Endemol Shine, Hunan TV in New Co-Dev Pact

Endemol Shine China and Hunan TV have inked a co-development partnership on Sing or Spin, a brand-new prime-time entertainment format.

The project was developed as part of Hunan TV’s Biu Project, an initiative set up to create a new pipeline of pilots for the broadcaster. Sing or Spin sees aspiring singers performing on a revolving stage that lets them know how well they are scoring with the judges.

The co-development team for Sing or Spin is led by Rebecca De Young, Endemol Shine China’s head of content, and Lester Hu, Hunan TV’s head of formats and international business.

William Tan, managing director of Endemol Shine China, noted, “This deal is part of our ongoing approach to long-term strategic partnerships for non-scripted programming in China and we’re excited to once again co-develop a new format with Hunan TV. They are undoubtedly one of China’s top players with a schedule packed with original and creative output. We firmly believe such cooperation benefits both parties and will enable us to elevate the Chinese market internationally.”

Lisa Perrin, CEO of creative networks at Endemol Shine Group, added, “We are thrilled that our talented creatives at Endemol Shine China have joined forces with the equally brilliant Hunan TV to co-develop a format which has huge potential to entertain audiences not only in China but also globally.”

Hunan TV’s Hu added, “Sing or Spin is a milestone co-development which reinforces our strategy to partner with international content creators to bring original Chinese TV formats to the global market. As we continue our hunt for fresh new format ideas that work in China and the rest of the world, it’s fantastic to launch our third prime-time entertainment show developed through Biu Project at MIPCOM. We’ll be back in Cannes next year when we partner with Reed MIDEM for the first time ever at the MIP Formats International Pitch.”