Case Study: The Great Bake Off

Suzanne Kendrick, the head of global format sales at BBC Worldwide, talks to TV Formats about the success of The Great Bake Off.

Baking is a common hobby and profession around the globe, so it’s no surprise that BBC Worldwide’s The Great Bake Off format has whet the appetites of broadcasters in several territories. The competition show looks on as contestants participate in a variety of challenges for the chance to be named their country’s best amateur baker.

“There are a number of ingredients that make Love Productions’ format The Great Bake Off the international success that it is today and why it sits perfectly within the BBC Worldwide catalog,” says Suzanne Kendrick, the distributor’s head of global format sales. “Firstly, wherever you are in the world, we all have a connection with baking. Secondly, running through the veins of The Great Bake Off is a genuine sense of warmth, where we see real people achieving amazing things. Finally, the fact that it’s not studio-based is unique.”

The format first began airing as The Great British Bake Off on the BBC in the U.K. in 2010. Earlier this year, it was announced that Channel 4 is set to become the show’s new broadcast home in 2017 following a three-year deal signed with Love Productions. Although Bake Off will no longer air on the Beeb, it will remain in the BBC Worldwide catalog. “BBC Worldwide has an exclusive first negotiation position with Love Productions for the international distribution of future [seasons] of The Great British Bake Off,” explains Kendrick. “BBC Worldwide continues to hold international format rights (excluding North America) for The Great Bake Off for the next 12 years.”

Belgium was the first country to whip up a local version of Bake Off. Since then, the format has been licensed into nearly two dozen territories, including Australia, Sweden, France, Poland, South Africa, Brazil and Thailand. The latest agreements were made with Nova in Bulgaria and TV Azteca in Mexico, with the latter marking Bake Off’s first sale to a Spanish-speaking country on free-to-air television.

“The format has proved to be incredibly popular in a number of countries around the world,” says Kendrick. “In Sweden, the debut [season] outperformed its channel’s (Sjuan) prime-time average by 451 percent, while Brazil’s Bake Off Brasil: Mão na Massa has become the number one cooking show in the country. In addition, the award-winning The Great Australian Bake Off launched its second season in October 2016, when it premiered as the highest rating broadcast to date for LifeStyle FOOD.”

She continues: “The format has also had some notable successes across Western Europe. The latest [season] of France’s Le Meilleur Pâtissier (The Master Pastry Chef) airing on M6 achieved 17.2 percent market share—its best-ever performance. Meanwhile, the latest [seasons] of Bake Off in Italy and Germany have also enjoyed record-breaking audience shares.”

According to Kendrick, there are a few elements that should remain at the core of each Bake Off adaptation, including the Signature Bake, Technical Bake and Showstopper Bake challenges. It is also important for the judges on local treatments to have credentials and offer constructive feedback in order to earn the respect of both contestants and viewers. Likable presenters are also crucial to success. “Other key features include the beautiful photography of the bakes as well as the bakers, who are the stars of the show,” says Kendrick. “Furthermore, each week one baker has to leave but there is always a star baker revealed, too. Finally, the tent [is an important element], as audiences really like the connection between the kitchen and the outdoors.”

Looking ahead, BBC Worldwide is hoping to expand the presence of Bake Off in Asia, while also continuing to build on the format’s success in other parts of the world. “The popularity of the show keeps on growing, with ratings building year on year,” says Kendrick.