a Celebrity…Unpacked. BGT Reacts, a spin-off of ITV1’s Britain’s Got Talent, landed on ITVX. The BBC launched an online The Traitors game.

While known entertainment brands, many studio-based, dominated deal news, there were some big-swing announcements, especially on the heels of the success of Squid Game: The Challenge, including Race Across the World heading to Germany, while ITV1 and ITVX commissioned The Summit, and Prime Video ordered Beast Games. Newer formats were also able to gain some traction. Stranded on Honeymoon Island was commissioned by the BBC and ordered in several European markets. The Power, from Dreamspark and Studio 89, hit a milestone of deals in 18 countries. Belgium’s Destination X was ordered to series by NBC. Crave commissioned Studio Lambert’s new The Anonymous.

Game shows, dating and talent remained the top performers in terms of format commissions, but factual entertainment emerged as an area to watch last year, as did the branded entertainment space as everyone explores new approaches to funding.

2024 was also a year dominated by news of creative partnerships over traditional M&A. Banijay entered into an exclusive global development deal with creator and producer Marc Pos through his independent label MPLab, while Banijay UK’s Zeppotron signed an exclusive development deal with comedy duo David Earl and Joe Wilkinson’s Big Oval Place for unscripted TV formats. Jenny Daly’s Critical Content unveiled alliances with LEONINE Studios, Warner Bros. International Television Production Australia, Dubai-based Blue Engine Studios, South Korea’s Something Special, Singapore’s Refinery Media, ITV Studios France and Belgium’s Be-Entertainment. BBC Studios entered a partnership deal with Jolly Octopus Media, a new production company founded by Emmy and BAFTA winners Ollie Brack and James Longman. All3Media International and Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS) in Japan partnered to co-develop new entertainment formats for the international market. NHK Enterprises expanded its partnership with Netherlands-based Lineup Industries and entered a new one with Singapore-based Empire of Arkadia (EOA) for format distribution. Something Special and the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) partnered to co-develop and co-produce new unscripted IP. On the M&A front, Fremantle Netherlands acquired stakes in AMANT productions and BOLDPRINT Studios. Avi Armoza clinched a deal to regain ownership of Armoza Formats from ITV Studios. Zinc Media Group launched a new entertainment label, Electric Violet, led by Andrea Hamilton.

Last year also saw RX France call the curtain on MIPTV, a market that, with MIPFormats, has long been paramount for format distribution executives. MIPFormats will be part of the inaugural MIP London, which will run alongside the London TV Screenings from February 24 to 27, with a pre-opening on Sunday, February 23. “The biggest international week in unscripted is now in London with MIP next February,” said Lucy Smith, director of MIP London and MIPCOM CANNES, in revealing news that MIPFormats would return for its 15th edition. “We’ve had clear feedback from each genre community about the importance of maintaining MIPDoc and MIPFormats in the first half of the year. Unscripted is a growing part of the London events in February. By starting MIPDoc and MIPFormats ahead of the week, MIP London helps meet this demand, gives unscripted buyers and producers a head start on the latest trends and potential partnerships, and further brings the MIP experience to London.”