TVFORMATS
Fremantle has entered into a three-year deal with the newly established Eureka Studios, founded by former Eureka Productions co-CEOs Chris Culvenor and Paul Franklin.
Under the three-year pact, Eureka Studios will devise and develop new content to be sold and produced by Fremantle and its companies, including Eureka Productions. Eureka Studios will focus on unscripted formats, developing original ideas in gaming, sports-adjacent content and scripted content to be produced by Fremantle production companies worldwide and distributed by Fremantle.
With Culvenor and Franklin stepping up to lead Eureka Studios as co-CEOs of the new venture, Rikkie Proost will take on the role of CEO of Eureka Productions. Eureka Productions will continue to focus on delivering unscripted entertainment series across all platforms in the U.S. and Australia. Culvenor and Franklin remain actively involved in current productions and closely associated with the Eureka Productions slate.
“I am thrilled to be continuing to work with Chris and Paul at Eureka Studios,” said Jennifer Mullin, CEO of Fremantle. “This three-year partnership will enable us to develop exciting content for our audiences worldwide. Chris and Paul are true visionaries, and since our collaboration began in 2016, have brought some of the most creative productions to our pipeline. I am equally delighted that Rikkie has taken the role of CEO of Eureka Productions and look forward to working together more closely as he continues the success of the label with shows such as Farmer Wants a Wife, The Floor and Australian Idol.”
Culvenor and Franklin said, “Founding and growing Eureka Productions has been an incredible journey. Together with Fremantle and our exceptionally talented teams and partners, we have built a leading force in unscripted entertainment. As we expand our focus to this exciting new initiative, we remain fully connected to our production business, which will thrive under Rikkie’s brilliant leadership. The launch of Eureka Studios marks a major new creative venture at the heart of Fremantle’s global business, and we look forward to building a pipeline of bold original formats for the international market.”
Proost added, “It’s been an incredible ride working with Paul and Chris over the past six years, and I’m thrilled we get to evolve together in this new dynamic era of entertainment. At Eureka Productions, we will continue to do what we do best; deliver world-class content, created by world-class people, to our valued partners and global audiences.”
