Sky Italia & Banijay Italia Ink Deal for Pechino Express

Sky Italia and Banijay Italia have signed an exclusive agreement for future seasons of Pechino Express (Pekin Express).

The Pechino Express format centers on a series of VIP couples as they travel through territories that are both geographically and culturally very distant from where they come from. The contestants are equipped only with a backpack that contains basic necessities and one Euro per person per day in local currency that they can’t use for transportation. Relying mainly on their physical resilience, adaptability, initiative and skills, they have to get by with the few resources available to them.

During the journey, in which they face various types of trials and challenges, the couples are pushed to appreciate local traditions and customs and to discover cultures while learning new habits and gaining the support of the locals they meet on their way. The winning couple is awarded a prize to be donated to a charity of their choosing in one of the places they visited. Pechino Express Road Trips will land on Sky and NOW TV soon.

Pechino Express is the Italian edition of the Belgian-Dutch original format owned and licensed by 4MAT4. Since 2012, Magnolia/Banijay Italia has produced eight series of the show. The format has been sold and aired in 16 countries since 2004.

Nicola Maccanico, executive VP of programming at Sky Italia, said: “We are glad to welcome one of the most popular formats to Sky and believe it will further enrich our entertainment slate. The success of Pechino Express—a high-quality show produced by Banijay Italia—is clear in interpreting and relaying the reality of the world and its dynamics, while entertaining families and uniting them in front of the TV. It emphasizes the importance of discovery and travel. Pechino Express builds on a wide range of emotions which everyone can relate to: the emotions of the contest and the adrenaline for the competition, the amazement of discovery, the joy of solidarity—with the final prize allocated to support the areas explored during the show—and the strong personal interactions between those that have grown up with different cultures, habits and training. For all these reasons, Pechino Express is an extraordinary show and one which we have decided to invest in. We can’t wait to start working on it, with the creativity and passion for which Sky stands out. There is still a whole world to explore.”

Fabrizio Ievolella, CEO at Banijay Italia, added: “Pechino Express is a show we love very much and one that has had a very special relationship with its audience since its launch in 2012. Over the years, we have fully devoted our energy and resources to this program, and we are proud to bring to this platform a format that is at the height of its success, having just had its highest-rating episode to-date. Thanks to this new partnership, we are confident that Pechino Express will continue to develop. Sky’s assets and its engagement expertise will allow us to enter a new phase of growth while maintaining the values that have been associated with Pechino, making it the most relevant adventure show on Italian television. It is the start of a new journey for Pechino Express, and, at Banijay Italia, we are very happy to go back on the road with Sky.”