TVFORMATS
ITV Studios has acquired all non-scripted formats and IP from the Swedish creator and distributor Elk Entertainment.
The deal adds 65 formats to the catalog, including Invincible, in which eight paralympic stars from different disciplines compete against each other to be crowned the nation’s best parasports athlete; Dead Poets, which sees four famous artists tasked with transforming a classic poem into a contemporary hit song; and Pyramid of Dreams (aka Stacked), a game show that generates a full spectrum of emotions from despair to joy. Further titles include Odd One Out, DIY Champions, Brainpower and All Inclusive.
ITV Studios acquired Elk Productions in 2017, renaming the business ITV Studios Sweden, and has since held exclusive rights to produce its entertainment formats in the Scandinavian region. In this new deal, the exploitation of all international rights to Elk’s formats transfers from distributor Elk Entertainment to ITV Studios.
Mike Beale, managing director of global creative network at ITV Studios, said, “Having worked with Estelle and Mattias over the last 15 years I am delighted that they have entrusted their brilliant non-scripted creations to ITV Studios. We are excited to represent these highly entertaining and robust formats globally, building on their solid success in the Scandinavian region.”
Estelle Boden, managing director, and Mattias Olssen, head of programming, said, “We have enjoyed many amazing years at Elk Entertainment but we are now looking to take a break and look for a fresh challenge. ITV Studios has been a great production partner to us in the Scandinavian region it feels a natural step to leave the catalog in their safe hands. We are confident that the creative network and global entertainment teams will deliver super success for the catalog internationally.”
