Dori Media’s Nadav Palti

Celebrating his 20th year as president and CEO of Dori Media Group, Nadav Palti has a keen eye on industry shifts. Given current market conditions and its risk-averse nature, he sees interest in format remakes on the up. Palti tells TV Formats about what’s working best in scripted and unscripted formats and the importance of having a track record in today’s marketplace.

TV FORMATS: What’s your view on the overall health of the format market at present?
PALTI: Due to the situation in which the market is not easy from a business point of view, clients are looking to not take risks—or at least reduce them. One way to address it is by producing formats that already have proven success. Hence, the interest in formats and remakes is increasing—of course, remakes of formats that have already proven successful.

TV FORMATS: In unscripted entertainment, what’s working best these days?
PALTI: The trend is to produce formats that already have proven success. This trend is even more pronounced in non-scripted formats because in these genres, it is very difficult to achieve success, more so than in scripted formats. At the same time, when a format already has proven successful, it is easier to remake, with lower risk. When a format is successful, the interest in it grows and grows.

Dori Media’s Power Couple is an excellent example. The reality format is continuing to triumph, with new seasons and new territories. Power Couple premiered in Israel in 2014—the rest is history. The format has become a worldwide success in over 15 territories. The Power Couple format works like an accordion. In principle, all over the world, the same basic format cycle is produced as it was in the first Israeli original season. The only changes were made according to the needs of the broadcasting channels, regarding the number of episodes or the duration of each episode. This means we take the basic cycle and “break” it or reconstruct it, depending on the nuances and adjustments that each country is looking for. Basically, the original structure of the format is preserved. When a territory wants to produce Power Couple, the main thing that we always emphasize is that it’s all about relationships, how well you know your partner and how much you are willing to bet on it. All the challenges, and the seasonal twists that we add and mix in, are there to help the reality and the “knowing each other better” of the couples.

TV FORMATS: Are you seeing a need from broadcasters for prime-time entertainment or daytime commissioning for entertainment formats?
PALTI: The need for both exists. In prime time, the risk and investments are higher but, of course, so are the opportunities! So, we balance between the two, offering clients different options according to their needs.

TV FORMATS: How is the appetite for scripted formats?
PALTI: Clients are constantly looking for new content. The business model varies, but the appetite is definitely there.

TV FORMATS: Can you give some examples of recent successful adaptations of Dori’s scripted formats?
PALTI: Ömer, the Turkish remake of Shtisel produced by OGM Pictures, is on air on Star TV with huge success, consistently ranking number one in the ratings, surpassing Star’s average share by more than double.

Lalola’s new remake for ViX successfully premiered on the platform. It is a modern-day remake of the hit International Emmy-nominated romantic comedy that originally aired in 2007-2008.

TV FORMATS: Overall, where do you see opportunities for the formats industry today?
PALTI: Track-record formats are definitely an opportunity. Dori Media’s big library consists of many hits, new and even from two decades ago, that are of big interest. “Old” content examples include Lalola, Rebelde Way (remade by Netflix in 2022 as Rebelde) and more. Companies that can survive and produce, and own their libraries, can survive the period.

We believe strongly in co-production, decreasing and splitting the risks. That also means splitting the opportunities.

And, of course, the market situation. Its improvement in the coming years will result in growth in consumption.