Singer Auction Talent Format to Go Global

NBCUniversal International Formats is launching worldwide sales for the talent format Singer Auction, which is co-developed with Thailand’s Zense Entertainment.

NBCUniversal International Formats will introduce Singer Auction to the global market and the format will be part of its MIPCOM slate. Singer Auction is a prime-time entertainment format that gives unknown vocalists the chance to showcase their talents. Each episode sees five celebrities go head-to-head in a bidding war for four singing contestants after being given only two random clues about them and no sense of their vocal ability. The celebrities must decide how much of their allocated funds they are willing to bid to represent each vocalist. After each auction closes, the celebrities get to hear the contestants sing, and the studio audience must cast a vote on the quality of each performance. The celebrities also have a final chance to trade in their singer and bid for another. The singer with the highest audience score wins a cash prize equal to the celebrity bid they received.

The format recently debuted in Thailand. NBCUniversal International Formats will begin worldwide network conversations later this year.

Linfield Ng, the director of NBCUniversal International Formats, commented, “It is great to be partnering with Zense Entertainment. Singer Auction is an innovative new format, which has proven itself to be a ratings smash in Thailand. With high tension and entertainment at its core, the show is the perfect fit for the international prime-time schedule and we have no doubt it will resonate with audiences across the globe.”

Varavuth Jentanakul, the CEO and chairman of Zense Entertainment, added, “We are delighted with the successful co-development of Singer Auction with NBCUniversal International Formats. In Thailand, the format has proven a real success given its unique auction structure and fun-filled bidding wars and I am sure it will become a prime-time hit.”