MasterChef Expands Footprint in Asia

MasterChef is growing its global brand footprint, with seven new distribution deals for the U.S. and Australian versions struck across Asia and a brand-new Thai all-stars version set to launch.

The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia has picked up season ten of MasterChef US and season seven of MasterChef Junior, both produced by Endemol Shine North America, to be aired on FOX Life (Southeast Asia and Hong Kong) and FOX (Taiwan). Meanwhile, Star India has snapped up season ten of MasterChef US, alongside season 11 of MasterChef Australia, which will continue to air on the network’s linear channel Star World and its digital streaming service Hotstar. Living Foodz in India has also signed a deal for season nine of MasterChef Australia.

MasterChef Australia season eleven has sold to A&E Networks Asia to broadcast across Asia, and Discovery has picked up season seven of Endemol Shine Australia’s format to air across Southeast Asia on TLC.

Additionally, MasterChef All Stars Thailand is set to launch for first time, along with renewals for the original version in Indonesia and Myanmar. In Thailand, the production house Heliconia H Group has commissioned the first season of MasterChef All Stars Thailand. The new version of the long-running format will continue to air in the Heliconia-owned airtime block on Sundays on the free-TV station Bangkok Broadcasting & Television.

The original MasterChef format has been renewed for a sixth season in Indonesia by RCTI, and a second run of MasterChef has just completed its run in Myanmar on MRTV-4 (Forever Group), with a third season coming soon.

2019 was the most successful year to date for MasterChef, with 53 confirmed productions across 35 markets. The 63rd market to pick up the show was recently announced in a deal with PSM for the Maldives. Meanwhile, the local adaptation of the show made a comeback in India on the linear channel Star Plus and Hotstar app in December 2019 and celebrated its tenth anniversary and 200th episode in the U.S., also drawing in audiences in major markets like the U.K., Brazil, Australia, Italy and Spain.

Rashmi Bajpai, executive director for Asia at Endemol Shine, said: “Audiences in Asia love MasterChef and without a doubt the seven distribution deals for the U.S. and Australian versions will deliver excellent ratings in the region. Local productions are extremely popular too and MasterChef All Stars is a fantastic spin-off series featuring talented returning contestants, which is heading to Thailand for the first time.”