Dragons’ Den Format Heads to Vietnam

SINGAPORE: The first Southeast Asian version of Dragons’ Den is in the works, with VTV ordering Shark Tank Vietnam.

The deal inked by Sony Pictures Television brings 16 episodes of the show to the Vietnamese broadcaster in 2017. “This is an especially exciting announcement for us, being able to bring this hugely successful format that originated in Japan to yet another audience in Asia,” said Ken Lo, senior VP of international distribution for the Asia Pacific at SPT. “These new commissions are just further evidence that Shark Tank is truly a format that translates and inspires audiences around the globe.”

Other recent activity on the format includes a Middle Eastern version for Rotana Media Group’s Khalijia channel and a Hungarian adaptation on TV2. There have also been recent renewals of the Australian and Mexican versions. The format was created by market-leading Japanese broadcaster Nippon TV.